Engineering education and the strive for quality at a South African university

Abstract

Since 1997, South Africa's Department of Higher Education and the Council on Higher Education have collaborated to enhance the quality of higher education. While some commend these efforts, believing that educational standards have progressively improved, others argue that institutions are still falling short in delivering quality education. This study investigates the engineering program to assess the quality of education students receive. Employing a qualitative case study approach, data was collected through open-ended questionnaires and subsequently coded into three themes: decolonised education, responsive education, and employability. The findings revealed that 30.70% of participants perceived their education as high quality, whereas 69.30% felt it was lacking. Participants cited innovation, throughput rates, employable skills, and responsiveness as indicators of quality or its absence. In response to suggestions for improving education quality, three additional themes emerged: decolonisation, marketability, and contextual responsiveness. This research follows a 2017 study aimed at evaluating improvements in educational quality. The study concludes that the Engineering Council of South Africa and educational institutions must review their programs to ensure they develop the skills necessary for the evolving workplace, particularly in light of the transformative changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.