External Postgraduate Supervision and Institutional Accountability in Tanzanian Public Higher Learning Institutions: Evidence from the Institute of Accountancy Arusha
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59645/abr.v18i2.754Keywords:
External supervision, Postgraduate research, Institutional accountability, Research quality, Higher educationAbstract
Postgraduate research supervision significantly shapes the quality, relevance, and timeliness of academic output. In Tanzanian public universities, the growing reliance on external supervisors has raised concerns about institutional alignment and supervisory effectiveness. This study assesses the implications of external postgraduate supervision for research quality and institutional accountability, using the Institute of Accountancy Arusha (IAA), a representative public institution facing supervisory capacity gaps, as a case study. Through a qualitative design involving 89 participants (students, supervisors, and academic staff), the study reveals four key challenges: limited adherence by external supervisors to institutional guidelines; lack of student voice in supervisor allocation and reassignment; weak institutional responsiveness to student concerns; and the negative impact of supervision misalignment on research quality and progress. These findings highlight a systemic disconnect between institutional policy and supervisory practice. The study contributes to theoretical debates on institutional accountability by applying Institutional Theory to expose the persistence of symbolic compliance and procedural inertia in the governance of supervision. It also offers policy recommendations for structured orientation, transparent reassignment protocols, and performance monitoring to enhance research outcomes and student empowerment in Tanzanian higher learning institutions.
Downloads
References
Abushakra, A., Zhou, L., & Chen, J. (2024). Addressing supervisor–student misalignment in doctoral education: A boundary-spanning leadership perspective. Frontiers in Educa tion, 9, Article 1406260. https://www.frontiersin.org/arti cles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1406260/full
Amani, J., Myeya, H., & Mhewa, M. (2022). Understanding postgraduate delay: Supervisor and student perspectives. SAGE Open, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221109586
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Daniel, B. (2022). Enhancing postgraduate students’ research experience: A case study at a research-intensive university. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 20(1), 57–70. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejbrm.20.1.2253
DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organisational fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095101
Greenwood, R., Oliver, C., Sahlin, K., & Suddaby, R. (Eds.). (2011). The SAGE handbook of organisational institutionalism (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Guest, G., Namey, E. E., & Mitchell, M. L. (2020). Collecting qualitative data: A field manual for applied research (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Hokororo, J. T. (2021). Postgraduate research supervision and support at Tanzanian higher learning institutions [Master’s dissertation, Open University of Tanzania]. http://repos itory.out.ac.tz/3397/
Kadikilo, A. C., Kulshrestha, R., Sahay, A., & Nayak, P. (2023). Research promotion strate-gies to enhance research productivity in Tanzanian higher educational institutions. Reviewo of Education, 11(2), 201–218. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377499600
Kanyopa, T. J., & Mokhele-Makgalwa, M. (2025). Enhancing international postgraduate re search supervision in Tanzania: Practices and challenges. International Journal of Higher Education, 14(1), 88–102.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Mbwambo, E. A. (2022). Assessment of research supervision practices in postgraduate studies in Tanzanian higher learning institutions: A case of Sokoine University of Agriculture [Master’s dissertation, Sokoine University of Agriculture]. https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/items/d1e27b07-c879-4884-ae27-d6bd1d3506e6
Mgaiwa, S. J. (2021). Leadership initiatives for promoting quality assurance in Tanzanian higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(6), 755–773. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2020.1860203
Namara, R. B., Komakech, R. A., & Rwemisisi, J. T. (2023). Management of research in post graduate institutes: A quality assurance perspective. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 49(4), 120–134. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajess/2023/v49i41204
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Scarbrough, H., & Atta-Owusu, K. (2022). Institutional guidelines and postgraduate research outcomes: A multi-country analysis. International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 8(3), 580–595. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.2897
Scott, W. R. (2008). Institutions and organisations: Ideas and interests (3rd ed.). SAGE Pub lications.
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Zhang, L., Huang, Y., & Zhan, Y. (2024). The influence mechanism of supervisors’ ethical leadership on graduate students’ academic procrastination: A moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Education, 9, Article 1406260. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1406260
