Public Higher Education Institutions’ Potential Barriers in Producing Competent Graduates

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating public higher education institutions’ potential barriers in producing competent graduates. It was a descriptive mixed research design which used a multistage stratified random sampling technique to select research samples for the study. The study included 320 academic staff and 800 students randomly selected from seven universities. Data collected using questionnaires and interview was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics for numerical data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Results confirm that higher education institutions’ instructional practices were found to be mainly narrowed to the tradition of imparting knowledge at the cost of developing graduates’ competence to think critically, develop experiences and solve problems. Based on the findings, the research suggested practical and attainable recommendations that guide future actions, policies, or interventions concerning strategies those higher institutions of Ethiopia need to utilize in order to produce competent graduates.