UNDERGRADUATES’ PARTICIPATION IN EMPLOYABILITY-RELATED INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE PRACTICES IN UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE REFORM

In contemporary higher education, quality is increasingly linked to university efficiency. Graduate employability has become a core economic and societal indicator in this discourse. This study examined the level of students’ participation in employability-related internal quality assurance practices in universities in Southwest, Nigeria. Descriptive research design of the survey type was adopted, and 399 final year students were randomly selected from nine universities (3 federal, 3 state, and 3 private) across three states in Southwest Nigeria using a multi-stage sampling procedure. The study used a validated researcher-developed instrument on students’ participation, such as engagement in employability workshops, surveys, and assessment activities, in internal quality assurance (IQA) practices. The psychometric properties of the instrument was ascertain using test retest reliability which produced an index of .94. Findings revealed that undergraduate students’ participation was low-to-moderate (Mean = 2.24 on a 1-4 scale). Participation levels did not significantly differ by university ownership (F (2,396) = 1.959, p > .05), but varied significantly across students’ fields of study (F (2,396) = 77.286, p < .05). The study concludes that students’ participation in institutional quality processes was generally low to moderate, indicating limited engagement in employability-related IQA practices. Implications for quality assurance reforms were also discussed.