Perceptions on democratization and quality in institutions in Huambo

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the academic community's perception of the democratization of management in public Higher Education Institutions in Huambo Province, Angola, and its correlation with educational quality, contrasting current regulations with perceived institutional practice. A mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design was used. The quantitative (descriptive-correlational) phase included a survey of 250 participants (200 students and 50 faculty members) using an ad hoc questionnaire. The qualitative (phenomenological) phase consisted of semi-structured interviews with 15 key stakeholders. Quantitatively, a predominantly negative perception of effective participation was found (68% of students considered it "low" or "very low"), along with a significant positive correlation (r = 0.62, p < .01) between the perception of democratic management and the quality of educational services. Qualitatively, categories such as "the gap between policy and practice" and "administrative barriers to participation" emerged, where interviewees expressed that, while the laws are progressive, their implementation is deficient and the voices of students and teachers have a limited impact on institutional decisions. There is a significant dissonance between the legal framework that promotes democratization and the lived experience of educational stakeholders in Huambo. Democratization is perceived more as a stated intention than as a functional reality, which negatively affects the perception of quality and institutional commitment.