Rethinking Higher Education Quality in Tanzania through Total Quality Management (TQM): Spatial Qualities and Writing Culture Dimensions

Abstract

This paper explores the potential of Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy in enhancing the quality of higher education in Tanzania. Using Ardhi University as the primary case and supported by contextual insights from informal settlements near Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Teofilo Kisanji University (TEKU), the paper examines how TQM principles can be used to interpret and strengthen the spatial learning environments and writing culture that underpin educational quality in Tanzanian universities. Writing culture is positioned as a core dimension of educational quality whose development is constrained when TQM principles are weakly integrated into institutional practices. The paper is based on a review-driven, qualitative interpretive synthesis of two postgraduate dissertations, complemented by practitioner reflections from the 2019 OUTASA Young Scholars Symposium and a small supplementary questionnaire. This triangulated evidence shows that while awareness of quality issues is increasing, fragmented and compliance-oriented approaches to quality assurance, together with inadequate attention to student spatial environments, limit the formation of a robust quality culture. Spatial deficiencies such as overcrowding, insufficient lighting, and lack of dedicated paper areas are shown to weaken writing culture, especially where TQM practices are not fully institutionalized. The paper concludes that adopting TQM holistically anchored in continuous improvement, stakeholder participation, and a shared quality culture, offers a practical pathway for improving both spatial learning conditions and writing culture development. The paper contributes an integrated framework demonstrating how TQM can be operationalized to support these interrelated dimensions of higher education quality in resource-constrained contexts.