Academic Values in a Controlled Regulatory Regime: A Case Study of Ghana’s Higher Education System

Academic Values in a Controlled Regulatory Regime: A Case Study of Ghana’s Higher Education System | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Academic Values in a Controlled Regulatory Regime: A Case Study of Ghana’s Higher Education System Peter Yidana This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8495341/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 8 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Academic values are central to the effectiveness and credibility of higher education institutions. However, anecdotal evidence suggest that these values are increasingly shaped, and often constrained, by expanding regulatory frameworks aimed at ensuring accountability and quality assurance. Although previous studies have examined higher education reforms broadly, limited empirical attention has been given to how controlled regulatory regimes influence the expression of core academic values. Guided by Clark’s Governance Theory, this study investigated how autonomy, meritocracy, and academic freedom are preserved and expressed within Ghana’s increasingly regulated higher education landscape. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods cross-sectional design was employed, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative document analysis. The sample comprised 397 staff from public universities, and documentary sources included national regulatory frameworks, institutional statutes, and quality assurance guidelines. The findings indicate that Ghana’s regulatory system provides a strong constitutional and statutory basis for safeguarding core academic values. However, their practical application remains uneven. Practically, institutional autonomy is moderately protected, while administrative and financial autonomy are significantly constrained by centralized approval processes, regulatory oversight, and procedural requirements. Staff perceptions further suggest that the balance between state regulation and institutional autonomy is widely viewed as skewed toward excessive state control. Although policies explicitly promote meritocratic recruitment and career progression, notable implementation gaps persist across institutions. The study recommends the recalibration of the autonomy–regulation balance by reducing excessive procedural oversight and shifting from compliance-heavy directives toward performance-based and developmental regulation. Institutional autonomy Academic freedom Meritocracy Regulatory regime Higher Education Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Table 1 is available in the supplementary files section Supplementary Files Tables.docx ACADEMICVALUES.sav Codeddocumentsusedforthestudy..docx QUESTIONAIREONGHANASHIGHEREDUCATIONREGULATORYFRAMEWORKANDACADEMICVALUES.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 20 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 01 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Jan, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 24 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 20 Jan, 2026 Editor invited by journal 20 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 15 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 15 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8495341","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":592810842,"identity":"28dbc111-349d-47e4-adb0-6423a3976dbf","order_by":0,"name":"Peter 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