Expertise-Autonomy Equilibria in African Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Student-Centred Pedagogies and Graduate Readiness

Abstract: [1] Background: African universities are rapidly adopting student-centred pedagogies, yet evidence on how these approaches reconcile facilitator expertise with learner autonomy remains fragmented. [2] Purpose: This systematic review interrogates the epistemological and pedagogical balance between expert-guided instruction and student agency, and assesses its implications for graduate readiness. [3] Design/methodology/approach: Guided by constructivism, cognitive-apprenticeship and Ubuntu frameworks, we screened 1 278 records across Scopus, Web of Science and key grey-literature portals, applying PRISMA criteria alongside the CASP checklist. Thirty-four high-quality studies from four flagship institutions—African Leadership University, Ashesi University, Minerva’s Africa node and the University of Global Health Equity—met inclusion thresholds and were thematically synthesised. [4] Findings: Three cross-cutting tensions emerged. (1) Facilitators recruited for disciplinary authority often feel disempowered in purely facilitative roles, curbing transmission of tacit expertise. (2) Unstructured peer discourse, while democratising, can erode conceptual rigour and foster relativism unless experts overtly scaffold synthesis. (3) Comfort-driven learning environments spur engagement yet may under-prepare graduates for ambiguous, multicultural workplaces. Programmes that “make thinking visible” through mini-lectures, guided debriefs and challenge-based tasks mitigate these pitfalls and report superior critical-thinking gains and employer satisfaction. [5] Practical implications: Universities should invest in faculty development that marries facilitation with cognitive-apprenticeship, embed non-negotiable conceptual anchors in curricula, and co-design challenge-rich projects with industry partners. [6] Originality/value: By integrating philosophical, pedagogical and labour-market lenses, this review offers a unifying framework for calibrating student autonomy and expertise in resource-constrained contexts, advancing the debate beyond the autonomy–authority dichotomy.