Defining Quality

This paper addresses the nature of the concept of quality in relation to higher education. It analyses ways of thinking about quality, considers their relevance to higher education, explores their interrelationships and examines their philosophical and political underpinnings. The relative nature of quality is examined. First, quality means different things to different people. Second, quality is relative to ‘processes’ or ‘outcomes’. The widely differing conceptualisations of quality are grouped into five discrete but interrelated categories. Quality can be viewed as exception, as perfection, as fitness for purpose, as value for money and as transformative.

Determining criteria for assessing quality in higher education requires an understanding of different conceptions of quality that inform the preferences of stakeholders.     

Perceptions of Quality of Higher Education: An Exploratory Study of High School Guidance Counselors

ABSTRACT

Perceptions of the quality of higher education are thought to have considerable impact on the decision making process to attend higher education institutions. High school guidance counselors are known to be influencers of higher education attendance through their work with high school students in the selection process. This paper reports an exploratory research program designed to assess the perceptions of high school guidance counselors regarding college and university quality. Ten measures of quality, an overall measure and rune specific indicators were utilized. A total of 256 guidance counselors provided measures of quality on 434 of the 435 institutions of higher education listed. Based on this data it was shown that overall perceived quality is primarily determined by five components; good academic programs, leadership opportunities, good job after graduation, opportunities for financial aid, and good value for the money, and that some 77.3% of the variance in overall quality was predicted by the five components.     

Assessing the Quality of Quality Assessment: The inspection of teaching and learning in British universities

The British higher education sector believes that its teaching and learning processes are subject to excessive amounts of inspection and review. Between September 2000 and December 2001 Departments of Educational Studies will be subject to a new scrutiny process, Subject Review, which is operated on behalf of the main funding body by the Quality Assurance Agency. The purpose of this paper is to characterise Subject Review and to evaluate its effectiveness against the purposes it has set itself in the areas of funding policy, enhancement of provision, and public information. At the end of the paper the conclusions drawn from this evaluation are applied to the relevant parts of the new framework for inspection and review which is being introduced in the UK. The paper offers a case study of factors which come into account when systems for measuring the quality of higher education are themselves exposed to measurement.     

A Scale for Measuring Student Perceptions of Quality: An Australian Asian Perspective

ABSTRACT

Australia is rapidly moving into the globally competitive higher education market. As a consequence the issue of consumer satisfaction and quality is emerging as an area of interest. This paper focuses on the issue of student understandings of quality by developing a consumer derived scale which identifies the quality variables related to student perceptions with the university experience. The scale was derived from focus groups, in-depth interviews and through an examination of the literature. The scale was tested and refined on a cohort of 351 Australian and Singaporean/Hong Kong students studying business subjects at an Australian University. The refined scale comprised 25 quality variables which factored into four orthogonal components. The mean values of the variables and factors were examined to make inferences about how educational marketing practitioners can be assisted.     

Home-Based Child Care Provider Education and Specialized Training: Associations With Caregiving Quality and Toddler Social-Emotional and Cognitive Outcomes

ABSTRACT

Research Findings: Although there has been considerable research on the associations between the qualifications of teachers in center-based settings and preschool-age children’s developmental outcomes, very little is known about the relationships between home provider qualifications and the developmental outcomes of toddlers who attend licensed family child care settings or unregulated family, friend, and neighbor care settings. Analyzing a sample of toddlers and their providers drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, we found positive relationships between home-based quality and higher education degree (defined as an associate’s degree or at least a bachelor’s degree), field of major, and coursework in early childhood education or a related field. However, provider qualifications were unrelated to children’s cognitive outcomes and related to a limited number of social-emotional outcomes. Practice or Policy: Our results suggest that as states consider the spectrum of supports needed for strengthening home-based child care in ways that facilitate responsive and developmentally supportive caregiving, strategies should include opportunities for home-based care providers to pursue higher education. A more nuanced analysis of the content and comprehensiveness of providers’ formal education is needed to better understand relationships between toddlers’ social and cognitive development and providers’ formal education.     

Sociology and the Equality Debate

Abstract

This paper considers the view, long fashionable in academic and political circles, which sees the expansion of higher education as benefiting the country, economically. Drawing on international and national data, the article suggests that such a belief is no longer defensible. On the basis of such data, it is argued that higher education has been expanded well beyond that threshold, where further expansion could be reasonably regarded as an investment and precondition for national prosperity. It is argued that the present expansion of higher education is better regarded as a form of consumption.     

Employment for Disability: Human Resources Management in Higher Education for Quality

ABSTRACT

The aim of the research study aims to evaluate human resource management policies and strategies in higher education practices. As this research relies on qualitative nature, self report was conducted in order to gain experiences of research participants about human resources management process. In addition to this, maximum variation was conducted as a sampling method and 15 participants due to their managerial roles were involved to the research. Thematic analysis was conducted in analsying data. The results revealed that disability is an important factor im employment. Human resources management is key solution for the quality in higher education.     

Differences in Child Care Quality for Children With and Without Disabilities

Research Findings: Federal, state, and local agencies legislate and support inclusive settings for the education of young children with disabilities. Recommended practices outline critical elements for meeting the educational and developmental needs of children with and without disabilities in inclusive settings, and minimal and essential quality characteristics have been articulated. Research has suggested that inclusive and non-inclusive settings may offer different levels of care as measured against best practices and essential quality characteristics. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine program quality in inclusive and non-inclusive preschool classrooms using observational, interview, and survey data. Results showed that inclusive classrooms earned higher scores on an observational measure of global quality and higher scores on an observational measure of language and literacy. Results also suggested that teachers with higher levels of education tend to have classrooms of higher quality. Practice or Policy: Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

Developing a Quality Culture in Higher Educaiton

Although quality and qualityassurance have become embedded into the discourse ofhigher education, the development of a quality culturewithin higher education has (paradoxically) laggedbehind the implementation of quality assurancepractices. Part of the paradox, as far as learningand teaching are concerned, can be attributed toexternal demands which are homeostatic, when thefuture of higher education seems to be needing aradical commitment to curricular development. Thispaper sets the development of a quality culture in apolitical context, explains the relevance of single-and double-loop learning, argues for a conception ofmanaging for quality, identifies some aspects ofinstitutional dysfunctioning, lays out some qualitiesof a learning organisation, and suggests some ways inwhich institutional leaders might approach the task ofdeveloping a quality culture.     

The "False Packaging" of Quality Education

While cries of acclamation for quality education (suzhi jiaoyu) are ringing the welkin, spurious and inferior brands of quality education are proliferating to an unprecedented degree. Many people are implementing quality education in a way that directly violates the spirit of such education. They use the trademark of quality education as packaging but in fact are only practicing an intensified form of education for examinations (yingshi jiaoyu). One might call this the bootlegging of education for examinations.     

Child Care Subsidy and Program Quality Revisited

Research Findings: Previous research has documented conflicting results on the relationship between program quality and the percentage of children receiving subsidized child care (subsidy density) in early childhood centers. This research examined the relationship between subsidy density and the quality of infant and preschool classrooms in child care centers, taking into consideration teacher education and salary as well as other structural variables associated with quality. A multimethod evaluation was conducted with 110 child care centers utilizing an interview of center directors as well as classroom observations using standardized measures of quality and language/literacy in the classroom. Regression analyses indicate that subsidy density does not predict the quality of infant classrooms. However, subsidy density is a significant predictor of the quality of preschool classrooms. Teacher education is predictive of some quality indicators, but teacher salary is not. Practice or Policy: Practice and policy implications are discussed to promote the quality of child care centers that serve low- income children. Statewide initiatives should target centers with higher subsidy density for quality improvements. Local programs and state policy should provide teachers with opportunities to obtain additional education and then offer incentives to remain in their current early childhood settings.     

Notes on contributors

The recently released Young People's Participation in Post‐compulsory Education and Training document, usually referred to as the Finn Committee Report, completes an education policy triad in Australia involving schooling, higher education and technical and further education (TAFE). This paper is particularly interested in examining the policy nexus between higher education and TAFE. While the philosophical continuities are clear, the underlying ‘logics’ of the two arenas pull in different directions, creating policy tensions and contradictions. In particular, the assumptions about mass tertiary education underlying the Finn Report conflict with the entrepreneurial ‘universification’ of higher education set in train by the recent restructuring of the higher education sector. This paper traces the competing logics of these trends and discusses their implications for higher education.     

Cultivating New Qualified Teachers for Implementing Quality Education

Editor's note: At present and for a period to come, a most important and urgent task in basic education is to bring about the "switching of tracks" from exam-oriented education, (or yingshi jiaoyu) to quality education (or suzhi jiaoyu). We have often said that the hope for reviving the nation lies in education, and the hope of reviving education lies with teachers. If we are to bring about this "switching of tracks" from exam-oriented to quality education, we shall have to successfully cultivate group after group of new teachers capable of carrying out quality education. In today's issue of this paper, we deliver the following report on the experience of one school—the Lingling Teachers' Vocational College—in cultivating new lower middle school teachers who will carry out quality education; this report and the experience it describes should hold, for us, a certain significance of leading us in thinking about the subject.     

Quality in Teacher Education: a suppressed theme?

With the emergence of neo‐conservative and neo‐liberal ideologies since the early eighties the formula “quality” has superseded continuously the leitmotif “equality of educational opportunities” in debates on education in most member states of OECD—initially as reaction against reforms in the secondary sector of education, then in higher education by focusing on economic and administrative aspects. Although the term “quality” has remained rather vague, it has dominated debates on education since the early nineties and some observers even speak of a “quality movement”. With a certain delay, the same applies to teacher education (TE) and one may hold the impression that TE has been surprised by discussions on “quality in/of TE” which focus on economic and administrative aspects—aspects suppressed in most systems of TE in the member states of the European Union (EU) so far. This article analyses the complex background of debates on “quality in TE” by focusing on sociological perspectives and arguments of the educational sciences. Then it defines problem areas of TE which seem to be in need of improvement. Thirdly, it discusses measures to deal with perceived problems by taking into account experiences in various European countries discussed on occasion of an all‐European seminar of experts supported by the Commission of the European Union. In dynamic societies even preserving the existing “quality” of education systems and TE calls for permanent improvement. If it is intended to increase the “quality” of TE, improvements seem to be indispensable both permanently and of a substantial nature. Based on existing strength of TE and on continuous evaluation, improvements and reforms will be necessary both in its curricula (e.g. aims contents, methodologies) and in its organisational as well as administrative areas. Research in TE as well as competencies of teacher educators will have to play crucial roles. It might become possible to deal with a suppressed theme more pro‐actively.     

Everlasting Friends and Enemies? Finnish University Personnel’s Perceptions of Internal Quality Assurance in 2010 and 2017

ABSTRACT

Even though quality assurance has played a role in European higher education for decades by now, it is still a topic of great discord. While several studies have focused on the initiation phase of quality assurance, little attention has been paid to the question on how attitudes towards quality assurance in higher education change over time. This study compares the attitudes of Finnish university personnel using data from 2010 and 2017. The results show that personnel experience quality assurance as slightly better in 2017 than in 2010, while differences concerning gender, personnel group and type of university persist. The findings underline the importance of implementing quality assurance in a stakeholder-specific way.     

The Development of QM-Fudan Higher Education Online Course Quality Standards: Some Results and Analysis

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to examine whether and how the US-based Quality Matters (QM) Higher Education Rubric-Design Standards for Online and Blended Courses apply to the Chinese higher education environment. Suitability and matchability of QM Standards are respectively examined through a questionnaire and course reviews at Fudan University, a leading research institution in China, with which Quality MattersTM has an exclusive five-year cooperation agreement to develop an adapted Chinese rubric based on the QM Standards. Cross-referencing the dimensions of suitability and matchability, QM Standards are divided into four categories, namely, Perfect, Challenging, Potential and Chicken-ribs standards. This classification helps to identify what standards are ready for adoption and what standards need to be adapted. It is found that most QM Standards are thought to be suitable for the Chinese higher education environment, but China has a long way to go to meet these standards. On the whole, QM Standards on course format, function, and basic quality elements are relatively easy for Chinese online courses to meet while the advanced standards on course quality, particularly those relating to learning outcomes, assessment and evaluation, interaction and other aspects of course design remain challenging at the present time. The research findings not only show areas of course design in China that need improvement, but also lay a solid foundation for the development of QM-Fudan Standards, which will be supplemented and improved by future practice and research based on the actual condition and progress of online education in China.     

Quality Assurance in Vocational Education: meeting the needs of the nineties

ABSTRACT

The skills base of the workforce in Australia is critical in setting the foundations for micro‐ and macro‐economic resurgence and, consequently, in making the nation internationally competitive. The significance of the quality movement is therefore gaining recognition in vocational education. As with industry, quality is seen as critical and quality assurance is being demanded in skilling the workforce. This paper describes vocational training as a process and depicts how quality can be assured in every aspect of the process. It presents a practical approach to quality assurance in vocational education. In addition, it emphasises the need for a continuous management commitment for the successful implementation of quality assurance in vocational education. The paper describes how the concept of quality assurance can be used to improve the standards of vocational training. It also emphasises that now is the time for meeting the needs of stakeholders and for fostering innovation and improvements in vocational education through quality assurance.     

Markets,Outcomes and the Quality of Vocational Education and Training: some lessons from a Youth Credits pilot scheme

Abstract

This paper outlines the key characteristics of a new paradigm for the management of British Vocational Education and Training. This paradigm is based on measurement of outcomes and payment by results in a market context. The clearest example of this paradigm, thus far, is the Youth Credit scheme, where young people pay for their training by means of a voucher. Based on an investigation of one of the first pilot schemes, we show that despite the existence of the new quality controls within this new paradigm, training of poor quality was experienced by several of the young people we studied. The experience of one young woman is presented as a detailed case study, from which we draw pointers to what quality training might consist of. These include: the importance of a quality learning process, which must be coherent and coordinated, including a mutually reinforcing relationship between on and off the job training, and with effective professional relationships between the learner and those others involved with training provision. The current obsession with markets and outcomes largely ignores such characteristics and may, therefore, contribute to a lowering of training quality whilst claiming to do the reverse.     

Measuring service quality in higher education: three instruments compared

Measuring the quality of service in higher education is increasingly important, particularly as fees introduce a more consumerist ethic amongst students. This paper aims to test and compare the relative efficacy of three measuring instruments of service quality (namely HEdPERF, SERVPERF and the moderating scale of HEdPERF‐SERVPERF) within a higher education setting. The objective was to determine which instrument had the superior measuring capability in terms of unidimensionality, reliability, validity and explained variance. Tests were conducted utilizing a sample of higher education students, and the findings indicated that HEdPERF scale resulted in more reliable estimations, greater criterion and construct validity, greater explained variance, and consequently was a better fit than the other two instruments. Consequently, a modified five‐factor structure of HEdPERF is put forward as the more superior scale for the higher education sector.     

The EPC Model for Quality Assurance in Higher Education

This paper describes a formalized approach to quality assurance for higher education institutions. The approach has been developed in the UK by the Engineering Professors’ Conference (EPC). The EPC approach is based on the same principles of quality assurance as ISO 9000, but also includes appropriate elements of total quality management. These concepts are briefly discussed together with an opinion on the suitability of ISO 9000 for quality assurance in higher education.

The EPC model is explained and a top-down approach to the development of an institutional quality system is described. Key areas which have an important impact on the quality of education are identified, in particular the need for a sustained and efficient quality improvement programme. The pivotal role of the academic department is identified, together with appropriate quality assurance requirements. The quality assurance requirements for supporting services and administration are also described, as these play an important role in the quality of education. Excerpts from the EPC standard and guidelines are provided, to illustrate the requirements and interpretation of the approach.