Quality Assurance in Education

Publisher:: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Publication date:: 2021-02-01

ISBN:: 0968-4883

Issue Number

No. 33-1, December - December - October - October - September - September - August - August - August - August - July 2024

Latest documents

Influence of quality assurance framework on quality of education programmes offered in private universities in Tanzania
Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) quality assurance framework on the quality of Bachelor of Education (BEd) programs in private universities in Tanzania. It aims to evaluate how well the framework’s guidelines, including faculty qualifications, curriculum design and infrastructure, influence educational quality in the context of rapidly growing private higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a quantitative approach, gathering data from 495 participants, including academic staff, quality assurance officers and students, to assess key quality assurance indicators such as faculty qualifications, curriculum design and infrastructure. This methodology assesses key quality assurance indicators through surveys and interviews, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of the IUCEA framework’s effectiveness. Findings: The study finds that while the IUCEA framework offers valuable guidelines, its selected variables – such as infrastructure and curriculum – demonstrate limited predictive power regarding overall program quality. Correlation and regression analyses reveal weak relationships between these variables and program quality, indicating that other significant factors influence educational outcomes. Research limitations/implications: This study reveals the limitations of relying solely on the IUCEA quality assurance framework to assess the quality of BEd programs in private Tanzanian universities. While the framework provides useful guidelines, it fails to capture the full spectrum of factors affecting educational quality, such as internal institutional mechanisms and staff qualifications. The weak predictive power of IUCEA variables suggests that the framework alone is insufficient. Private universities must incorporate a more holistic quality assurance approach, blending external benchmarks with robust internal practices to address these limitations and improve overall educational quality. Practical implications: Private universities in Tanzania need to adopt a more comprehensive approach to quality assurance that integrates the IUCEA framework with internal quality practices. This includes prioritizing academic staff development, improving program relevance and enhancing planning and evaluation processes. Expanding the IUCEA framework to encompass innovative teaching methods, comprehensive student support and modern technology is crucial. Investments in infrastructure, digital resources and ongoing faculty development are essential for ensuring sustained quality improvements. These measures will help align educational offerings with both external standards and internal needs, leading to enhanced educational outcomes. Social implications: Enhancing the quality of education in private universities has significant social implications, such as producing graduates who are better equipped to contribute to the workforce and society. Improved alignment with the IUCEA framework and the adoption of comprehensive quality practices will result in more relevant and effective academic programs. This, in turn, supports broader educational and economic development goals, fostering a more knowledgeable and skilled population. Addressing educational quality gaps helps meet local and global challenges, thereby contributing to social progress and improving the overall quality of life for individuals and communities. Originality/value: The research highlights the need for a more comprehensive quality assurance approach in private universities, suggesting that the IUCEA framework should be expanded to include teaching methods, student support and technological integration. It emphasizes the importance of bridging the gap between theoretical frameworks and practical application to enhance educational quality. Strategic recommendations for improving quality include fostering a robust institutional quality culture and investing in faculty development.
Assessing curriculum integration in higher education through academics, undergraduates and employers’ feedback: the case of some countries from six continents
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the critical role of Curriculum Integration (CI) in higher education, addressing global concerns about university graduates’ readiness for the workforce. It explores the perspectives of undergraduates, academics and employers on CI across Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Australia. Design/methodology/approach: Using a mixed-method approach, the research combines quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews to comprehensively analyze CI’s impact. Data analysis involved SPSS and thematic methods, ensuring validity through triangulation, member checking, pilot testing and sensitivity analysis. Ethical considerations included informed consent and confidentiality. Findings: The study uncovers significant regional disparities in CI awareness and implementation, particularly between developed and developing regions. While CI’s benefits for holistic learning are widely acknowledged, few academics actively use it, citing barriers like time, funding and institutional resistance. Employers strongly support CI, highlighting its value in enhancing graduate employability skills, though regional differences demand localized approaches. Undergraduates prefer CI for its interactive, practical nature. The findings call for targeted faculty development and regional strategies to increase CI adoption, ultimately improving graduate employability. Originality/value: This global study provides a replicable framework for evaluating interdisciplinary educational reforms. By comparing CI’s impact across diverse systems, it offers a model applicable to other pedagogical approaches, notably project-based or competency-based education, underscoring the importance of region-specific strategies in educational reforms.
Effect of institute and LMS service quality on HEI Brand Equity: an empirical investigation
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the education service quality factors, for online education context, that drive the brand equity of a higher education institute. In the times of emerging online education programmes by otherwise traditional institutes, assessing the service quality of educational institutions and its effect on the institute’s brand represents an extant research gap. Design/methodology/approach: This study addresses the gap by empirically measuring higher education institution (HEI) service quality and explores its impact on student engagement, satisfaction and brand equity. This research analyses structured data from 250 students, through partial least squares-based structural equation modelling, to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings: Within the overall service quality of an HEI, all components of institutional service quality are found to affect student engagement strongly; however, only some dimensions of learning management system service quality do. Student engagement is found to positively impact student satisfaction which, in turn, strongly affects all elements of HEI brand equity. Originality/value: This study adds value to the extant research in higher education service quality by adding a layer of online platform service quality and offers actionable insights for HEI administrators.
Identifying challenges in implementing digital transformation in UK higher education
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to systematically dissect strategies against the challenges stalling digital transformation (DT) in the UK higher education (HE) sector. It addresses the challenges impeding DT’s incorporation and offers a blueprint for fostering innovation and efficiency within academic institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Using a systematic literature review, the research integrates a nuanced literature review with interpretive structural modelling (ISM). Through meticulous ISM analysis, including sensitivity analysis and level partitioning, a robust framework is developed to pinpoint and interrelate DT challenges. Findings: This investigation delineates a spectrum of impediments to DT in HE, most notably the need for more digital understanding among educators, intensified by inadequate support and resources. The findings reveal that the effective integration of DT is hindered by factors such as insufficient educator digital skills, resistance to technology and the continuous evolution of digital infrastructure. Practical implications: The study’s findings and the developed level partitioning diagram offer invaluable insight into how DT must be integrated into the curriculum to enhance HE. Additionally, it could further lead to research within digital infrastructure and how learning needs to be facilitated for students in HE. Originality/value: This study breaks new ground by systematically illuminating the centrality of the educator skill gap. By contributing insights into the educator skill gap, it proposes a unique analytical model that underscores actionable pathways for advancing DT initiatives in HE institutions.
Readiness of Islamic Higher Education Institutions in Indonesia for future quality assurance
Purpose: This study aims to assess the readiness of Islamic Higher Education Institutions (IHEIs) to enter the third wave of education or future quality assurance. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a descriptive quantitative method with observation, documentation, a questionnaire and an interactive model. The sample population included lecturers and quality assurance managers in IHEIs, totaling 129 respondents. Findings: The results showed that IHEIs were prepared to implement future quality assurance to meet individual and societal needs. Furthermore, readiness was also shown in the following matters: Relevance of higher education institution vision, implementation of tripilization learning in higher education institutions, understanding of other cultures (cross-cultural sharing), application of multiple development models and noble values of local wisdom and national culture in tri-dharma. Research limitations/implications: This study focused on the third wave of education quality assurance in IHEIs in Indonesia. However, the analysis was not conducted in all Indonesian universities as it specifically examined the readiness for implementing future quality assurance. Practical implications: Policymakers should follow up on the readiness for implementing future quality assurance as a form of continuous improvement in managing the quality of IHEIs. Originality/value: Most publications of quality assurance focused on compliance-oriented issues. However, this study aimed to fill the literature gaps and discuss the future quality assurance of IHEIs in Indonesia. In this context, future quality assurance was also known to guide IHEIs in rendering education relevant to the future needs of generations (graduates).
The impact of gamification on meaningful learning and student performance in an undergraduate online engineering course
Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of gamification on the five dimensions of meaningful learning (i.e. cooperative, active, authentic, constructive and intentional learning) and undergraduate student performance taking online lessons. Design/methodology/approach: Therefore, the authors conducted an experiment among undergraduate students taking online classes at the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering School at a public university during the COVID-19 pandemic. The experiment included one control and two observation groups using gamification (Golden Points). Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed. Findings: Results showed that gamification significantly affects meaningful learning and impacts student performance in online courses. Originality/value: This study was limited to a single topic in a six-month course at a public university. Additional research is required to continue examining the impact of gamification in higher education institutions with different format courses and in other organisational sectors.
Faculty perspectives on accreditation, academic freedom and quality learning in private higher education institutes: empirical evidence
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effects of standardization, accreditation process on academic freedom and quality learning in higher education institutes (HEIs). In addition, this study explores the mediating effects of academic freedom between standardization, accreditation and learning. Design/methodology/approach: To attain the objective, the study uses the theory of self-determination as its theoretical underpinning. The smart PLS-SEM technique is applied for analyzing data. Findings: The results indicate that the accreditation process has a significant negative influence on faculty academic freedom and quality of learning in the sampled HEIs. There is also a significant mediating effect of academic freedom. Research limitations/implications: There are a few limitations in this study. First, the study considers the faculty members only as respondents. Second, this study only considers the faculty members of private universities as respondents. In the future, public HEIs could also be included in similar studies. Finally, this research has been done in the context of a developing country. Practical implications: The findings of the study have pervasive implications for the authorities in HEIs. The authorities of HEIs might capitalize on this evidence in formulating the appropriate policy for their HEIs. Social implications: As the accreditation process weakens academic freedom and quality learning, accreditation should not be viewed as an institutional development and quality assurance tool. Rather, accreditation ought to allow for amplifying faculty voices, empowering faculty and protecting their rights. Originality/value: Quantitative analysis on the subject addressed in the current study is scarce. Therefore, this research can be considered valuable for stakeholders of HEIs.
Guest editorial: Fostering inclusive approaches for learners with special needs
Stakeholders’ involvement in economics and management programs quality assurance
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the stakeholders’ (employers and students) involvement in economics and management programs quality assurance in Italian universities from the external audit perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The research tests if employers are positively associated with the coherence between program objectives and job prospects, and if student involvement is positively associated with student orientation, tutorship and flexibility for specific types of students (differently abled students and working students). Based on data from the Italian Agency for Quality Assurance (ANVUR) in Italian universities, this study selects a sample of 44 bachelor and master university programs. Findings: When a program coordinator assures coherence between competencies included in the study plan and job prospect, the employers’ involvement in the plan and management of the program increases and becomes more effective. High-quality services regarding student orientation, tutorship and flexibility for specific types of students increase the students’ involvement in university governance. Originality/value: Findings contribute to literature extending the stakeholder theory in universities, better specifying how employers and students may play a key role in improving the quality assurance of teaching activities.
The neurodivergent college learner: faculty perceptions of supporting individuals with ADHD in higher education
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand how faculty members perceive learning needs of the attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) student, as they acclimated to and performed within the higher education settings. Design/methodology/approach: A phenomenological design was used to explore the faculty perceptions of ADHD college students. A sample of ten faculty members, employed in two-year, four-year, and graduate-level programs, participated in virtual semi-structured interviews. A six step thematic analysis of the codes was performed revealing three themes. Findings: Results from the study yielded three themes: problem-based learning, time management and accommodations versus privilege. These themes highlight the complexity of the learning process, the limitations with time management, and the need for meaningful, rather than stereotypical, accommodations in these settings. Practical implications: The number of students diagnosed with ADHD attending postsecondary education continues to rise, necessitating a critical lens on increasing neurodiversity-affirming practices in these settings. Despite noted strengths, students with this diagnosis struggle academically, resulting in academic challenges. To maximize each individual’s learning potential, systems of higher education need to carefully consider how to best design a positive learning environment with universally effective learning accommodations. Originality/value: While faculty described accommodations and strategies provided to students, they also repeatedly shared concerning challenges and barriers to learning, as demonstrated by their students in various scenarios and situations. Results suggest areas of potential improvement, alongside the complexity of serving the need of the next generation of neurodivergent learners, in a world where equity and inclusion required additional time and thoughtful effort. Of greatest concern, perhaps, was the systems already in place, including offices of accommodations and services, that tended to use a “one-size-fits-all” approach, oversimplifying, rather than serving, student need.