Quality assurance in higher education as a political process

Detailed View

V. Foreign Higher Education and Education Systems, International Relations, Bilateral Relations
B. Essays, Commentaries, Statements

Author	SKOLNIK, Michael L.
Title	Quality assurance in higher education as a political process
Publication year	2010
Source/Footnote	In: Higher education and management. - 22 (2010) 1, S. 67 - 86
Inventory number	28139
Keywords	Ausland : Kanada : Hochschulwesen allgemein ; Qualitätssicherung ; Hochschule und Staat : allgemein
Abstract	The procedures commonly employed for quality assurance in higher education are designed as if the endeavour were a technical process, whereas it may be more useful to view it as a political process. For example, quality assurance requires making choices among competing conceptions of quality, and in so doing privileges some interests over others. Moreover, some stakeholders tend to be given a greater voice than others in the design and implementation of quality assurance. The author concludes that rather than denying the political nature of quality assurance, it would be better to accept Morley?s claim that quality assurance is "a socially constructed domain of power", and design procedures for it in a way that is appropriate for a political process. It is suggested that employing the "responsive model" of evaluation could make quality assurance more effective in improving educational quality. In the responsive model, evaluation is deemed to be a collaborative process that starts with the claims, concerns and issues put forth by all stakeholders. (HRK / Abstract übernommen)