scholarly journals Faculty Members’ Perceptions of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Afghanistan

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayed Ahmad Javid Mussawy ◽  
Gretchen B Rossman

Abstract This study investigated faculty members’ perceptions of quality assurance and accreditation (QAA) in Afghanistan. The study aimed to examine how familiar faculty members were with QAA policy, quality concepts, QAA processes, and whether QAA process has improved the status quo. Through a sequential exploratory mixed methods design, the investigators interviewed seven faculty members at four universities, and subsequently conducted a self-administered survey questionnaire at six universities (two public and four private). A response rate of 54 percent (N = 42) was obtained from the survey. The study findings suggest that faculty members had mixed impressions about QAA implementation. For instance, an overall sum of mean scores shows that faculty members have a positive view about QAA processes M = 3.5 (SD = .75), however, interview participants were less satisfied with QAA outcome. Lastly, implications are made that a successful implementation of QAA processes in Afghanistan is contingent on: 1) establishment of a quality culture wherein universities own the processes and outcomes, and 2) engagement of key stakeholders including faculty, staff, and administrators to internalize QAA processes to improve the status quo. Keywords: higher education quality; quality assurance; accreditation; higher education in Afghanistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-67
Author(s):  
Moetaz Soubjaki ◽  
Radwan Choughri ◽  
Hussein Al Jardali

The application of key performance indicators (KPIs) within institutions has proven to be difficult task. Until now, its effective implementation is considered one of the key determinants to the performance and success of a business. This research will explore the role of implementing KPIs for faculty members within higher education (HEI) in Lebanon. This study will seek to explore two key hypotheses (i) there is no statistically significant role of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for faculty members in quality assurance in higher education in Lebanon and hypothesis and (ii) there is a statistically significant role of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for faculty members in quality assurance in higher education in Lebanon. Hypothesis (ii) will prove to be true with the results for hypothesis one showing to be incorrect. A total of 200 participants from across different higher education institutions within Lebanon will be involved within the study.


Author(s):  
Francis Ansah

The traditional tension between external and internal quality assurance implementation in higher education appears to be declining, based on a rethinking of the relationship between the two concepts. Although there are quality assurance agencies that still consider external and internal quality assurance as separate entities, most quality assurance agencies now regard the two concepts as complementary. In this paper, a case is put that the present rethinking of external and internal quality assurance in most higher education settings is guided by pragmatism, but not explicitly acknowledged in the literature. For a better appreciation of pragmatists’ influence on the current understanding of the relationship between external and internal quality assurance in higher education, this paper provides a further pragmatist conceptualisation of the two concepts to enhance stakeholders’ appreciation of employing a pragmatist approach to quality assurance practices in higher education. The conceptualisation is done through a pragmatist analysis of selected international accounts on higher education quality assurance. The paper concludes that pragmatism helps to understand external and internal quality assurance as nested concepts with reciprocities of accountability and improvement roles, and influences which call for alignment of perspectives through negotiations and settlements in order to focus on their practical relevance for implementation in higher education. La tension traditionnelle entre l’implémentation de systèmes d’assurance qualité interne et externe dans l’enseignement supérieur semble s’affaiblir grâce à la reconsidération de la relation entre ces deux concepts. Bien qu’il existe des agences d’assurance qualité qui continuent à considérer les assurances qualité interne et externe comme deux entités distinctes, la plupart des agences considèrent désormais qu’elles sont complémentaires. Cet article soutient que la nouvelle manière de penser les assurances qualité interne et externe dans l’enseignement supérieur est guidée par un souci de pragmatisme mais est encore peu reconnue dans la littérature. Pour mieux apprécier l’influence des pragmatistes sur la compréhension actuelle de la relation entre les assurances qualité interne et externe, cet article offre une conceptualisation pragmatique approfondie de ces deux concepts dans le but d’augmenter l’appréciation des parties prenantes pour l’utilisation d’une telle approche. La conceptualisation proposée provient d’une analyse pragmatique d’un choix d’expériences internationales en matière d’assurance qualité pour l’enseignement supérieur. En conclusion, cet article affirme que le pragmatisme aide à comprendre les assurances qualité interne et externe comme des concepts imbriqués qui ont des rôles réciproques en ce qui concerne la responsabilisation du système et son amélioration. Ces rôles ainsi que l’influence exercée par ces deux types d’assurance qualité requièrent des négociations et accords, pour s’accorder sur les perspectives et pouvoir ensuite se concentrer pleinement sur la pertinence pratique de leur implémentation dans les systèmes d’enseignement supérieur. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Faieza Chowdhury

In the last few years, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Bangladesh have been under severe pressure to transform the way they operate. The present Government of Bangladesh requires all universities to improve their quality of education and has implemented various projects such as Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) in collaboration with the World Bank. As Bangladesh has set a target to transition out of the status of Least Developed Country (LDC) to Developing country by 2024, graduate employability and education quality are pivotal interests for the Government of Bangladesh. This paper investigates the concept of work integrated learning (WIL) and generic skills vital to enhance the employability of the current graduates in Bangladesh. We explore different types of WIL that can be applied at higher academic institutions in Bangladesh and what are the various benefits of this type of learning to the key stakeholders, namely; students, universities and employers. Finally, we conclude by pointing out the prerequisites that need to be considered in order to successfully implement WIL in Bangladesh. This is a descriptive study and we have collected data from different secondary sources such as documents available from government agencies, research organizations, archives and library. Moreover, we have also used interviews from sources such as newspapers and magazines documenting views of well-respected academicians and personalities in Bangladesh. Our findings indicate that in order to successfully integrate WIL, there are some prerequisites such as modifying the current curriculum, designing and offering work oriented courses, building strong connections with potential employers and creating awareness about WIL among faculty members and students.


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