scholarly journals Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation Implementation in Several Countries across the World and Lessons Learned for Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cuong Huu Nguyen ◽  
Stephen J Marshall ◽  
Collin W Evers
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Program Accreditation ◽  
Institutional Accreditation ◽  
The World ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Education Quality Assurance ◽  
Compare And Contrast

Quality assurance and accreditation in higher education has been implemented in many countries across the world with the main purposes of quality control, quality improvement and accountability. This paper aims to synthesize and analyze quality assurance and accreditation policies and practices in Australia, the U.S. and several other countries in Europe and Asia to propose recommendations for Vietnam. Employing the method of document analysis, the study reviewed scholarly papers and scientific reports discussing the implementation of quality assurance and accreditation in many higher education systems across the world. The results showed that quality assurance and accreditation activities were diverse ranging from institutional accreditation to program accreditation, from voluntary to compulsory accreditation, and from fitness-for-purpose approaches to standard-based approaches. These findings were used to compare and contrast the emerging quality assurance and accreditation system of Vietnam and make recommendations for its future development.

scholarly journals Achievements and Lessons Learned from Vietnam’s Higher Education Quality Assurance System after a Decade of Establishment

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huu Cuong Nguyen ◽  
Thi Thu Hien Ta ◽  
Thi Thu Huong Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Quality Assurance System ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Assurance System ◽  
National Quality ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Education Quality Assurance

Higher education quality assurance and accreditation was officially implemented inVietnamover twelve years ago. From a totally centralized model,Vietnam’s accreditation system has been becoming more independent, especially with the establishment of accrediting agencies. The first accreditation certificates were also awarded to universities that met quality standards and criteria. This paper investigates the development ofVietnam’s higher education quality assurance and accreditation for the last decade since the national quality assurance organization was established. The study first synthesizes the results achieved within this system, both in policy and practice, leadership and management. It also discusses human resources development for quality assurance and accreditation in the national context. Next, the paper highlights the self-evaluation and external evaluation activities, two most important steps of the accreditation process. In addition, building quality culture within higher education institutions is also paid attention to. Finally, lessons from the establishment and development ofVietnam’s accreditation are drawn. This study looks at an overall picture ofVietnam’s higher education quality assurance system since its establishment with a focus on policy, practice, leadership and management. It also hopes to contribute to the literature related to accreditation ofVietnam’s higher education.

scholarly journals Conceptualising External and Internal Quality Assurance in Higher Education: A Pragmatist Perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Ansah
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality Assurance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Education Quality Assurance

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. 

Ascribing meaning to quality cultures in the Portuguese context

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélia Veiga ◽  
Maria João Rosa ◽  
Sónia Cardoso ◽  
Alberto Amaral
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Culture ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Portuguese Higher Education ◽  
Education Quality Assurance ◽  
Promax Rotation

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to discuss Portuguese academics’ views on quality assessment and the elements that are important for a better understanding of what ascribes meaning to “quality cultures” in Portuguese higher education. Design/methodology/approach – The discussion was based on the results of a survey run in 2010 among Portuguese academics on quality assessment objectives and purposes. Descriptive statistics was used to investigate academics’ support to what quality assessment was supposed to guarantee (its purposes) and which should be its objectives. Furthermore, a factorial analysis using Promax rotation (oblique) was performed to investigate if the different purposes could be grouped according to the different areas they address in terms of quality assessment, helping to uncover a rationale that could explain the answers obtained. Theoretically, the results have been analysed in the light of the “quality culture” concept. Findings – Perceptions of Portuguese academics that support internal processes of quality assurance correspond either to the responsive quality culture or the regenerative quality culture. The viable form of ideal cultures is analytically limited, and the perceptions gathered encourage “quality cultures” biased by stronger group control. Originality/value – The paper offers new insights into academics’ perceptions on quality assessment, a theme that so far has been relatively absent from higher education quality assurance studies. Furthermore, the results obtained could be useful to policymakers and quality assurance agencies when setting up evaluation and accreditation systems capable of balancing improvement associated with the group dimension and accountability coupled with the grid dimension.

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