Micro-Compass quality assurance short programme: Designing effective quality assurance systems in HE Institutions in Bangladesh

Due to increased demand for quality education worldwide, the Higher education sector globally has been undergoing an unprecedented level of changes over the past several decades. These result in increased public expectations towards the institutions’ provision, new tasks and responsibilities for scholars and administrators, new modes of knowledge production and transfer. The abundance of individual and organisational change processes requires higher education institutions to rethink the quality of their provision in higher education. This study aims to examine the importance of the Fundamental of Quality Assurance of Higher Education Sector and the influence of a short training programme on quality assurance in developing excellence in education. Micro-CQAP (micro compass quality assurance programme) provides direction and focus that is based on evidence, appraisal, and experience. The study is based on the recent venture by the authors of this study providing a 5-days training programme to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University (BSMRMU) and its impact on their overall quality assurance system within the university. The outcome of the training programme and findings of this study suggest that a short training programme on quality assurance within the institution enhances the overall understanding of Quality Assurance and help to implement it in practice more effectively and efficiently. The short programme was based on providing basic knowledge about what quality in higher education is, where it comes from, why quality assurance should & must be carried out, and how the process can be set up and managed at Higher Education institutions. This study is original as it was based on the experience, observations and feedback received after conducting the training programme from the participants. It has significant implications for the bother Higher Education Institutions, Government, and various stakeholders in Bangladesh.

Career Awareness in the Study of Malay Language Program

Awareness of the career to be pursued can be present as early as childhood and can vary according to knowledge and interest. Most of today's children are more focused on achieving excellence in education, but still vague in the career that will be pursued. This situation persisted when they continued their studies at higher education and they realized that the choice of field of study was not in line with their ambitions. Usually, these children choose a field based on their results rather than settling for the required degree for the field of interest. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the extent of students’ understanding of the scope and career prospects in Malay language. Students were distributed with a set of questionnaires containing 54 items using ordinal scales of semantic difference types. The findings of the study showed that 34(56.7%) of the students studied chose this field of study as the main choice. Students also showed a high level of knowledge about careers in the Malay language which they studied (M=3.92; SD=0.57). Students have also listed a total of 14 careers in the field of Malay language they are familiar with.

Principals’ Perceptions of Deteriorating Quality of Education at Secondary School Certificate Level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

This descriptive study was carried out in six different districts of KP province of Pakistan and they were Mansehra, Malakand, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Charsadda, and Bannu. There was the common objection that the quality of education has declined at various stages of education. This study focused on the analysis of the main causes of deterioration of quality at the Secondary School Level in the province of KP, Pakistan. These major causes of deterioration of excellence in education were revealed by a review of the study. Some key factors, considered to be the foundation of quality education, were highlighted. The methodology of the study was properly described. The researcher himself visited the sampled institutions and administered the questionnaire to the respondents to collect the data. Out of six different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 440 Principals of Government Boys' Secondary Schools were selected as the population of this study. The sample contained 132 principals (30%). The tool of the study included a structured interview containing six open-ended items. Both qualitative and quantitative treatment was given to the analysis of data and presented in graphical and tabular forms. The study uncovered major causes of deterioration about quality at the secondary level, which is an ineffective system of monitoring and accountability, flawed examination system, insufficient infrastructural facilities, congested classrooms, lack of competent and trained teaching faculty, un-warranted political involvement, outdated teaching methods, and inadequate latest teaching facilities. The study also suggested various teaching strategies, which are suitable for various types of learners and could be applied in classrooms.

Research Worth Using: (Re)Framing Research Evidence Quality for Educational Policymaking and Practice

This chapter calls for researchers to reconceptualize research quality from the perspective of its expected use, attending to power dynamics that influence how knowledge is defined, constructed, and validated through the research enterprise. Addressing these concerns when designing and conducting education research can yield more useful research evidence for building more equitable education systems. Anchored in scholarship on research utilization and methodological critiques, the chapter introduces a research quality framework that integrates relevance and rigor through five key dimensions of Research Worth Using: (1) relevance of question: alignment of research topics to practical priorities; (2) theoretical credibility: explanatory strength and coherence of principles investigated; (3) methodological credibility: internal and external credibility of study design and execution; (4) evidentiary credibility: robustness and consistency of cumulative evidence; and (5) relevance of answers: justification for practical application. This framework simultaneously uplifts the voices and needs of policymakers, practitioners, and community members, while elevating standards for excellence in education research. We call attention to the myriad ways in which the quality of evidence generated can be strengthened, before describing implications for curating and using research. We conclude by offering suggestions for applying and further developing the framework.

A Unique and Scalable Model for Increasing Research Engagement, STEM Persistence, and Entry into Doctoral Programs

Participation in the University of California, Los Angeles Program for Excellence in Education and Research in the Sciences (PEERS) program has a positive effect on closing gaps in research participation, graduation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors, and enrollment into graduate and professional doctoral degree programs for underrepresented minority (URM) students. Hence, PEERS could serve as a model for other institutions looking for cost-effective ways to promote URM student success.