Making Sense of an Elusive Concept: Academics’ Perspectives of Quality in Higher Education
Keywords:
academics, perceptions, quality, higher education
Abstract
Objective: Since the 1990s studies on how stakeholders in higher education perceive quality have burgeoned. Nevertheless, the majority of studies on perception of quality in higher education focus on students and employers. The few studies on academics’ perceptions of quality in higher education treat academics as a homogeneous group and, therefore, do not point out cross-disciplinary perspectives in perceptions of quality. This article explores how academics across six disciplines perceive quality in higher education.
Method: The article is anchored in the interpretivist paradigm. Data was collected from 14 purposely selected academics at Makerere University in Uganda and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: The findings show that academics perceive quality in higher education as transformation, fitness for purpose, and exceptional. The findings further demonstrate that a stakeholder group or an individual stakeholder can subscribe to a notion of quality in higher education but voice divergent views on its variants. Similarly, the academic discipline, the perceived purpose of higher education, and the problems within a higher education system have an influence on stakeholders’ conception of quality in higher education.
Conclusions: From the findings it can be inferred that quality in higher education defies a single definition and that stakeholders’ perceptions of quality do not take place in a vacuum.
Implication for Theory and/or Practice: The multidimensional nature of quality and the contestations around it necessitate a multidimensional approach to assuring and assessing it.
References
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Barandiaran‐Galdós, M., Barrenetxea Ayesta, M., Cardona-Rodríguez, A., Mijangos del Campo, J., & Olaskoaga-Larrauri, J. (2012). What do teachers think about quality in the Spanish university? Quality Assurance in Education, 20(2), 91–109. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684881211219352
Barnett, R. (1992). The idea of quality: Voicing the educational. Higher Education Quarterly, 46(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.1992.tb01581.x
Barnett, R. (2003). Beyond all reason: Living with ideology in the university. Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.
Becket, N., & Brookes, M. (2005). Analysing quality audits in higher education. Brookes eJournal of Learning and Teaching, 1(2), 1–12.
Boyle, P., & Bowden, J. A. (1997). Educational quality assurance in universities: An enhanced model. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 22(2), 111–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293970220202
Brown, V. (2010). How university academics respond to the introduction of new quality assurance policies in South African higher education (Doctoral thesis, University of Pretoria, South Africa). Retrieved from https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/24941
Campbell, C., & Royzsnyai, C. (2002). Quality assurance and the development of course programmes. Bucharest: UNESCO.
Cardoso, S., Rosa, M. J., & Stensaker, B. (2016). Why is quality in higher education not achieved? The view of academics. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 41(6), 950–965. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2015.1052775
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). London: Thousand Oaks.
Doherty, G. D. (2008). On quality in education. Quality Assurance in Education, 16(3), 255–265. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880810886268
Elassy, N. (2015). The concepts of quality, quality assurance and quality enhancement. Quality Assurance in Education, 23(3), 250–261. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-11-2012-0046
Ezati, B. A., Opolot-Okurut, C., & Ssentamu, P. N. (2014). Addressing pedagogical training needs of teaching staff: Lessons from Makerere University short professional development program 2006–2010. American Journal of Educational Research, 2(12), 1190–1198. https://doi.org/10.12691/education-2-12-9
Giertz, B. (2000, August). The quality concept in higher education. Paper presented at the TQM for Higher Education Institutions II, Verona, Italy.
Green, D. (1994). What is quality in higher education? Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.
Harvey, L., & Green, D. (1993). Defining quality. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 18(1), 9–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293930180102
Harvey, L., & Knight, P. T. (1996). Transforming higher education. Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.
Idrus, N. (2003). Transforming quality for development. Quality in Higher Education, 9(2), 141-150. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13538320308154
Jonathan, L T. (2000). Quality assurance and evaluation in African universities: Developing a sustainable quality culture in a challenging environment. South African Journal of Higher Education, 14(2), 45–49.
Jungblut, J. P. W., Vukasovic, M., & Stensaker, B. (2015). Student perspectives on quality in higher education. European Journal of Higher Education, 5(2), 157–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2014.998693
Kadhila, N. (2012). Quality assurance mechanisms in higher education institutions in Namibia (Doctoral thesis, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa). Retrieved from http://scholar.ufs.ac.za:8080/xmlui/handle/11660/979
Kalayci, N., Watty, K., & Fahriye, H. (2012). Perceptions of quality in higher education: A comparative study of Turkish and Australian business academics. Quality in Higher Education, 18(2), 149–167. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13538322.2012.697671
Kasozi, A. B. K. (2003). University education in Uganda: Challenges and opportunities for reform. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Liu, S. (2016). Quality assurance and institutional transformation: The Chinese experience. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0789-7
Lomas, L. (2002). Does the development of mass education necessarily mean the end of quality? Quality in Higher Education, 8(1), 71–79. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13538320220127461
Lomas, L. (2007). Zen, motorcycle maintenance and quality in higher education. Quality Assurance in Education, 15(4), 402–412. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880710829974
Makerere University, Directorate of Quality Assurance. (2013). Makerere University self-assessment report. Kampala: Makerere University.
Mamdani, M. (2007). Scholars in the marketplace: The dilemmas of neo-liberal reform at Makerere University, 1989–2005. Dakar: CODESRIA.
Martin, M., & Stella, A. (2007). External quality assurance in higher education: Making choices. Paris: UNESCO/IIEP.
Materu, P. (2007). Higher education quality assurance in Sub-Saharan Africa: Status, challenges, opportunities, and promising practices (World Bank Working Paper No. 124, Africa Human Development Series). Washington, DC: World Bank. Retrieved from http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/601151468204838555/Higher-education-quality-assurance-in-Sub-Saharan-Africa-status-challenges-opportunities-and-promising-practices
Materu, P., Obanya, P.; & Righetti, P., (2011). The rise, fall, and reemergence of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. In Altbach, P. G. & Salmi, J. (Eds.), The road to academic excellence: The making of world class universities (pp.195–227). https://doi.org/10.1596/9780821388051_CH07
Materu, P., & Righetti, P. (2010). Quality assurance in Sub-Saharan Africa. Research in Comparative and International Education, 5(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.2304/rcie.2010.5.1.3
Merriam, S. B. (2002). Qualitative research in practice: Examples for discussion and analysis. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Mhlanga, E. (2008). Quality assurance in higher education in Southern Africa: The case of the universities of the Witwatersrand, Zimbabwe and Botswana (Doctoral thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa). Retrieved from http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/7599
Nabaho, L. (2017). Developing generic competences in life sciences: The untold story of the Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Uganda. Tuning Journal for Higher Education, 4(2), 389–406. https://doi.org/10.18543/tjhe-4(2)-2017pp389-406
Nabaho, L., Aguti, J., & Oonyu, J. (2016). Assuring the quality of teaching at Makerere University in Uganda: Practices and experiences of academics and students. Alternation, 23(1), 40–61.
Nega, M. (2012). Quality and quality assurance in Ethiopian higher education: Critical issues and practical implications. Twente: Twente University.
Newton, J. (2002). Barriers to effective quality management and leadership: Case study of two academic departments. Higher Education, 44(2), 185–212. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016385207071
Pfeffer, N. & Coote, A. (1991). Is quality good for you? A critical review of quality assurance in welfare services. London: Institute of Public Policy Research.
Sarrico, C. S., Rosa, M. J., Teixeira, P. N., & Cardoso, M. F. (2010). Assessing quality and evaluating performance in higher education: Words apart or complementary views? Minerva, 48(1), 35–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-010-9142-2
Schindler L., Welzant, H., Puls-Elvidge, S., & Crawford, L. (2015). Definitions of quality in higher education: A synthesis of the literature. Higher Learning Research Communications, 5(3), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.18870/hlrc.v5i3.244
Shabani, J., Okebukola, P., & Oyewole, O. (2014). Quality assurance in Africa: Towards a continental higher education and research space. International Journal of African Higher Education, 1(1), 139–171. https://doi.org/10.6017/ijahe.v1i1.5646
Task Force on Higher Education and Society. (2000). Higher education in developing countries: Peril and promise. https://doi.org/10.1596/0-8213-4630-X
Utuka, G. (2012). Quality assurance in higher education: Comparative analysis of provisions and practices in Ghana and New Zealand (Doctoral thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand). Retrieved from http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/handle/10063/2024
van der Bank, C. M., & Popoola, B. A. (2014). Quality assurance: A case study at a university of technology. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(23), 2129–2136. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p2129
Vann, M. (2012). Stakeholders’ perception of quality in Cambodian higher education (Doctoral thesis, RMIT University). Retrieved from https://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/view/rmit:160093
Villanueva, N. N. (2012). Assuring quality in Belizean higher education: A collective case study of institutional perspectives and practices (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cehsedaddiss/83/
Vlăsceanu, L., Grüenberg, L., and Pârlea, D. (2007). Quality assurance and accreditation: A glossary of basic terms and definitions. Bucharest: UNESCO-CEPES.
Vroeijenstijn, A. I. (2006). A journey to uplift quality assurance in the ASEAN universities. Bangkok.
Watty, K. (2003). When will academics learn about quality? Quality in Higher Education, 9(3), 213–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/1353832032000151085
Watty, K. (2005). Quality in accounting education: What say the academics? Quality Assurance in Education, 13(2), 120–131. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880510594373
Watty, K. (2006a). Want to know about quality in higher education? Ask an academic. Quality in Higher Education, 12(3), 291–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538320601051101
Watty, K. (2006b). Addressing the basics: Academics’ view of the purpose of higher education. Australian Educational Research, 33(1), 23–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03246279
Westerheijden, D. F., Stensaker, B., & Rosa, M. J. (2007). Introduction. In D. Westerheijden, B. Stensaker, & M. J. Rosa (Eds.), Quality assurance in higher education: Trends in regulation, translation and transformation (pp. 1–11). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6012-0
Williams, J.(2013). Editorial. Quality in Higher Education, 19(1), 72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13538322.2013.777519
Wickramasinghe, V. & Perera, L. (2010). Graduates’, university lecturers’ and employers’ perceptions towards employability skills. Education + Training, 52(3), 226–244. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400911011037355
Wittek, L., & Kvernbekk, T. (2011). On the problem of asking for a definition of quality in education. Scandinavian Journal of Education Research, 55(6), 671–684. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2011.594618
Woodhouse, D. (2006, March). Quality = fitness for purpose (FFP): Definition for all seasons. Paper presented at the APQN Conference on Cooperation in Quality Assurance, Shanghai.
Zachariah, S. (2007). Managing quality in higher education: A stakeholder perspective (Doctoral thesis, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK). Retrieved from https://lra.le.ac.uk/handle/2381/4385
Barandiaran‐Galdós, M., Barrenetxea Ayesta, M., Cardona-Rodríguez, A., Mijangos del Campo, J., & Olaskoaga-Larrauri, J. (2012). What do teachers think about quality in the Spanish university? Quality Assurance in Education, 20(2), 91–109. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684881211219352
Barnett, R. (1992). The idea of quality: Voicing the educational. Higher Education Quarterly, 46(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.1992.tb01581.x
Barnett, R. (2003). Beyond all reason: Living with ideology in the university. Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.
Becket, N., & Brookes, M. (2005). Analysing quality audits in higher education. Brookes eJournal of Learning and Teaching, 1(2), 1–12.
Boyle, P., & Bowden, J. A. (1997). Educational quality assurance in universities: An enhanced model. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 22(2), 111–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293970220202
Brown, V. (2010). How university academics respond to the introduction of new quality assurance policies in South African higher education (Doctoral thesis, University of Pretoria, South Africa). Retrieved from https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/24941
Campbell, C., & Royzsnyai, C. (2002). Quality assurance and the development of course programmes. Bucharest: UNESCO.
Cardoso, S., Rosa, M. J., & Stensaker, B. (2016). Why is quality in higher education not achieved? The view of academics. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 41(6), 950–965. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2015.1052775
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). London: Thousand Oaks.
Doherty, G. D. (2008). On quality in education. Quality Assurance in Education, 16(3), 255–265. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880810886268
Elassy, N. (2015). The concepts of quality, quality assurance and quality enhancement. Quality Assurance in Education, 23(3), 250–261. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-11-2012-0046
Ezati, B. A., Opolot-Okurut, C., & Ssentamu, P. N. (2014). Addressing pedagogical training needs of teaching staff: Lessons from Makerere University short professional development program 2006–2010. American Journal of Educational Research, 2(12), 1190–1198. https://doi.org/10.12691/education-2-12-9
Giertz, B. (2000, August). The quality concept in higher education. Paper presented at the TQM for Higher Education Institutions II, Verona, Italy.
Green, D. (1994). What is quality in higher education? Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.
Harvey, L., & Green, D. (1993). Defining quality. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 18(1), 9–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293930180102
Harvey, L., & Knight, P. T. (1996). Transforming higher education. Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.
Idrus, N. (2003). Transforming quality for development. Quality in Higher Education, 9(2), 141-150. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13538320308154
Jonathan, L T. (2000). Quality assurance and evaluation in African universities: Developing a sustainable quality culture in a challenging environment. South African Journal of Higher Education, 14(2), 45–49.
Jungblut, J. P. W., Vukasovic, M., & Stensaker, B. (2015). Student perspectives on quality in higher education. European Journal of Higher Education, 5(2), 157–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2014.998693
Kadhila, N. (2012). Quality assurance mechanisms in higher education institutions in Namibia (Doctoral thesis, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa). Retrieved from http://scholar.ufs.ac.za:8080/xmlui/handle/11660/979
Kalayci, N., Watty, K., & Fahriye, H. (2012). Perceptions of quality in higher education: A comparative study of Turkish and Australian business academics. Quality in Higher Education, 18(2), 149–167. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13538322.2012.697671
Kasozi, A. B. K. (2003). University education in Uganda: Challenges and opportunities for reform. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Liu, S. (2016). Quality assurance and institutional transformation: The Chinese experience. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0789-7
Lomas, L. (2002). Does the development of mass education necessarily mean the end of quality? Quality in Higher Education, 8(1), 71–79. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13538320220127461
Lomas, L. (2007). Zen, motorcycle maintenance and quality in higher education. Quality Assurance in Education, 15(4), 402–412. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880710829974
Makerere University, Directorate of Quality Assurance. (2013). Makerere University self-assessment report. Kampala: Makerere University.
Mamdani, M. (2007). Scholars in the marketplace: The dilemmas of neo-liberal reform at Makerere University, 1989–2005. Dakar: CODESRIA.
Martin, M., & Stella, A. (2007). External quality assurance in higher education: Making choices. Paris: UNESCO/IIEP.
Materu, P. (2007). Higher education quality assurance in Sub-Saharan Africa: Status, challenges, opportunities, and promising practices (World Bank Working Paper No. 124, Africa Human Development Series). Washington, DC: World Bank. Retrieved from http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/601151468204838555/Higher-education-quality-assurance-in-Sub-Saharan-Africa-status-challenges-opportunities-and-promising-practices
Materu, P., Obanya, P.; & Righetti, P., (2011). The rise, fall, and reemergence of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. In Altbach, P. G. & Salmi, J. (Eds.), The road to academic excellence: The making of world class universities (pp.195–227). https://doi.org/10.1596/9780821388051_CH07
Materu, P., & Righetti, P. (2010). Quality assurance in Sub-Saharan Africa. Research in Comparative and International Education, 5(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.2304/rcie.2010.5.1.3
Merriam, S. B. (2002). Qualitative research in practice: Examples for discussion and analysis. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Mhlanga, E. (2008). Quality assurance in higher education in Southern Africa: The case of the universities of the Witwatersrand, Zimbabwe and Botswana (Doctoral thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa). Retrieved from http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/7599
Nabaho, L. (2017). Developing generic competences in life sciences: The untold story of the Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Uganda. Tuning Journal for Higher Education, 4(2), 389–406. https://doi.org/10.18543/tjhe-4(2)-2017pp389-406
Nabaho, L., Aguti, J., & Oonyu, J. (2016). Assuring the quality of teaching at Makerere University in Uganda: Practices and experiences of academics and students. Alternation, 23(1), 40–61.
Nega, M. (2012). Quality and quality assurance in Ethiopian higher education: Critical issues and practical implications. Twente: Twente University.
Newton, J. (2002). Barriers to effective quality management and leadership: Case study of two academic departments. Higher Education, 44(2), 185–212. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016385207071
Pfeffer, N. & Coote, A. (1991). Is quality good for you? A critical review of quality assurance in welfare services. London: Institute of Public Policy Research.
Sarrico, C. S., Rosa, M. J., Teixeira, P. N., & Cardoso, M. F. (2010). Assessing quality and evaluating performance in higher education: Words apart or complementary views? Minerva, 48(1), 35–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-010-9142-2
Schindler L., Welzant, H., Puls-Elvidge, S., & Crawford, L. (2015). Definitions of quality in higher education: A synthesis of the literature. Higher Learning Research Communications, 5(3), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.18870/hlrc.v5i3.244
Shabani, J., Okebukola, P., & Oyewole, O. (2014). Quality assurance in Africa: Towards a continental higher education and research space. International Journal of African Higher Education, 1(1), 139–171. https://doi.org/10.6017/ijahe.v1i1.5646
Task Force on Higher Education and Society. (2000). Higher education in developing countries: Peril and promise. https://doi.org/10.1596/0-8213-4630-X
Utuka, G. (2012). Quality assurance in higher education: Comparative analysis of provisions and practices in Ghana and New Zealand (Doctoral thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand). Retrieved from http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/handle/10063/2024
van der Bank, C. M., & Popoola, B. A. (2014). Quality assurance: A case study at a university of technology. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(23), 2129–2136. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p2129
Vann, M. (2012). Stakeholders’ perception of quality in Cambodian higher education (Doctoral thesis, RMIT University). Retrieved from https://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/view/rmit:160093
Villanueva, N. N. (2012). Assuring quality in Belizean higher education: A collective case study of institutional perspectives and practices (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cehsedaddiss/83/
Vlăsceanu, L., Grüenberg, L., and Pârlea, D. (2007). Quality assurance and accreditation: A glossary of basic terms and definitions. Bucharest: UNESCO-CEPES.
Vroeijenstijn, A. I. (2006). A journey to uplift quality assurance in the ASEAN universities. Bangkok.
Watty, K. (2003). When will academics learn about quality? Quality in Higher Education, 9(3), 213–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/1353832032000151085
Watty, K. (2005). Quality in accounting education: What say the academics? Quality Assurance in Education, 13(2), 120–131. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880510594373
Watty, K. (2006a). Want to know about quality in higher education? Ask an academic. Quality in Higher Education, 12(3), 291–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538320601051101
Watty, K. (2006b). Addressing the basics: Academics’ view of the purpose of higher education. Australian Educational Research, 33(1), 23–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03246279
Westerheijden, D. F., Stensaker, B., & Rosa, M. J. (2007). Introduction. In D. Westerheijden, B. Stensaker, & M. J. Rosa (Eds.), Quality assurance in higher education: Trends in regulation, translation and transformation (pp. 1–11). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6012-0
Williams, J.(2013). Editorial. Quality in Higher Education, 19(1), 72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13538322.2013.777519
Wickramasinghe, V. & Perera, L. (2010). Graduates’, university lecturers’ and employers’ perceptions towards employability skills. Education + Training, 52(3), 226–244. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400911011037355
Wittek, L., & Kvernbekk, T. (2011). On the problem of asking for a definition of quality in education. Scandinavian Journal of Education Research, 55(6), 671–684. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2011.594618
Woodhouse, D. (2006, March). Quality = fitness for purpose (FFP): Definition for all seasons. Paper presented at the APQN Conference on Cooperation in Quality Assurance, Shanghai.
Zachariah, S. (2007). Managing quality in higher education: A stakeholder perspective (Doctoral thesis, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK). Retrieved from https://lra.le.ac.uk/handle/2381/4385
Published
2017-11-01
How to Cite
Nabaho, L., Aguti, J., & Oonyu, J. (2017). Making Sense of an Elusive Concept: Academics’ Perspectives of Quality in Higher Education. Higher Learning Research Communications, 7(2), 25–45. https://doi.org/10.18870/hlrc.v7i2.383
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Copyright (c) 2017 Lazarus Nabaho, Jessica Norah Aguti, Joseph Oonyu
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