scholarly journals Evidence does not support the rationale of the TEF

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Gibbs
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Educational Quality ◽  
Value For Money ◽  
Teaching Improvement ◽  
External Quality ◽  
Teaching Excellence ◽  
Education Market ◽  
Quality In Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Market

The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) has evolved since it was first announced, and HEFCE guidance to institutions on its implementation reveals a number of significant concessions to evidence, common sense and fairness. Institutions may well implement useful teaching improvement mechanisms in response, as they have always done regardless of the nature of external quality assurance demands. However the rationale of the TEF remains – and it is deeply flawed. It is the rationale that this paper focuses on. It is argued here that its interpretation of evidence about educational quality, employability and value for money ratings, used to justify a TEF, are irrational and are not supported by evidence. Making fine judgments about institutional rankings (and hence fee levels) on the basis of metrics is likely to be thwarted by the very small differences in scores between institutions. Some of its proposed metrics are invalid. Its belief in the ability of a small panel of experts to make sound quality judgments is not well founded given the poor record of past attempts to make such judgments about teaching quality in higher education. The higher education market is very complex and perhaps only a minority of institutions will be able to benefit in the way the TEF intends. The TEF seems unlikely to be perceived, by most, as rewarding.

Unwarranted Stigma

2019 ◽  
pp. 201-221
Author(s):  
Darryl M. Tyndorf Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Economic Growth ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Higher Education Policy ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
University Education ◽  
Demand For Education ◽  
Education Market ◽  
New Research ◽  
Higher Education Market

Investment in higher education is essential to improve the knowledge and skills of a country's labor force for economic growth. Higher education is a dynamic context with various institution types. However, the higher education market and research has generally suggested a single higher education institution, university education. Such single entity promotion has informed policies to increase university enrollments and completions resulting in a belief that universities are prestigious institutions that provide greater economic growth while stigmatizing community colleges as less prestigious and of little or no value to economic growth. University models have provided higher education to selected members of society which has not met the global demand for education or improved economic growth. This chapter will demonstrate that community colleges are becoming a higher education policy focus for their ability to provide flexible, short cycle education, and new research demonstrates their short- and medium-term economic impact. Thus, the community college stigma is unwarranted.

Developing a Gameful Approach as a Tool for Innovation and Teaching Quality in Higher Education

2022 ◽  
pp. 563-578
Author(s):  
Anna Sendra ◽  
Natàlia Lozano-Monterrubio ◽  
Jordi Prades-Tena ◽  
Juan Luis Gonzalo-Iglesia
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Working Practices ◽  
Quality In Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

This paper introduces the results of applying a gameful approach based on six playful activities as a tool to improve the learning process in higher education. A total of 850 students from different courses of Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain) were involved in the study. The strategy was evaluated through a participant observation (active and passive) and mixed-methods surveys answered by the students. Results point out that most participants responded positively to the activities proposed. The reported levels of motivation and engagement also indicate the capabilities of this strategy as a method to enhance the learning experience of students. Despite these positive outcomes, challenges like the impact on working practices of teachers or the long-term engagement of gameful approaches requires additional research.

Quality in higher education institutions: insights from the literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 732-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyan Prakash
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
The Body ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Teaching Excellence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality In Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the meaning and operationalisation of quality in the context of higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review is performed of 308 articles published in various peer-reviewed journals between 1999 and 2017. Findings The findings reveal that the quality constructs of student learning, engagement, service quality and satisfaction have received the greatest attention, followed by total quality management, quality assurance, benchmarking and accountability. The most popular approach is empirical, and surveys and single case studies are the most popular methods. Europe leads research on quality in HEIs, followed by North America and Asia. Research limitations/implications This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by presenting a comprehensive synthesis of articles addressing quality in HEIs. Practical implications Policymakers and academic administrators can use the findings of this study to conceptualise student satisfaction along the educational value chain. The operationalisation of quality constructs will help policymakers create teaching excellence. Originality/value This paper highlights the importance of quality in HEIs.

scholarly journals Opening universities’ doors for business? Marketization, the search for differentiation and employability in England

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
NICCOLO DURAZZI
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Competitive Environment ◽  
Educational Provision ◽  
Education Market ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
Market Needs ◽  
Higher Education Market

Abstract The article investigates the causes and consequences of the increased engagement of British universities with employability and skills initiatives. By employing case studies of six universities based in England, it asks whether the increased engagement between higher education and the labour market is driven by universities or business and whether such engagement has increased the diversity of the higher education sector. Findings suggest that the alignment between labour market needs and educational provision in universities is strongly mediated by the competitive environment within which higher education institutions have been operating since the late 1990s: the higher education market – not the labour market – is the key driver for universities to engage in employability and skills initiatives. The article also questions the assumption that ‘competition’ leads to ‘differentiation’ in higher education. Rather, isomorphic tendencies seem to prevail over differentiation in the context of a highly competitive higher education market.

Service quality in higher education institutions: qualitative evidence from the students’ perspectives using Maslow hierarchy of needs

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jawad Abbas
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Deductive Reasoning ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Hierarchy Of Needs ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Quality In Higher Education

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) are responsible for training and transforming the students into valuable resources. Although students are believed to be the principal stakeholders in HEIs, limited research studies are available on service quality (SQ) in HEIs from students’ perspectives. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the factors, which constitute SQ in HEIs, specifically from students’ perspective, as existing literature on this topic is either from management and general perspective or is time dated. Design/methodology/approach The current study contributes by reviewing qualitative responses received through interviews and focus groups session with 43 students from 3 Turkey-based private HEIs. Data was collected from 43 students through 26 individual interviews and 3 focus group sessions and was analyzed through deductive reasoning using narrative and framework analysis with open coding. Findings The analysis of data indicated six main themes, specifically: teaching quality, facilities, support staff quality, employability links, safety and security and extra-curricular activities as indicators of SQ from students’ perspective. The findings of the study strongly comply with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and take steps by identifying employability and safety and security as new emerging indicators of the existing literature of SQ in HEIs. Originality/value The existing literature lacks to provide qualitative data on SQ in HEIs from students’ perspectives in Asian countries, particularly, in Turkey, the place of current research. The findings of the present research provide valuable insights to HEIs’ management to understand students’ perceptions of SQ, their expectations and experiences.

scholarly journals The Human Student

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Geraldine Torrisi-Steele
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Quality In Higher Education ◽  
Significant Effort

Higher education institutions are investing significant effort into the improvement of student success, retention and satisfaction. Some effort is being expended in research seeking to understand influencing factors, but the majority of effort is directed towards improving teaching quality. Effort to improve teaching quality is characterised by professional development initiatives, the general aim being to facilitate the shift away from traditional teacher-centred approaches, towards student-centred approaches. Though these initiatives are useful there exists an omission (or at the very least an area of severe-under-emphasis) within the discourse surrounding teaching quality in higher education – explicit attention to the teacher-student connection. The premise of the present article is that to make greater inroads into bettering student experiences and outcomes, the teacher-student connection, along with the humanist perspective in which it is embedded, is integral to the quality teaching practice in higher education.

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