Quality Management in Higher Education: Socio-Cultural and Political Development (Research Paper Sample)

Name
Institution
Date
Quality Management in Higher Education
Joe Ross
Higher education plays a crucial role in the political, socio-cultural and political development of a country. This realization has led to an overall need for the establishment of the growth of higher education in all parts of the world. University education is very effective in the production of a reliable workforce. Human capital plays an important role in the development of a nation. This is because people who go through institutions of higher learning are efficient in their jobs. Performance at the workplace is crucial as it contributes to the economic growth of a country. Other functions of higher education can include: cultivating new knowledge, providing leadership to certain cultures and countries, provide society with competent individuals, addresses social injustices through the diffusion of education, bring high education institutions closer to the community and develop the ‘good life’ in individuals and society (Ali & Shastri, 2010).
Quality Management programs have emerged in the higher education industry for these reasons. Quality management plays the role of ensuring that the services offered by an institution are consistent and meet a customer’s expectations. It shapes the strategies applied in university education so as to satisfy the parties involved. These include students, parents, and the job market. The efforts made in quality management in the higher education industry continuously need to be explored and evaluated (Hasan and Al-Kassem, 2014).
In the education sector, this concept can only be attained after long periods of planning. It is made up of four primary components: quality assurance, quality planning, quality improvement and quality control. For quality management to be applied in education, the quality of education at that point in time must first be determined. From the results attained, the quality can then be improved. This means that the characteristics of quality must be first determined. The primary objective of quality management is to create an environment within an institution that allows for all assets to be well-utilized so as to provide quality service that a school needs to adapt. High-quality management in learning institutions can be implemented by both government and the institution level. The government can play its role in quality management through conducting surveys on the quality of graduates, provision of funds to schools as well as making a follow up on the use of the funds to better education. Higher education institutions implement quality management by ensuring that they do not produce half-baked graduates. Their products should easily fit in the job market (Hasan and Al-Kassem, 2014).
Education is very crucial to a person’s achievement. It molds one to be what they desire to be in life. The changes experienced in educational settings of the world today have influenced the adjustments of learning activities. Teaching methods, as well as school routines, have been affected by the changes seem in the education sector. New teaching techniques have been put in place so that learners can get the best education as dictated by the changes that are taking place in this age of technological revolution. Facilitators of education need to be multi-skilled, dependable and knowledgeable (Hasan and Al-Kassem, 2014).
Quality management is very crucial in higher education. This is because learners get value for their money and time. In turn, this makes them very competitive in the job market. They are then able to compete for high-end jobs, so as to improve their standards of living. To the institutions of higher learning, quality management is vital. Universities can produce individuals who are ready for the job market. They no longer provide half-baked graduates who need extra training so as to get employment. This creates a proper reputation for the universities, and they can record higher enrolments in future. Learners’ progress is assessed through examinations, which can be done through either internal or external exams. External examining processes are important as they give an alternative feedback about students, from that obtained through internal examination. The value added to the learning institutions due to collaborations with other institutions is also measured. Becket and Brookes (2006) enhanced this model. Implementation of quality management faces some challenges. However, the advantages that emanate from its implementation are more than the disadvantages. This makes it crucial for stakeholders to implement it. There are many models of quality management. It calls for diversification of teaching/learning activities, course development, whereby innovation is important. The results of student evaluation, as well as a facilitator's contribution to conferences and workshops, are considered. The better the contributions a lecturer makes, the more eligible they are for the promised awards. This is to say that an institution needs to implement the one that fits well in the institution. Surveys on how well it is serving the institutions should be implemented once it is in place. All members of the institution must also be involved. This is important as teamwork contributes immensely to the achievement of goals. This is because all people work towards a common goal This will inform various adjustments which need to be made for it reap maximum benefits. Therefore, it is important for higher learning institutions to implement quality management (Becket and Brookes, 2006).
Cognitive, as well as non-cognitive aspects of learning, should be observed as well. After going through higher education institutions, learners should exhibit a positive change in their moral behavior as well as in terms of the knowledge they have acquired. This model requires that students should be satisfied with the university environment. On the other hand, also, the government can play its role in quality management through conducting surveys on the quality of graduates, provision of funds to schools as well as making a follow up on the use of the funds to better education. Higher education institutions implement quality management by ensuring that they do not produce half-baked graduates. The Performance Measures for Academic Departments is a model aims at investigating the education system as a body which should be used. It identifies measures of performance to evaluate productivity, internal structure, efficiency as well as growth and development. Changes in education culture will at large contribute to positive changes in the institution such as quality enhancement. It also puts into consideration the management, development and evaluation of programs. How a program is managed and developed informs the outcome that will be noted during evaluation.
Many quality management approaches in university education have been identified. The first one is customer-centered, whereby the services that are offered to students are enhanced through the training of staff. Students are viewed as the clients and consumers of education. Self-reliance amongst the students is thus encouraged. The other approach is staff-centered. It aims to evaluate the performance of teachers regarding the institution's expectations. The third is based on agreement of service positions. It attempts to warrant the adherence of set guidelines concerning the provision of education (Srikanthan & Dalrymple, 2004).
There are several quality management models in higher learning. Some higher education institutions have tried using models that were originally developed for industries, and attained varying results. One of the models is Total Quality Management (TQM). It is defined as an approach in management to an organization which is based on the participation of members. It aims at achieving success by ensuring that clients are satisfied and reap benefits from the education sector. It can integrate all the perspectives of various stakeholders and is, therefore, comprehensive in facilitating change and innovation (Srikanthan & Dalrymple, 2004).
Balanced scorecard model utilizes financial, learning and growth, internal purposes, and customer, which are measurement perspectives. It calls for the identification of the indicators of performance. The European Framework for Quality Model (EFQM) works based on the identification of factors that enable performance as well as the results achieved. These models have limitations when used in the education sector and, therefore, some models have been specially developed for this area.
One such model is Model for Quality Management in Higher Education (Srikanthan & Dalrymple, 2004). It draws from educational literature. The focus is on the students’ learning, whereby they are participants in teaching and research. The methodologies used are engagement theory of program quality, strategies for achieving responsive universities, methods to develop an institution of higher learning as well as transformative methodologies. This model was implemented in 2002 (Srikanthan & Dalrymple, 2004). It focused on approaches and philosophies to the education of students. It recommended a shift from teacher-centered learning to concentrate on the students’ learning. The academic performance of learners is vital as well as the performance of the organization. The rate at which education sector is developing is so fast. The main concern on of the fast development is the quality of education issued. Some other models of education have failed to develop due to poor understanding as well as comprehension. Therefore, to rate the quality of higher education, it is called for the institution itself to evaluate how they it carries itself out. When the self analysis is done, it the settles down and work on the weakest points it is going t...