SHOULD THE STUDENTS BE ENGAGED IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION QUALITY ASSURANCE? (PERSPECTIVES OF STUDENTS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE DEPARTMENT)

Year 2017, Volume: 7 , 52 - 62, 04.08.2017

Neli Merabishvili Mzia Tsereteli Eva Maria Espineira Bellon

Abstract

Almost all higher educational
institutions create their own education quality management systems throughout
the world. Higher educational institutions need to respond to the international
standards and criteria of quality development. The education quality management
is the internal and external assessment procedure; which implementation
contribute to the quality increase of an institute. In our case, the quality
assessment provides the education quality improvement at a higher educational
institution. In the regulation of the European universities, the student’s role
is clearly defined and highlighted in the above-mentioned process. With the
student’s engagement, we mean the interaction of students and other resources
of a university for the increase of educational result and the development of
educational activities in order to improve the reputation of higher educational
institution. Since the European country joins the Bologna Process, the country
has obligation to share the European countries’ experience and satisfy all the
demands stated towards the country. Thus, it is important to study and
implement the world’s best practices of student’s engagement in the education
quality management process. During the research, we have learned the students’
attitudes towards the education quality management department and its
activities, how students are engaged in the quality management process, whether
the mentioned department gives feedback to students, what students think about
their role in the described process. The research was conducted in two Georgian
and one Spanish universities. The interviews were done with students and
representatives of education quality management department. The research showed
that the most of respondents have the wish to increase the students’ engagement
level. However, there were defined the different obstructions and challenges;
the students name the less feedback from university, and the representatives of
the Education Quality Assurance Department highlight the problem of students’
less knowledge and awareness.

Keywords

Education quality management, student's engagement, higher educational institution, Georgian education

References

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