EDUCATION QUALITY Assistant Prof. Aleksandra Pejatović, PhD Faculty of Philosophy Belgrade

Interrelations of quality and education Impact of achieved level of quality of life of an individual and society on education Impact of education on quality of life Education quality Education as special (particular) life and social quality

Development of interest in education quality Four periods: After World War II Sixties and early seventies of the twentieth century Eighties of the twentieth century Beginning of twenty first century

Dilemmas about education quality Ethically “Why?”; What do we want to do; Differences in understanding education quality. Quality – for whom? What is the quality of education? Where does the quality in education lie? (Efficiency? Practical effects? Social effects? Achievements? Conditions?) Understanding education quality. Is one definition of quality necessary? “A more open perspective” – the concept of quality

ALTHOUGH QUALITY EDUCATION IS HARD TO DEFINE, QUALITY CAN ALWAYS BE RECOGNISED

Conceptual problems in determining quality Exposing and translating qualitative characteristics and subjective nature of quality into objectivised and quantitive evaluation Application of different criteria Involvement of a number of factors that go beyond the education process itself Accuracy in defining relevant abstract values (e.g. educational needs) Selection of indicators Accuracy of measurement

Conceptual problems in determining quality (2) Selection of research techniques and instruments Complexity of the concept of quality and complexity of nature of education. There is no simple and one-dimensional measure of quality. Mutual interaction of numerous factors has to be taken into account Determining the level of development of the selected elements and aspects of education (mean values, lower limit, upper limit)

Several outlines of education quality concepts–points of getting into education Sequence of steps: 1. selection of relevant elements; 2. evaluation of features of those elements; and 3. weight given to their relative importance. Quality must be linked to education as a whole, not to one aspect of education. Interaction between conditions – processes – effects. Six stages of educational cycle can be monitored.

Several outlines of education quality concepts–points of getting into education(2) Author Denis Guler mentions five “organising frameworks” for the development of educational indicators: 1. Insight – who participates in educational activities and types of activities 2. Aspirations – needs and desires of different categories of people and objectives of institutions 3. Achievement – what people know, what they do with it and what people obtain (degrees, diplomas, certificates...) 4. Impact – importance of schooling and impact of education on social, economic and cultural aspects 5. Resources – quality of human resources, material, physical resources...

Assumptions for studying education quality and management Several outlines of education quality concepts–points of getting into education(3) Assumptions for studying education quality and management Establishing a concept of education quality or a leading orientation in examining education quality, possibly with its definition Finding aspects and elements of education Marking off indicators for aspects and elements of education Establishing (poles) dimensions for different features of specific aspects and elements of education represented by indicators and standard setting “Marking” the level achieved Projection of development for a specific time period on the dimension and establishment of strategy for raising or directing quality

Several outlines of education quality concepts–points of going into education (3) 7. Evaluation of the entire process with continuous correction of each of the assumptions – stages in studying education quality and management.

INDICATORS Relate to direct translation of aspects and elements of education into meaningful and measurable indicators (e.g. What are the most representative indicators of teaching staff quality). Denis Guler opens a complex issue of educational indicators with three fundamental questions: What do we have to know about education? What will be done with what is known? How can we collect necessary information?

INDICATORS By indicators we strive to simplify complexity of education to a form which is understandable, thus recognising and accepting differences and pluralism. Difficulties in using indicators: 1. indicators will never be a reflection of all that is meant by education quality and 2. there is not a single way to bypass the subjective nature of the concept of “quality”.

Standards Standard – a model, measure, stamp (matrix), norm, regulation, role model, pattern serving as a basis for judging the results upon completion of measurement. Plural “standards” is used in education. Some of the solutions for establishing standards: 1. standards as an expression of expectations of society; 2. as objectives of education; 3. as average achievement levels – effects are highlighted everywhere.

Relation between evaluation and determining quality Evaluation is a method of determining quality. (Dušan Savićević)

A possible definition of education quality Education quality is a total state (which does not exclude a possibility of considering the quality of certain selected aspects and elements) of positions reached on the dimensions of different characteristics which a person, individuals, social groups and/or society give to different elements and aspects of education, placing them in different relations, based on value standards and meeting the needs.