IMPACT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IN EFFECTIVENESS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN ALBANIA IMPACT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IN EFFECTIVENESS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN ALBANIA 6th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies 7th - 9th of July 2014, SPAIN, Barcelona Author: MARSELA ROBO PhD Candidate Albania

INTRODUCTION Quality Assurance in Vocational Education (VE) in Albania Field of study What is the relationship between the implementation of quality assurance system in the AP and effectiveness of vocational schools. The research problem

INTRODUCTION to identify factors that affect the effectiveness of vocational schools in Albania and reveal whether the implementation of quality assurance system is one of them This research aims Vocational schools (teachers and their leadership) MES and NVETA specialists Researchers in this field Policy and decision-making at different levels General public (community specifically parental vocational schools) Audience

INTRODUCTION analysis of the quality assurance system in vocational education in Albania; analysis the impact of quality assurance system in the effectiveness of vocational schools in Albania, and recommendations for improving the system of quality assurance in VE in Albania Objectives of this research Vocational Education effectiveness quality assurance quality assurance system Keywords

Conceptualization of quality and quality assurance system in VE Quality and quality in education 1.Quality and quality in education  quality as reputation - more prevalent in the evaluation of higher education institutions, is supposed to be based on information about resources and results ;  quality as sources - the perspective adopted by international organizations, because resources such as teachers, fiscal resources, etc. are easily measurable and quantifiable than educational outcomes and processes;  quality as a process - highlights the value of institutional interaction within the students, teachers, alongside resources and results;  quality as content - initially referred to the curriculum, often used as a tool in countries or institutions to promote a certain bias in terms of education knowledge or skills acquired;  quality as product and result - a reference to the effects of education, methods used by policymakers Quality and quality in education Quality as reputation Quality as sources Quality as product Quality as a process Quality as content

Conceptualization of quality and quality assurance system in VE 2. Quality assurance system in education A quality system consists of :  the structure  procedures  processes  the resources. The purpose of a quality assurance system is to ensure quality control and following the planning - implementation evaluation - review cycle. Quality system StructureProceduresProcessesResources

European and Albanian approach to quality assurance in vocational education European approachAlbanian approach

Quality assurance system and vocational school effectiveness  There are different theories, models, schemes and factors that influence the effectiveness of school.  Focusing on factors, we found that they are numerous and it is not easy to choose which of them has the largest share in the effectiveness of a school.  Many authors of the research in the field of school effectiveness, at least agree on one point, when identified as important factors in the effectiveness of school: leadership school climate teachers’ involvement partnership with the community quality assurance system effectiveness of school Partnership with the community Teachers’ involvement Leadership School climate Quality assurance system

METHODOLOGY In this study are describes the factors that act in the context of the school, which, within a framework including the implementation of an effective quality assurance, have impact on enhancing the effectiveness of the school. This research was built on the hypothesis that implementation of quality assurance system affects the effectiveness of vocational schools. The methodology used for data collection was mainly based on qualitative and interactive methods such as focus groups, informal discussions with key stakeholders as well as questionnaires. Review of the literature and documentation in the field of school effectiveness and quality of research provided a theoretical framework. Six public vocational schools in Albania, which had geographical distribution and different contexts, were the research sample. Schools were selected by random selection technique from a professional school population in Albania which performs self-evaluation. The methodology used for the analysis and evaluation of the data were SPSS techniques, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Correlation between effectiveness and implementation of quality assurance system turned out to be positive significant. The author defined five independent variables of this research: a) school direction, b) teachers inclusion; c) community participation d) school climate and ethics); e) quality assurance system. While dependent variable in this research was the effectiveness of the school.

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY Schools A B C D F E SH SH SH SH SH SH Sp.weig ht Values (in %) ​​ of effectiveness and five variables Legend of table and graphs Codes of variables are: A - school climate and ethics; B - direction of the school; C- teachers inclusion; D - implementation of quality assurance system; F- community participation and E- effectiveness. Schools are coded SH1, SH2, SH3, SH4, SH5, SH6

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY The effectiveness of schools Effectiveness and quality assurance system

CONCLUSIONS  The purpose of this study was to reveal the impact of quality assurance system in the effectiveness of vocational education in Albania. Quality assurance system was analyzed in terms of legislation, structure and content (in the policy making level) and from the perspective of providers (secondary schools).  The most important conclusions that emerged at the end of this study are: 1. The implementation of quality assurance system affects the effectiveness of the school, serving as a framework within which included other factors such as teacher and community involvement in school activities, visionary and collaborative leadership, and the creation of a climate of cooperation and mutual respect. 2. There is a defined approach to quality and quality assurance in VE Albania, but is not developed a quality assurance framework which include guidelines and quality standards at provider level. 3. The accreditation process of professional schools has not started yet, but a self- evaluation process was running in of some of them. 4. Vocational schools have an approach to quality assurance, which has to do more with defining the responsibilities, rather than with the continuous improvement of quality.  Findings of this article can serve as a theoretical and practical framework for researchers, specialists and staff of vocational education schools because it reflects some of the main factors affecting the effectiveness of public vocational schools today in Albania.

RECOMMENDATIONS In order to improve quality assurance in vocational education, we would recommend that would be useful to: develop a strategy of genuine quality assurance in VE in Albania, as an urgent requirement for the development of vocational education in Albania. draft the accreditation framework of vocational education providers which must include the model of self-evaluation and accreditation of vocational schools. establish a network of quality assurance in Albanian VE, EQARF closely related. Introducing the system of accreditation of vocational schools will help them more in the process of providing them quality. increase autonomy of vocational education providers and to establishment quality assurance mechanisms. create the vocational schools network, where they can be exchanged self- assessment results and experiences of quality assurance in vocational schools in Albania.

IMPACT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IN EFFECTIVENESS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN ALBANIA IMPACT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IN EFFECTIVENESS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN ALBANIA MARSELA ROBO PhD Candidate