1. HERE Seminar, Warsaw, 19 September 2016
Development of NQF
in Poland
Andrzej Krasniewski
HERE Seminar, Warsaw, 19 September 2016

2. NQF for Higher Education:
formal introduction

3. Legal regulations Amendments to Law on Higher Education (2011)
shift to Learning Outcomes (LOs) as a means to describe study programmes and resulting qualifications
formal introduction of the National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (NQF-HE)
all study programmes offered in academic year 2012/2013 and later must comply with NQF-HE

4. § Legal regulations – learning outcomes QF-EHEA EQF international
generic
level descriptors
(learning outcomes)
EQF
QF-EHEA
(Dublin Descriptors)
level descriptors
(learning outcomes)
for subject domain
of ...
level descriptors
(learning outcomes)
for subject domain
of engineering
international
standards
ministerial regulation
humanities
social sciences
exact sciences
life sciences
agricultural sciences
engineering and technology
medical and health sciences
fine arts
8 large subject domains
corresponding (mostly) to
OECD/EUROSTAT/UNESCO
science&technology classification

5. § Legal regulations – learning outcomes QF-EHEA EQF international
generic
level descriptors
(learning outcomes)
EQF
QF-EHEA
level descriptors
(learning outcomes)
for subject domain
of ...
level descriptors
(learning outcomes)
for subject domain
of engineering
international
standards
developed by teams of
subject domain experts
for each subject domain,
LOs for
- two cycles (Bachelor, Master)
- two profiles (academically- and practically-oriented)

6. defining LOs for a subject domain – example
ENGINEERING
SBS
Bologna
Process
ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, USA)
JABEE (Japan Accreditation Board for Engineering Education)
SBS (Subject Benchmark Statements, UK)
IEA (International Engineering Alliance)
EUR-ACE (EURopean ACcredited Engineer project)
CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate initiative)

7. defining LOs for a subject domain – examples
Level of detail in defining LOs
Number of LOs (LO statements)
= [knowledge, skills, social competences]
1st level
(Bachelor)
2nd level
(Master)
humanities
A: 26 = [10,10,6]
P: 30 = [10,14,6]
A: 27 = [10,11,6]
engineering
& technology
A: 34 = [11,16,7]
P: 37 = [11,19,7]
A: 37 = [11,19,7]

8. LOs for degree programmes
generic
level descriptors
(learning outcomes)
EQF
QF-EHEA
(Dublin Descriptors)
NQF-HE
level descriptors
(learning outcomes)
for subject domain
of ...
level descriptors
(learning outcomes)
for subject domain
of engineering
international
standards
Tuning, SBS, ...
learning outcomes
for programme
...
learning outcomes
for programme
Electronics
university
(faculty)
institutional
regulations

9. Implementation of NQF-HE in higher education institutions

10. System-level support
phase 1: 2009 – June 2011 (preceding legal changes)
promoting and consulting NQF
dedicated web site
many (> 100) events – conferences, seminars, workshops, ...
organised by HEIs, open to members of academic staff from other HEIs
instructors - national team of Bologna Experts (ca. 20 people), representatives of the Ministry, ...
total no. of participants – ca

11. LOs for 8 subject domains
Ministry website
Szkolnictwo Wyższe
Krajowe Ramy Kwalifikacji
LOs for 8 subject domains

12. System-level support phase 2: October 2011 - (following legal changes)
informing, advising, consulting
explaining and interpreting legal regulations (Law on HE, ministerial regulations)
advising on implementation of NQF at HEI level
next round of open conferences, seminars, workshops, ...
consultations dedicated to individual HEIs/faculties
awards for the leaders

13. supporting material
How to develop degree programmes compliant with requirements of NQF-HE?
„handbook” of 240 pages 13

14. awards for the leaders
Initiative of the Ministry (June 2012):
Competition for best practice in the implementation of quality enhancement systems and the NQF at the faculty level
202 submissions - by individual faculties (Sept. 2012)
62 faculties awarded - each euro (Dec. 2012)

15. of NQF-HE implementation:
Benchmarking
of NQF-HE implementation:
lessons learned

16. NQF-HE benchmarking Benchmarking of NQF-HE implementation
Project ( )
Benchmarking of NQF-HE implementation
part of programme
BENCHMARKING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
coordinated by the Polish Rectors Foundation
(think-tank linked to the Polish Rectors Conference - CRASP)
participants
46 HEIs
327 faculties 16

17. NQF-HE benchmarking 17

18. Attitude towards NQF-HE
UNIVERSITY LEVEL (46 HEIs)
positive
moderately positive
4.2%
authorities
(rectors, vice-rectors)
41.3%
52.2%
2.3%
academic staff
(opinion of authorities)
28.3%
19.6%
45.7%
6.5%
moderately negative
difficult to say
moderately positive
negative
positive
difficult to say
moderately negative
FACULTY LEVEL (327 faculties)
academic staff
(opinion of authorities)
authorities
(deans, vice-deans)
25.7%
53.5%
7.6%
9.8%
3.4%
40.7%
14.1%
32.7%
4.9% 18

19. Benefits redesigned curricula LOs orientation
increased flexibility (more elective courses)
shift towards student-centred teaching (fewer lectures, more project-based learning modules, etc.)
new, more comprehensive methods for verification of LOs achieved by students, especially in the category of skills

20. Problems and challenges
inconsistent terminology and unclear statements in legal acts, combined with a limited support by the Ministry in resolving controversial issues
unnecessary overregulations, resulting in excessive bureaucracy
significant time pressure, resulting in limited opportunities to thoroughly consult the proposed solutions with stakeholders (employers etc.)
insufficient engagement (resistance?) of some members of academic staff
however, a shift from an openly demonstrated resistance to at least partial acceptance observed at many HEIs

21. Another study
report of General Council of Science and Higher Education (2015)
recommendations
simplification of legal regulations
de-bureaucratisation of implementation procedures at HEIs
de-bureaucratisation of accreditation procedures

22. as a pilot for PQF development
NQF-HE
as a pilot for PQF development

23. PQF NQF-HE – part of PQF Polish Qualifications Framework (PQF) for LLL
EQF
level descriptors 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
universal
level descriptors
general education
detailed
level descriptors
vocational education
higher
education
PQF

24. Recent developments Act on the Integrated Qualifications System PQF
(passed in Dec. 2015)
formal introduction of PQF (NQF-HE – part of it)
definition of universal level descriptors
delegation for Minister to define detailed level descriptors (learning outcomes)
PQF
universal
level descriptors
Act on Integrated Qualifications System 5 6 7 8
level in PQF
ministerial
regulations
(draft)
NQF-HE
detailed
level descriptors 5 6 7 8 1 2 3
level in NQF-HE (Bologna cycle)

25. Recent developments Act on the Integrated Qualifications System
- opportunity to improve/simplify NQF-HE
new ministerial regulations (draft versions)
on NQF-HE
concise general descriptors – for level 6 (Bachelor), 7 (Master) and 8 (Doctor)
additional descriptors (short) for 8 subject domains – for levels 6 and 7
on principles for accreditation (less bureaucratic, based on ESG 2015)

26. Conclusion

27. Summary
almost 10 years of experience in development and implementation of NQF-HE (and PQF for LLL)
quite successful NQF-HE implementation (not without problems)
international recognition of our achievements
Prof. Ewa Chmielecka: leader of pilot project „Horizontal comparison of levelled qualifications" carried out by EQF Advisory Group (established by European Commission)
Dr. Agnieszka Chlon-Dominczak, Revision of the European Qualifications Framework: Lessons from research, Workshop on New Skills Agenda, European Parliament, 8 September 2016
membership of expert groups that support development of NQFs in many countries

28. More information
A. Krasniewski, “Development of the National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education in Poland”, Journal of the European Higher Education Area, 1/2012
library of Educational Research Institute

29. HERE Seminar, Warsaw, 19 September 2016
Development of NQF
in Poland
Andrzej Krasniewski
HERE Seminar, Warsaw, 19 September 2016