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EXPLORING INNOVATIVE AND EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR IQA– RESEARCH FRAMEWORK
CIES Conference, Vancouver6-10 March 2016
MICHAELA MARTIN, IIEP Programme Specialist
An IIEP research project
THIS PANEL The IIEP research project on «
Exploring innovative and effective solutions for internal quality assurance (IQA)»
The case of IQA at Xiamen University A comparative overview on the
research findings A commentary on the project
1. Introduction « Quality crisis » in higher education since
1980s International trend : External Quality
Assurance (EQA) Since 2000, EQA is a major focus of research
and capacity development at the UNESCO/IIEP But without IQA, no sustainable quality
improvement IQA therefore is a major reform strand in HE worldwide
2. Variation in definition of IQA
Internal Quality Assurance: procedures and instruments which measure whether a higher education institution is in line with external standards and its own development goals in its fields of activities (UNESCO).
IQA refers to quality enhancement processes if they are directly derived from measurement procedures and instruments (ESG)
IQA systems are an integrated whole which together support quality policy and institutional goals (IIEP).
3. Major Challenges Articulation of IQA instruments among each other Articulation of IQA with strategic planning,
management Balance between centralized and decentralized
structures Information systems, data management and
analytical capacities Human and financial resource constraints
4. Three major research questions What are innovative and effective options for IQA
policy, structures, processes and instruments ? What are the effects of such IQA systems on
the quality and relevance of academic programmes (employability of graduates), and
managerial effectiveness ? What internal and external factors condition the
effective functioning of IQA systems?
6. Research methodologyCase study research design Better understand IQA systems within
their national and institutional contexts Exploratory and descriptive design Mixed methods data collection process
to study the effects
7. IIEP’s role in the project IIEP set the research framework IIEP selected identified the universities
selected as case studies and the research teams
IIEP prepared the research instruments and discussed methodology with the research teams
IIEP accompanied the preparation of the case studies, organized a research validation workshop
8. Primary Data sourcesIntegrated qualitative and quantitative design Online surveys of academic and administrative staff on
perceptions of the local IQA system, their effects and conditioning factors
Semi-structured interviews with key actors Central and middle level academic and
administrative decision-makers Focus group discussions
Head of departments with selected programme directors Students
9. Secondary Data sources Content analysis of official documents to
document effects EQA Reports (e.g. institutional or programme
accreditation) University annual reports University statistics Reports produced by IQA structure
Triangulation of different actors’ perspectives Triangulation of perceptions and secondary
data sources
10. Selection of eight university case studies
Europe:▪ University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany▪ Economics University of Vienna, Austria
Asia:▪ Xiamen University, China▪ International American University of Bangladesh
Anglophone Africa:▪ Daystar University, Kenya ▪ University of the Free State, South Africa
Latin America region:▪ Talca University, Chile
Arab region:▪ University of Bahrain
11. Scope and limitations Focus on IQA mainly in the domain of
T&L and management, not on research Actors’ perceptions only a proxy for
change, not impact assessment Case study design does not produce
generalizable results, however insights into the effective functioning of IQA methods in specific contexts