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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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.

9. 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...

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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?

13. 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”.

14. 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.

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

16. 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.