The Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (CHER) 21st Annual Conference “Excellence and Diversity in Higher Education. Meanings, Goals and Instruments” University of Pavia Università degli Studi di Pavia, 11th-13th September 2008 Potential conflicts when defining and determining quality in HE and their effects Jón Torfi Jónasson and Gyða Jóhannsdóttir School of Education University of Iceland jtj@hi.is http://www.hi.is/~jtj/ gydaj@hi.is

Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008 The presentation JTJ The question Quality and organisational changes The framework Discussion about quality Organisational changes The interaction between organisational and related dynamics and quality 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008 The question Do various systemic and organisational dynamics seriously influence the way in which quality is in fact determined in HE? The background 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

The different facets of quality Relative and absolute effects Policy Level of education Criteria of good education The public and private good aspect of education What do the stakeholders want? Credentialism (public and private) What are the criteria of good education Professional education – uncertainty about criteria Teacher education 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

Organisational changes GJ Academic drift Kyvik, six categories Our main categories Systemic drift, Educational systems of higher education gradually become more like traditional university systems; Institutional drift Tendency of non-university institutions to move closer towards the traditional university institution than intended by the authorities Student drift The tendency of the student population to choose academic programmes 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

Organisational changes Academic drift The criteria we use to determine if an academic drift is occurring First we suggest a criterion that refers to research; Second we point to the classification of final examinations, The type faculty titles used Descriptions of individual and institutional promotion systems We suggest that these are very transparent and powerful criteria that control to a large extent the internal workings of an institution 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

System and institutional drift; specific examples Examples from Norway The changes in the HE system Adopted binary system 1994 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

System and institutional drift; specific examples Examples from Denmark The changes in the HE system Adopted binary system gradually, - starting 2000 and completed 2007 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

System and institutional drift; specific examples Examples from Norway The institutional drift within in the HE system Non university sector very close to the university sector Study programmes leading to university degrees (PhD not frequent) University titles Individual and institutional promotion systems 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

System and institutional drift; specific examples Examples from Denmark The institutional drift within in the HE system Non university sector separated from the university sector Teachers not supposed to carry out research Study programmes not leading to university degree but professional bachelor awarded Not using university titles No individual or institutional promotion systems Example: Changes taking place in teacher education 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008 The interaction between organisational and quality factors vertical axis Organisational or systemic perspectives Greater number of students - efficiency and productivity Policy of widening access Bologna process Systemic drift Institutional drift Credential race 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008 The interaction between organisational and quality factors horizontal axis Quality perspectives Organisation of teaching (and assessment of learning) Organisation of programme (and assessment of learning) Quality assurance (internal, external) Accreditation mechanisms Bologna Process 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

The interaction between organisational factors and quality JTJ 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

The interaction between organisational factors and quality 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

The interaction between organisational factors and quality 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008 General conclusions Quality and excellence are major concerns The are a number of very robust policy effects and organisational changes taking place that impinge very directly on the institutional culture; this becomes especially noticeable when we follow these dynamic changes in detail The tension between public and private good reflects on the quality processes 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008 General conclusions From Kenya, Wangenge-Ouma (2008) argues convincingly, (on what we think demonstrates a universality of a problem) on the basis of vivid, transparent data that Kenya’s public universities were precipitately subjected to diminished public capitation, and so was their plunging into marketisation … The desire to claim a bigger share in the student market has seen the introduction of many new courses in advance of capacity to offer them. … [b]y seeking economic self-determination through full fee-paying programmes, in advance of a well-developed institutional capacity, the subsequent pressure seems to have made the quality situation worse (p. 457). This should not be taken as an input into the debate over HE marketisation, and we simply state here that there are, not surprisingly, firm links between levels of quality and the economic necessities with which institutions must deal. 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008 General conclusions As regards the implicit and explicit tensions that arise, the guardian forces of quality will become sub-servient to these institutional and societal dynamics. One of the principal reasons the former will lose out is the fact that the notion of quality is so difficult to pin down; it is so situation and perspective dependent. 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008

Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008 Thank you 14/01/2019 Jón Torfi Jónasson – Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Pavia CHER 2008