Horizontal: a comparison between two different contexts 4.9 Qualitative approach
Criterion 4: Reporting system and Data Collection
5.9 Quality assurance and accreditation practices in higher education sector at the national level of Saudi Arabia level of Saudi Arabia
5.10.2 The quality culture and control in higher education
The two countries’ experts stress that the word quality was almost not existent in the higher education sectors. Moreover, all experts agreed on the absence of a nucleus of quality assurance and accreditation practices in their higher education sectors in the time before their
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official adoption. The following sections give more detailed information on the previous practices reflecting quality control for each context.
a. The German context
These experts were considering the previous quality control in higher education before the adoption of current quality assurance and accreditation practices represented in a direct state control by the mandatory approving for each study track and new universities. One expert mentioned that for the universities’ staffs their degrees are the main standard for assuring the quality of their work. Another expert saw that the peer review process was a quite common procedure for funding and publication in many scientific contexts. These views are presented in Table 9.
Table 9. The previous quality control procedures in German higher education system
b. The Saudi experts
Table 10 below explains the quality control meaning in Saudi higher education before the adoption of the current procedures. Three experts agreed that quality means a staff member does his best to work well. One expert saw that quality control in higher education was maintained through state approved descriptions for every subject and their objectives. The comment of two experts was that there was no quality culture in the higher education sector.
The quality control procedures in higher education were: Number of experts The state approval for study tracks and for the establishment of
new universities, which would not be checked again. It was a direct control.
3
The qualification of the university staff is their second degree with some experience which qualify him at a good standard.
1
The peer review procedure, which has been quite common in research funding since 1920, but not in studying and teaching.
1
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Table 10. The previous quality control procedures in Saudi higher education system
Quality control in higher education was: Number of
experts
The staff member does his best to work well. 3
Descriptions for every subject and their objectives. 1
No quality culture in higher education. 2
5.10.3 Where the idea of this adoption came from a. The German case
As can be derived from the table 11 below, two experts believed that the idea of adopting quality assurance and accreditation practices came after the Bologna Process, while one expert found the main issues in quality assurance had been developed and put partly into practice before 1999 and before the Bologna Process. In the 1990s, many projects were introduced for “evaluation of studying and teaching”. Then, these became encompassed by the system of accreditation because of the need of the ministries to get this formal approval. One expert saw the source of this adoption as the Americans’ long and successful experience in the accreditation system. Other conditions and reasons were suggested by the experts which were:
the national problems in higher education appeared at that time and required a solution imposed by a global trend and internationalization in higher education.
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Table 11. Where the idea of this adoption in the German higher education came from The conditions behind the introduction of quality assurance and
accreditation practices:
Number of experts
The Bologna Process 2
The long American experence in accreditation as a mimetic model 1 The global debate about quality in higher education as a solution for
higher education problems
1
The “evaluation of studying and teaching” projects in the 1990s, which became encompassed by system of accreditation
1
Internationalization in higher education 1
b. The Saudi case
The table 12 below shows the conditions and reasons behind the entrance of quality assurance and accreditation practices into the higher education sector. Four experts saw changes in the higher education landscape such as the increasing student numbers and expansion of the higher education sector behind the demand for adopting new managemant practices. Three experts stressed the role played by globalization and internationalization in this adoption. The issues of quality of the outcomes and the funding of higher education organizations were named by the same number of experts as a critical reason. Also the adoption of quality assurance and accreditation practices was a part of the influence of the transparancy and accountability trend in higher education situations at the international level by international agencies such as UNESCO, in the opinion of two experts. Moreover, the effect of international interactions between Saudi and American and Canadian universities, especially in the area of scholarship students, and the the effect of the international accreditation agencies were mentioned in this regard by one expert.
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Table 12. Where the idea of this adoption in the Saudi higher education system came from The conditions behind the introduction of these : Number
of experts The transtion processes at that time, which included increases in student
numbers and expansion of the higher education sector, leading to a need for new managemant practices
4
Globalization and internationalization as a global trend in higher education 3
The issues of outcome quality and funding 3
Increases in the transparancy in the higher education situation at the national level and improvements in the international transparency and accountability, as well as follow up and questioning from international organizations (UNESCO reports)
2
Competition between local universities in graduating students with skills fit for local and international competition
2
The interaction between Saudi universities and American and Canadian universities which had applied these practices
1
The influence of international accreditation agencies and universities’ world rankings
1
5.10.4 The role of the international agencies in this adoption a. The German case
German experts, as show in Table 13, differed regarding the role of international agencies in the adoption of quality assurance and accreditation practices in higher education.
Two of them believe in the role of international agencies (ENQA) in this adoption, while one saw the role as closer to zero.
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Table 13. The role of international agencies in the adoption of German quality assurance and accreditation system
The role of international agencies: Number of
experts
Leading role of ENQA and the GSE 2
No substantial and direct role for international institutions 1
b. The Saudi case
As noticeable from the table 14 below, the majority of the experts (2) saw the lack of substantial and direct roles of international organizations and agencies. The same number of experts saw UNESCO’s role and its plan to achieve sustainable development as affecting the national policy’s decision-making area. An equal number of experts saw the role of the
international accreditation agencies and the role of the international universities in the birth of this adoption, with one expert for each.
Table 14. The role of international agencies in the adoption of Saudi quality assurance and accreditation system
The role of international agencies: Number of
experts No substantial and direct role for international institutions 2
The international accreditation agencies 1
UNESCO and its role in achieving sustainable development in higher education
2
International universities 1
5.10.5 The reasons that drove higher education organizations to adopt the procedures of