The introduction of external quality assurance in South African higher education: an analysis of stakeholder response

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorLuckett, Kathyen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-11-29T17:42:06Z
dc.date.available2014-11-29T17:42:06Z
dc.date.issued2007en_ZA
dc.descriptionThis is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Quality in Higher Education on 30 October, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13538320701629129.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis paper analyses the take-up of proposals for a national quality assurance system in South Africa using different approaches to quality assurance to classify stakeholder responses to survey and interview questions. The context of the study was the introduction of an external quality assurance system for South African higher education by an agency of the Department of Education, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) in 2004. A conceptual framework using Habermas's distinctions between system and strategic action on the one hand and lifeworld and communicative action on the other was set up to map different approaches to quality assurance and to analyse the data. Stakeholder opinion on the HEQC's proposals for institutional audit and programme accreditation was gathered using survey questionnaire and depth-interview instruments. Given that quality assurance in South Africa has been conceived as a means of furthering the state's 'transformation agenda' for higher education, different and sometimes conflicting approaches to quality assurance exist in the higher education community—underpinned by different values, discourses and purposes for higher education. The study shows that these differences of opinion were shaped more strongly by the respondents' position in the social structure (apartheid defined class and race position) than by their social role (academic, manager, quality assurance manager) in the policy-making process. The paper concludes by suggesting that this finding may be explained if one understands the adoption and intended implementation of quality assurance policy to be a lifeworld matter. The contribution of Habermas' notions of lifeworld and system to conceptualising and understanding quality assurance systems is put forward.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationLuckett, K. (2007). The introduction of external quality assurance in South African higher education: an analysis of stakeholder response. <i>Quality in Higher Education</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9860en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationLuckett, Kathy "The introduction of external quality assurance in South African higher education: an analysis of stakeholder response." <i>Quality in Higher Education</i> (2007) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9860en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationLuckett, K. 2007. The introduction of external quality assurance in South African higher education: an analysis of stakeholder response. Quality in Higher Education.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1353-8322en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Luckett, Kathy AB - This paper analyses the take-up of proposals for a national quality assurance system in South Africa using different approaches to quality assurance to classify stakeholder responses to survey and interview questions. The context of the study was the introduction of an external quality assurance system for South African higher education by an agency of the Department of Education, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) in 2004. A conceptual framework using Habermas's distinctions between system and strategic action on the one hand and lifeworld and communicative action on the other was set up to map different approaches to quality assurance and to analyse the data. Stakeholder opinion on the HEQC's proposals for institutional audit and programme accreditation was gathered using survey questionnaire and depth-interview instruments. Given that quality assurance in South Africa has been conceived as a means of furthering the state's 'transformation agenda' for higher education, different and sometimes conflicting approaches to quality assurance exist in the higher education community—underpinned by different values, discourses and purposes for higher education. The study shows that these differences of opinion were shaped more strongly by the respondents' position in the social structure (apartheid defined class and race position) than by their social role (academic, manager, quality assurance manager) in the policy-making process. The paper concludes by suggesting that this finding may be explained if one understands the adoption and intended implementation of quality assurance policy to be a lifeworld matter. The contribution of Habermas' notions of lifeworld and system to conceptualising and understanding quality assurance systems is put forward. DA - 2007 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town J1 - Quality in Higher Education KW - quality assurance KW - higher education KW - South Africa KW - policy analysis KW - policy adoption LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2007 SM - 1353-8322 T1 - The introduction of external quality assurance in South African higher education: an analysis of stakeholder response TI - The introduction of external quality assurance in South African higher education: an analysis of stakeholder response UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9860 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/9860
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationLuckett K. The introduction of external quality assurance in South African higher education: an analysis of stakeholder response. Quality in Higher Education. 2007; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9860.en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisherTaylor & Francisen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentCILTen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyCentre for Higher Education Developmenten_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.sourceQuality in Higher Educationen_ZA
dc.source.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13538320701629129en_ZA
dc.subjectquality assuranceen_ZA
dc.subjecthigher educationen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectpolicy analysisen_ZA
dc.subjectpolicy adoptionen_ZA
dc.titleThe introduction of external quality assurance in South African higher education: an analysis of stakeholder responseen_ZA
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourcePostprinten_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
CHED_article_HigherEducationQuality_Luckett_2007.pdf
Size:
473.04 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
Journal Articles