Quality Assurance Approaches and Practices A Gateway Towards Globalization

Higher Education (HE) has an important role both for the student, as an individual, and for the society in which he lives. HE represents and aids for the growth and the development of the students and of the society and a key for a better life. As drivers or economic engines of this knowledge-led economy it is imperative that Quality Assurance (QA) practices and approaches in higher education must be rigorously implemented and evaluated. QA has contributed significant development to both the government and the industry and advocated that a well-educated workforce is essential in increasing productivity and maintaining competitive edge in the global knowledge economy. This study was undertaken to determine the implementation of QA approaches and practices of public and private HEIs in Negros Occidental,Philippines. Descriptive method utilizing purposive sampling and the UNESCO standardized QA questionnaire was used in the gathering of data to ninety (90) respondents. Findings revealed that the extent of implementation of the HEIs to QA approaches and practices is good as a whole, as to public or private and as to QA criteria. Study also showed no significant difference on the extent of implementation of HEIs grouped as to public and private. Likewise, an absence of mean difference on the extent of implementation of HEIs to QA criteria revealed. Further, no significant relationship exists between management, organizational culture and leadership to; vision, mission and planning; to the learners; to human resource development; to program design and development; to course design and development; to learner support and progression; and to learner assessment and evaluation. From these findings, it can be inferred that educational leaders and managers provide equal if not equitable importance and support to the aforementioned variables or QA areas. Primarily, it is supportive to the mandates of HEIs on educating and capacitating the labor force in order to have quality life. While highly significant between management, organizational culture and leadership to learning infrastructure and resources and significant between management, organizational culture and leadership to research, consultancy and extension services. The results viewed a context that while educational leaders put emphasis on capacitating the learners and human resource it should not forget that it can only be attained if appropriate learning environment is provided and that academic learnings are translated and applied into research and extension activities. Hence, tri-focalization of instruction, research and extension in the curriculum must be achieved to ensure quality outcomes. Based on the study, the following conclusions were drawn; while HEIs in Negros Occidental implement varied QA systems and approaches it is not at a level of excellence that can be modeled by other HEIs in the regional or national; the implementation of QA programs, projects and activities (PAPs) in HEIs is merely in the level of embracing the culture of quality as mandated by the regulatory bodies not as the means towards quality, excellent and comparable education; and the relationships that exist between management, organizational culture and leadership; and learning infrastructure and resources; and research, consultancy and extension services is an indication that while HEIs implement a stringent promotion and selection criteria in hiring and promoting teaching and non-teaching personnel, less it should forget that the HEIs teaching and learning environment and other physical resources should be commensurate to the qualifications, skills and abilities the personnel have.

Keywords –Internal and external quality assurance, quality assurance approaches and practices, quality assurance criteria, quality, quality assurance structures and mechanisms.