Assessing higher education quality in the context of conceptual confussion and methodological eclecticism

Abstract

The ar­tic­le highlights evalu­ation and qu­ality assurance theory and prac­tices in higher edu­cation. Applying the principles of transparency, pub­licity and com­parability qu­ality assu­rance seeks to ensu­re high qu­ality standards and to faci­li­tate the com­parabi­li­ty of Eu­ropean qu­ali­fi­cations. As different frameworks for defi­ning higher edu­cation qu­ality are widely used, much of conceptu­al confusion and methodological ec­lec­ticism is found on the subject cau­sing diffi­culties in data com­parabi­li­ty. An exam­ple of methodological approach to higher edu­cation qu­ality assessment enab­ling inter­national data com­parability is analysed and discussed.