Quality Management in Education: Suzana Vlašić, Smiljana Vale, Danijela Križman Puhar
Quality Management in Education: Suzana Vlašić, Smiljana Vale, Danijela Križman Puhar
Quality Management in Education: Suzana Vlašić, Smiljana Vale, Danijela Križman Puhar
________________________________________________________________
Abstract
Having considered the current situation of the Croatian educational system and the quality of all
its individual components, we can’t help but notice that the awareness of the importance of
education as a foundation for the growth and development of each country isn’t strong enough.
Education quality is becoming increasingly important for those who are involved in it either
directly or indirectly, and for those who use its services. Access to education and quality
education are to be regarded as mutually dependent and indivisible needs and rights. This is
primarily achieved by developing creativity, civic and democratic values, as well as by
knowledge, abilities and skills needed for everyday and professional life. Basic education is not
sufficient or complete, and therefore should be considered only as a basis for learning that needs
to be used all life long. Lifelong learning for all has become one of the pillars of development.
Quality management is a part of management aimed at achieving quality goals through
planning, monitoring, assuring and improving quality. Involving all members of the
organization brings us closer to total quality control (Total Quality Management, TQM).
Efficient Total quality management system in organization can facilitate quickly challenge in
word market. Total quality management realize target and mission in education of young
generation. TQM upgrade management quality and quality of work in education institute in
general.
The key points for the improvement of education are scientific and technological development,
social changes and organizational changes. Education efficiency and success don’t depend just
on quantity but as well on quality. The quality indicator system of education, as well as the
criteria related to the quality indicators help schools to identify the crucial areas of their
activities - their own advantages, disadvantages and development opportunities.
Keywords: quality, quality management, total quality management, educational system, quality
indicators
________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
Education quality is a key factor for improving the business quality, and
therefore strengthening competitive advantage. Access to education and quality
education are to be regarded as mutually dependent and indivisible needs and
rights. Lack of education is a basic cause of poverty. Intellectual workers are
becoming a major tool in increasing productivity, and knowledge is becoming
565
Interdisciplinary Management Research V
2. Education quality
The word quality comes from the Latin word qualitas (property, quality, value,
characteristic, feature, ability). In a highly competitive world with increasing
consumer demands, quality has become the key factor of survival in the market,
of profitability and development, not just for individual sectors and
organizations, but also for the whole country's economy. Only few Croatian
companies recognize the quality of education as the key factor for improving
business quality, and therefore for strengthening competitive advantage.
Education quality is a dynamic, multi-dimensional concept that refers not only
to the educational model, but also to the institutional mission and its goals, as
well as to the specific standards of the system, facility, program or event.
The pedagogical theory and practice has been trying to determine what the
quality of education is. In education it is only possible to determine the quality
by comparing the results with the given goal, or by comparing it with
previously established standards.
Any human activity is identified by the quality of its product. The same rule
applies to education. The quality of education is therefore responsible for the
quality of its "product": students. Various forms of education are present in
different places, at various times, under different circumstances and terms,
intentional and unintentional, organized and unorganized, with or without a
program.
One of the key problems is the unification of standards and quality evaluation
criteria. The key components of the evaluation process are the methodological
approach in applying good methods and procedures of data collection, and the
definition of key concepts and their relations with the concept of quality. The
fundamental precondition for quality improvement is the establishment of an
active system of internal and external evaluation. Internal evaluation implies a
significant role of the judgment of students as active participants in the process
566
Interdisciplinary Management Research V
567
Interdisciplinary Management Research V
569
Interdisciplinary Management Research V
which they compare with their experience and apply in problem solving
exercises. Understanding and application of the facts allows knowledge
systematization and its durability, as it is stored in the long-term memory.
Teaching skills are changing and gradually transforming into the art of teaching
children to teach themselves. The main result of studying is, therefore, to learn
how to study. In times of rapid social and economic change, resulting in
changes in the market, it was crucial to coordinate and connect pre-primary,
primary, secondary and higher education, as well as adult education and
training. Learning while working is becoming an extremely important form of
professional development, and innovations are often interdisciplinary and come
as a result of team work. Linking education to the world of work is a key factor
in changing the Croatian educational system and making it capable of meeting
the market and society requirements, and by doing so increasing employment
possibilities. Higher education is linked with other segments of the educational
system. The outputs of secondary education are inputs for higher education,
making its quality dependent on the quality of secondary education. Higher
education, particularly universities should, therefore, participate in establishing
an external evaluation system of students’ achievement, in the production of
high-school programs and textbooks, and in ensuring the educational quality of
teachers. Higher education institutions are places of permanent education of
higher educated employees, i.e. their further formal and informal education is a
part of the lifelong educational system. Higher education institutions organize
further training in co-operation with educational services of companies and
other organizations and with professional associations. With the progress of
knowledge, education possibilities are becoming increasingly varied. Limited
state funding encourages an increasing number of institutions to look for
different models of funding, primarily from private sources. There are an ever
increasing number of private higher education facilities on the market. They
attract only wealthy students, while those who can’t pay several thousand kunas
for tuition go to state universities. Except institutional program also internet
become most propound media of education. Internet is a tool for not
scholastically study.
By applying the postulates of TQM to education, we state that education is not
a social activity, but a market-competitive activity as well as any other.
571
Interdisciplinary Management Research V
education. The study also aimed at determining the opinions of the participants
on the management, the managing and directing of the employees professional
potential, on the policy and strategy, on resources, key processes, user
satisfaction, social reputation and the key results of institutions before and after
the application of total quality management based on the Standards for quality
management in education NUKO 9001:2007. The research results show that by
using total quality management, educational institutions successfully distribute
their accumulated knowledge and increase their efficiency. Total quality
management helps achieving the goals and tasks of education of young
generations. TQM not only improves the quality of management but also of the
entire educational institution. One of the possible uses of total quality
management in education in the Republic of Croatia is the approach based on
Standards for quality management in education, NUKO 9001:2007. Standards
for quality management in education, NUKO 9001:2007 showed their validity
and can be rightfully recommended as a model that provides educational quality
to the users of institutions that apply it. Its wide application in the Republic of
Croatia, as well as abroad, in the time ahead, confirms that its introduction in
the integrated educational system is justified.
8. Conclusion
The term quality, which encompasses economic, social, cognitive and cultural
aspects of education, is perceived as an integral feature of the educational
process and its results. By providing high quality educational services,
educational institutions play an important role in the development of the
national economy, of the society as a whole and of its individual members.
Total quality can only be achieved by establishing an innovative organization,
one that is flexible, which can adjust quickly to changes in its environment and
is capable of learning.
To improve education quality, an essential factor of economic and social
development in the 21st century, it is crucial to reduce the huge amount of
knowledge students are supposed to master, focusing their attention to a system
of basic knowledge, on creativity, problem-solving and lifelong learning.
572
Interdisciplinary Management Research V
REFERENCES
573