An assessment of the effectiveness of the current higher education quality assurance systems for raising higher education standards in the UAE
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Date
2020-11
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The British University in Dubai (BUiD)
Abstract
The research aimed to assess the effectiveness of higher education quality assurance systems in the UAE, and toward this, an evaluation of the quality assurance process and exploration of the gaps and challenges in quality assurance in higher education was undertaken. Additionally, the research also aimed to propose recommendations for a quality assurance framework assessing and assuring high-quality standards for the higher education institutions in the UAE. The research was conducted by collecting data from students in the form of surveys (653) and from the interviews of managers (8) and teachers (2) of two universities in the UAE. The findings indicated that students from both universities perceived their quality assurance to be good, though, students from the private university rated their college higher on all quality parameters. The interviews revealed that both managers and teachers perceived a scope for improving quality assurance at both the colleges, though they differed on what needed to be improved. The managers suggested improvements in teachers' teaching styles and motivations for self-development, while the teachers suggested aligning curriculum with industry needs, keeping students motivated and instilling better discipline and stringent assessment methods for students. The findings led to recommendations for policy making to re-design curriculum, formalize quality assurance and developing teachers; as well as education practice to be made more student-focused, aligned with industry needs, and encouraging students toward hard-work and discipline.
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Keywords
higher education, quality assurance, United Arab Emirates (UAE), quality assurance systems