The Implementation of Self Evaluation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Saudi Arabia The case of the Women’s Section of King Abdulaziz University

Alzahrani, Nawal (2017) The Implementation of Self Evaluation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Saudi Arabia The case of the Women’s Section of King Abdulaziz University. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

This research analyses the implementation and impact of Quality Assurance practices within the Women’s Section of the King Abdulaziz University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For this purpose, the study examined the introduction of the Self-Evaluation process at the university, while also taking into account accreditation procedures, student evaluation, assessment and existing administrative policies.
The researcher chose to conduct a qualitative research that consisted of a single case study, in order to accurately depict the opinions and experiences of the people who participate in QA and SE practices at KAU. Therefore, the researcher conducted 42 individual interviews with various members of the management, with lecturers and with supporting staff, so as to create an intricate and diverse portrayal of the introduction of SE and QA in the women’s section of KAU.
The findings revealed that SE, and QA practices in general, are either viewed by some members of the personnel as positive, or perceived by a bigger portion of the staff as disadvantageous. Thus, both institutional and personal SE is currently performed in pockets, and the procedures are lauded by those who practice it, as they have noticed improvements in administrative and academic endeavours. However, a large proportion of the staff remains reticent in their opinion regarding SE, as the personnel at the women’s section of KAU has tried to implement this practice without addressing prior crippling issues. Most importantly, centralisation (for example, the decisions taken in the women’s section depend entirely on the Dean of the men’s section of KAU) disrupts all processes, including those pertaining to QA, and this causes dislike for the administrative requirements of successful SE practices. Furthermore, the stakeholders of the university are sceptical of each other and communication is neither open nor critical. This causes alienation and mistrust, and the consequences are most aptly observed when examining the student evaluations, which are not openly shared with the lecturers. As such, these issues create a significant collaboration gap between the management, the lecturers and the students, who do not work together towards implementing successful QA practices and towards creating a cohesive, quality culture.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning
Depositing User:	Bruce Beckett
Date Deposited:	20 Jul 2018 14:29
Last Modified:	20 Jul 2018 14:29
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/67705
DOI:

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