The idea of quality in higher education: a conceptual approach

Filippakou, Ourania

Abstract

The paper suggests that the idea of quality in higher education is ideologically constructed and conducted. In a spiral of mutual reinforcements, quality regimes naturalise experience, while the theories of that practice legitimise the naturalness of 'quality'. I shall suggest that quality regimes provide too narrow readings of higher education. The central concepts, which I propose to use - discourse and power - emphasise the connectedness of ideology and quality in higher education. In particular, I suggest that the ideological character of the idea of quality in higher education is evident in discourses - which themselves are interlinked in networks. These discourses and networks are backed up by power and this helps to sustain their ideological character. Thus, this paper attempts two things: to outline a conceptual framework concerning the ideological character of the idea of quality in higher education and to draw attention to the organisation of that ideological formation. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

Citation

Filippakou, O. (2011). The idea of quality in higher education: a conceptual approach. Discourse, 32(1), 15-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2011.537068

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Jan 15, 2011
• Publication Date: Jun 2, 2011
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Journal: Discourse
• Print ISSN: 0159-6306
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 15-28
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2011.537068
• Keywords: Discourse; Ideology; Higher education; Quality assurance; Quality enhancement
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/468537
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01596306.2011.537068
• Contract Date: Nov 23, 2017