Higher education quality : what is the perception of the players involved? Conclusions of a comparative analysis

Abstract

In education there is an ongoing paradigm that challenges the present system to generate significant processes of change. However, student and educator underlying conceptions regarding the learning and teaching processes must be analyzed in advance. Our first approach to this topic is to address one of its specific aspects: Education Quality. In view of its relevance, research findings about Education Quality, in general terms, and those regarding higher education, in particular, have increased as from the nineties. Nevertheless, the main obstacles, even in these days, are to define the concept of “Quality“ meeting the expectations of all the parties involved in the education process, and to achieve consensus about the key determinants of influence within the sphere of university. The aim of this paper is to make a comparative analysis of Economic Sciences student and Educator opinions at Argentinean universities regarding the meaning of the aforementioned concept. In addition, our goal is to determine which factors affect Education Quality in a positive way.