The multiple meanings of educational quality essay example

Discussion of semantic use of the term is followed by the account of repeated values which were attributed to educational quality. Adams defines at least 6 general uses of quality that are given by educators. James Williams adds one more usage to this list.
1. Quality as Reputation: It belongs to a consensus of the high-quality and poor quality and usually used with reference to institutions of higher education and very often to lower educational levels, which are known for their quality or lack of it. The basis for reputation often includes information of inputs and outputs.
2. Quality as Inputs and Resources: It is the most widespread usage of quality. In this case, high quality is noticed in high levels of provision of resources, such as buildings, facilities, training materials, and etc. The Input belongs to the characteristics of pupils, teachers, administrators, their training / educational levels. Resources are necessary but insufficient conditions for desirable production, such as student’s success. The measurable nature of inputs makes this definition more widespread than other less measurable aspects of education, such as processes and results.
3. Quality as Process: This usage belongs not only to inputs / outcomes, but also to the nature of intra established interaction of students, teachers, administrators, materials and technology in educational activities or how ‘ quality of life’ of the school is valued and determines the quality. It also refers to a way by which educational inputs are used. As infusion of resources has often failed to lead to an improvement in outcomes, attention in this usage has now been turned to the processes within schools. However, the most part of literature on educational processes is theoretical in nature; nevertheless elements / process of schools have been described in various empirical studies. Yet, the measurement of good educational process has often been difficult.
4. Quality as Content: This usage refers to the body of knowledge, the relation and skills intended to be transmitted through the school curriculum to which a certain country or institution can approve in such way where some content may be of higher quality than another. The tendency to the general educational content is now being recognized in the curriculum of early schooling through the majority of the countries.
5. Quality as Outputs/Outcomes: One of the most popular definitions with policy makers, which refers to the consequences of education, where the primary concern of virtually all stakeholders. Students’ cognitive achievements like completion rates, entrance ratios to next level of education, certification, individual skills, and attitudes are considered to be the measures of this definition of quality as outputs. On the other hand, outcomes refer to long term consequences of education such as employment, earnings, and changes in social attitudes / behavior.
6. Quality as Value Added: The usage refers to the extent to which a school / system has affected the student i. e., the impact of the programs / norms of the school on students. A value added focus considers the degree of change rather than the final state or the way in which the change has occurred (Adams 1997).
7. Quality as Selectivity – It was proposed by James Williams and defines the quality as a form of exclusiveness. In this view, the more exclusive or selective a school is, the higher its quality. (Williams 2001).