Over the last twenty years Further Education colleges in England have expanded their Higher Education provision significantly. Higher Education in Further Education is a major force accounting for approximately ten percent of Higher Education students (Parry 2005). The thesis takes a concept from Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics and applies it to Higher Education in Further Education in England. The notion of phronesis adopted for this study differs from literal interpretations of Aristotle such as adopted by Kristyansson, (2005) but accords with adaptations of the concept by such as Eisner (2002), Birmingham (2003, 2004) and Hagar (2000). The interpretation adopted for the thesis is that phronesis is wise, practical knowledge which is deliberative, depends on judgement and is based on circumstances. It is about practicalities and the interaction between the universal and the particular. When applied to teaching it can be briefly summarised as an approach which bases the profession of teaching on practical knowledge and recognises the artistry of the teaching activity (Eisner, 2002). The argument of the thesis is that phronesis could provide a model for the teaching and quality management of Higher Education (HE) in Further Education (FE) at Hull College. The thesis demonstrates that in the face of pressures of commodification, performativity and vocationalisation in the national and global environment, students, staff and managers at the College hold beliefs more in tune with an approach based on phronesis rather than with that of The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) or The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). As a result phronesis could provide a more effective foundation for teaching and quality management. After an analysis of the academic and official literature, the empirical research adopted a case study method based on semi structured interviews with students, teaching staff and managers. The empirical evidence reinforced the academic evidence that there is a managerial imperative in colleges which leads to teaching staff and managers facing a range of pressures. There are pressures on their beliefs and what they identified as their proper professional activity: teaching, reflecting, debating, updating their subject knowledge and engaging in scholarship. However, these pressures are moderated by the commitment of the teaching staff and managers to delivering a particular HE in FE experience, in partnership with their students, in accordance with the features of phronesis. Empirical and theoretical evidence supports the conjecture that phronesis could provide a model for the teaching and quality management of HE in FE, at Hull College. The views of students, staff and managers were broadly in accord with the main features of phronesis, rather than those of performativity and commodification. Their views were also consistent with a vocational education situated in phronesis, rather than with a vocationalism which is part of the 5 managerialist, performative and commodificationist agendas. Although there are pressures from all of these agendas threatening the application of phronesis, there is evidence that it is phronesis which should underpin the teaching, management and indeed, the profession for teachers of HE in FE. Recommendations focus on acknowledging the distinct role of HE in FE: its quality management; staff participation in reflection, scholarly activity and vocational updating; the recognition of students as partners in learning.
Phronesis is the Aristotelian notion of practical wisdom. In this collected series, phronesis is explored as an alternate way of considering professional knowledge. In the present context dominated by technical rationalities and instrumentalist approaches, a re-examination of the concept of phronesis offers a fundamental re-visioning of the educational aims in professional schools and continuing professional education programs. This book originated from a conversation amongst an interdisciplinary group of scholars from education, health, philosophy, and sociology, who share concerns that something of fundamental importance – of moral signi?cance – is missing from the vision of what it means to be a professional. The contributors consider the ways in which phronesis offers a generative possibility for reconsidering the professional knowledge of practitioners. The question at the centre of this inquiry is: “If we take phronesis seriously as an organising framework for professional knowledge, what are the implications for professional education and practice?” A multiplicity of understandings emerge as to what is meant by phronesis and how it might be reinterpreted, understood, applied, and extended in a world radically different to that of the progenitor of the term, Aristotle. For those concerned with professional life this is a conversation not to be missed.
Quality management is an established, widespread and well-researched management concept. Yet, surprisingly little research can be found on understanding the potential for action that is required in order to perform quality management work. The field of quality management has a strong emphasis not only on a customer and supplier focus (external), but also on a process focus (internal). This creates a constant challenge in the way in which quality management is conceived and realised. Another challenge is reflected in current research that describes the need for conceptual change in quality management due to extensive ongoing changes in society and the business environment. The nature and pace of technological development, coupled with changes in social behaviour, continuously bring out new customer needs and new ways for customers to interact with the producers of goods and services. This requires adaptive and innovative approaches for organisations, in order to stay competitive and relevant. This thesis uses competence-based and practice-based perspectives to better understand the requirements placed on quality management in meeting these challenges. It investigates what quality management work is and what properties must exist, in terms of competence and practice, in order to make quality management work possible. The purpose of this thesis is, therefore, to explore how the theoretical perspectives of competence and practice can contribute to an increased understanding of what is required to perform quality management work. Three research questions are posed and answered. The first research question concerns the nature of quality management work and how its key factors may be characterised; the second research question deals with competencies of quality management and how these are interrelated with quality management work; the third research question concerns how the interplay between quality management competencies can be understood. The research questions are answered by interpreting the findings of five papers included in the thesis, using a conceptual framework. The results of the thesis suggest two main directions of quality management work: expansive and adaptive quality management work. Expansive work is characterised by explorative practice, radical change to existing processes or the development of new processes, a logic of development, an orientation towards development and innovation, a striving to increase external efficiency and a striving to increase process variation. Adaptive work is characterised by exploitative practice, incremental change to existing processes, a logic of performance, an orientation towards goals and productivity, a striving towards internal efficiency and a striving to decrease process variation. Quality management competencies relate to quality management work in combining role dependency and discretion. Role dependency signifies the potential and capability to assume multiple role-responsibilities. Discretion is the ‘freedom of movement’ for quality practitioners to engage in practices and choose quality management work directions according to task and situation. The interplay between quality management competencies is understood as the combined effects of two competence antecedents: individual and/or collective dispositions to change and learning. This thesis extends research on quality management by increasing our knowledge and understanding of the requirements needed, not only to select and perform existing quality management practices, but also to adopt and engage in practices where emergence is accommodated by ambidexterity. Kvalitetsutveckling är ett etablerat, utbrett och välbeforskat managementkoncept. Trots detta går det att hitta förvånansvärt lite forskning vilken fokuserar på en ökad förståelse för de handlingsförmågor som faktiskt krävs för att utföra kvalitetsutveckling. Som koncept särskiljer sig kvalitetsutveckling i sitt dubbla fokus på både ett internt, processrelaterat innehåll och ett externt, kundfokuserat innehåll. Detta skapar en konstant utmaning för hur kvalitetsutveckling kan förstås och omsättas i praktiker. En annan utmaning som beskrivs i forskningen är behovet av konceptuell förändring som krävs i kvalitetsutveckling för att möta kunna samhälleliga och marknadsmässiga förändringar. Hastigheten och innehållet i den tekniska utvecklingen samt förändringar i sociala beteenden utvecklar hela tiden nya kundbehov och nya sätt att interagera med leverantörer av varor och tjänster. Detta kräver anpassningsinriktade och innovativa förhållningssätt för organisationer att vara relevanta samt att kunna bibehålla och öka konkurrenskraften. Kompetensteoretiska och praktikteoretiska perspektiv används i avhandlingen för att bättre förstå de krav som kan ställas på modern kvalitetsutveckling i att möta dessa utmaningar. Avhandlingen undersöker vad modern kvalitetsutveckling är och vilka egenskaper som måste finnas, i termer av kompetens och praktik, för att möjliggöra att modern kvalitetsutveckling utförs. Syftet med denna avhandling är således att utforska hur kompetensteoretiska och praktikteoretiska perspektiv kan bidra till en ökad förståelse för vad som krävs för att utföra kvalitetsutvecklingsarbete. Tre olika forskningsfrågor behandlas. Den första forskningsfrågan handlar om vad kvalitetsutvecklingsarbete är och hur det kan karaktäriseras i termer av nyckelfaktorer. Den andra forskningsfrågan berör kompetenser för kvalitetsutveckling och hur dessa kan kopplas till arbete med kvalitetsutveckling. Den tredje forskningsfrågan handlar om hur samspelet mellan kompetenser för kvalitetsutvecklingsarbete kan förstås. Forskningsfrågorna besvaras genom att tolka de empiriska resultaten i fem bilagda artiklar utifrån ett konceptuellt ramverk. Avhandlingens resultat visar på två huvudsakliga inriktningar på innehållet i kvalitetsutvecklingsarbete: expansivt och adaptivt kvalitetsutvecklingsarbete. Nyckelfaktorer i expansivt arbete är “explorative” praktik, radikal förändring av existerande processer eller utveckling av nya processer, utvecklingslogik, utvecklings- och innovationsorientering, extern effektivitet samt ökning av processvariation. Nyckelfaktorer i adaptivt arbete är “exploitative” praktik, inkrementell förändring i existerande processer, prestationslogik, mål och produktivitets-orientering, intern effektivitet samt att minska och styra processvariation. Kopplingen mellan kompetenser för och arbetet med praktiker i kvalitetsutveckling utgörs av en potential för rollberoende och handlingsfrihet. Rollberoende beskriver en individuell och/eller kollektiv kapacitet att kunna tillägna sig samt byta mellan olika definierade rollansvar. Handlingsfrihet beskriver kapaciteten att kunna välja inriktning på innehållet i arbetet beroende på uppgift och situation. Samspelet mellan kompetenser för kvalitetsutvecklingsarbete kan beskrivas som den samlade effekten av två förutsättningar (eng. antecedent) för kompetens: individuell och/eller kollektiv benägenhet för förändring och lärande. Avhandlingens resultat bidrar till forskningen om kvalitetsutveckling på två huvudsakliga sätt. Dels genom att öka kunskap och förståelse för de krav som ställs på att välja och prestera existerande kvalitetsutvecklingspraktiker. Dels genom att öka förståelsen om hur anpassning och utövande av dessa praktiker går till där framväxandet av praktiker stimuleras genom att möjliggöra organisatorisk ambidextri.
Although initially utilized in business and industrial environments, quality management systems can be adapted into higher education to assess and improve an institution’s standards. These strategies are now playing a vital role in educational areas such as teaching, learning, and institutional-level practices. However, quality management tools and models must be adapted to fit with the culture of higher education. Quality Management Implementation in Higher Education: Practices, Models, and Case Studies is a pivotal reference source that explores the challenges and solutions of designing quality management models in the current educational culture. Featuring research on topics such as Lean Six Sigma, distance education, and student supervision, this book is ideally designed for school board members, administrators, deans, policymakers, stakeholders, professors, graduate students, education professionals, and researchers seeking current research on the applications and success factors of quality management systems in various facets of higher education.
This new edition introduces the key concepts of TQM in the education context, discusses organizational, leadership and teamwork issues, the tools and techniques of TQM, and will help educators develop a framework for management in their school.
The management of quality and sustainability in higher education institutions ensures that proper standards are maintained. Such enforced standardization allows for the highest caliber of training opportunities for various fields and disciplines. The Handbook of Research on Quality Assurance and Value Management in Higher Education is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on quality management and assurance programs and standards in college-level environments. Highlighting global perspectives on academic and professional learning, this book is ideally designed for researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and professionals actively involved in the field of higher education.
This popular book and video present the principles and applications of TQM for transformation of schools. The author is recognized as the leading authority on this approach to school reform.
Back to the Rough Ground is a philosophical investigation of practical knowledge, with major import for professional practice and the ethical life in modern society. Its purpose is to clarify the kind of knowledge that informs good practice in a range of disciplines such as education, psychotherapy, medicine, management, and law. Through reflection on key modern thinkers who have revived cardinal insights of Aristotle, and a sustained engagement with the Philosopher himself, it presents a radical challenge to the scientistic assumptions that have dominated how these professional domains have been conceived, practiced, and institutionalized.
This book explores medicine, ethics, and the challenge of moral diversity in health care. It explores how a health professional's moral beliefs and values influence the care he or she provides. It focuses on the need for a physician's wisdom, goals to guide patient care, and respect for conscience and integrity. The book culminates in a framework for practical wisdom in medicine that reflects the importance of integration (of an individual's beliefs, values, reasoning, actions, and identity), moral dialogue, humility, and professionals' obligations to patients, themselves, and society.
