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- Title
University's Quality Assurance in Japan --Inconsistencies in Formulation--.
- Authors
Sanae MAEDA
- Abstract
This paper aims to clarify when the term "quality assurance of universities" has appeared in Japan, and how it has influenced university education and the university evaluation system from documents such as the Central Council for Education. At the same time, this paper presents the issues of the Japanese quality assurance system from the process of its establishment. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) defines the three elements of quality assurance: standards for the establishment of universities, establishment-approval system, and certified evaluation. Standards for the establishment of universities are essential because they are the minimum standards that universities must comply with. However, certified evaluation is even more critical because it is a system in which a certified evaluation organization verifies that a university that has obtained approval for the establishment has independently and autonomously improved its education and research activities through self-study. Despite the above, the certified evaluation system has been criticized by society for not functioning sufficiently as a system for quality assurance and university improvement. Therefore, MEXT has revised relevant laws and regulations, including university establishment standards. In particular, the establishment of three policies (Diploma Policy, Curriculum Policy, and Admissions Policy), the assessment of students' academic achievements, and the establishment of an internal quality assurance system are essential revisions of the law. Certification and evaluation organizations are also required to evaluate the effectiveness of the internal quality assurance system based on the three policies and the learning results. As a result of the institutionalization of mechanisms to ensure the universities' quality, the work that universities must undertake in terms of quality assurance has become common. Formally, the quality assurance system appears to have been established. However, Japan is the only country that mandates the establishment of three policies. In other countries, there is less interference with university education policies. The revised law required universities to specify the capabilities that students should have and to prove that they have acquired those capabilities and that internal quality assurance is established. The legislation related to quality assurance may hinder the development of a culture of self-directed improvement at universities, which should be at the center of quality assurance. What is more problematic is that meeting legal requirements' success affects the allocation of public finances more than the working autonomous quality improvements. There is a contradiction that the more formal the quality assurance system is, the less independence and autonomy the university will have. The understanding and cooperation of university members are necessary for universities to engage in quality assurance truly. It is unlikely that quality assurance will function effectively without creating such an environment.
- Publication
University Evaluation Today / Gendai Shakai to Daigaku Hyoka, 2020, Issue 16, p42
- ISSN
2432-180X
- Publication type
Article