The integration of lecturer collaboration within higher education institutions’ quality culture framework
Quality Assurance in Education
ISSN: 0968-4883
Article publication date: 14 May 2024
Issue publication date: 27 June 2024
Abstract
Purpose
There is a lack of clarity about how lecturer collaboration in light of learning and (professional) development fits within the framework of a quality culture in higher education institutions (HEIs). More specifically, it is unclear how collaboration is present or stimulated in the organisational context, triggering working mechanisms leading to quality-related outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to relate HEIs' quality culture to lecturer collaboration.
Design/methodology/approach
This exploratory study relates institutions’ quality culture to lecturer collaboration via semi-structured interviews and document analysis at the institutional level in four Flemish HEIs.
Findings
The results demonstrate collaboration as a working mechanism driven by the institutional strategy. In this way, lecturers’ professional development (PD) is stimulated. The results also indicate that collaboration is present within lecturers’ PD: working together during or sharing experiences after PD initiatives is considered useful for quality teaching and learning.
Originality/value
Following the growing attention in research and practice to lecturer collaboration, this study incorporates lecturer collaboration in the framework of quality culture within HEIs.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: This work was supported by a grant of the Ghent University Special Research Fund.
Citation
Droissart, J. and Tuytens, M. (2024), "The integration of lecturer collaboration within higher education institutions’ quality culture framework", Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 356-370. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-09-2023-0157
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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