Accreditation in education faculties a qualitative study on their experiences

Abstract

With the expansion in higher education around the world, it has become an important problem to perceive the quality of institutions and to ensure the transferability of the skills acquired in the global higher education sector systematically for those who will demand education. Accreditation processes in education faculties of higher education institutions are discussed. In this study, it is aimed to present the general perceptions of the faculty members about the accreditation processes, the problems they experience, the positive sides of the process and the suggestions about the process. As a research method, phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, has been adopted. Using the criteria of taking part in accreditation studies, a working group with 12 faculty members was formed, and in order to ensure diversity, faculty members working in both foundation and state universities, with and without administrative duties were interviewed. The data obtained as a result of semi-structured interviews were analyzed and interpreted using content analysis technique. As a result of the interviews, three main themes were obtained: the problems encountered during the process, the positive aspects of the process and the recommendations regarding the process. According to the themes, the highest frequency, the problem of extra paperwork and workload, positive contribution to the educational content, communication suggestion codes with experienced institutions have emerged.