The Behavioural Aspects of Quality Assurance: Lessons from Internal Auditing

Abstract

The behavioural aspects of educational quality assurance receive almost no recognition or comment. The process is represented solely by the written reports, which are the end product. Nevertheless, anecdotally it is known that such exercises make an impact both in their anticipation and in their implementation. The thinking behind them, the way they are structured, and the form of the organizations which underpin them, are the product of a political philosophy, as well as of consultation with various interested parties. Much is at risk if an institution is judged unsatisfactory, and so the final wrap‐up meeting has the potential to be fraught. There are parallels in all this with the internal audit process, and there is the advantage that detailed studies have been conducted of the behavioural aspects of this activity. Draws out the repercussions of this on educational quality assurance.

Citation

Vinten, G. (1994), "The Behavioural Aspects of Quality Assurance: Lessons from Internal Auditing", Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 4-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684889410054527