Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Best Practices, Challenges, and Future Directions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59175/pijed.v4i2.869Keywords:
Higher Education Quality Assurance, Internal Quality Assurance Systems, Systematic Literature ReviewAbstract
In response to increasing global demands for accountability and excellence, quality assurance (QA) in higher education has become a critical governance mechanism. Despite its widespread adoption, many QA frameworks remain compliance-oriented and struggle to deliver meaningful quality improvement. This study aims to synthesize existing research to identify best practices, challenges, and future directions for optimizing QA frameworks in higher education. This study employed a Systematic Literature Review of 46 peer-reviewed articles indexed in the Scopus database and published between 2015 and 2025. Data were systematically extracted using a structured extraction form capturing study context, QA focus, stakeholder involvement, and key findings. The methodological quality of the included studies was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). A thematic synthesis approach, based on inductive coding, was used to integrate findings across studies. The synthesis indicates that effective QA transcends accreditation compliance and is driven by alignment with institutional mission, a culture of continuous improvement, active stakeholder engagement, and strategic use of data analytics. Key barriers include faculty resistance, resource limitations, and tensions between standardization and contextual adaptability. Institutions should adopt integrated, learning-oriented QA frameworks that balance accountability with academic autonomy. This review offers a systems-based perspective on QA by integrating institutional culture, stakeholder processes, and technological systems into a unified conceptual framework.
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