Quality management, performance measurement and indicators in higher education institutions: between burden, inspiration and innovation

ABSTRACT

Performance indicators are increasingly used to measure the performance and quality of higher education. The purpose of this article is to discuss their role for reflecting on the challenges faced by high-participation higher education systems, regarding quality of student outcomes, equity of access, societal relevance and financial sustainability. Based on a review of existing international comparable metrics, policy and scholarly literature on higher education performance, the article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of current performance indicators and the perennial tension between the burden of accountability and the inspiration and innovation that may result from the developmental use of performance indicators for improvement. It concludes by summarising some observable results of performance and quality management and reflecting on some possible future trajectories.

KEYWORDS:

• Performance
• indicators
• quality
• challenges
• high-participation
• higher education

Acknowledgment

The author would like to thank the European Commission (EC) and the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) for supporting this work under Erasmus+ project SQELT Grant 2017-1-DE01-KA203-003527 and FCT Grant UIDB/00757/2020. However, the funders’ support for producing this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the author and neither funder can be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).