Abstract
In this chapter, a systems model is presented, which can be used as a basic template when defining and quantifying the quality of education. In this model, education is viewed as a ‘production process’ whereby input is transformed into output. Various interpretations of ‘quality’ can be defined further to the relative importance of certain components within the input-process-output-context model and the specific relationships between those components. As such productivity, effectiveness, efficiency, equity and adaptability or responsiveness are discussed. Alternative perspectives on educational quality are discussed by discovering the perspectives of different authors and stakeholders and by referring to different schools of thought (e.g. a humanist versus a behaviourist orientation). An important premise that results from these analyses is that facets of educational quality are amenable to empirical verification and analysis. Educational outcomes are predominant in most perspectives on quality in education.
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Notes
- 1.
The German Pisa results were characterised by relatively low average achievement levels; a large variation between students and between schools and a relatively strong impact of SES-related background characteristics on achievement. The categorical organisation of the German school system was seen as one of the causes of this state of affairs.
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© 2011 Jaap Scheerens
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Scheerens, J., Luyten, H., van Ravens, J. (2011). Perspectives on Educational Quality. In: Scheerens, J., Luyten, H., van Ravens, J. (eds) Perspectives on Educational Quality. SpringerBriefs in Education, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0926-3_1
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