focus on the classroom how to improve teaching quality€¦ · focus on the classroom how to...

Focus On The Classroom How to Improve Teaching Quality RICHARD M. FELDER, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY REBECCA BRENT, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY When higher education adopted total quality management in the 1980s, changes were made primarily in business and service departments. Some curricula were revised, and afew instructors made changes in what they did in their classrooms, but most continued to teach the way they had always taught. This research is specifically concerned with the applicability of TQM toteaching, as opposed to academic or research program structure and administration. 7he authors first consider how an instructor can improve the quality of ins/ruction in an individual course, and then they explore the more difficult question of how an academic organization (a university, college, or academic depart ment) can improve the quality of its instructional program, in both cases, the potential contribution ofqualify management principles to teaching improvement programs is examined, in light of the cultural differences between industry and the university. Key words: quality of instruction improvement, quality of instructional program improvement, teaching improvement. TQM in education ©1999.ASQ INTRODUCTION An announcement goes out to the faculty that from now on the university will operate asa total quality manage ment (TQM) campus. All academic, business, and service functions will be assessed regularly, and quality teams will plan ways to improve them. Acampus quality director and a steering team are named, with thedirector reporting to the provost. All university departments appoint quality coordinators, who attend a one-day workshop on quality management principles and return to their departments to facilitate faculty and/or staff meetings at which quality improvement isdiscussed. Many faculty members are irate. They argue that TQM was developed by and for industry7 to improve profits, that industry and the university are totally different, and that talking of students as "customers" is offensive and makes no sense. Faculty make it clear that they will have nothing todo with this scheme and will view any attempt to compel them to participate as a violation of their academic freedom. What happens then is...practically nothing. Some changes are made in business and service departments, some curricula are revised, and a few instructors make changes in what they do in their classrooms but most go on teaching the way they have always taught. After two or three years thesteering committee writes its final report declaring the program an unqualified success and disbands, and life goes on. Higher education discovered total quality manage ment in the 1980s, and quickly became enamored of it. Books like TQM for Professors and Students (Bateman and Roberts 1992) and Total Quality Management in Higher Education (Sherr and Teeter 199U declared that TQM could serve asa paradigm for improving even- aspect of collegiate functioning from R. M. FELDER, R. BRENT/© 1999, ASQ 9

Upload: dohanh

Post on 13-Sep-2018

216 views

Category:

Documents

0 download

Report

Download

Embed Size (px):

TRANSCRIPT

Focus On The Classroom

How to ImproveTeaching Quality

RICHARD M. FELDER, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITYREBECCA BRENT, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

When higher education adopted total quality managementin the 1980s, changes were made primarily in businessandservice departments. Some curricula were revised, andafew instructors made changes in what they did in theirclassrooms, but most continued to teach the way they hadalways taught. This research is specifically concerned withthe applicability ofTQM toteaching, asopposed to academicor research program structure and administration. 7heauthors first consider how an instructor can improve thequality of ins/ruction in an individual course, and thenthey explore the more difficult question ofhow an academicorganization (a university, college, or academic department) can improve the quality of its instructionalprogram, in both cases, thepotential contribution ofqualifymanagement principles to teaching improvementprograms is examined, in light of the cultural differencesbetween industry and the university.

Key words: quality of instruction improvement, qualityof instructional program improvement, teachingimprovement. TQM in education

INTRODUCTIONAn announcement goes out to the faculty that from nowon the university will operate asa total quality management (TQM) campus. All academic, business, andservice functions will be assessed regularly, and qualityteams will plan ways to improve them. Acampus quality

director and a steering team arenamed, with thedirectorreporting to the provost. All university departmentsappoint quality coordinators, who attend a one-dayworkshop on quality management principles and returnto their departments to facilitate faculty and/or staffmeetings atwhich quality improvement isdiscussed.

Many faculty members are irate. They argue thatTQM was developed by and for industry7 to improveprofits, that industry and the university are totallydifferent, and that talking ofstudents as "customers" isoffensive and makes no sense. Faculty make it clearthat they will have nothing todowith this scheme and

will view any attempt to compel them to participate asa violation of their academic freedom.

What happens then is...practically nothing. Somechanges are made in business and service departments,somecurricula are revised, and a few instructors make

changes in what they do in theirclassrooms but mostgoon teaching theway they have always taught. Aftertwo or three years thesteering committee writes itsfinalreport declaring the program an unqualified successand disbands, and life goes on.

Higher education discovered total quality management in the 1980s, andquickly became enamored of it.Books like TQM for Professors and Students(Bateman and Roberts 1992) and Total QualityManagement in Higher Education (Sherr and Teeter

199U declared thatTQM could serve asa paradigm forimproving even- aspect ofcollegiate functioning from