Evidence-based policy and higher education quality assurance: progress, pitfalls and promise

Routledge eBooks, pp. 38–53

Abstract

Evidence-based policy has become a norm in the current policy-making rhetoric, affecting also higher education quality assurance. This article agrees with critics that rigorous ex-post impact studies are highly challenging in the field of quality assurance. Nevertheless, there are alternative ways how evidence can effectively guide quality assurance policies and how evidence-based mentality can be encouraged by government policies. A more realistic view on how evidence informs policies (indirectly and via stakeholders’ arguments) and how professionals incorporate evidence in their work (selectively and next to other information sources) broadens the scope for useful evidence for higher education quality assurance.

Authors 1

1. Maarja Beerkens corresponding Aachen Institute of Public Administration

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Public Administration , Leiden University , Den Haag , Netherlands

   Institute of Public Administration , Leiden University , Wijnhaven Building , Turfmarkt 99 , Den Haag 2511 , Netherlands

   Institute of Public Administration, Leiden University, Den Haag, Netherlands

   Institute of Public Administration, Leiden University, Wijnhaven Building, Turfmarkt 99, Den Haag 2511, Netherlands