Quality Assurance Mechanism in Higher Education Institutions - A Thematic Analysis of Experts’ Perspectives

Abstract

In this paper the researchers present the thematic analysis on how Quality Assurance Mechanism affects performance in public and private sector universities of Karachi. The objective of this study is to articulate Quality Assurance Program of Higher Education Commission in administrative bodies, appropriate academic and professional communities in tertiary education institutions. In this large scale study, researchers interviewed a diverse range of experts, the sample was collected from different public and private sector universities by listening and documenting the views of experts including faculty members and administrative members. Twelve themes emerged from the collected data that include: the concept of quality, quality assurance mechanism in institutions of higher education, ranking lacking face value, inadequate funding, inappropriate infrastructure, the impact of globalization on higher education, lack of quality student intake, and inadequate research facilities. This paper concludes with a brief discussion on the impact of Quality Assurance Mechanism in the higher education institutions in Karachi.