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Exploring Higher Education Policy Reforms in Different Contexts: a Comparative Study of Australia, Canada and Egypt

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Exploring Higher Education Policy Reforms in Different Contexts: a Comparative Study of Australia, Canada and Egypt American University in Cairo AUC Knowledge Fountain Theses and Dissertations 2-1-2019 Exploring higher education policy reforms in different contexts: A comparative study of Australia, Canada and Egypt. Eman Mahmoud Abdel-Tawab Follow this and additional works at: https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds Recommended Citation APA Citation Abdel-Tawab, E. (2019).Exploring higher education policy reforms in different contexts: A comparative study of Australia, Canada and Egypt. [Master’s thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/517 MLA Citation Abdel-Tawab, Eman Mahmoud. Exploring higher education policy reforms in different contexts: A comparative study of Australia, Canada and Egypt.. 2019. American University in Cairo, Master's thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/517 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by AUC Knowledge Fountain. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AUC Knowledge Fountain. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Running head: EXPLORING HIGHER EDUCATION REFORMS IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS. Exploring Higher Education Policy Reforms in Different Contexts: A Comparative Study of Australia, Canada and Egypt By Eman Mahmoud Abdel-Tawab A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate School of Education (GSE) The American University in Cairo (AUC) In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Educational Leadership Under the Supervision of Dr. Nagwa Megahed Summer 2018 EXPLORING HIGHER EDUCATION REFORMS IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS. Acknowledgements First and foremost, I thank God for giving me the ability and perseverance to continue this output. Furthermore, I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks to many people in this acknowledgment. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Nagwa Megahed, for always being there for me since my first semester at the MA program. Her personality as a real human, her tremendous support throughout the MA courses and thesis, and her wide knowledge has always inspired me. I have been blessed to have her as a reliable advisor during my MA journey. Many thanks for having helped me to develop my ideas, and for her patience and efforts in revising this study. Her valuable advice enlightened the universal. My sincere gratitude also goes to Dr. Russanne Hozayin for sharing in my MA thesis committee. Her scholarly advice and valuable feedbacks have always been a great support for my MA thesis. Her valuable comments, suggestions, and her great encouragement and support are highly appreciated. Let me seize this opportunity to thank Dr. Heba El-Deghaidy for being on my MA thesis committee. Her sincere guidance, and support during the MA journey, motivated me to progress my scholastic career with her effective and efficient styles. I would also like to thank all GSE community (especially Ms. Dena Riad) for their advice, guidance and positive attitudes towards the GSE leaners and I would like to express deepest gratitude to my professors at GSE who have guided, challenged, inspired and extended my thinking and beliefs. Thanks a million from my deep heart with full appreciation to my mother’s unlimited reinforcement and my beloved family motivation that encouraged me always to move on to better things and for their prayers through stressful times and difficult situations, they are the pearls of my heart. Lastly, I would like to highlight my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of you. 2 EXPLORING HIGHER EDUCATION REFORMS IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS. Abstract This study is concerned with exploring higher education policy and reforms enacted by three diverse countries, Australia, Canada, and Egypt, to improve the quality of education and its relevancy to job market needs. The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of similarities and differences in context and motivations for reform and the subsequent results across the three countries and thus identify the lessons learned. This, in turn, will provide an answer to the prominent question of how can Egypt benefit from the higher education reform journeys undertaken by Australia and Canada. The study employs a “simultaneous comparative analysis,” following Bereday’s four–step method: description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and simultaneous comparison. It takes into account the socio-economic context, historical background, and cultural context of each of the three countries. Next, it explores the main higher education reform initiatives, challenges and results in each country. The main findings explored in this study reveal the urgent need for quality audit procedure to assess each institution’s effectiveness in achieving its goals. It also advocates for assuring and improving the quality of higher education through building self-regulating system. The findings also learn from the Australian experience in providing vocational and technical education, which focused on providing skills for the job market. The study concludes that a quality assurance system is more powerful than accreditation system, as it focuses on student learning outcomes. There is much to learn from policy and practice in Australia to maintain and assure quality. The study recommends conducting consultation with representatives of all stakeholders prior to the development of a new program in reference to the Canadian experiences. Moreover, the role of policy and decision makers must strengthen quality assurance system in the institution internally and from an authoritative agency externally. The study recommends that Egypt prioritizes the completion of accreditation of its all higher education institutions and revisit its admission policy to HE. 3 EXPLORING HIGHER EDUCATION REFORMS IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS. Table of Contents Page Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 3 Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... 4 List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................. 11 List of Tables .............................................................................................................. 12 List of Figures ............................................................................................................. 13 Chapter One: Introduction ..................................................................................... 14 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 14 1.2 Comparative Country Cases ........................................................................... 14 Comparing Australia and Canada ................................................................... 17 Why Australia? ............................................................................................... 18 Why Canada? .................................................................................................. 19 Why Egypt? .................................................................................................... 20 1.3 Study Purpose and Questions.......................................................................... 22 Chapter Two: Literature Review ........................................................................... 23 2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 23 2.2 Related Theories ............................................................................................. 24 2.2.1 How Globalization & Neoliberalism Relates? ........................................ 24 2.2.2 Neoliberalism’s Impact on HE Institutions and Students ....................... 26 Universities and Institutions ....................................................................... 26 Students ...................................................................................................... 27 2.2.3 Neoliberal Job Market and the Skills of HE Graduates .......................... 27 Driving Innovation and Excellence ............................................................ 27 2.3 Main Concepts ................................................................................................ 28 4 EXPLORING HIGHER EDUCATION REFORMS IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS. 2.3.1 Quality in Higher Education .................................................................... 28 2.3.2 Internal Quality Assurance ...................................................................... 29 2.3.3 Accreditation ........................................................................................... 31 2.3.4 Governance Approaches .......................................................................... 33 2.3.5 Funding Systems ..................................................................................... 35 2.3.6 Privatization ............................................................................................. 36 2.3.7 University Programs and Practices .......................................................... 37 2.3.8 Job Market and Skills of Higher Education Graduates ........................... 39 2.3.9 Higher Education Institutions
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