MASTER THESIS INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE IN VIETNAM'S HIGHER EDUCATION: THE INFLUENCE BY INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS by: TRAM NGUYEN A MASTER THESIS FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF MASTER OF SICENCE IN EDUCATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, TRACK OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT, EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT. <CHAIR> EXAMINATION COMMITTEE Drs. MARIA HENDRIKS (Department of Educational Organization and Management, University of Twente) Dr. DON WESTERHEIJDEN (Center for Higher Education Policy Studies) DOCUMENT NUMBER - AUGUST 2012, Content Acknowledgement .................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter one .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 1. Introduction: ............................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.1.1 The concept of quality in higher education ................................................................................................ 6 1.1.2 Quality assurance system in higher education ........................................................................................... 7 1.2 Background of the study: .................................................................................................................................... 7 1.3 Research problem and its context: ..................................................................................................................... 9 1.3.1 Brief background of Vietnam’s higher education system: ......................................................................... 9 1.3.2 Quality assurance in Vietnam’s higher education .................................................................................... 10 1.3.3 International projects and Quality Assurance in Vietnam: ....................................................................... 11 1.4 Research questions: .......................................................................................................................................... 12 1.5 Purpose of the study: ........................................................................................................................................ 12 1.6 Significance of the study ................................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 2. Conceptual framework of the study: ........................................................................................................................ 14 2.1 Internal quality assurance: ................................................................................................................................ 14 2.1.1 Definition of internal quality assurance (IQA): ......................................................................................... 14 2.1.2 The relationship of internal quality assurance with external quality assurance and accreditation in quality assurance system: ......................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Implementation of internal quality assurance: ................................................................................................. 15 2.2.1 Internal quality assurance process: .......................................................................................................... 15 2.2.2 Quality assurance center: Structure and function .................................................................................... 20 2.3 Factors that influence the IQA implementation: .............................................................................................. 22 2.3.1 Organizational structure: .......................................................................................................................... 22 2.3.2 Organizational capacity: ............................................................................................................................ 23 2.3.3 Contextual factors: .................................................................................................................................... 25 2.4 Description of the model: ................................................................................................................................. 27 2.5 Definition of variable: ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 31 3. Research design and method .................................................................................................................................... 31 3.1 Research design ................................................................................................................................................ 31 3.2 Approach of the study ....................................................................................................................................... 31 3.3 Case selection ................................................................................................................................................... 31 2 3.4 Participant selection: ........................................................................................................................................ 33 3.5 Data collection .................................................................................................................................................. 36 3.5.1 Interview ................................................................................................................................................... 36 3.5.2 Documentation: ........................................................................................................................................ 36 3.6 Data analysis: .................................................................................................................................................... 37 3.7 Issue of validity: ................................................................................................................................................ 41 4. Analysis and results ................................................................................................................................................... 42 4.1 Within case analysis: ......................................................................................................................................... 42 4.1.1 Case 1: Vinh University (VU) ..................................................................................................................... 42 4.1.2 Case 2: Can Tho University (CTU) .............................................................................................................. 46 4.1.3 Case 3: Duy Tan University ........................................................................................................................ 50 4.1.4 Case 4: Hoa Sen Private University (HSU) ................................................................................................. 53 4.1.5 Case 5: Binh Duong Economics and Technology University (BDE&TU) .................................................... 56 4.1.6 Case 6: University of Economics: UEH ...................................................................................................... 58 4.1.7 Case 7: University of Social Science and Humanities (USSH) ................................................................... 61 4.1.8 Case 8: Hue University’s College of Education .......................................................................................... 63 4.1.9 Case 9: Thai Nguyen University (TNU): ..................................................................................................... 65 4.1.10 Case 10: Da Nang University (DNU): ......................................................................................................... 67 4.2 Cross case analysis: ........................................................................................................................................... 70 4.2.1 The Quality Assurance Center (QAC): Structure and functions ................................................................ 70 4.1.1.1. Observation: .......................................................................................................................................... 73 4.2.2 QA Process: ............................................................................................................................................... 73 4.2.2.1 Observation: .............................................................................................................................................. 75 4.2.3 Influential factors: ....................................................................................................................................