An Extensive Literature Review on the Predominant Conceptualizations of Quality in Higher Education and Its Main Components

Abstract

Given the multidimensional nature of the notion of quality and its growing relevance in higher education, it is necessary to lay the foundations for conceptualizing it in terms of its context of application, in order to provide support and consistency to the design of specific policies. This paper presents the main methodological guidelines and findings of an exhaustive literature review focused on identifying the conceptions of quality in higher education in papers published in high-impact journals between 2016-2020. Following the axial guidelines of the PRISMA-P method, 186 articles were selected out of 53,290 identified as part of the initial universe. Using open deductive coding, prevailing conceptions of quality of higher education and its valued components were identified. A crucial question arose as a consequence of the analysis of those articles: who is responsible for determining the quality of a product or service in higher education? The answer to this question gave rise to the emergence of an alternative theoretical and conceptual positioning to those that predominate in the specialized literature.