Success or Failure of the Thai Higher Education Development—Critical Factors in the Policy Process of Quality Assurance

Chitralada Chaiya,Mokbul Morshed Ahmad

doi:10.3390/su13179486

Abstract

Understanding the factors affecting the policy process of quality assurance is important for assessing the development of higher education. Here, we used a qualitative research approach, along with an analysis of policies and a literature review, to investigate the national policy process. The factors of quality assurance relating to improving the quality of higher education and SDGs in Thailand since the introduction and implementation of a national policy on quality assurance between 1999 and 2019 were also analyzed. Content area experts in Thailand were directly interviewed, and the obtained data were analyzed in terms of the Act. Through the analysis, we identified three main processes affecting education quality assurance between 1999 and 2019; namely, policy formulation, policy implementation, and policy evaluation. Our findings reveal that, although the policy was defined as an act during the policy formulation process, its implementation and evaluation have been limited by critical factors, such as the achievement of graduates, university ranking, and the country’s competitiveness. We conclude that prioritizing the quality assurance policy and facilitating relevant factors are essential to improving the development of higher education in Thailand.

Highlights

Feliu and Wadim StrielkowskiPrevious studies have suggested that a strong relationship between education and poverty paves the way for the development of the population, households, communities, and social orders
Using a qualitative approach and literature analysis, we considered the educational quality assurance policy at the tertiary level over two decades, based on the National Education Act of 1999, in Thailand
The bureaucratic system—the main mechanism for the policy implementation process—has caused low efficiency and redundancy, whether considering a government organization directly responsible for submitting a bill, an organization responsible for implementing a policy that uses a method for directing the line of command, or an organization responsible for evaluation

Summary

Introduction

Previous studies have suggested that a strong relationship between education and poverty paves the way for the development of the population, households, communities, and social orders. Low levels of education and poor aptitude procurement hamper economic growth, preventing poverty reduction (McNamara, P. et al, 2019) [1]. Education adds to the development of equity and reduction of destitution. Education provides individuals with knowledge and abilities, which fosters the reduction of income inequalities, allowing individuals to learn and develop aptitudes that improve their efficiency and make them less vulnerable to risks. It has been calculated that one year of education increases wage income by 10% (Montenegro, C.E. and Patrinos, H.A., 2014) [2]. On the other side, impoverished individuals are often powerless against adverse events occurring in adulthood. The quantity of extreme climate events and other natural catastrophes—

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