The integration of lecturer collaboration within higher education institutions’ quality culture framework

Abstract

Purpose There is a lack of clarity about how lecturer collaboration in light of learning and (professional) development fits within the framework of a quality culture in higher education institutions (HEIs). More specifically, it is unclear how collaboration is present or stimulated in the organisational context, triggering working mechanisms leading to quality-related outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to relate HEIs' quality culture to lecturer collaboration. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study relates institutions’ quality culture to lecturer collaboration via semi-structured interviews and document analysis at the institutional level in four Flemish HEIs. Findings The results demonstrate collaboration as a working mechanism driven by the institutional strategy. In this way, lecturers’ professional development (PD) is stimulated. The results also indicate that collaboration is present within lecturers’ PD: working together during or sharing experiences after PD initiatives is considered useful for quality teaching and learning. Originality/value Following the growing attention in research and practice to lecturer collaboration, this study incorporates lecturer collaboration in the framework of quality culture within HEIs.