External Quality Assurance System Research Articles

Analysis of immunogenetics interlaboratory comparisons' success rates. External quality assurance system of the Spanish Society for Immunology GECLID-SEI.

For many years, transplantation outcomes were uncertain and not hopeful, until histocompatibility testing spread. Common criteria for histocompatibility assays and communications' improvement allowed an efficient organ sharing system. The possibility of organ exchanges is closely linked to the importance of interlaboratory comparisons for histocompatibility and immunogenetics methods. The external proficiency testing (EPT) systems are the most powerful quality assurance tools. They help achieve harmonization of analyses, set a standard of performance, and a common interpretation. The external quality assurance program for diagnostic immunology laboratories (Garantía Externa de Calidad para Laboratorios de Inmunología Diagnóstica, GECLID) program nowadays runs 13 external quality assurance (EQA) histocompatibility and immunogenetics schemes, with the first of them from 2011 to date: serological and molecular: low- and high-resolution human leukocyte antigen (HLA), human platelet antigen (HPA), and killer inhibitory receptor (KIR) typing(HLA-B*27, HLA-B*57:01, and coeliac disease-related HLA), cell-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and flow cytometry (FC) crossmatches, anti-HLA and anti-HPA antibodies, and chimerism. A total of 85 laboratories participated in this subprogram in the last 12years reporting over 1.69M results: 1.46M for anti-HLA and anti-HPA antibodies, 203.810 molecular typing data (HLA, HPA, and KIR genes), 2.372 for chimerism analyses, and 39.352 for crossmatches. Based on the European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI) standards for EPT providers, the mean success rates ranged from 99.2% for molecular typing schemes and antibodies and 94.8% for chimerism, was 96.7% regarding crossmatches, and was 98.9% in serological typing. In 2022, 61.3% of the participating laboratories successfully passed every HLA EQA scheme, although 87.9% annual reports were satisfactory. Most penalties were due to nomenclature errors or misreporting of the risk associated to HLA and disease. This EQA confirms the reliability of HLA and immunogenetics assays in routine care. There is little heterogeneity of results of different assays used by participating laboratories, even when in-house assays are used. Reliability of test results is reasonably granted.

An evaluation of the impact of academic accreditation on the quality of higher education: lessons learnt from the academics’ perceptions

ABSTRACT Research demonstrates that attempts to improve the quality of education in higher education institutions (HEIs) through external quality assurance (EQA) systems have not always produced the expected results due to the complex nature of education and scepticism regarding the applicability of EQA systems to education. It frequently resulted in escalating tensions and distrust between academics and policymakers. The 2004 implementation of accreditation by the National Commission for Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) intended to improve the education of HEIs and ensure the application of high standards. This mixed-methods research study aims to evaluate the impact of academic accreditation in KSA after nearly two decades of implementation. We collected quantitative data from participants at ten accredited universities using two self-designed Likert-scale surveys based on the NCAAA accreditation standards and ten semi-structured interviews for the qualitative data. The results indicate significant improvements but highlight some imperfections and contradictions that make it essential to ascertain our findings cautiously. This study demonstrates the value of qualitative data to better evaluate the effectiveness of EQA instead of a single quantitative approach.

External Quality Assurance Helps Improve Infrastructure for Testing Breast Biomarkers Across a Lower- and Middle-Income Country: Our Experience With Breast Biomarker Testing in the National Cancer Grid External Quality Assurance System in India.

Biomarkers in breast cancer need strict monitoring given their role in patient management. To study the impact that regular participation in the National Cancer Grid (NCG) external quality assurance (EQA) system has on concordance rates for biomarkers in breast carcinoma. Tissue microarray (TMA) containing breast carcinomas was circulated to participating laboratories that performed immunohistochemistry for breast biomarkers. The returned TMAs were then assessed for test concordance. A total of 105 laboratories participated in the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) EQA system cycles, and 99 centers participated in the human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) EQA system. In the ER EQA in the first cycle only 1 laboratory had a 100% concordance, which improved to 59 of 77 (76.6%) and 85 of 97 (85.9%) in the fourth and fifth cycles, respectively. In the PR EQA the 100% pass rate jumped from zero to 52 of 76 (68.4%) in the fourth cycle and 86 of 97 (88.6%) in the last cycle. For HER2 EQA, the 100% pass rates were seen in 7 of 23 laboratories (30.4%) in the first cycle, 49 of 78 laboratories (62.8%) in the fourth cycle, and 48 of 94 laboratories (51.1%) in fifth cycle of EQA. Centers who participated in the NCG EQA system for a longer period often changed testing methodology, with consequent improvement in their laboratory concordance rates. An increasing trend for the use of automated platforms and of the US Food and Drug Administration-approved antibody for HER2 testing was observed. Our experience demonstrates that laboratory performances improve with participation in an EQA system even in less perfect settings, and this drives the placement of more proficient practices across the country.

Implementation of Quality Assurance Management Basic Education (PAUD) in Indonesia

Early childhood education has a strategic role in human development. Therefore, quality education is needed. This study aims to determine the implementation of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) / (PAUD) quality assurance management in Indonesia. A qualitative approach is carried out using the literature review method. The results show that implementing primary education quality control (ECCE) in Indonesia is crucial in ensuring a bright future for Indonesian children. In addition to the External Quality Assurance System, such as accreditation is also known as the Internal Quality Assurance System. Until now, SPMI has only been carried out at the Primary and Secondary Education and Higher Education levels. Until now, quality assurance has only been managed externally at the ECCE level, namely through BAN PAUD. As for the PAUD unit itself, there is no formal legal oversight of the implementation of SPMI. So we can see how the quality of ECCE in Indonesia until now is still very far from expectations.

Audit in surgical histopathology at Wadia hospitals - Study of pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phase

Objectives: This audit of surgical histopathology aims to verify conformance to required processes, assess their implementation, and define the targets of quality control with appropriate changes in the existing system by evaluating pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases of histopathology. Material and Methods: This study was an observational retrospective study done over a year, from March 15, 2022 to February 28, 2023. Small biopsies, large organ resections, and second opinion samples like paraffin blocks or slides received in the surgical histopathology department were categorized as I, II and III respectively. Samples were also segregated as per the department it was received from, namely, gastroenterology, neurology, pulmonology, nephrology, orthopedics, gynepathology, and others. Manual audit was done as a pre-analytical phase including adequacy of clinical information and grossing adequacy, analytical phase to study the turn around time (TAT) and tissue section quality, and the post-analytical phase in the form of report verification, approval and dispatch, and amendment if any, were studied. Results: During this audit period, 1752 surgical histopathology samples were received of which 80% were small biopsies (category I), 19.6% were large organ resection samples (category II) and 0.4% samples were received for second opinion (category III). General pediatrics (n = 798) and Gynepathology (n = 569) were the main departments from which the samples were received. Incomplete request forms, errors in sample fixation, wrong payment/barcode were some of the pre-analytical errors. Training of staff on one to one basis was done. In the analytical phase errors such as nicks, folds or air bubbles in the mounted sample were seen. Histotechnical staff were retrained to reduce errors. In the post analytical phase, the turnaround time was achieved as per the hospital quality process indicator, feedback from cases on second opinion was received only in 25% of samples. Conclusions: In this surgical histopathology audit of 1752 samples, quality indicators were achieved as per external quality assurance system (EQAS). Remedial actions were carried out to prevent errors.

Management of quality assurance and development of the quality culture of higher education in Indonesia

This study aims to analyze quality assurance management in the development of quality culture in higher education institutions in Indonesia. This study method is a literature review. The results of the study show that in the quality assurance policies of higher education institutions in Indonesia, there are two quality assurance systems for higher education institutions, namely, the external and internal quality assurance systems. The effectiveness of external and internal quality assurance depends on internal quality assurance management aimed at building a higher education quality culture. Higher education institutions that are managed effectively and efficiently have a high-quality culture. The quality culture of higher education in Indonesia is unique and different from other organizational cultures. This uniqueness can be seen in the quality of academic services, the productivity of scientific work and community service.

Total error in lymphocyte subpopulations by flow cytometry-based in state of the art using Spanish EQAS data.

Flow cytometry analyses of lymphocyte subpopulations (T, B, NK) are crucial for enhancing clinical algorithms and research workflows. Estimating the total error (TE) values for the percentage and absolute number of lymphocyte subpopulations using the state-of-the-art (SOTA) approach with real data from an external proficiency testing (EPT) scheme was performed. A comparison with previously published Biological Variability (BV)-based specifications was carried out. A total of 44,998 results from 86 laboratories over 10 years were analysed and divided into two five-year periods (2012-2016) and (2017-2021). Data come from the IC-1 Lymphocytes scheme of the Spanish External Quality Assurance System (EQAS) GECLID Program. This quantitative scheme includes percentages and absolute numbers of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD19+, and CD3-CD56+CD16+ NK cells. The percentage of TE was calculated as: |reported value-robust mean|*100/robust mean for each laboratory and parameter. The cut-off for TE is set at 80 % best results of the laboratories. A significant reduction in the SOTA-based TE for all lymphocyte subpopulations in 2017-2021 was observed compared to 2012-2016. The SOTA-based TE fulfils the minimum BV-based TE for percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations. The parameter with the best analytical performance calculated with SOTA (2017-2021 period)-based TE was the percentage of CD3+ (TE=3.65 %). The values of SOTA-based specifications from external quality assurance program data are consistent and can be used to develop technical specifications. The technological improvement, quality commitment, standardization, and training, reduce TE. An update of TE every five years is therefore recommended. TE assessment in lymphocyte subsets is a helpful and reliable tool to improve laboratory performance and data-based decision-making trust.

Policies and Strategies for Improving the Research and Scientific Publications Quality at State Islamic Religious Colleges in Kalimantan

The quality of research and scientific publications is an essential concern in managing higher education institutions. Therefore, this research aims to examine the policies and strategies for enhancing the quality of research and scientific publications in State Islamic Religious Colleges. This is a qualitative study that gathers data from library and field research. The findings show that each university already has regulations based on provisions from the Ministry of Higher Education, including the Internal Quality Assurance System (SPMI) and External Quality Assurance System (SPME), for managing research quality. Additionally, UIN Antasari Banjarmasin, UIN Samarinda, and IAIN Palangkaraya are improving the quality of research and scientific publications of their lecturers with policies such as allocating 30% of BOPTN funds and implementing the LITAPDIMAS system. However, the outputs and benefits of these policies have not been fully realized due to budget absorption issues that limit the development of a research and publication culture. Therefore, developing such a culture presents a significant challenge that requires a long-term commitment and the participation of all stakeholders. The culture-building process should start from upstream to downstream aspects.

Implementation of Quality Assurance and Accreditation Policy in Open Distance Learning Teacher Education Programs in Pakistan

The study aimed to explore the existing practices in the implementation of accreditation and quality assurance measures of teacher education programs running through open distance learning in Pakistan and to probe dichotomy or policy disconnects in proposed implementation of an external accreditation and quality assurance system for teacher education program through distance education institutions.

SIMANTUL: Model of Internal Quality Audit Management System in Higher Education

Many organizations carry out the quality assurance system through the Internal Quality Assurance System (SPMI) and the External Quality Assurance System (SPME). The SPMI framework uses the stages of a continuous quality assurance cycle with the PPEPP method (Application, Implementation, Evaluation, Control, and Improvement), which is carried out periodically to achieve University's Vision, Mission, Goals, and Targets. This paper discusses the implementation stages of the internal quality audit management system at Universitas Respati Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Using an information system, the university audit body, BPM, regularly and consistently carries out an Internal Quality Audit (AMI) every year to audit the implementation of academic and non-academic activities at the University. In this research, we construct an audit system, namely the E-Audit application, with the Waterfall software development method. This study can produce an efficient system called SIMANTUL, which refers to the Higher Education Accreditation assessment instrument version 3.0 and can store documents digitally.

Evaluating the Accreditation Results of Christian Colleges in Indonesia Using the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) Model

Accreditation is an external quality assurance system authorized institutions use to provide formal recognition. Christian colleges in Indonesia, which have been around for decades, should be able to have excellent accreditation. There are still very few Christian colleges that are accredited with excellence while very many Christian colleges are well-accredited. The purpose of this study is to identify the conformity of the Good Accredited Christian College (GACC) target with the results of the accreditation assessment, analyze the recommendations given by the evaluators in the results of the accreditation assessment, and produce GACC strategies in improving the quality of education to have competitiveness. Mixed-method with qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in this study. The evaluation with model Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) is used as design research. The evaluation results show that GACC can improve accreditation quality and status by considering the accreditation assessment matrix requirements as a different strategy. GACC must strive to meet the standard of excellence in each component of the accreditation instrument to be able to compete nationally and internationally.

URGENSI SISTEM PENJAMINAN MUTU INTERNAL & EKSTERNAL DALAM MENINGKATKAN MUTU PERGURUAN TINGGI

Higher education quality assurance is aimed at quality education. Universities must systematically carry out the quality assurance process through the Higher Education Quality Assurance System and refer to the National Higher Education Standards. There are two quality assurance systems in higher education, namely; internal quality assurance and external quality assurance. The internal quality assurance system is a systemic activity of quality assurance of higher education by each university autonomously to control and improve the implementation of higher education in a planned and sustainable manner. Meanwhile, the external quality assurance system is an assessment activity carried out by outside units to determine the feasibility of universities. This study aims to fully describe two main things in the quality assurance system in higher education institutions, namely; internal quality assurance and external quality assurance. In obtaining this research data, a qualitative approach to the type of library research is used, by collecting data from books, journals and articles. Data analysis is carried out using content analysis. The results of the study found that: First, internal quality assurance includes: policies and procedures for quality assurance; approval, monitoring and periodic review of programs and awards; student assessment, quality assurance of teaching staff/lecturers; learning resources and student support; information systems; public information. Second, external quality assurance, namely: the use of procedures; process development; criteria for decisions; process in accordance with the purpose; reporting; follow-up procedures; periodic review of the implementation; and system-wide analysis

Principal's Leadership Style Correlation With Improved External Quality Assurance System

Principal leadership in educational institutions has a fairly heavy responsibility, as leaders are required to have the ability in the field of management, and motivate to improve quality results. But not a few of the principals who experience obstacles in managing it and affect the quality of the school. This article attempts to identify the principal's leadership style towards the school's external quality assurance system. The method used is a systematic literature review, namely by documenting and reviewing all articles related to the principal's leadership style and external quality assurance system. Researchers searched for data using journal articles, found as many as 27 articles between 2015-2021 in Google Scholar, Research Gate, SINTA, JAMP, and Academia. The results show that the success of an educational institution is determined by the role of its leader, democratic, innovative, effective, dynamic, and transformational leadership styles can improve the school's external quality assurance system.

The battle for legitimacy of ‘student involvement’ in external quality assurance of higher education from Asian QA perspectives – does policy contextualization matter?

ABSTRACT Student involvement, through formal representation in external quality assurance (EQA) has attracted the attention of governments, higher education institutions (HEIs) and quality assurance agencies worldwide. This study aims to explore current developments and the legitimacy of student involvement in EQA agencies in the Asian context. There are several major findings. First, more than a half of responding accreditors in Asia have already engaged students in the EQA systems. Second, student roles in external review processes have not been fully recognized. Third, students as HE stakeholders are considered increasingly relevant as they contribute their valuable learning experiences to HEIs.

The Effect of School Principals' Leadership Styles on the External Quality Assurance System's Improvement

Principal leadership in an institution is accompanied by heavy duties and responsibilities. As a leader, the principal must be adept in all fields such as management, policymaking, socializing, and motivating students. The leadership style of a principal is key to the success of an institution. Thus, a systematic literature review was conducted by formulating problems; searching for literature; extracting, filtering, and analyzing the data; assessing the quality; and reporting the findings. Data were obtained from Google Scholar, Research Gate, SINTA, JAMP, and Academia. Finally, 27 articles on relevant topics published between 2015 and 2021 were selected. The results of these studies showed that the leader largely determines the failure and success of an institution in playing his role, so a democratic, innovative, effective, dynamic, and transformational leadership style can improve the external quality assurance system.
 Keywords: principal’s leadership style, external quality assurance system

Development of Electronic-Based External Quality Assurance System (E-SPME) Model for Quality Improvement Senior High School

The External Quality Assurance System (SPME) is an education quality assurance system in education units to achieve the National Education Standards (SNP). The purpose of this study was to determine the implementation of the External Quality Assurance System (SPME) in high school (SMA), to describe the development of an effective E-SPME model to improve the quality of education in high school, to analyze the results of the E-SPME which can provide an overview of the quality profile in high school. The research method used is Research and Development with samples taken through interviews (principals and teachers), questionnaires (Focus Group Discussion/FGD), and observation. The development of this E-SPME model consists of four main stages: preliminary study, product development, product effectiveness testing, and dissemination and implementation. The results of the study show that there is an increase in effectiveness and efficiency in ensuring the quality of high school education through the development of the E-SPME model, with a wider range of educational units even though the budget used is smaller. In addition, the performance-based approach provides a more complete picture of the quality of education that becomes a reference for all education stakeholders in determining the direction of education quality assurance policies from the regional to the central level. The application of electronic-based SPME is a strategic step in mapping and evaluating the quality of education, however, this effort requires collaboration between government sectors to present one-stop data through the accreditation dashboard. The map of quality assurance results in 2020 and 2021 has not shown a significant improvement. The number of schools that received A accreditation in 2020 was 205 out of 475 schools, and in 2021 267 out of 686 schools. There are criteria in accreditation that show an increase and some have decreased. The criteria that have increased are the quality of graduates and the learning process, while the criteria that have decreased are the quality of teachers and management of S/M.

External quality assurance system of higher legal education in Ukraine

The relevance of the topic is due to a significant increase in the importance of law as a social controller of public life. The basis for the development of the legal system in Ukraine is the quality of higher legal education. The aim of the study is to analyze the current state of the external quality system of higher legal education in Ukraine. The following methods of scientific knowledge were used in the article: analysis of legislative and regulatory documents in the field of education, analysis of statistical data, interpretative and analytical method, comparison of different views on the problem under study, induction, deduction, systematization. The dynamic of changes in the results of such procedures of external quality assurance of higher legal education as licensing, accreditation of educational programs, independent external assessment is analyzed. The analysis confirms the persistence of negative trends in the development of the system of higher legal education which results, in particular, in a decrease in the quality of legal training, which was stipulated by a decrease in the volume of lawyers' training on the one hand, and, on the other hand, of an unreasonably large number of the universities that train lawyers, which leads to reducing the requirements for applicants, and, consequently, the quality of legal education. Comparison of the results of these external assessment procedures allows us to state that the highest quality training of lawyers is carried out by the leading state classical universities and higher legal educational institutions. The impact of external quality assurance procedures in higher legal education should be supported by the development of an internal quality assurance system at the universities.

Development of Integrated System and Synchronization of Data Study Program with Higher Education’s External Quality Assurance System

Development of Integrated System and Synchronization of Data Study Program with Higher Education’s External Quality Assurance System

MONITORING THE QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS A PRIORITY FOR EFFECTIVE EDUCATION IN UKRAINE

The research problem. The experience of implementing monitoring in the activities of higher education institutions suggests that it is a necessary element of ensuring the quality of education in today's conditions, so this topic is extremely important and needs to be researched. The aim of the article is to analyze the monitoring of the quality of higher education as a priority task of ensuring effective education in Ukraine. Methods used during the research are the search on the available methodical and scientific literature with the analysis of the found material, systematization and concretization. The main results of the study. The article examines the concept of monitoring, its role in the educational process and the features that characterize it. Monitoring is one of the most important means of changing the information space, as it increases the efficiency, objectivity and accessibility of information. Therefore, the purpose of monitoring is to promptly identify all changes taking place in the field of education. The concept and essence of the quality of education are analyzed, its main components are indicated. The functions of educational monitoring at the university level are listed. The regularities, on the basis of which the quality management of the educational process in the higher educational institution is managed, are indicated. The tasks of internal control of state institutions of higher education are also outlined and the role of internal control in the system of management of higher educational institution is analyzed. Analyzing the place of internal control in the management system of the higher educational institution of the public sector, it can be noted that it is responsible for conservation of material resources and efficiency of their use; adequacy and effectiveness of management decisions; compliance with current legislation, prevention and detection of violations; sufficiency, accuracy and relevance of information created and transmitted for management decisions; and preservation of confidential information. The tasks of the State Service for Education Quality are listed. The directions of improving the quality of education in Ukraine are studied. In order to improve the quality of higher education in Ukraine, the following areas are outlined: strengthening the links of educational institutions with industry and business; improving the tender ratio and security; use of the latest technologies and innovations; defining conditions for exchanges of students and teachers within the EU, etc. The quality of higher education depends on a clear, balanced state management of the education sector and effective management of the higher education institution, its clear and coordinated work in accordance with state standards and requirements for the content of educational services. The scientific novelty of the research results lies in the possibility of outlining new ways to assess the quality of higher education. Conclusions and suggestions. In order to improve the work on increasing the quality of education, the following measures should be taken: to develop recommendations for the implementation of national standards and recommendations for ensuring the quality of higher education in the European area; to increase the international level of Ukraine's participation in the external quality assurance system of education; to increase the level of student participation in the national quality assurance system; to introduce criteria for determining the ongoing monitoring of the quality of higher education, taking into account world, European and national experience, etc.

Analisis Kualitas Internal dan Eksternal Pendidkan Islam

The quality of education is a concern of various circles, both the education community and the community. Each educational institution has its own advantages so that it can provide the best satisfaction for students, parents and the community. Internal quality includes students, parents, teachers and administrative staff who are in the education system. The external quality of education includes the industrial community, institutions or agencies that are outside the organization. The quality assurance system for primary and secondary education consists of two components, namely the internal quality assurance system (SPMI) and the external quality assurance system (SPME). School Self-Evaluation (EDS) is an internal self-evaluation process based on the National Education Standards (SNP) used. As the basis for the preparation of the RKS. The external quality assurance cycle can be divided into three groups according to the focus of tasks and authorities according to the quality improvement, quality development and accreditation facilities.