Research On Universal Higher Education And The Quality Standards

This dissertation includes two main issues, which are universal higher education and the quality standards. The term, universal higher education, stemmed from the three-stage theory in higher education development put forward by Martin Trow. And there has been broad base in the study of quality standards.Based on Trow's theory, this dissertation analyses features in universal higher education from aspects of external and internal circumstances. Changes in the external circumstance take place in economy, population, knowledge and culture. Moreover, the objective, system, function, institutional management, curriculum, teaching and learning, especially learners in higher education all changed too.This dissertation analyses the quality standards in three essentials, which are the conception of quality, word-power and evaluation of higher education. First of all, the conception of quality in higher education reflects people's general opinions about higher education quality. It determines the value orientations of quality standards. Secondly, the word-power on quality in higher education means people's control and influence on higher education. It ensures quality standards from conception to practice. Evaluation activities in higher education provides environment for practising quality standards.When discussing the quality standards in universal higher education, the change of word-power on quality in higher education is the most important. The word-power was in the hands of the state, academics and the market before. But now it is in the charge of the state, academics, employers and learners. According to different value orientations, the dissertation divides the quality standards of higher education into four kinds, which are resources, knowledge, customers and self-worth. The dissertation explains these quality standards with appropriate criteria.