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Course with employment: "The profession of a Methodologist from scratch to PRO"
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Director of the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CiPES) and Professor of Economics at the University of Porto, Portugal, he conducts research in higher education and its policies. His work includes the analysis of the economic aspects of education, which allows improving the quality and accessibility of higher education in Portugal and abroad. The goal of the research is to develop effective strategies and recommendations for educational institutions, thereby contributing to their sustainable development and innovation in the field of teaching.
Pedro presented a paper titled "The Elusive but Relevant Search for Quality in Higher Education – Field Reflections" at the XII International Russian Conference of Higher Education Researchers. During his presentation, he touched on important aspects related to assessing the quality of education. At the end of his presentation, one of the participants asked to what extent university rankings actually contribute to improving the quality of education. The speaker noted that universities can manipulate certain parameters to improve their positions in rankings. For example, some rankings focus on the number of professors and teachers with academic degrees, while the actual effectiveness of their teaching may remain unnoticed. This situation highlights the need for a critical analysis of existing rankings and their impact on the educational process.
We present the main points of Pedro Nuno Teixeira's answer to this question. The full video of his presentation is available on YouTube.
Teixeira noted that people's interest in rankings and ranks is explained by their natural inclination to compare. This phenomenon isn't limited to universities, but it's important to note that rankings don't always reflect the real state of affairs. The expert emphasized that the impact of rankings on the quality of education is significantly limited. In some cases, they can even be detrimental, creating a distorted perception of the institutions' true achievements. According to Teixeira, any ranking can only reflect a limited aspect of a university's activities and mission. Rankings often fail to take into account the unique characteristics of educational institutions, such as the quality of teaching, innovative research, and contribution to society. This underscores the importance of a holistic approach to university assessment, taking into account not only quantitative but also qualitative indicators. Only in this way can one gain a full understanding of a university's true contribution to education and societal development.
Rankings rely on existing metrics and indicators, which are not always the most accurate or reliable. Consequently, the information presented in such rankings may be academically imperfect. Making decisions based on such data can lead to ineffective results. It is important to recognize that many rankings can be misleading, and it is necessary to approach them with critical thinking.
Teixeira emphasized that, in addition to bias, university rankings have another serious drawback: they promote the standardization of educational institutions. He noted that universities have different missions and profiles, and although some organizations try to accommodate these differences, ultimately there is strong pressure for unification. This leads to all educational institutions trying to meet a single standard and measurement, which does not always reflect their unique characteristics and goals.
Professor Teixeira notes that in an effort to improve their performance, universities often focus on increasing the number of research and scientific publications. However, the expert expresses doubts that this approach improves the quality of these studies. It is important to consider that quantity does not always equate to quality, and universities should seek a balance between the quantity and significance of scientific results.
In conclusion, Teixeira highlighted the methodological shortcomings of the ranking approach. He pointed out the ineffectiveness of the criteria used, which may not fully reflect the real state of affairs. Problems with the transparency and reproducibility of results were also noted, which could mislead users and researchers. These shortcomings highlight the need to revise existing evaluation methods to ensure more accurate and reliable data.
The social and economic value of higher education institutions is not necessarily enhanced by their rankings. Rankings can distract attention from the more important goals of education. From a methodological perspective, such rankings are not always reliable. Changing the evaluation criteria will lead to different results, which indicates that the ratings formation mechanism is not optimal for systematizing and organizing information about universities.
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