Quality assurance work
The Faculty of Educational Sciences’ quality assurance work is conducted within the framework of the University of Gothenburg’s overall quality assurance system and aims to ensure and enhance the quality of the Faculty’s activities. The quality assurance process comprises several bodies, procedures, documents, and activities that create the conditions for developing the quality of education at the University of Gothenburg. The Faculty’s continuous quality assurance work consists of three main parts: strategic planning, outcome monitoring, and follow-up through analysis and evaluation.
Faculty Board
The Faculty Board of Educational Sciences (UFS) is responsible for strategic planning, overall management, and quality assurance of education, research, and collaboration. UFS makes decisions concerning the development, follow-up, and quality assurance of the Faculty’s core activities.
Continuous follow-up and development work
Continuous follow-up and development work are carried out at both Faculty and departmental levels, ensuring that education complies with the Higher Education Act, the Higher Education Ordinance, local regulations, and the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).
All courses are followed up by offering students the opportunity to complete an anonymous course evaluation. Students’ and teachers’ feedback, along with proposed actions for improvement, are summarised in a course report. This report is made available to both current and subsequent student cohorts. The latter group is informed about the previous course evaluation and any course developments implemented as a result.
The Faculty’s educational programmes are monitored through regular programme reports. For each teacher education programme, an annual programme report is compiled, while programmes leading to general degrees are reviewed every other year. The programme reports are followed up within the Faculty’s preparatory bodies.
For third-cycle (doctoral) education, locally developed tools for follow-up and quality assurance are used. The tool consists of two parts: a Subject Report and a Course Report. The Subject Report is based on the University of Gothenburg’s common framework for reviewing and developing doctoral education and serves as the basis for continuous improvement efforts. As three of the Faculty’s six doctoral subjects are established across multiple departments, these reports are coordinated by the participating departments. The Course Report provides an overview of the quality of doctoral-level courses offered within the Faculty’s departments. It is based on course evaluations conducted after each completed doctoral course, carried out via a digital platform using a standardised template established by the Faculty Board of Educational Sciences.
Educational evaluation with external assessment
Evaluations are conducted by an external assessment group consisting of academically, artistically, and pedagogically qualified experts, including at least one external member from outside the University and one student or doctoral student representative. The group’s main task is to review the academic and pedagogical quality of the education, as well as its relevance to students/doctoral candidates and to society. The assessment involves examining submitted documentation and conducting physical or virtual interviews with representatives of the programme and its students/doctoral candidates. The documentation outlines how the education ensures and develops quality in relation to student learning and educational outcomes. A review statement is written based on the aforementioned criteria, including recommendations for improvement to further strengthen educational quality.
Action plan
After the department has reviewed the assessment report, a proposed action plan is prepared and approved by the Faculty Board. The Faculty Board monitors ongoing quality assurance efforts by following up on the action plans annually until all measures and activities have been completed. At the University level, external evaluations are followed up annually by the Vice-Chancellor in dialogue with the Faculty, alongside a review of measures implemented following previous evaluations.
Student and doctoral student participation
The participation of students and doctoral students is of great importance and is primarily ensured through their representation in preparatory and decision-making bodies, as well as through their participation in assessment groups.