MARKETING IN MODERN EDUCATION THROUGH TEACHER TRAINING BY APPROACH TO TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM)

      Bài đăng trong Kỉ yếu Hội thảo "Giáo dục và Quản lí giáo dục trong thời đại 4.0", NXB Thông tin Truyền thông, 2022, trang 188 - 196                                  

My Bui Nguyen Tu ¹ , Tu Bui Duc ²

¹ UEH- International School of Business

² Saigon University

Email: bdtu@sgu.edu.vn

SUMMARY

Marketing is a set of activities and processes to create, communicate, distribute, and exchange valuable services to customers, partners, and society in general.

TQM is a three-dimensional management model including Design, Process and Output. Theoretical framework for applying TQM to education includes 5 significant factors: (1) Mission, (2) Customers, (3) Process approach, (4) Focus on human resources and (5) Leadership’s commitment. This theory has been applied to various management fields, however, people have not focused on teacher training management.

The article refers to marketing in modern education through TQM in teacher training in general and high school teacher training in particular.

Key words: Marketing, training, general quality, TQM

1. PREAMBLE

1.1 Urgency

A code of standards to assess the quality of training programs has been issued with Circular no. 04/2016/TT-BGDDT and a code of standards to assess the quality of higher education institutions has been issued with Circular no. 12/2017/TT-BGDDT by The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam. Such codes of quality assessment standards have been translated into Vietnamese from AUN-QA 3.0 training program quality assessment standards and AUN-QA 2.0 higher education institution assessment standards. AUN’s quality assessment standards are developed by TQM approach and are assessed by Deming circle (PDCA) in school activities.

TQM is a new approach in educational management. From the results of quality management in various areas including production, industry, health care, and services, for the past years, researchers have studied and applied TQM to education more and more. TQM is a three-dimensional management model including Design, Process, and Output. Theoretical framework for applying TQM to education includes 5 significant factors: (1) Mission, (2) Customers, (3) Process approach, (4) Focus on human resources and (5) Leadership’s commitment (Lawrence A Sherr & Lozier, 1991).

“Managing Quality in Schools” is a general research of TQM in education. This document indicates systematically concepts of quality and education customers, of culture, leadership and emphasizes the human role in TQM. From the reality of applying TQM to schools, the author gives out a general model, defined as the model of components of total quality (Burnham, 1997).

“Total Quality Management in Education” refers to TQM issues in the broad context of British higher education. Opinions of different researchers and managers from various British universities have been summarized into TQM elements in a diagram, defined as “Quality Circle” (Sallis, 2002).

Marmar Mukhopadhyay has developed issues including quality of higher education, application of principles, philosophies, customers, assessment by school, human resource development, leadership, TQM practice at universities in specific cultural contexts, feasible strategic plan for the application of TQM to higher education (Mukhopadhyay, 2006).

“Modern approach to educational management” generally introduces TQM as a management approach and provides an educational management model by TQM approach. The application of TQM to educational management shows the basic direction: (1) Always focus on customers; (2) Manage by process; (3) Continuously improve; (4) Do it well initially; (5) Apply reasonable management cycle; (6) Mobilize human resources; (7) Changing school culture (Tran Kiem, 2007).

“Higher education quality management” focuses on the research of higher education quality and assurance, indicators, standards, assessment forms, quality assurance and TQM in higher education, theoretical contents applied to higher education in general and universities in particular (Pham Thanh Nghi, 2000).

The education system includes various elements with different roles: students, study environment, curriculum, school, management, educational policy, learning materials. New economic conditions with global competition and educational reform do affect education policies all over the world, which leads to new trends in curriculum, assessment, and training. The quality of graduates depends on that of the school system and education.

Total Quality Management (TQM) focuses on five areas: (1) Mission and customer focus; (2) Systematic approach to activities; (3) Strong development of human resources; (4) Long-term ideology and (5) Dedicated service (Lewis & Smith, 1994; Lawrence A. Sherr & Gregory Lozier, 1991). TQM requires the participation of all departments and employees of a certain organization (Sallis, 2002). TQM is proposed to be applied to production and manufacture. However, its principles are completely consistent with improving higher education quality through its emphasis on continuous improvement. Higher education institutions can be defined as a dynamic and characterized environment by process of creating new knowledge (Koch & Fisher, 1998) and the application of TQM principles may be very useful.

Due to the reality that the graduate quality must satisfy resource requirements for society, and with the wish to affirm the quality of high school teacher training in the context of Industrial Revolution 4.0, we decide to select this research topic.

1.2. Targets, approach and research method

- Based on systematizing the theoretical basis and assessing the current status of training management according to TQM approach at Saigon University, we propose necessary and feasible measures to training management, contributing to improving student training management according to educational quality verification requirements.

- We apply the following approaches to the topic: Systematic - processing approach; historical-logical approach; TQM approach.

- We apply the following research method groups: Group of theoretical research methods; Group of practical research methods (Survey method by questionnaire, mathematical method).

2. RESEARCH CONTENTS

2.1. Concepts related to the topic

“Training is a systematic and methodical process of transferring experiences, knowledge, skills, professional techniques and expertise and improving morality and preparing students to have independent working life and contributing to the construction and defense of the nation” (Bui Hien, Vu Van Tao, Nguyen Van Giao, & Nguyen Huu Quynh, 2013).

There are different definitions of management (also called governance) based on various approaches. However, towards Industrial Revolution 4.0, it is believed that management should be defined according to the approach of systematic theory and learning conditions as follows: Management is a process of directed control activities of human on a system by planning, organizing, leading and checking to achieve planned targets of such system. From the above definition of management, we give out the following comments: The ultimate target of management is to ensure product quality for human benefits (the education product is the educated people’s personality). The manager is a person who scientifically and artistically solves the extremely complex relationships between people, not only between the subject and the object in the system, but also have the interactive relationship with other systems. (Bui Duc Tu, 2020).

Training management is a influencing process with purpose, including four functions of planning, organizing, leading and checking of the management subject to the training process to implement the target of training students to become individuals with full qualifications and capacity to meet professional standards. Subjects of training management consist of different levels of management from the Managing Board, heads of functional departments and units, deans, heads of subjects and to each lecturer. The object of training management: The object of training management in a university is the training process by the lecturers and students of such school according to training targets, plans and programs in order to achieve training objectives. Training targets: graduates are capable and qualified to get jobs.

TQM is considered as the management system of everything in an organization from input, process, output through continuous quality improvement activities to meet customers’ needs as much as possible.

Training management according to TQM approach is the continuous quality improvement of the training management subject in a school to affect the stages of the training process of high school teachers, from input, process, to outputs to satisfy customers’ needs. Continuous affect is subject to Deming circle (PCDA).

According to the American Marketing Association (AMA), marketing consists of activities and processes to create, communicate, distribute and exchange valuable services to customers, partners, and society in general. Therefore, we can define educational marketing as providing educational products and services to the community, bringing benefits to customers who are students in particular and society in general.

2.2. General model of higher education training

According educational scientist Tran Khanh Duc (2010), general model of higher education training includes input, process, output and labor market’s participation. Input includes output standards, program, enrollment, infrastructure. Process includes teaching, learning, scientific research, testing and assessment. Output includes professional capacity, proficiency of foreign languages, IT level. The labor market includes current occupation, income, career development, self-employment.

On this basis, we propose the following model:

- Input factors (a. Process of defining customers’ demand - b. Process of reviewing and adjusting output standards, training programs - c. Enrollment process - d. Process of assuring human resources for training - e. Process of assuring institutions, equipment, and learning materials - f. Process of financial preparation for training)

- Process factors (a. Teaching process of lecturers - b. Learning process of students - c. Internship process of students)

- Output factors (a. Process of assessing training results, recognizing training results and awarding degrees - b. Graduates)

2.3. Training management according to TQM model

- Decentralization of teacher training management

- Contents of management and training of high school teachers is subjected to TQM approach

From the above theoretical analysis, we propose to apply the theory of continuous improvement according to Deming circle (PCDA) to determine contents of training management according to TQM as follows:

“Plan” step includes the following activities: (P1) Define an indicator system for 11 training elements including (1) Process of defining customers’ demand; (2) Process of reviewing and adjusting output standards and training programs; (3) Enrollment process; (4) Process of assuring human resources for training; (5) Process of assuring infrastructure, equipment, and learning materials for training; (6) Process of financial preparation for training; (7) Teaching process of lecturers; (8) Manage students’ learning process; (9) Manage students’ pedagogical practice process; (10) Process of assessing training results and issuing degrees; (11) Manage graduates and activities (P2) Develop a system of regulations, processes, and plans to implement the above 11 elements.

“Do” step includes the following activities: (D1) Train individuals and units on the system of indicators, regulations, processes, and plans to implement the above 11 elements; (D2) Organize and manage the implementation of the above 11 elements according to the established system of indicators, regulations, processes and plans.

“Check” step: Managers monitor, measure and assess the implementation of the above 11 factors so that adjustments can be made timely.

“Action” step: Managers standardize the system of indicators, regulations, processes and define improvement points to apply to the following cycle.

- Factors affecting training management according to TQM include: Identify graduate employers; define graduate employers’ demand, the capacity of the school leadership; the school’s training strategy; the school’s cultural environment.

2.4. Results of the current status study from high school teacher training institutions

- For survey purpose: Survey and assess the current status of training management according to TQM approach at Saigon University to show advantages and shortcomings, and propose measures to overcome shortcomings and improve the school’s quality training.

- For survey contents: Survey 11 areas of training and training management process according to TQM

- For survey method: Apply 3 kinds of questionnaires for 3 subjects including 114 managers and lecturers, 204 students, and 88 internship instructors and employers for the school’s training majors. The questionnaires were compiled based on the theory of 11 elements of training and TQM management process, specifically PDCA with 4 question levels and the average point according to the following value range:

• Survey results

11 training components have been surveyed and 6 elements have been assessed as satisfactory and 5 elements need to be improved more or less depending on the level of developing assessment indicators, regulations, processes, and plans, training, supervising and promoting the implementation according to the survey participants’ opinions, specially, defining students’ demand, developing and reviewing training output standards, assessing and managing graduates, finance and lecturers.

+ For training: For the level of satisfying training requirements, most of interviewees believe that training is satisfactory, however, some elements need to be improved: increasing employers’ participation in assessing students’ demands, developing training output standards, assessing graduates’ abilities and improving lecturers.

+ For training management: According to PDCA model in TQM training management, the definition of the indicator system for 11 TQM training jobs of leaders of training units is assessed as mostly satisfactory with average point of above 2.5. However, defining indicators for financial work and assessing students’ demands need more specific and complete indicators from heads of training units.

+ According to opinions by managers and lecturers, the development of a system of regulations, processes, and plans is assessed as follows: the development of regulations, processes and plans for 11 TQM training jobs of the heads of training units were assessed as satisfactory, however, employers and internship providers believed that it is necessary to improve regulations, processes and plans (below 2.5 on average), namely, define students’ demand, develop training output standards, finance, internship, training evaluation, graduate management.

+ Results of assessment of organization and direction in training according to TQM: Managers were assessed as satisfactory in all 11 job contents; Employers and internship providers believed that it is necessary to have small improvements (below 2.5 on average) in contents 1, 6, 11.

+ Assessment of relevant parties of assessment in training management according to TQM: Managers were assessed as satisfactory in 11 job contents. The employers and internship providers had similar assessment, and they added it is necessary to have small improvements in reviewing and updating training output standards.

+ Assessment of the standardization of the indicator system, regulations, processes and definition of improvements for application to the following cycle. Analysis of the results of Table 7 shows the standardization of the indicator, regulation, and process system, and defines improvements to apply to the following cycle, in 11 TQM training jobs. Managers assessed it as satisfactory in all 11 job contents, and employers and internship providers have similar assessment.

+ Through the results of the statistical assessment of the factors affecting the training management according to TQM, we conclude that five factors considered to limit or strengthen the training process include defining employers, employers’ demand, school’s leadership capacity, training strategy, and cultural environment.

+ In general, 11 training elements were surveyed, 6 elements were assessed as satisfactory and 5 elements need to be improved more or less depending on the level of developing assessment indicators, regulations, and procedures, plans, training, supervision and promoting the implementation according to the opinions of the survey’s participants, specially defining students’ demand, developing and reviewing training output standards, assessing and managing graduates, finance, and lecturers.

3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

From the above-mentioned research of concepts, overview of topic research, modeling and surveying in high school teacher training institutions, we recommend management levels of such training institutions to apply consistently and synchronously the following measures to strengthen marketing in the most effective way according to the context of Industrial Revolution 4.0: (In each measure, there are 6 steps to comply with TQM requirements).

First, develop an indicator system in training management according to TQM at training institutions;

Second, improve the system of regulations, processes and training management manuals according to TQM approach at training institutions;

Third, propagate and train relevant subjects on the operation of the system of regulations, processes and training management manuals;

Fourth, develop and operate system and tools for supervising, assessing and collecting training management information according to TQM approach at training institutions.

These necessary measures are to assure training quality and improve training reputation.

To implement the above management measures most effectively, we recommend the management levels in high school teacher training institutions as follows:

- For the Managing Board: It is required to research training requirements according to TQM; instruct faculties to develop training plans according to TQM for majors, possibly select a number of majors for each academic year before implementing in large scope; conduct implementing and assessing training management according to TQM seriously and timely.

- For training institutions: It is required to actively advise and propose to the school on training plans according to TQM; instruct and support lecturers to implement plans; feedback and give opinions of training and training management according to TQM.

In general, TQM is a modern management trend at universities all over the world. It is really important to control fully the training process and ensure training quality, improve training prestige of universities. Therefore, to implement marketing effectively during training process, it is required to study and apply this model patiently, seriously and strongly.

REFERENCES

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