Quality assurance in elementary education

Abstract

The present study attempts to examine the elementary educators’ perceptions towards Total Quality Method of administration. Furthermore, it intents to investigate if these perceptions differ depending on variables as gender, age groups, work experience, specialty, type of employment, further studies and administration. The first part concludes the theoretical approach in which this research is based. In chapter one there is a reference to the purpose of the study which also includes the rationale of the study, the research questions and the definitions of the terms. Chapter two explains the structure of the educational system as well as the role of the school director. Chapter three includes the terms of quality management and how this is implemented both in products and in services as well as in quality in education. Furthermore, there is a reference to the quality strategies in schools, the staff development and cultural changes in school system. The educational policy and quality in education, the quality assurance in restructured schools and the role of the leadership in the quality culture in schools are also cited in chapter three. Chapter four elaborates the quality assurance in education dealing with return on quality, with Total Quality Management in education with focus on elementary education. Part two includes the empirical approach. Chapter one contains the purpose and methodology of the study. Specifically, with the population and the sample, the research instrument, the validity and creditability of the instrument, the procedure of data collection, the method of data analysis and lastly the research questions. Chapter two contains the statistical analysis with reference both in descriptive and inductive results. In chapter three there are conclusions and recommendations with discussion, and identification or disagreement of the results with older findings. Also, there is a citation to the limitations as well as proposals for further research. Finally, there is the section with bibliography and appendixes which includes the study’s questionnaire.