THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN ACCREDITATION REVIEWS: THE STUDENT AS A STAKEHOLDER IN EDUCATIONAL QUALITY ASSURANCE

Abstract

This article examines the participation of higher education students in the accreditation review of educational programmes in the role of experts as a component of the educational quality assurance system. It analyses the significance of this form of participation in developing a more comprehensive understanding of the quality of educational programmes, as well as its impact on the students themselves, their educational experience and their subsequent involvement in the processes of improving educational programmes. The role of the student as a bearer of practical experience of the educational process and as an evaluator capable of working with quality criteria and influencing the formation of results is explored. The value of involving students for the programme guarantor and the administration of the higher education institution is substantiated, as well as the significance of their participation in enhancing the objectivity of accreditation reviews. Particular attention is paid to examining student participation through the lens of a project-based approach and the role of stakeholders in educational quality assurance processes. In such a system, the student is one of the key stakeholders, as it is precisely to them that the outcome of the programme’s operation is directly directed. Stakeholder management in the project-based approach involves not merely acknowledging their presence, but including them in the processes of communication, evaluation and decision-making. If we apply this logic to the accreditation review process, it becomes clear that the applicant’s participation as an expert is entirely justified. They represent a group whose interests cannot be deferred or taken into account indirectly. Their presence in the evaluation process means that the system works not only to ensure compliance, but also to take into account the interests of those who are the direct beneficiaries of educational activities. On the contrary, he is central, for the educational programme does not exist for its own sake or merely for reporting purposes, but to prepare a specific candidate. It has been established that involving candidates in expert activities contributes to the formation of a culture of quality, raises the level of awareness among participants in the educational process, and fosters the development of a more open and balanced evaluation system.