Why should Total Quality Management be implemented in education?

The most important difference of Total Quality Management (TQM) from other management systems is that it is accepted as an approach that can lead all kinds of organisations to perfection. The most important reason underlying this acceptance is the way of thinking, i.e. its philosophy, which is formed by evaluating the needs of organisations in a very different dimension from traditional approaches. Because it is possible to adapt the features of this philosophy to the structure of all kinds of organisations.

TQM, which was initiated by the Japanese and spread to the world, and which the USA and some European countries followed the Japanese in its implementation due to its great success in achieving organisational goals and the increase in productivity it caused, has been applied mostly in the field of production in its history. Its application in service areas, especially in the field of education has gained importance day by day. The implementation of TQM starts with the training of employees and continues with the continuous training of all employees. In this context, TQM in the education sector is perhaps a subject that should be examined primarily.

In this article, the meaning of TQM is explained; the importance of TQM philosophy in the field of education is emphasised and the place and contributions of TQM in the field of education are discussed.

What is Total Quality Management?

It will be useful for the development of the subject to reveal what TQM is and what it is not.

TQM is not something that can be used only in the business world or in industrial companies. It can be used wherever a management is in question.

TQM is an effective system for integrating the quality development, quality maintenance and quality improvement efforts of various groups in every organisation in order to produce products and/or services that will provide complete customer satisfaction at the most economical level.

TQM is a systematic method for the development of products and services and the provision of after-sales services to customers. TQM is not just quality circles or a productivity improvement programme; it is a system that creates a total customer-oriented culture throughout the organisation. 

TQM is a management philosophy that takes exceeding the expectations of internal and external customers as the main objective and aims to continuously improve all processes through employee empowerment and teamwork.

The essence of the above statements is that the work in any organisation should be carried out in an efficiency and customer-oriented manner. TQM may be replaced by new and other terms in the future, but the pursuit of excellence will not change.

Why is Total Quality Management Important in Education?

Today, there is an intense competition in the global market. In this competition, it is becoming increasingly important to educate students who can meet the expectations of the business world. If the education system fails to produce qualified graduates (outputs), the bill for this failure will be paid either by institutions spending billions for retraining or by society by enduring poor quality goods and services. For many years, public institutions and organisations as well as private enterprises have been facing difficulties in finding employees with the desired qualifications. In our country, where almost one third of the young people graduating from higher education are unemployed, the inability to find qualified labour force leads to increased concerns about educational institutions. If it is desired to have a labour force that has acquired certain skills and is dedicated to their work, the concept of quality should be addressed and discussed in educational institutions before businesses. Because a quality product and service is only possible with a good education. W. Edwards Deming, who laid the foundations of TQM, states that education plays a key role in the production of quality goods and services.

Changes and innovations in education cannot be realised only by orders and plans prepared from the top. When the characteristics of effective schools are analysed, it is seen that culture has an important place in these schools. In this context, the changes in question should also include changes in school culture. TQM concept basically requires a new culture and philosophy. Creating a quality school, in other words Total Quality Management in education, brings along a strong common culture.

How can TQM be applied in education?

Among the different definitions of quality are the conformity of education to the purposes for which it is used and the fulfilment of the wishes of the customers consisting of students and the business world waiting for graduates. When we adapt the definition of the concept of quality to educational organisations, the following definition can be made. Quality in education is to meet the needs and expectations of the customers consisting of students and the business world effectively and appropriately and in the most economical way at every stage of educational activities and in all elements affecting the educational process.

In 1989, in a survey conducted among students and parents, the indicators of quality in education were as follows

Possibility of entering universities with high scores or finding an easy job upon graduation,

Offering a wide range of courses and programmes to students,

Availability of advanced technology laboratory and library facilities,

Giving equal weight to research and education.

These criteria are followed by teaching in classes with small class sizes, high salaries for graduates when they start their first job, and the teaching staff allocating time for their students outside the classroom.

When the definition of quality in education and research findings are analysed, it can be said that there are two important factors affecting quality in education. It is possible to evaluate these factors as internal and external factors.

Factors Affecting Quality in Education

Internal Factors External Factors

Educational institutions aim to meet the needs of internal factors and external factors in line with their goals, strategies and plans. In order for the internal factors in educational institutions to provide the quality expected by the society, it is necessary to organise many studies together. These studies should cover the following topics:

Team work,

Change, creativity,

Morale, motivation,

Learning (knowledge-skills),

Communication,

Constant familiarisation,

Co-operation,

Preparing the environment,

Taking responsibility,

Evaluation.

In order to implement TQM in educational institutions, firstly the top management should receive training on the subject and support the implementation. For the implementation of TQM, managers in educational institutions have to trust their staff and delegate some authorities on quality. The second condition is related to the training and participation of teachers, lecturers and teaching staff, experts and other employees. These conditions are followed by the establishment of mutual trust. Another requirement is that every employee should feel honoured about the work done and believe in TQM. As a result of all these efforts, flexible and creative thinking develops, continuous development awareness becomes a goal and thus organisational culture changes. 

The most important element that will ensure the training of qualified manpower in education is the teacher. Therefore, the efficiency of educational institutions depends to a great extent on the quality of teachers.

What are the Benefits of TQM?

The benefits to be provided by the implementation of TQM in education are as follows:

• Teachers of schools where TQM has been implemented have significant positive characteristics. It is observed that teachers have more professional knowledge as a result of the implementation. Moreover, it is an important finding that almost every teacher has increased his/her competence in his/her field and developed his/her special skills as a result of the continuous development required by TQM.
• A positive outcome of TQM practices is that teachers have developed personal qualities related to patience, confidence and hard work. Other benefits include the use of new technologies, the use of visual aids in education and the use of special techniques in evaluation methods.
• Studies on quality show that TQM also leads to positive changes in students. These include a desire for high achievement, an increase in love and respect, a liking for educational subjects, a desire for detailed knowledge of subjects, and an understanding of effective study systems. 
• In addition, students acquired skills in searching academic information sources and doing library work, developing problem solving techniques, seizing opportunities in work environments, synthesising information from different fields and working as a team. The development of students' communication and analytical skills are among the useful features noted. 
• It is very important that in educational institutions, where the staff are more flexible than in other fields, the implementation of TQM and the freedom of the staff to produce their own solutions and the motivation of creative people by the management are very important. The necessity to apply control to all processes and procedures and to continuously improve standards will be a motivating and driving force for educational institutions that need to be ahead in every field. The emphasis on meetings instead of bureaucratic procedures is useful for the development of personal relationships. 

Conclusion

Implementation of TQM improves the quality of general education, develops diversity and flexibility in educational subjects and programmes, and motivates students and teachers to be constantly creative and develop. In addition, TQM supports the use of new techniques and equipment in the field of education, improves the ability of administrators and teachers to think in the long term and helps them to take action in a short time due to their flexible thinking and ability to act when necessary. 

The Ministry of National Education, which will experience more severe international competition in the future than today, can and should effectively implement Total Quality Management in schools and other educational institutions, which are the most strategic part of the education system, in order to equip its staff, teachers and students with the knowledge and skills appropriate to the constantly changing and developing conditions.

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