MANAGEMENT FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF VOCATIONAL COLLEGES PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study management factors affecting the operational quality of vocational colleges. The research sample consisted of 760 randomly selected vocational institutes that had been externally evaluated on quality from the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (Public Organization) (ONESQA) in the third round of external evaluation (2011-2015). The researcher used secondary data collected from the third round (2011-2015) of external quality assessment information system of the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (Public Organization). The data was analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The research results showed that most vocational colleges (93.80 percent) offered both the vocational certificate and vocational diploma programs. Most of them (82.37 percent) had less than 80 instructors; while only 0.39 percent of them had 240 instructors or more. The majority of students (55.92 percent) studied in small vocational colleges having less than 1,000 students, to be followed by 26.45 percent of students studying in medium sized vocational colleges having between 1,001 - 2,000 students, and 18.63 percent of students studying in large vocational colleges having 2,001 students or more. Most vocational colleges (39.87 percent) were located in the Central Region, to be followed by 26.05 percent of them located in the Northeastern Region, 19.08 percent of them located in the Northern Region, and 15.00 percent of them located in the Southern Region, respectively. The overall operational quality of vocational colleges, as classified by quality indicators of ONESQA was at the fair level. When specific aspects of the operation were considered, it was found that the quality based on the promotion standard indicator was at the high level; the quality based on the identity indicator was at the fair level; and the quality based on basic indicator was at the low level, respectively. Meanwhile, the overall operational quality of vocational colleges, as classified by ministerial regulations standards, was at the high level. The management factors based on ministerial regulations standards could be combined to explain the overall operational quality of vocational colleges by 74.00 percent (Adjusted R2 = .740). The student-centered learning management factor and the internal quality assurance factor positively affected their operational quality. It was also found that the internal quality assurance factor was the most influential factor on the overall operational quality of vocational colleges.