Teachers' perception of the impact of learning outcomes on educational quality in higher education institutions in Colombia

Abstract

Learning outcomes have brought changes in quality management models of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Colombia, where faculty members act as active stakeholders in formulating, applying, and evaluating such processes, leading to a shift in educational culture. This article reports on a research study that aimed to determine, fro8m the teachers’ perspective, the impacts of implementing learning outcomes on educational quality in Colombian HEIs. An ethnographic survey, based on a descriptive-explanatory approach, was conducted among faculty from four Colombian HEIs. One finding was that, despite training provided by the HEIs on this matter, 48.92 % of respondents reported not having changed the way they conduct class dynamics or their teaching models, thereby maintaining traditional lecturing methods. Additionally, 56.88 % of participants indicated that the most significant impacts of outcome-based quality management were observed in strategic planning, educational quality, and pedagogical aspects. The most relevant conclusion is that there are still no measures of socio-cultural impact, and very few assessments regarding business impact from graduates and the companies where internships are undertaken.