Self-evaluation or self-reporting? – a self-study in Russia‟s higher education accreditation.

Abstract

Quality assurance is at the forefront of higher education policy in Russia. This thesis examines the role of self-study in the state accreditation process. The question driving this research is whether self- study is a critical self-evaluation tool aimed at the improvement of the education process, or a formal self-reporting practice to account for the education process to the external agency. Document content analysis was utilized to explore the policy level of the quality assurance system. The relationship between policy and other macro-level agendas and institutional practices was investigated using a case study analysis approach. Keywords: self-study, accreditation, Russian higher education system, force-field analysis