Graduates' Perceptions and Evaluation of Study Programmes: Analytical Framework and Methodological Considerations

Abstrakt

This paper aims to draw scientific attention to the significance and usefulness of socio- logical approach, namely higher education (HE) graduates’ perceptions survey as a one of the mechanisms to collect and use graduate feedback facilitating the study programmes’ evaluation, and in turn, enlarging our knowledge on the enhancement of HE quality, the improvement of graduate employability, and effective ways of smoothing the transition from education to work. The emphasis is being placed on critical description of the analytical framework set out by authors of the international research project - DEHEMS on HE graduates feedback. The DEHEMS project uses secondary - processed data based on primary - raw data as generated by two Europe-wide and large-scale research projects: REFLEX and HEGESCO.

The paper comprises four parts. Firstly, the basic conceptual question is analysed, that is, the role and the need for the use of feedback from graduates collected through national and international surveys perceived as a measure of HE programme evaluation (pro- gramme performance, teaching effectiveness). A particular attention is given to its two main elements: programme activities/components and programme outcomes/impact, as per programmes logic model. The second part is devoted to the discussion on the analyt- ical framework and methodological approach adopted in the DEHEMS study. The third part contains key elements of analytical framework presented in schematic form. Finally, some brief conclusions and further study directions follow.