Challenges facing higher education in improving the quality of educational services (a study with a phenomenological approach)

Todays education has gone beyond a social category and become an economic category that plays a key role in the hidden competition between different societies.Examining the challenges facing educational systems is one of the common ways to improve these systems. This study, if it is from the perspective of experts and specialists with experience in that field, can lead to better knowledge, planning, management and decision making in this field. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of explaining the experiences of education professionals from barriers to improving the quality of higher education services.This study was conducted with a qualitative-phenomenological approach and qualitative content analysis. Thirteen education specialists who taught at Fars Farhangian University in the academic year ۱۳۹۹-۱۳۹۸ were selected for interviews based on purpose-based, criterion-based and theoretically saturated methods. Interviews were conducted in an unstructured and in-depth manner. In order to evaluate the research findings, continuous study and review of data, revision and analysis performed by colleagues were used. MAXQDA۱۲ was used for data management.According to this study, barriers to the quality of higher education services in Farhangian University are mainly rooted in two general categories, including: "internal" and "external" factors. These factors were extracted in ۸ main categories. "Professors and Staff", "Economics", "Facilities and Physical Structure", "Management and Organizational Structure", "Students", "Curriculum and Education", "Cultural and Social" and "Legislation and Politics" were the main classes.By being aware of these factors, stakeholders can make desirable changes to improve the quality of educational services.

Keywords:

Quality of educational services , Higher Education , barriers and challenges , Content Analysis