Independent assessment of the quality of conditions for implementing educational activities in the region: statistical analysis of the results

Abstract

Relevance. Currently, the most popular public administration mechanism in the field of education is the assessment of the quality of educational services rendered, an important component of which is an independent assessment of the quality of conditions for implementing educational activities. The use of the ECSI methodology based on structural equation modeling (SEM) can make an important contribution to the development of mechanisms for the independent assessment of the quality of education (IAQE). The research purpose is to study the possibilities of using the method of statistical data analysis for an independent assessment of the quality of conditions for implementing educational activities in the process of clarifying and confirming the results of monitoring studies in education. Materials and methods. Structural equation modeling was used to study data obtained in 1,143 educational institutions of the Sverdlovsk region (Russian Federation) located in 30 municipal districts, 25 cities, 4 closed administrative-territorial entities. The general population of respondents selected for the IAQE was 350,950 people, including parents (legal representatives) – 298,485 people (85%) and students aged over 14 – 52,465 people (15%). Research results. An original methodology for statistical analysis of data from an independent assessment of the quality of education has been developed. The method of structural equation modeling revealed statistically significant links between indicators with integral criteria of structural SEM-models of the IAQE. In particular, the structural SEM-model of the IAQE has a single negative value of the regression coefficient r=-1.32 for the indicator "Availability of information about the organization's teachers on its official website", and the structural SEM-model of the IAQE criterion "Comfort of the conditions in which educational activities are carried out" found the smallest value of the regression coefficient r=0.36 for the indicator "Availability of conditions for organizing the training and education of students with disabilities and disabled people". These results of the statistical analysis of the IAQE allow identifying directions for improving educational and management practices in the region. Conclusion. The developed original methodology can be used to clarify and confirm the results of monitoring studies in the field of independent assessment of the quality of conditions for implementing educational activities in the regions, especially in cases of any questions about the results of the studies conducted and obtaining controversial results.