An Investigation into the Implementation of Quality Assurance Standards at Buddhist Upper Secondary Schools in Vientiane Capital

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation status of the education quality assurance at the Buddhist upper secondary schools. The target group consisted of 68 participants, including administrators (the management committee), academic staff, and teachers from two upper secondary schools in Vientiane Capital. In this study, the researcher adopted a conceptual framework based on the six aspects of the general education quality assurance standards. The data collection instrument used was a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The data were analyzed using statistical software to determine frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The findings revealed that, overall, administrators, academic staff, and teachers the implementation of the quality assurance standards in the upper secondary schools were at a high level (μ = 4.41; σ = 0.39). When considering each aspect individually, it was found that the most effectively implemented aspect was management and administration, particularly the administrators’ knowledge and competence. However, the aspects that were less effectively implemented were the learning environment and teaching–learning materials. The study also found that the major challenge concerning the learning environment was the limited capacity to promote reading, while the main challenge regarding teaching–learning materials was the shortage of laboratory equipment and ICT facilities.