Quality in Education

A concept derived from the total quality management (TQM) philosophy. The TQM philosophy was created and made popular, initially in the manufacturing industry, by consultants such as W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and Philip Crosby. TQM began gaining popularity in education during the late 1980s and 1990s, particularly in higher education. When applied to education, TQM stresses a customer-based approach whereby educational institutions provide customers (students, parents, employers, the community, etc.) with a service (education, educated individuals, etc.) that meets their needs. Quality is defined in terms of the customer's needs and desires. The customer, not the institution, decides what constitutes quality. TQM emphasizes strategy, leadership, teamwork, detailed analysis, and self-assessment. Continuous improvement of the service is called for when employing this model.