Quality Management System of Universities and the Quality of Education [antikvár]

Introduction The scientific monograph that you are holding in your hands is addressed to teachers, school managers, and teacher trainees who think about how to teach well and how to manage schools and the educational system well. It is based on our and foreign heretofore experience and knowledge that affirm that real changes in school life are possible only under the condition of active participation of all concerned actors. It is a creative work which is not forced from outside because as James Watson says: "Nothing new that is really interesting comes without collaboration." Almost every university management attempts to lead it in a way that it is considered to be successful. Its assessment is based on several factors from various aspects. Here belong those that participate in school education: students and teachers, its service users: institutions where its graduates go, school administration, municipalities and other factors. A successful university of good quality is a complex notion in which - besides the expectations regarding cognitive aspects - the aspects of value orientation, social relationships, and the relationships between the variables that characterize university quality play a significant role. There is an agreement in the results of school researches undertaken e. g. by Cohen, Austin, and Aurin according to which the trends of successful schools are the following: ¦ they have a clear vision - the idea of a complex educational goal and are able to realize this vision, ¦ teachers use the communicative approach to students and identify themselves with the school, ¦ university management uses the democratic leadership style, situational leadership, works independently while more complex formative and social functions of the university in relationship with the school culture and school climate are applied. The traditional concept "Learning is for life" is gradually changing to "Learning is for living", i. e. the society of the future is a learning society. It is a challenge for universities that requires continuous changes in the educational content and a shift in the relationship between the university and its partners. Contemporary universities are changing to public service provided to its partners, they are opening to the environment, asses the requirements of their partners, and measure their satisfaction. The question when the user ofthe mentioned service is satisfied can be answered: when the provided service, the content of education and, of course, the educational process are of a good quality and adapted to the expectations ofthe modern society. In the four chapters oriented on the educational quality in teacher training, the aspects of educational process quality improvement, new factors and trends in educational process quality improvement in universities and secondary schools, and following legal standards and somé factors of the system of quality management, the authors of this scientific monograph with the title Quality Management System of Universities and the Quality of Education are searching for the answer. Viola Tamásová and Mihály Sári