Accreditation processes and their impact on improvements in the organisation and management of Spanish university degrees: student assessment

Abstract

Student involvement in quality assurance is a key principle of the European Higher Education Area. This study uses a case study of universities in Spain to examine students’ perceptions of the impact of accreditation processes on the improvement of the organisation and management of university degrees and identifies differences according to several variables. A questionnaire survey was administered to students from a range of universities, and the results indicate that students’ perceptions of accreditation processes are generally limited, suggesting that quality assurance initiatives may not be fully visible or impactful from their perspective. Where students have greater knowledge of these processes, they tend to evaluate them more positively, indicating that involving and informing students can enhance the effectiveness of quality assurance. Differences across regions, academic disciplines and being a student representative show that context and student engagement shape perceptions, offering valuable guidance for tailoring QA practices.