Quality of teaching in higher education and scientific development

The university as an institution plays a predominant role from the social point of view, since it is in charge of the preservation, development and diffusion of culture and as a generator of new knowledge that guarantees human and sustainable development; it must be consolidated as a scientific-technological and humanistic institution to promote ethical values.

The present work entitled: "The quality of teaching in higher education, and its role in scientific - technological and social development", aims to address some aspects related to the quality of Higher Education linked to the development of science, technology and society; which for the new century that begins is object of attention and priority. The integration of these elements is highlighted, thus increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of the students. In addition, the concepts and elements necessary to evaluate the quality of teaching in higher education are discussed, an important aspect today. The main purpose of our universities is that students not only leave carrying their graduation degree, but also knowledge and skills (scientific-technical),enough that it allows them to live in society.

Introduction

In these times of the scientific-technical revolution, the social significance of science increases, its integration with education, production, etc. is strengthened. and its influence on the economic activity of the country and on all aspects of social life. The word "science" has several meanings, below are some criteria selected by the author:

• According to Sadovskii, 1979; the place and role of science in society as a specific and specialized form of people's cognitive activity. According to Bernal, 1986; 1) Knowledge system (describes science as a phenomenon of the spiritual life of society; as a system of models; concepts, ideas, theories; as a form of reflections of the external world); 2) institutional social activity of production, application and dissemination of knowledge (takes into consideration that science not only reflects knowledge as a finished spiritual product, a finished result, but also the production process of this product; that is, a determined type of social activity, and not only spiritual, ideal, but also material). According to Nuñez, 1999;knowledge system that modifies our vision of the real world and enriches our imagination and culture; It can be understood as a research process that allows new knowledge to be obtained, which in turn offers greater possibilities for manipulating phenomena, and is characterized as a productive force that fosters the transformation of the world and is a source of wealth.

Science can be conceptualized as a system of knowledge development that is acquired through methods corrected by practice and is one of the most influential factors in attitudes towards the universe of man. On the other hand, when analyzing the function of the "technique" it can be seen the link with the performance of procedures and processes for the preparation of goods, the following is a selection made by the author:

• According to Agazzi, 1996; it refers to effective doing; that is to say, to rules that allow reaching objective, precise and satisfactory practical criteria. According to Nuñez, 1999; It is a set of operating procedures useful for certain practical purposes. They are discoveries subject to verification and enhanced through experience and constitute a knowing why.

In elementary form, science can be linked by knowing and technique by doing. It can be argued that the technique has been exposed to a differentiation process that has given rise to "technology". The following is a selection made by the author:

• According to Sábato and Mackenzie, 1982; It is a package of organized knowledge of different kinds (scientific, technical, empirical) from different sources (science, other technologies) through different methods (research, adaptation, etc.). According to García, 1989; it is the totality of man-made means of work, with whose help during the process of production of material goods one acts on nature and achieves the fundamental objective; facilitate the knowledge of said action and raise the degree of its effectiveness. According to Quintanilla, 1991; Scientific-based industrial techniques are technical complexes promoted by the needs of the organization of industrial production, which in turn promote new developments in science.

Science and technology at present are two moments of the same activity and taking into account these approaches, the author summarizes it in Figure 1:

Science - Technology - Society Relationship

Figure 1: Science - Technology - Society Relationship, Source.

There is a general consensus about the central role that education and knowledge production has had in the historical processes of socio-economic development and in the democratization of society, both for its contribution to the generation of capacities and skills essential for integration. international advantageous country for its contribution to social normality and the definition of values ​​and behaviors of democratic citizenship. The mission and traditional functions of our universities are exposed to constant changes, being necessary for them to become efficient and effective promoters of economic, technological, social, political and cultural development.Therefore, it is a priority to advance towards the formation of a diversified system of Higher Education with increasing levels of relevance and quality, thus expanding social equity. The improvement of quality levels in teaching is definitely installed in the analysis of Higher Education; in response to the expectations of society.

The university is an academic community that is constantly changing and its main mission is the search, conservation, transmission and development of human, scientific and technological knowledge for the benefit of the growth of integral man within ethical principles and bearing in mind the characteristics and conditions of society, culture and national values, which implies that it becomes an open and interactive system.

The university of the 21st century must take into account aspects such as:

• To deepen in the integral formation of the student, within the modalities and qualities of Higher Education, training to fulfill professional functions. Promote scientific and technical student training (undergraduate and postgraduate) that enables them to give adequate answers. Provide a solid ethical and political training to the student (undergraduate and postgraduates). Work for the creation, development and transmission of knowledge in all its expression.

A journey begins with new challenges to meet, which guides us towards improving quality in higher education; that is, the achievement of effectiveness, efficiency and competitiveness, which implies the search for excellence and with it institutional improvement.

Facing this dynamic means assuming the existence of innovation towards the improvement of the system, renewing skills, abilities, knowledge and attitudes that allow us to survive in the international competition scenario.

The university is partially a sounding board of situations that arise in society. The problems that can be identified in universities are a reflection of social problems. The benefits of promoting from university management, application of quality concepts, and maximizing it within restrictions and limits, should be sought in the general improvement of the university, in consideration of its relevance, its relationship with society, etc., although it can also be found in the very consideration of the importance of quality in all human manifestations, whether it is recognized or not by the rest of the citizens.

The performance of quality in higher education cannot be considered as a circumstantial exercise; but as a permanent priority, since students at this level form an essential part of the country's potentials and riches, they are goods for the whole of society; that is, they contribute to increasing cultural, economic, scientific, technological and social development, they are an essential component to adequately respond to the challenges of the 21st century.

The teacher Varona already held “… (The universities) must be centers of the most refined mental culture; but so that this culture fertilizes and elevates the diverse domains of application of the sciences to the needs of man. Its great purpose, within the organization of human collectivities, is to direct, promote and make social work more effective, through science ”.

Development

Evolution and meanings of quality and total quality

The concept of quality has evolved strongly throughout the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st; but it cannot be neglected to mention that humanity has been closely linked to "quality" since the time when man began to elaborate his products (food, weapons, clothes, etc.), since he observes and analyzes them to make improvements and thus be able to achieve excellence, which in these times is essential to be effective, efficient and as a result competitive. Below is shown in Figure 2, the development that has had the quality in different periods of time and by various authors.

Quality evolution

Figure 2: Evolution of quality, Source.

Taking into account that quality directly infers in the constant search for improvement, it is necessary, then, to speak of Total Quality; this term being one of the most popular and enduring modern concepts.

These transformations undoubtedly induce organizations to adopt new configurations, which lead them to become entities where quality is their competitive advantage.

Total Quality offers a process and a system that can produce dynamic changes in the administrative and academic functions established in the organization. The power of Total Quality according to its proposals is based on principles, which are fundamentally a paradigm of change, focused on how an organization is managed to obtain its reason for being.

Total Quality can be defined in different ways. Below is a selection made by the author, obtained from different bibliographic sources:

Author	Year	Concepts
Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry	(1985, 1988)	Discrepancy between what is expected and what is received.
Deming	(1988)	It is the predictable degree of uniformity and reliability at a low cost and that meets the needs of the market. Quality is nothing more than "a series of questions towards continuous improvement"
Ishikawa, K	(1988)	Develop, design, manufacture and maintain a quality product that is the most economical, useful and always satisfactory for the consumer.
Taguchi	1989	Are those minimum losses for society
Harrington	(1990)	It is meeting or exceeding customer expectations at a price that can be supported.
Feigenbaum	(1991)	It should start with product design and end only when in the hands of a satisfied consumer.
Schroeder	(1992)	It is to include zero defects, continuous improvement and great focus on the client. Each person defines quality with their accessories.
Swear	(1993)	Set of features that meet the needs of customers, also consists of not having deficiencies; it is "fitness for use satisfying customer needs"
Crosby	(nineteen ninety six)	He explains it from an engineering perspective as compliance with precise standards and requirements. His motto is "get it right the first time and get zero defects."
NC / ISO: 9000/2005.		It is the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics meet the requirements.

Source: self made.

Taking into account the criteria issued by different authors, it can be concluded that total quality is responsible for maintaining the competitiveness of organizations; as well as its long-term profitability.

Valuing the previous definitions, the interrelation that exists between the different elements of quality with society can be appreciated, which is reflected in Figure 3:

Quality elements that are taxed in society and technology

Figure 3: Quality elements that pay in society and technology, Source.

The current trends in total quality, mentioned below, validate the above approaches:

1. It is characterized by efficiently transforming the needs and expectations of customers into products and services superior to those existing in the market (Adam, 1994; Ahire, 1996; Anderson, Rungtusanatham and Schroeder, 1994; Douglas and Judge, 2001; Powell, 1995; Häversjö, 2000; Jeroen et al., 2001) They base their actions on three basic principles: customer orientation (Grandzol and Gershon, 1998), continuous process improvement (Fantova, 2002) and teamwork (Dean and Bowen, 1994).For its complete implementation, a series of elements are required such as the commitment of the management to consider quality as a priority strategy (Srinidhi, 1998), the practice of leadership oriented towards the values ​​of Total Quality, development of a quality culture (Huggett, 1999),involvement and participation of all members of the organization in cooperative efforts to achieve quality improvement (Wilkinson et al., 1998; Oakland and Oakland, 1998), orientation towards fact-based management, including the use of scientific techniques of solving problems such as statistical process control, or improving employee skills through training and learning (Waldman, 1994).

The implantation of Total Quality by means of a model is a trend increasingly used in the current business context (Russell, 2000). the American Malcolm Baldrige award; although the Ibero-American, Australian and Canadian awards also stand out. They are usually used as models or self-evaluation, which implies a regular examination of all the activities and results of an organization, comparing them with a business excellence model; according to Porter and Tanner, 1996 means a periodic review process, from which the company can detect strengths and areas for improvement,which culminates in the development of an improvement plan that should be integrated into business planning and monitoring of progress made).

The most commonly used Quality Management self-assessment models are a) the methods based on the discussion groups, b) the questionnaire method, c) the interviews, d) the organizational improvement matrices, e) the audits of processes or activities, of) the own self-evaluation processes that establish the quality awards (Porter and Tanner, 1996).

The contributions that the philosophy of total quality has had in the business world, produces an important foray into higher education, showing that universities do not remain isolated and on the margin of social phenomena.

Services. General features

In today's world, many companies, including Cuban ones, have been making their way in quality management, as one of the ways to promote and improve their service or product in both the national and international markets, with the aim of enhancing customer satisfaction. making the most of the potential they have, and the opportunities that can be presented and created. Among the routes used are, the quality program, Business Improvement, ISO / 9000-2005 standards, among others; Despite this, there are still difficulties in implementing the system to be developed, which are not due to its complexity, but due to inadequate procedures followed by the organizations or ignorance of the fundamental role played by the diagnosis to achieve the proposed objectives..

Conceptualization of the term Service

Over time, various authors have shaped their criteria for the term service from different branches of society.

• Juran and Gryna (1993) Service is a job for others (…) it exists because they can satisfy a specific customer need. NC ISO. 9000/2005 The service is given by the results generated by the activities, in interfaces on the supplier and the client, and by the activities of internal suppliers to satisfy the client's needs.Vila Espeso and Hoy Havey, (1994) The service is a face-to-face situation in which the customer deals directly with the seller. Lehtinen (1983) Services are activities of an intangible nature in which a provider and a client participate, generating satisfaction for the latter, through acts and interactions, which are social contacts.Berry (1989) Service:Intangible and separately identifiable activities that provide the desired satisfaction when sold to consumers and / or users, and that are necessarily linked to the sale of a product or other service.

Education, as a sector within services, generally manages to satisfy the needs of clients, in terms of training and preparation of people, to meet current development needs.

As negative elements of the service it is pointed out that the services:

1. They require greater coordination between the human and technical factors of the company; if something goes wrong, it goes against the quality of the service. They imply a greater possibility of making errors in their provision, once their application and consumption are simultaneous. The best designed service can fail during its application due to the high interconnection of the human factor, which, if it is not trained to guarantee the homogeneity of the service, will make the same service have totally different services. The client intervenes in the elaboration of the service, is consuming it while it is being provided. It requires a longer client-company relationship time; unlike the product, which leaves the factory and goes through various distribution channels, it reaches the consumer;In the case of the service, the client participates all the time in its provision. In services there is no going back, as they are particular benefits each time; they are unique, good or bad, and their effect remains in the customer's mind, so it is always necessary to ensure quality services in order to ensure a good perception of the customer about the service provided. There is a high intervention of emotional factors. The moods of the client and the one that provides the service influence the final result of the process.therefore it is always necessary to ensure quality services in order to ensure a good perception of the client about the service provided. There is a high intervention of emotional factors. The moods of the client and the one that provides the service influence the final result of the process.therefore it is always necessary to ensure quality services in order to ensure a good perception of the client about the service provided. There is a high intervention of emotional factors. The moods of the client and the one that provides the service influence the final result of the process.

Educational services.

In the framework of the globalization process that is taking place today, with scientific and technological advances and the growing economic and cultural exchange, education emerges as the vehicle through which the future development of countries is possible and sustainable, therefore that the people of tomorrow must possess competences and skills that allow them to function satisfactorily in society, for which a substantial change of perspective is required, which not only abounds in knowledge, but also in know-how; not so much in learning, as in learning to learn. These principles are an important part of the Reform today, in terms of moving towards higher levels of quality and equity in education.

• Mosaic: Educational services are defined by the quality and experience of teachers, as well as by the context in which all their activities are carried out, supported by a philosophy that bases personal and educational development on a policy of social integration, linguistic and cultural.

The quality of university education services

The meaning attributed to the expression "quality of education" includes several dimensions or approaches, complementary to each other. Toranzos (2000) argues that in the educational field, quality can be considered in several dimensions.

In a first sense, the concept of quality can be understood as «effectiveness»: a quality education would be one that achieves that students really learn what they are supposed to learn after certain cycles or levels. This dimension of the concept puts in the foreground the learning results effectively achieved by the educational action.

A second dimension of the concept of quality refers to what is learned in the system and its "relevance" in individual and social terms. In this sense, a quality education would be one whose contents respond adequately to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various spheres of society. This dimension of the concept puts in the foreground the aims attributed to the educational action and its concretion in the curricular designs and contents.

Finally, a third dimension is that which refers to the quality of the "processes" and means that the system provides to students for the development of their educational experience. From this perspective, a quality education would be one that offers an adequate physical context for learning, a teaching body adequately prepared for the task of teaching, good study and work materials, adequate didactic strategies, etc. This dimension of the concept brings to the fore the analysis of the means used in educational action.

According to the opinions of Toranzos (2000) the three dimensions of the concept are essential when it comes to referring to the quality of education.

On the other hand, according to Navarro (1997), quality education is the one that achieves results that allow progress and modernization. To raise quality is then to find the necessary means to achieve the ends. By measuring the results, the appropriate means are adapted.

According to what Arrien (1998) pointed out, Quality seems to be closely associated with the processes and results of the educational development of the student, a development that manifests itself in the relevant learning of the student as a subject, making them grow and develop personally and socially through attitudes, skills, values ​​and knowledge that make him a useful and supportive citizen.

From a global and comprehensive vision, the quality of teaching is the result of a set of processes that lead to its achievement, so that in order to improve quality, intermediate or coadjuvant processes must be analyzed, at different levels of learning and not only its end result.

Despite the large mass of quality literature, the concept of quality still presents some ambiguities and gloom. Based on this, Harvey and Green (1993) analyze five different conceptions of quality and their relevance for higher education. Such as: exceptional phenomenon, achievement of a purpose, perfection or coherence, value for money, and transformation (qualitative change).

Quality as an exceptional phenomenon:

This conception accepts as axiomatic that quality is something special. And three variants of this notion can be distinguished: the traditional idea, quality as excellence and the satisfaction of a set of requirements.

The traditional notion of quality implies distinction, class, exclusivity, elitism and, to a large extent, an aspect inaccessible to most. Quality, according to this conception, cannot be judged or measured, and is contrasted with a set of criteria. No attempt is made to define quality thus conceived, it is simply recognized when it exists.

Quality as excellence implies exceeding high standards, it is closely linked to the traditional conception, but the components of excellence are identified. This lies in the inputs and products or results. A University that attracts the best students, the best professors, the best physical and technological resources, by its very nature, is quality and will produce high-quality graduates. Excellence is judged by the reputation of the institution and the level of its resources. Both elements are reinforced, since a high level of resources supports the good institutional reputation, and at the same time attracts new assets. Consequently, excellence encompasses both the input to the system and the output elements, and can be defined as "doing the right things well."

The quality as satisfaction of a set of requirements is identified with that of the products that exceed the "quality control", that is, the pre-established requirements. Quality improves as standards are raised.

This way of conceiving quality presupposes that standards are objective and static; however, these are agreed and subject to new negotiations. It also implies that there are common qualities that can be measured and evaluate the degree of performance. However, since the 1980s standards have been seen as an obstacle, since they seem to overshadow creativity and institutional innovation that are so important in a highly competitive inter-institutional market.

On the other hand, it has been seen that the provision of non-universal standards for higher education is possible, as they give institutions an opportunity to aspire to have quality as different sets of standards are formulated for different types of institutions.

However, the introduction of absolute relative standards for judging institutions raises concerns regarding degrees of comparison, in addition to the fact that often not much is known about the criteria used to formulate such standards. So you may disagree about the quality of a product, even if it meets established standards. It is possible that this is due to the fact that quality, according to relative standards, seems to underestimate the notion that this implies an aspect above the common and compliance with standards could be seen as common or ordinary and in no case exceptional.

Quality as perfection or consistency:

In this second approach, Harvey and Green (1993) consider the concept of quality in terms of coherence or consistency, it is based on two premises: one implies zero defects and the other, doing things right the first time. In quality equal to zero defects, excellence is defined in terms of conformation with a particular specification. This is not a standard nor is it evaluated against any standard. The product or service is judged by its conformity with the specification, which is predefined and measurable, since perfection consists in ensuring that everything is correct, free of errors; Furthermore, this approach requires that such perfection be delivered consistently.

The “zero defects” approach is intrinsically linked to the notion of “quality culture”, which occurs in the organization where the responsibility falls on everyone and not only on the quality controllers (Crosby, 1993).

Doing things right the first time implies that, at each stage of the process, the people involved make sure that the product goes out and in free of defects. There is no check of finished products, on the contrary, the emphasis is on making sure that everything is done right from the start and that quality is everyone's responsibility. In a certain way, one can speak of a democratization of quality.

Quality as the achievement of a purpose:

This approach goes beyond processes and products or services. Quality makes sense in relation to the purpose of the product or service, which implies a functional definition.

So there is quality to the extent that a product or service meets the customer's requirements, that is, the most important dimension of quality is functionality.

Therefore a "perfect" product is totally useless if it does not serve to satisfy the need for which it was created. In the context of higher education, the concept of quality, according to customer requirements, raises several questions. First, who is the client of higher education ?; Are the students or the state that provides resources clients? employers or parents who pay for their children's education? What are the students? Are they customers, products or both? Or perhaps students should be spoken of as "consumers" of education, since it is they who enter the system, "suffer" the process and emerge "educated".

Quality as transformation:

This notion is based on «qualitative change», questions the idea of ​​quality centered on the product, since it considers that quality lies, on the one hand, in developing the capabilities of the consumer (student) and, on the other hand, in enabling them to influence in their own transformation.

In the first case, "added value" is a measure of quality in terms of the degree to which the educational experience increases students' knowledge, capacities and skills. In the second, it involves the student's involvement in decision-making that affects their transformation, which, at the same time, provides the opportunity to expand their possibilities to participate in professional life.

This idea of ​​quality as transformation questions the relevance of the quality approach focused on the product of higher education, given that education is not a service for a client, but rather a continuous process of transformation of the participant, whether student or researcher. Hence this leads to two concepts of transformational quality in education: consumer enrichment and consumer empowerment.

A quality education is one that makes changes in the participant and presumably enriches him. For (Astin, 1991) this notion of "added value" gives a summative meaning to this enrichment, since "added value" is a measure of quality as long as the educational experience enriches the knowledge, abilities and skills of the students. Therefore, a high quality institution is one that greatly enriches its students. So the determination of added value depends on the methodology and what is defined as value. When "value added" is measured, a quantifiable indicator of "value added" is obtained, but the nature of the qualitative transformation is ignored.

The second element of transformative quality is the delivery of power that is given to the student, which implies, according to Harvey and Green (1993), empowering students to influence their own transformation. In this sense, the author maintains that the learner must appropriate the learning process and take responsibility for determining the style and way of delivering the learning. Furthermore, the transformation process provides the opportunity for self-strengthening with positive consequences on the decision-making process itself.

Some ways to empower students and make them protagonists of their own transformation are: the evaluation of student teaching, the selection of some curricular activities such as free choice courses or directed study, the use of learning contracts and development creative thinking. This requires that the young person be treated as an intellectual actor and not simply as a receiver of information. Empowering the student involves transforming the student's conceptual ability and consciousness. Conferring power to students is equivalent to involving the consumer in setting standards, and quality is judged in terms of the democratization of the process and not just the result.

From another angle, it is possible to affirm that empowering the student, together with the notion of "added value", approaches the definition of excellence that was given earlier, that is, doing things well, since an excellent institution is that which has the greatest impact or adds the greatest value to the personal and intellectual development of students (Astin, 1991).

An overview of Higher Education

The creation and development of universities caused a change in social reality. Beginning in the 19th century, technological progress materialized in universities and the first fruits of incorporating research as a fundamental activity were obtained. Today higher education institutions are centers of teaching, study, knowledge, research, etc., capable of training professionals and educated men.

Furthermore, UNESCO (1998), addressing the main aspects of higher education, has reaffirmed the need to persevere, reinforce and promote its mission and fundamental values, in particular the mission of contributing to sustainable development and the betterment of society, in this sense, universities must guide their mission to:

• Train highly qualified graduates and responsible citizens, capable of meeting the needs of all aspects of human activity. Build an open space for higher education that fosters lifelong learning, providing an optimal range of options and the possibility to easily enter and exit the system, as well as opportunities for individual fulfillment and social mobility in order to train citizens who actively participate in the society. Promote, generate and disseminate knowledge through research and provide the appropriate technical skills to contribute to the cultural, social and economic development of societies, promoting and developing scientific and technological research as well as research in the field of social Sciences,the humanities and the creative arts. Contribute to protect and consolidate the values ​​of society.

The purpose should be that students leave the university carrying not only their graduation diplomas, but also relevant knowledge to live in society.

For the above reasons and in the face of the changes that are taking place, the intention is to achieve an interaction between the various elements shown in Figure 4.

Essential elements of higher education that promote social development

Figure 4: Essential elements of higher education that promote social development, Source.

"We are gradually approaching the idea of ​​turning the whole country into a great university", Fidel Castro Ruz.

The university as an institution plays a predominant role from the social point of view, since it is in charge of the preservation, development and diffusion of culture and as a generator of new knowledge that guarantees human and sustainable development. It must have as its vision an environment where reason imposes force and must be consolidated as a scientific, technological and humanistic institution to promote ethical values, etc., and destroy any criteria or trends that may negatively affect human work. It is necessary to create a system that has a broad social structure, Figure 5 shows the integration of these approaches.

The University and its interrelation with society and technology

Figure 5: The University and its interrelation with society and technology, Source: Own elaboration.

University Models

According to Corredor (1999), several university models can be established, according to the philosophical current that supports it. The universities have generally oriented themselves towards two currents: the one sustained by idealism and the other by pragmatism. Although these two currents do not indicate the limited influence of others in education, but he considers them as determining and integrating in the process.

Idealism is a philosophical position whose argument is based on the fact that the true being is not what we know by the senses, but what we intuit by contemplative reason. Corredor (1999) points out that the educational purpose of this trend is located more in the values ​​of humanity and less in experience and facts. This approach conceives of the university as a means of producing ideas and promoting progress through training and research.

Pragmatism is critical thinking that emphasizes empiricism and change.

The postulates of this approach focus on the efficiency of the university and the adaptation of its purposes and structure to the requirements of society and the State. She points out that the main concepts attached to this approach are:

1. The Napoleonic conception, which conceives education as a source of power and the university as a public service of the State. The Marxist-Leninist conception, applied in the defunct Soviet Union, which conceives of the university as a factor of production. The business conception that assimilates the university to a productive social organization. From this point of view, the processes corresponding to the administration of organizations are applied. The utilitarian conception, which conceives of the university as an open social system, aims to stimulate the operation of the institution under the same system considerations.

In summary, the goals implicit in these approaches are: public service of the State, factor of production, agent of political change, administrative efficiency and professional training.

Benefits of Higher Education

According to Mora (1999), the benefits of higher education are grouped into two basic categories. The benefits it provides on an individual basis and those of a social nature. Individual benefits are those that most directly affect people who acquire higher education, but that obviously have a social effect since, in some way, they are transmitted to the rest of society. Classify these benefits into three categories:

1. Educational benefits: the beneficial changes that are generated in the abilities, knowledge, values, attitudes, interests, habits, etc., of the students as a result of their time in the universities. Marginal benefits: those acquired by students due to receiving credentials that give them social and economic advantages that, in principle, do not have to do with their specific training. Existential benefits: those that university existence produces over those who live it, regardless of changes in intellectual capacities or social advantages.

When referring to social benefits, it classifies them into three classes:

1. Contribution to social progress: refers to the contributions produced by social equality in access, adult education, impact of research, among others. Contribution to economic growth: refers to the effects produced by the impact of universities on the local and regional environment, the effect of the exploitation of scientific and technological research, the contribution to the training of skilled labor. Contribution to cultural development: refers to all aspects of human thought, political activity, the transmission of ideas and even artistic manifestations.

Quality in Higher Education

The topics of discussion about quality in higher education are recurrent as a result of the explosive increase in the sector, which has diversified in terms of students and institutions in the last 50 years. Thereafter it becomes a priority field for most national education plans and has been included among the fundamental objectives of UNESCO's main Education project.

In order to achieve quality education in this new century that is just beginning, creativity and innovation must be developed, thus achieving participation in the continuous changes of the modern world, leading students along the path of learning to throughout life, forming consistent and active people in society.

The application and concern of the subject of quality in the field of education has a lot to do with the rapidity with which changes occur in modern societies and the complexity that they generate, imposes the need to improve the performance of the educational system to respond to the challenges and demands of knowledge and knowledge by our society; that is, it has become a priority today, since providing quality training to a society is an economically important objective for higher education systems; In addition, increasing international competitiveness requires raising productivity improvement and technological development, with education being a key force to face it.

The expression “quality of education” includes several dimensions or approaches, the author has made a selection below:

• According to Soria (1985), it is superior synthesis, comprehensiveness, an integrating vision of opposites (science and technology, training and work, university and society) compared to the partial, lateral, segmented views of man and society. According to AW Astin (1991), it is one that has an evaluation and feedback system of information on student training that allows them to make appropriate adjustments to programs or policies when the need for change or improvement arises. According to Navarro (1997), it is the one that achieves results that allow progress and modernization, having the necessary means to achieve the ends. According to Arrien (1998), processes and results of the educational development of the student, development that manifests itself in the relevant learning of the student as a subject,making it grow and develop personally and socially through attitudes, skills, values ​​and knowledge that make it a useful and supportive citizen. According to Toranzos (2000), he considers that a quality education has 3 dimensions: 1) “Efficacy”, would be one that achieves that students really learn what certain levels imply; 2) “Relevance”, content that adequately responds to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society; 3) "Processes"; It offers an adequate physical context for learning, a teaching staff adequately prepared for the task of teaching, good study and work materials, adequate teaching strategies, etc.values ​​and knowledge that make him a useful and supportive citizen. According to Toranzos (2000), he considers that a quality education has 3 dimensions: 1) “Efficacy”, would be one that achieves that students really learn what certain levels imply; 2) “Relevance”, content that adequately responds to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society; 3) "Processes"; It offers an adequate physical context for learning, a teaching staff adequately prepared for the task of teaching, good study and work materials, adequate teaching strategies, etc.values ​​and knowledge that make him a useful and supportive citizen. According to Toranzos (2000), he considers that a quality education has 3 dimensions: 1) “Efficacy”, would be one that achieves that students really learn what certain levels imply; 2) “Relevance”, content that adequately responds to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society; 3) "Processes"; It offers an adequate physical context for learning, a teaching staff adequately prepared for the task of teaching, good study and work materials, adequate teaching strategies, etc.It would be the one that makes the students really learn what certain levels imply; 2) “Relevance”, content that adequately responds to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society; 3) "Processes"; It offers an adequate physical context for learning, a teaching staff adequately prepared for the task of teaching, good study and work materials, adequate teaching strategies, etc.It would be the one that makes the students really learn what certain levels imply; 2) “Relevance”, content that adequately responds to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society; 3) "Processes"; It offers an adequate physical context for learning, a teaching staff adequately prepared for the task of teaching, good study and work materials, adequate teaching strategies, etc.It offers an adequate physical context for learning, a teaching staff adequately prepared for the task of teaching, good study and work materials, adequate teaching strategies, etc.It offers an adequate physical context for learning, a teaching staff adequately prepared for the task of teaching, good study and work materials, adequate teaching strategies, etc.

Other researchers point out that quality has a theoretical - conceptual dimension in which quality depends on who demands it, a political dimension, in which it is considered that there is a link between what is perceived as quality and the formation of coherent policies, a pedagogical dimension, which tries to measure the academic achievements of students, as well as the conditions of the teaching-learning process and an administrative dimension, which consists of planning and programming the educational system with the aim of achieving its qualitative growth.

1 ………. ”Quality of Education. A methodology to establish a system of educational indicators. Educational profiles magazine. Vol. 4. No. 4 and 5. Venezuela. nineteen ninety six.

One of the most appropriate definitions for the research objective is the one that visualizes quality in Higher Education as a continuous readaptation of the institution to its social, cultural, economic and political environment.

From the above definitions, a consensus can be reached that the quality of higher education is made up of:

• The results of the education offered in terms of the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values ​​acquired by the students. The relevance of these acquisitions based on the demands of society. The means that the system is worth to offer the service: teacher, infrastructure and equipment, textbooks, instructional materials and curriculum (study plans and programs). The educational process in terms of the conditions and the teaching and learning processes.

Advancing the application of the different quality criteria in higher education constitutes an important step in their operation. Quality is based on the relationship between means and objectives, which are linked to some degree with effectiveness and efficiency.

Quality Assessment

In the intensive development stage in Cuban higher education, the quality objective has been defined as the most important, hence, the evaluation is oriented to the search of evaluative criteria in the different activities of the educational institution and its staff, in addition to stimulating their creative initiatives. Evaluation is a way to guide and stimulate the improvement of educational quality,.

The university educational process has focused attention on the evolution of teaching, since it is considered the main instrument for improving quality. In addition, it is considered an activity that provokes understanding of the educational process, provides data, etc., therefore, the author has made the selection of several concepts regarding evaluation:

• According to Villar (1994); complex process that requires a coordinated reflection so that it can attend to the variety of situations that converge in the educational process and provide solutions to the needs that derive from it. According to Toranzos (2000); frame a plane that can be called normative, that is, in the duty to define an ideal model and build on the evaluative referent. According to Glazman (2001); identifies 3 positions: 1) process aimed at evaluating the achievement of previously defined objectives; 2) scientific nature in data collection that allows determining the degree to which an activity achieves the desired effect; 3) process of issuing professional judgments, obtained as a result of examining a situation or process.

2 Latapí, P.: Mexican Educational Time. Mexico. UNAM, 1996.

3 Hernández D., M.: Evaluation of the Quality of the University Graduate. Higher Education Magazine. UMCC. 1999. pp. 233 - 239.

Taking these approaches into account, it can be concluded what is shown in Figure 6.

Evaluation process and its relationship with society

Figure 6: Evaluation process and its relationship with society, Source: Own elaboration.

The evaluation is not only a means to know the economic results, but a fundamental element for future decision making, adjusting the course of student behavior and adapting it to the needs and expectations demanded by society.

The quality requirements applied to an education process implies not only identifying and understanding the behavior of the variables that affect this process, but also determining the minimum level of quality necessary to guarantee an effective and efficient higher education, and on the other hand the continuity and development of the institution.

The evaluation of teaching in higher education institutions should constitute a valuable instrument that provides elements of judgment to analyze in depth the educational processes, becoming a process that provides information to promote and ensure the highest quality, efficiency, productivity and relevance of the actions and results of teaching.

The evaluation process of an educational institution can be used as a diagnosis to introduce the improvement processes (improvement plan or quality assurance), so that it allows knowing the state of the matter to decide later on the aspects to be improved. In this sense, the quality evaluation can be internal and external.

• According to Toranzos (2000); refers to a quality assurance system as a series of preventive-type processes, based on standards that promote good administrative management and enable things to be done in the best possible way, to achieve the satisfaction of internal clients (teachers, students) and external (parents, entities, society, etc.) According to Cantón (2001); points out that quality assurance consists of having and following a set of planned and systematic actions, implemented within the organization's quality system.

Taking into account these approaches, it can be concluded, what is exposed in Figure 7.

Process improvement in the search for quality

Figure 7: Improvement of the processes in the search for quality, Source: Own elaboration.

For the progress of university education, it is necessary to take into account elements such as innovation, creativity, self-management of knowledge, creative capacity, etc., that allow achieving the proposed objectives and goals and therefore improve effectiveness, efficiency and raise the effectiveness, which in turn implies an increase in quality in the institution.

Why is it necessary to develop quality evaluation processes in university institutions?

• Demand for professionals capable of contributing to the social development of a country. External clients; that is, national and foreign students who apply to enter the institutions need to know the quality parameters offered and how they influence the period of their professional training. Show the results (strengths) to society of how important quality is in higher education. The characteristics of the university educational sector need quality evaluation procedures that guarantee their effectiveness, efficiency and competitiveness.

The evaluation processes employ various methods and techniques, which constitute the decision technology, described as:

1. Direct measurement (evaluation of postgraduate students, postgraduates and teachers), through the formulation of multicriteria quantitative models,. The definition of quality standard indicators obtained by statistical processes and group work, through observable quantitative measurements linked to the relationships between the variables of organization and structure, educational teaching process designed within the institution.

Regarding the evaluation of quality in the training of university students and students for their improvement, a basic model is proposed that takes into account teaching, research - extension and management based on the principles of quality., which presupposes the analysis of the evaluation process in university education, which in turn makes it possible to improve professional training in general.

The need for continuous improvement in higher education.

Changes and transformations in the higher education environment have a direct impact on the management, direction and organization systems of higher education institutions, as well as on the country's organizations and companies.

The concern for quality, efficiency, productivity and competitiveness, which exists today in universities, both globally and locally, is the result of internal and external changes that have affected them, fundamentally in the last 20 years. Among the elements that characterize this new environment are: institutional differentiation, accelerated enrollment growth, resource constraints, among others.

ISO 9000/2005 customer focus

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a world federation of national standards organizations. The work of preparing international standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. International organizations, public and private, in coordination with ISO, also participate in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization. International Standards are written in accordance with the rules established in Part 2 of the ISO / IEC Directives.

The main task of the technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards adopted by technical committees are circulated to member bodies for voting. Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75% of the member bodies with voting rights. Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard may be subject to patent rights. ISO is not responsible for the identification of any patent rights.

The ISO 9000 family of standards listed below has been developed to assist organizations of all types and sizes in the implementation and operation of effective quality management systems:

1. ISO 9000 describes the fundamentals of quality management systems and specifies the terminology for quality management systems. The ISO 9001 Standard specifies the requirements for quality management systems applicable to any organization that needs to demonstrate its ability to provide products that meet the requirements of its customers and the applicable regulations, and its objective is to increase satisfaction. the client's. ISO 9004 provides guidelines that consider both the effectiveness and efficiency of the quality management system. The objective of this standard is to improve the performance of the organization and the satisfaction of customers and other interested parties.ISO 19011 provides guidance regarding quality management and environmental management audits.

Quality management principles

To successfully lead and operate an organization requires that it be directed and controlled in a systematic and transparent manner. Success can be achieved by implementing and maintaining a management system that is designed to continually improve its performance by considering the needs of all stakeholders.

There are eight quality management principles that can be used by top management to drive the organization towards improved performance.

1. Customer Focus: Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, meet customer requirements, and strive to exceed customer expectations.

2. Leadership: Leaders establish the unity of purpose and orientation of the organization. They should create and maintain an internal environment, in which staff can become fully involved in achieving the organization's objectives.

3. Staff Participation: Staff, at all levels, is the essence of an organization, and their full commitment enables their skills to be used for the benefit of the organization.

4. Process-based approach: A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process.

5. System approach to management: Identifying, understanding and managing the interrelated processes as a system contributes to the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization in achieving its objectives.

6. Continuous improvement: The continuous improvement of the organization's global performance should be a permanent objective of the organization.

7. Factual approach to decision making: Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information.

8. Mutually beneficial supplier relationships: An organization and its suppliers are interdependent, and a mutually beneficial relationship increases the ability of both to create value.

These eight quality management principles form the basis of the quality management system standards of the ISO 9000 family of Standards.

Results of the implementation of Quality Systems in Society

1. Thanks to the Quality Management Systems, all the personnel of the organization have a greater participation in business (institutional) decisions, assuming, involving themselves and committing themselves to their objectives and occupying a more active role in front of the tasks that they must perform. There is greater productivity, it provides society with surpluses that allow us to have more free time, provide education and, in fact, continue with our own scientific work. Increased training and study continuity for improvement. Participation in scientific or innovative events with solutions derived from process analysis.

Conclusions

The theme addressed in this work related to the quality of teaching in higher education and its role in scientific - technological and social development allows us to conclude with the following aspects:

• The quality systems constitute subsystems that are formed in the context of the organization, with the purpose of guaranteeing the exercise of quality management of a directive nature that enables the organization to fulfill its mission, objectives and goals; as well as to the satisfaction of the needs, or other requirements of its clients. The spectacular growth of the implementation of quality systems in the entities allows us to see the arrival of a new stage, towards which our institutions must evolve, if they wish to insert themselves into the new social and economic conditions that characterize the environment, in which they are now our country must develop all its activities. The development of knowledge, the mastery of new technology are imperatives to achieve effective and efficient management,in a way that guarantees its excellence and competitiveness. In the framework of the globalization process that is taking place today, with scientific and technological advances and the growing economic and cultural exchange, education emerges as the link through which the future development of countries is possible and sustainable, therefore that the people of tomorrow must possess competencies and skills that allow them to function satisfactorily in society. Quality education would be one whose contents adequately respond to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society. The Higher Education student must have an integrating vision referred to: Science and Technology, University and Society.In the framework of the globalization process that is taking place today, with scientific and technological advances and the growing economic and cultural exchange, education emerges as the link through which the future development of countries is possible and sustainable, therefore that the people of tomorrow must possess competencies and skills that allow them to function satisfactorily in society. Quality education would be one whose contents adequately respond to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society. The Higher Education student must have an integrating vision referred to: Science and Technology, University and Society.In the framework of the globalization process that is taking place today, with scientific and technological advances and the growing economic and cultural exchange, education emerges as the link through which the future development of countries is possible and sustainable, therefore that the people of tomorrow must possess competencies and skills that allow them to function satisfactorily in society. Quality education would be one whose contents adequately respond to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society. The Higher Education student must have an integrating vision referred to: Science and Technology, University and Society.the growing economic and cultural exchange, education emerges as the link through which the future development of countries is possible and sustainable, so that the people of tomorrow must possess competencies and skills that allow them to function satisfactorily in society. Quality education would be one whose contents adequately respond to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society. The Higher Education student must have an integrating vision referred to: Science and Technology, University and Society.the growing economic and cultural exchange, education emerges as the link through which the future development of countries is possible and sustainable, so that the people of tomorrow must possess competencies and skills that allow them to function satisfactorily in society. Quality education would be one whose contents adequately respond to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society. The Higher Education student must have an integrating vision referred to: Science and Technology, University and Society.therefore, the people of tomorrow must possess competences and skills that allow them to function satisfactorily in society. Quality education would be one whose contents adequately respond to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society. The Higher Education student must have an integrating vision referred to: Science and Technology, University and Society.therefore, the people of tomorrow must possess competences and skills that allow them to function satisfactorily in society. Quality education would be one whose contents adequately respond to what the individual needs to develop as a person and to perform adequately in the various areas of society. The Higher Education student must have an integrating vision referred to: Science and Technology, University and Society.Science and Technology, University and Society.Science and Technology, University and Society.

recommendations

1. In order to achieve a quality education in this century that is just beginning, it is necessary to develop the creativity and innovation of the students, thus achieving active people in society. demanded by society.Increase the quality, efficiency, productivity and competitiveness in our universities, as a guarantee of future social benefits.

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