Ever since the comprehensive evaluation system was implemented for technical and vocational colleges and universities in Taiwan, it has functioned in better discrimination between schools; discovery of existing problems, guidance of future directions, better supervision for schools to make improvements, and offer of consultations and suggestions. Nonetheless, there remain problems such as homogeneity of evaluative standard that limit schools to develop their own special characteristics, the solely concerns of schools to achieve better evaluative that result in displacements of school resources. Accreditation was subsequently implemented in order to maintain merits of current evaluative system and improve upon its loopholes. Nevertheless, how to further polish that policy and incorporate Quality Assurance into its mechanism is little explored and thus addressed in this paper.
By employing literature review as a means to delineate the relationships between accreditation and quality assurance, and further highlight points of problems during analysis. This study analyzes respective developments of TVE (Technological and Vocational Education) Systems within both Australia and European Union, in order to explore how policies are implemented within vertical hierarchy of institutions, and how theses have evolved over horizontal time pattern, so that present the whole picture of each evaluation system. This study eventually contributes to providence of a conceptual framework of quality assurance indicators for technical and vocational education in Taiwan.
Furthermore, through adapting in-depth interviews, expert validation questionnaire, fuzzy Delphi technique questionnaire, and hierarchical analysis, this study also conducted 57 persons/times interviews with scholars and professionals, and made surveillances and analyses thereafter, by which completed the construction of framework and weighting system of quality assurance for higher technical and vocational education in Taiwan, the conclusions are as follows:
1. The current quality framework of assurance indicators for higher technical and vocational education that comprise four dimensions, 20 primary indicators and 76 sub-indicators are appropriate.
2. The comprehensive weighting priorities of framework of quality assurance indicators for higher technical and vocational education in Taiwan sequence from high to low are as follows: "Input Dimension", "Outcome Dimension", "Dimension of Learning Transformation" and "Fundamental Dimension".
3. With regards to ‘Fundamental Dimension’ of framework of quality assurance indicators for higher technical and vocational education in Taiwan, the main indicator "1-1 Policies and Laws" occupies higher weight; and sub-indicator "1-1-1 Promote School Affairs in Compliance with the University Act and other Relevant Provisions" occupies higher weight.
4. With regards to ‘Input Dimension’ of framework of quality assurance indicators for higher technical and vocational education in Taiwan, the main indicator "2-1 Positioning of Schools" occupies higher weight; and sub-indicator "2-1-1 Positioning Schools and Faculties to have Clear Corresponding Industries with Special Characteristics" occupies higher weight.
5. With regards to ‘Dimension of Learning Transformation’ of framework of quality assurance indicators for higher technical and vocational education in Taiwan, the main indicator "3-4 Professional Development of Teachers” occupies higher weight; and sub-indicator "3-4-1 School Teachers have Professional Experiences relevant to Teaching Subjects" occupies higher weight.
6. With regards to "Outcome Dimension" of framework of quality assurance indicators for higher technical and vocational education in Taiwan, the main indicator "4-1 Learning Effectiveness" occupies higher weight; and sub-indicator “4-1-1 Learning Outcomes of Students that Match Graduate Requirements of Each School" occupies higher weight.
7. There shows a consistency between ‘Qualitative Interviews with Experts’ and ‘Results of Quantitative Analysis’ in the framework of quality assurance indicators for higher technical and vocational education in Taiwan.
Finally, in accordance with results of literature reviews, in-depth interviews, final research results and other discussions above, this study proposes several suggestions for the reference of related authorities, universities, colleges of science and following researches.