| Summary: | 博士 === 國立中央大學 === 學習與教學研究所 === 102 === Engineering accreditation has been implemented for ten years in Taiwan. The aims of this study attempt to explore what impact, has the accreditation had on curriculum and instruction of the programs, faculty development and students learning outcomes, and analyze the political structures within the programs and the operations of social systems on the processes of accreditation.
The research approach of this study is mixed-methods research. The data were collected by questionnaire survey, in-depth interview and participant observation. The population of this study was 7706 faculty members from engineering programs passed by engineering accreditation until 2011. 1135 questionnaires were sent, and the total valid returned questionnaires were 489. Data were analyzed by the method of descriptive and inferential statistics, including mean and standard deviation, t-test, and ANOVA. Finally, twenty engineering faculty members, program chairpersons, and deans were interviewed. Consequently, both the Soft Systems Methodology and general inductive approach were adopted to analyze and interpret the qualitative data.
Based on the results of various data from literature review, questionnaires and interviews, the following seven points are summarized:
1. Engineering Accreditation in Taiwan was implemented mostly by top-down, and it resulted in a lack of faculty’s identity.
2. Program chairperson played an important role in the engineering accreditation implementation; program chairperson’s attitude made significant impact on the continuous improvement of to-be-accredited programs.
3. The survey showed that faculty members generally felt positive changes from engineering accreditation, but this result was inconsistent with interview contents.
4. Faculty who served as administrators of the university tended to have more in-depth consciousness toward the impact of accreditation upon curriculum and instruction, faculty development, and student learning outcomes.
5. If faculty didn’t understand what the engineering accreditation is all about, it tended to affect their identity to be involved.
6. Even though most of the faculty agreed the aim and mechanism of engineering accreditation, they still doubt that weather the continuous improvement could be accomplished by implementing the accreditation.
7. The best practice of engineering accreditation only happened when the internal values of the faculty and the norms of programs had reached balance.
There have been few studies to analyze the effects of engineering accreditation and the internal political structures of programs and the operations of social systems on the processes of accreditation through qualitative approach. This study wishes to serve as a basis for further study of evaluating the effectiveness of engineering accreditation in Taiwan.
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