Suchergebnisse

Abstract

Research background: Total Quality Management – TQM consists in managing an organization in which the continuous striving for quality based on the Deming Cycle is an important assumption. Even though the 'product', in reference to higher education, is not the same as in reference to industry, higher education can be improved in terms of quality and the manner of conducting classes, and administrative work by applying the TQM methods.

Purpose: The main purpose of the research conducted at the University of Lodz was to identify and compare the determinants affecting the opinion of the students and lecturers on the assessment of the possibilities and effectiveness of introduction of the CQI methods in the Polish higher education.

Research methodology: Multivariate statistical methods – cluster analysis were used for the analysis and cross tabulations.

Results: Students and lecturers of the University of Lodz positively evaluated the CQI methods. The research shows most of the assumptions of the CQI concept can be adapted to the conditions of work at Polish universities; 68.92% of respondents stated that the CQI methods may be perceived as a concept of improvement of the quality of a university institution; 89.86% of respondents believe that the CQI methods are appropriate on the concept of the improvement of the quality of given classes/lectures.

Novelty: The value of this paper is a contribution to the debate on needs and improving the quality of education at Polish universities.

The article presents the theory of parallel testing and a few selected examples of the application of tests comparing the results of the examination. To examine whether these methods were taken into account the results of the secondary school examination conducted in years 2011–2013 in mathematics and natural sciences with a corresponding smoothing test in the Lodz voivodship. The level of both secondary school and matriculation exams from year to year is getting lower. This creates an additional problem with the comparison of the results of examination for recruitment to high schools and universities. The introduction of smoothing methods to the creation of examination papers would facilitate recruitment.

Abstract

Research background
Household income is one of the most important economic categories depending on various factors, in particular on the level of education of the head of the household. Salaries are treated as the market valuation of graduates made by employers. Hence, the question arises of how the education system affects the distribution of household income, in particular in the group of people with higher education.


Purpose
The aim of the paper is to apply the Singh-Maddala model to describe the income distribution of people with primary, secondary and higher education in Poland and the USA. On the basis of numerical characteristics and measures of income inequality, the situation of education, in particular higher education, and its impact on household income in the analyzed countries were assessed.


Research methodology
The study used data from the Luxembourg Income Study Database (LIS) from 2020. All analyzes were based on the Singh-Maddala model. The maximum likelihood method was used to estimate the model parameters.


Results
The analysis showed that the higher the level of education, the better the income situation of the household. In Poland, salaries in the group of people with higher education are the most unequal, while in the USA the greatest income inequalities occur in the group of people with primary education.


Novelty
The paper describes the issue of household income distribution and income inequality, which is an important and current socio-economic problem. To describe and analyze the economic situation of the household incomes of people with different levels of education in Poland and the USA statistical data from the Luxembourg Income Study Database (LIS) was used. Empirical studies conducted for different samples add significantly to existing knowledge on the topic.

Education should be able to keep up with the changes taking place in the surrounding reality, both in terms of its content and mode of work. In addition to technological progress, these changes have been recently stimulated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related restrictions which enforced distance learning. These circumstances pose a question about the effectiveness of online learning.
The aim of this paper is to compare the effectiveness of distance and classroom learning. The analyses are based on the results of the final exams in mathematics obtained by first-year fulltime students majoring in finance and accounting at the University of Lodz in the years 2018/2019 (classroom learning) and 2020/2021 (distance learning). These students' scores achieved in the basic-level matura exam in mathematics served as a point of reference. The teaching mode remained the same throughout the entire cycle of classes in the aforementioned years. The assessment of the effectiveness of learning was based on the Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient, which is commonly used by economists to determine income inequality. However, it can also be applied to any kind of data of an unequal distribution.
The conducted research showed no significant differences in terms of the effects of distance learning and classroom learning, which proves that the university maintained a high quality of education despite the introduced change in the mode of teaching. The descriptive statistics relating to the verification of the mathematical knowledge in the selected student groups – in particular the left-sided asymmetry – indicate a slight predominance of positive results achieved in the final exams during distance learning compared to the results obtained during classroom education, which also applies to the matura exams. However, these differences are not significant as they differ by approximately 0.1 p.p.

The aim of this article is to investigate the similarities between the EU countries in terms of achieving the Europe 2020 Strategy goals. Due to the latest data availability, the analysis is based on the year 2014. The study uses grouping methods, including the k-means algorithm. The results indicate the existence of a division between the "old" and "new" European Union Member States. However, as is shown, some of the Strategy's targets have already been achieved and some indicators have been nearly achieved, whereas among others, such as implementation of the headline indicator for investment in the R&D sector as a % of GDP is uncertain. The average performance of headline indicators for the EU-15 and EU-13 countries seems to be similar and exhibits the same trend of changes.

The aim of this article is to investigate the similarities between the EU countries in terms of achieving the Europe 2020 Strategy goals. Due to the latest data availability, the analysis is based on the year 2014. The study uses grouping methods, including the k-means algorithm. The results indicate the existence of a division between the "old" and "new" European Union Member States. However, as is shown, some of the Strategy's targets have already been achieved and some indicators have been nearly achieved, whereas among others, such as implementation of the headline indicator for investment in the R&D sector as a % of GDP is uncertain. The average performance of headline indicators for the EU–15 and EU–13 countries seems to be similar and exhibits the same trend of changes. ; Celem artykułu jest zbadanie podobieństwa krajów Unii Europejskiej pod kątem realizacji celów strategii Europa 2020. Z uwagi na dostępność danych, analizę oparto na realizacji wskaźników za 2014 r. W badaniu posłużono się metodami grupowania obiektów, w tym metodą k‑średnich. Uzyskane wyniki wskazują na podział krajów z wyraźną dominacją podziału na kraje starej i nowej Unii Europejskiej. Jak pokazuje analiza część założonych celów już została osiągnięta, część zbliża się do wartości ustalonych celów, podczas gdy np. realizacja celu dla wskaźnika wydatków na badania i rozwój wyrażonych jako ich udział w PKB jest niepewna. Średnie wykonanie w zakresie głównych wskaźników dla krajów UE–15 i UE–13 wydaje się być zbliżone i o podobnym trendzie.

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