Identifying the Components of Total Quality Management in Higher Education: Metasynthesis based on the Erwin Model

Paying attention to comprehensive quality management in universities is one of the most important approaches to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of higher education in recent years. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to identify the components of comprehensive quality management in higher education.

The present study was conducted with a qualitative approach and based on the meta-synthesis method based on the Erwin (2011) model. The research population consists of 214 articles and postgraduate theses on the components of comprehensive quality management in higher education centers that were presented between 2017 and 2024. The research sample includes 30 research articles that were collected purposefully and selected based on thematic monitoring of data. The research data were analyzed based on content analysis at three levels: basic, organizing, and comprehensive themes.

Based on data analysis, the components of total quality management in higher education centers were classified into 7 dimensions and 66 factors. These dimensions include contextual and infrastructural factors, process documentation, curriculum, human resources, customer-centricity, monitoring and evaluation, and leadership and management.

Comprehensive quality management is one of the necessities for improving the current situation in higher education. Considering the components identified in this field, the necessity of evaluating and monitoring the structural resources available in the university, information networking in the university, a transformational perspective in higher education, and professional development should be considered.