Beyond Employment Rate: A Multidimensional Indicator of Higher Education Effectiveness

Maria Cristiana Martini () and Luigi Fabbris
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Maria Cristiana Martini: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Luigi Fabbris: University of Padua

Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, 2017, vol. 130, issue 1, No 18, 370 pages

Abstract: Abstract This paper proposes a multidimensional indicator of higher education effectiveness that aims at going beyond the limits of measuring university effectiveness merely through employment rates. The units of analysis are the study programmes. Eleven indicators related to external effectiveness are selected, and their reliability for and relevance to the representation of the concept of effectiveness are empirically evaluated. The data are drawn from a longitudinal survey administered to graduates of the University of Padua, Italy, from 2008 to 2011. From our analyses, effectiveness appears to be a multidimensional concept composed by professional empowerment, employability and personal fulfilment. The right time for collecting relevant data on educational outcomes varies according to the types of indicators: indicators of professional empowerment assessed 1 year after graduation are most suitable, while for personal fulfilment measurement both short- and long-term evaluation are relevant, and, for employability, data collected 3 years after graduation cannot discriminate among study programmes.

Keywords: Educational effectiveness; Composite indicator; Indicator relevance; Indicator reliability; Structural equation modelling; University of Padua (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1007/s11205-015-1179-z

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