European Higher Education Area and the Introduction of a Quality Assurance Program in Greek Universities - Is Policy-Oriented Learning Present?

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay

Investigates whether policy-oriented learning emerges during the establishment and implementation of a quality assurance program within Greek university policy subsystems. Draws on the advocacy coalition framework by Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith to treat the Greek university as a policy subsystem where actors form coalitions, share core beliefs and values, and coordinate actions to translate these into public policy. Uses 35 semi-structured interviews combined with policy paper analysis to interpret the presence or absence of policy-oriented learning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

The Study’s Aim and Approach

Advocacy Coalition Framework Overview

Belief Systems and Policy Change

Policy Process Within the ACF

European Higher Education Area and the Introduction of a Quality Assurance Program in Greek Universities: Is Policy-Oriented Learning Present? George Stamelos1 and Aggelos Kavasakalis2 • This paper aims to investigate the production (or not) of policy-oriented learning during the establishment and implementation of a specific policy program in the policy sub-system of the Greek university as well asthe interpretation of the existence (or not) of policy-oriented learning. The theoretical tools were drawn mainly from the theoretical work of Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith, termed the ‘advocacy coalition framework (ACF)’. The Greek university is therefore considered to be a policy subsystem in which actors form coalition networks that share policy core beliefs and values, and engage in coordinated action in order to translate these beliefs and values into public policy. Thirty-five semi-structured interviews were used for the production of data, in combination with policy paper analysis. Keywords: Greek higher education; Higher education policy; Policy analysis; Quality assurance 1 *Corresponding Author. Department of Primary Education and Educational Sciences (PTDE), University of Patras, Greece; [stamelos@upatras.gr](stamelos@upatras.gr) 2 Department of Primary Education and Educational Sciences (PTDE), University of Patras and Geitonas School, Greece Evropski visokošolski prostor in vpeljava programa zazagotavljanje kakovosti na grških univerzah – ali obstajaprodukcija s politikami usmerjenega učenja? George Stamelos* in Aggelos Kavasakalis • Cilj prispevka je po eni strani raziskati produkcijo (ali odsotnost) s politikami (policy) usmerjenega učenja med pripravo in implementacijodoločenega strateškega (policy) programav grškem univerzitetnem podsistemu, po drugi strani pa interpretacijo obstoja (ali neobstoja) s politikami usmerjenega učenja. Teoretično izhodišče je izpeljano na podlagiteorije zagovorniške koalicije (advocacy coalition framework – ACF), ki sta jo podala Sabatier in Jenkins-Smith. Tako lahko grško univerzoobravnavamo kot strateški (policy) podsistem, v katerem akterji oblikujejo koalicijske mreže, ki delijo ista ključna strateška (policy) prepričanjain vrednote ter se vključujejo v koordinirane akcije z namenom, da bita prepričanja in vrednote prenesli v javne politike (policy) . Za potreberaziskave je bilo opravljenih 35 polstrukturiranih intervjujev v kombinaciji z analizo strateških (policy) dokumentov. Ključne besede: grško visoko šolstvo, visokošolske politike (policy), analiza politik (policy), zagotavljanje kakovosti Theoretical choices An overview of the framework The advocacy coalition framework (ACF) was initially designed in the late 1980s by Paul Sabatier and Hank Jenkins-Smith to help explain advocacy coalition structure and behaviour, the role of scientific and technical information in policy (policy-oriented learning) and policy change in policy subsystems. The ACF has since been applied worldwide to analyse the formation and implementation of policy programs through policy network analysis in different policy regimesand in different policy sectors.3 Among these works, some educational policy programs have been analysed. The ACF considers mapping out policy to be a continuous process without a concrete beginning and end. The content of reforms is influenced by the permanently altered coalition networks, which represent different policy beliefs, values and interests. Coalition networks are defined as groups of actors coordinating their behaviour to some extent in order to achieve a common, or complementary, political objective (Hula, 1999). As Sabatier claims, the ACF recognises ‘the importance of problem perception; shifts in elite and public opinion concerning the salience of various problems; periodic struggles over the proper locus of governmental authority; incomplete attainment of legallyprescribed goals; and an iterative process of policy formulation, problematic imp

FAQs

What is the paper’s main objective?

To examine whether policy-oriented learning is produced during the creation and implementation of a quality assurance program in Greek universities, and to interpret whether such learning exists or not.

Which theoretical framework guides the analysis?

The study mainly uses the advocacy coalition framework (ACF) developed by Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith to analyze policy subsystems and policy-oriented learning.

How is the empirical data collected?

The paper relies on 35 semi-structured interviews, supplemented by analysis of relevant policy papers.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay