THE CURRENT STATUS OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IN AN UNDERGRADUATE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE PROGRAM AFTER ACCREDITATION: A CASE STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY IN HO CHI MINH CITY

Abstract

Quality Improvement (QI) of educational programs after Quality Accreditation (QA) has become a compulsory requirement to ensure and enhance the effectiveness of training activities in contemporary higher education institutions. This study aims to investigate and analyze the current status of QI implementation in the undergraduate Traditional Medicine program following QA at a university located in Ho Chi Minh City. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining a questionnaire survey of 59 lecturers and 34 support staff members with in-depth interviews of 7 individuals directly involved in QA and QI processes of the educational program. The findings indicate that QI activities are assessed by both respondent groups as having achieved a "mostly improved" level, reflecting that improvement efforts have been implemented across most core components. However, certain areas remain limited, such as responding to the expectations of external stakeholders, public disclosure of program information, effective communication of educational philosophy and standardization of assessment activities aligned with learning outcomes. Based on these findings, the study proposes several directions to address existing limitations and contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of QI in the Traditional Medicine educational program post-accreditation.