Rapid expansion of higher education in Turkey: The challenges of recently established public universities

• In Event: Regional comparisons in higher education

Abstract

Purpose and Main Perspective
Higher education systems around the world have witnessed a tremendous expansion since the 1950s. Worldwide gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education has risen significantly from about 3 percent in 1950 to 19 percent in 2000 and to 31 percent in 2012 (UNESCO, 2014). Turkey is no exception to this global trend of expansion in higher education. The tertiary enrollment rate in Turkey has followed an upward trend over time and has grown from as low as 1.3 percent in 1950 to 74.9 percent in 2013 (UNESCO). While extending higher education to wider range of population has long been an important educational policy goal in Turkey, the most serious attempts to accomplish this goal have taken place during the last decade. Turkey has adopted and followed an aggressive growth strategy between after 2006, and has established 41 public universities across the country.
The rapid expansion of higher education in Turkey has aroused debates about its magnitude and effect on academic quality. Many critics have commented that establishing so many universities in relatively a very short time and without adequate infrastructure and/or planning would lower the quality standards. Given its magnitude and possible policy implications on various aspects of higher education system, it is not surprising that this recent expansion strategy in Turkey has attracted wide attention, and has evoked much criticism, from various stakeholders. No scientific inquiry, however, has been conducted so far on the challenges of establishing new universities. This qualitative exploratory study aims to fill this gap by exploring the challenges faced by recently established public universities in Turkey.

Methods and Data Sources
The overarching research question of this study is: What are the challenges that newly established public universities in Turkey have been facing and how these challenges can be overcome? In order to answer this question, a qualitative research approach is used. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of 12 rectors of public universities established after 2006. We used one of the purposeful sampling techniques: maximum variation (heterogeneity) sampling. In analyzing qualitative data (transcripts) three-step systematic thematic coding approach was utilized (Strauss, 1987). First, open data coding has been used to condense data into the major themes; then axial coding has been used to organize the subthemes and links them by discovering key categories; and finally, after the concepts have been well developed and several core generalizations have been identified selective coding was used to select cases.

Results
Our qualitative study have revealed that newly established have been experiencing significant challenges and those challenges should be taken into consideration in developing new higher education policies for Turkey. We summarize our major findings as follows:
•Finding and recruiting skilled administrative staff and qualified faculty was found to be a real challenge by the senior administrators.
•Many participants in this study have expressed their concern about too much interference from local public authorities in finding the campus location (and hiring new personnel).
•Most participants expressed that, considering the limitations of the central government budget, the financial support provided to the universities have been generous. Nonetheless, some of the universities still need additional finance to develop the campus.
•Several participants complained about getting limited or no financial support from local community and businesses.
•One of the academic challenges faced by senior administrators is related to the difficulty of filling the quota in some academic programs.
•This study also showed that many participating senior administrators have had a difficulty in meeting with the unrealistic, mainly economic, demands placed on them by the local community.
•Participants have diverse opinions about further expansion. While many acknowledged the need for further growth of the higher education system, they emphasized the need for a careful planning due to their concern that establishing new public universities in the near future might hinder the development of recently established universities.

Significance to the Field of CIE
Higher education systems in most countries are still under a dramatic pressure to further expand their enrollments, and therefore, the expansion trend is likely to continue in the years ahead. This is particularly true for the middle and low income countries where mass higher education has not been realized yet. We believe that the lessons learned from Turkey’s current experience might also be enlightening for other developing countries many of which have been struggling with increasing access to higher education.

References
Strauss, A.L. (1987). Qualitative analysis for social scientists. New York: Cambridge University Press.
UNESCO. (2014). UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Authors

• Murat Özoğlu, Yıldırım Beyazıt University

• Bekir Gür, Yıldırım Beyazıt University

• Sedat Gumus, Necmettin Erbakan University