Walaa Bakry, Phillip McGowan and Felicity Hardley 2025. Embedding Continuous Improvement in Undergraduate Education: A UK Business School Case Study. 18th Annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation. Seville, Spain 10 - 12 Nov 2025 IATED Digital Library. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2025.1272
| Title | Embedding Continuous Improvement in Undergraduate Education: A UK Business School Case Study |
|---|---|
| Authors | Walaa Bakry, Phillip McGowan and Felicity Hardley |
| Type | Conference paper |
| Abstract | Achieving sustained improvement in undergraduate education requires more than isolated interventions; it demands a systematic, data-informed approach grounded in educational evidence. This case study from Westminster Business School, London, demonstrates how a structured continuous improvement model was embedded across five undergraduate programmes, enrolling over 1,100 students annually, including full-time, part-time, and apprenticeship learners. The model follows three interconnected stages: problem identification, pedagogically informed curriculum development, and tutor-led reflection. Initially, teaching teams analysed first-attempt pass rates and attainment gaps to determine priority areas. These insights drove collaborative curriculum redesign, enabling staff to adopt evidence-based practices over individual preferences. Tutors took ownership of improvement, reflecting on student outcomes and refining their practices through structured review cycles. Guided by three core principles—aligning interventions with educational evidence, enhancing the student experience, and improving the colleague experience—the model fostered a culture of collaborative change. Module-level actions were collectively agreed and owned by teaching teams. They were reviewed annually, with progress transparently monitored and shared each semester. Over two academic years, the approach delivered measurable institutional gains: first-attempt pass rates increased by 7.8%, and the attainment gap narrowed by 5.4%. In addition, qualitative feedback revealed greater tutor satisfaction and professional engagement, contributing to improved student progression rates. This study contributes a transferable framework for embedding continuous improvement in higher education practice. By combining data-driven analysis, collaborative curriculum design, and sustained tutor engagement, the model demonstrates how measurable improvements in student success and staff experience can be achieved at programme and institutional levels. The approach aligns with sector-wide priorities on inclusive curriculum design, evidence-based pedagogy, and continuous enhancement of learning and teaching. |
| Year | 2025 |
| Conference | 18th Annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation |
| Publisher | IATED Digital Library |
| Publisher's version | File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | Nov 2025 |
| Journal | ICERI2025 Proceedings |
| ISSN | 2340-1095 |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2025.1272 |
| Web address (URL) | https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2025.1272 |