Assessment of Academic Performance through SQC: An Application of Control Charts

The key output of a quality focused education system is well qualified and knowledgeable students. It is the most important function of a quality intensive education system to continuously assess and improve the student’s academic and overall performance. Quality means degree of excellence or fitness for use. Total Quality Management practices particularly Statistical Quality Control (SQC) is used for the systematic reduction in the variation in quality of a product/services. Education institutions have also executed TQM practices in order to improve the grading system for assessment of the performance of students. This study applies SQC in assessing the academic performance of the students. Systematic application of control charts is indeed helpful to identify the areas considered for assessment/evaluation of student’s academic performance which needs development and improvement. This SQC based approach may allow the faculty/mentors/teachers/instructors to assess the performance of the student more objectively so that appropriate measures can be initiated by the education institution to improve the level of academic performance of the student in accordance with educational standards. In addition, it allows and fosters delivering quality education. An attempt has been made in the present study to assess and compare student’s academic performance with control charts. Study also compares the academic performance of the students in theoretical and practical subjects. With systematic application of SQC in the assessment process, academic performance of students found better in theoretical subjects comparatively and it has been recommended that that improvement is required in the numerical based subjects.