**3.1 Why does advance HE accreditation matter?**

It was immediately apparent that Advance HE accreditation matters greatly. Not least because time had been dedicated during the global pandemic, whilst institutions were hastily transitioning to Emergency Remote Teaching [44], to respond in substantial detail to the survey. Whilst a diverse range of answers were provided, three reasons behind institutional accreditation were most frequently cited by a quarter of respondents in each case. Before we consider each of these in turn, it is noteworthy that only two respondents explicitly mentioned students in their rationale for institutional accreditation, a point we return to later.

#### *3.1.1 External benchmarking*

Respondents frequently drew on discourses of marketization [45] and quality improvement in their responses with 'external benchmarking' most frequently cited as the rationale for Advance HE accreditation. HEA Fellowship was regarded as having a particular '*currency in the sector*' and was especially sought after by the non-UK institutions who regarded it as a means of acquiring *'Global recognition'*, both at an institutional and individual level. As one respondent put it: '*We know and accept that UK has the high quality of educational system'* and *'We value the UKPSF'.* Several respondents also valued the independent nature of the quality assurance.

Benchmarking is defined in [46] as "the process of self-evaluation and selfimprovement through the systematic and collaborative comparison of practice and performance with similar organisations in order to identify strengths and

weaknesses…and to set new targets to improve performance." The process is evidence based, and by comparing to organisations similar to themselves, institutions seek to enhance their own practices, ultimately seeking a competitive advantage. As universities around the globe compete to attract staff and students, an external reference point involving benchmarking across borders has taken on increasing significance.

The UKPSF was cited as being a *'robust pedagogical tool'* and the associated Fellowships were regarded as having a *'real currency in the sector'.* One institution from an international institution in the Global South noted:

*Already we see the UKPSF being embedded institutionally as a benchmark. This year for the first time engagement in [The university's accredited CPD scheme] and gaining HEA fellowships has been set as one of the conditions for the most prestigious university-wide award on Teaching that is given out at the annual convocation ceremony. The "Award of Excellence in Teaching and Teaching Leadership" specifies the criteria that applicants must have engaged in applied learning from CPD in their teaching practice, including within [the accredited CPD scheme] and have benchmarked their teaching practice internationally.*

Gaining accreditation also ensured that staff had access to a '*community of practice'* that extended well beyond their own institution. The '*sharing of experiences and resources'* was deemed particularly important for smaller institutions and those from outside the UK. By virtue of being Members of Advance HE institutions have access to services and resources that provide extended networking opportunities. For example, Advance HE facilitates 'Accredited Programme Leaders Forums' that encourage cross-institutional networking opportunities. Similarly, the online platform 'Advance HE Connect' provides accessible discussion opportunities and current information regardless of geography or time-zone.

In relation to the concept of benchmarking, several respondents discussed the setting of 'targets' or numbers of staff to achieve Fellowship via the institution's accredited provision. 43% of survey respondents reported institutional targets were set, 51% did not have targets and 6% were either unknown or missing. Several institutions had 'lofty' key performance indicators of over 80% of its teaching staff to achieve Fellowship within the next year or two. For some, this was explicitly embedded within the institution's probation policy which served as a mechanism to ensure compliance, aligning to discourses of managerialism and accountability now infiltrating teaching enhancement units in HE [4]. New appointments with teaching responsibilites were therefore required to achieve Fellowship within a specified time period. As one respondent articulated:

*The institution values the ability to award Fellowships and aims to increase its numbers. It is held important that the PGCert provides as much in terms of qualifications and status as possible, and aligns with sector practice to professionalise teaching.*

Although an increasing feature of contemporary HE [47], target setting is a contentious area. In relation to teaching credentials targets are most frequently monitored and managed via probationary policies designed to ensure requirements are written into appointment letters. This is certainly not the intention of the accrediting body, but a consequence of the managerialist demands and 'audit culture' of HE [4, 48]. In this survey the polarised views surrounding target setting were also evident.

*We have always resisted setting targets, and annually defend this position on the grounds of prioritising educational enhancement, not metric chasing.*

#### *Institutional Accreditation and the Professionalisation of Teaching in the HE Sector DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99805*

Implicit within the above quotation is the recognition that gaining Fellowship, on its own, does not necessarily lead to enhancement. As Ball [49] argues a permanent measurement culture requires people to perform in certain material ways – in this case, gaining recognition for their teaching via Fellowship – these 'performances', are rooted in 'institutional self-interest' (p.216). As an illustration, when asked 'What motivated your institution to apply for accreditation?' one respondent simply wrote: *'to ensure we returned a good percentage of staff in the HESA Teaching Qualifications Return.'* Much measurement, like the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data referred to here, is subsequently used in league tables and plays a role in determining an institution's reputation for teaching. In an increasingly competitive market place this matters greatly to institutions. Indeed, this is a sentiment echoed by participants in related studies centred on the evaluation of accredited CPD schemes [50, 51]. Awareness of the external value and role in league tables was often cited when respondents considered the potential institutional benefits of gaining accreditation. This illustrates the extent to which the rhetoric of performance has infiltrated individual practice.
