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Title:: Quality Assurance: Reality or Illusion? A Reflection on International School Accreditation System from the Perspective of Institutional Theory

Keywords:: international education; international school accreditation; quality assurance

Abstract:: High-quality education is a pivotal issue in the evolution of modern education. The school accreditation system serves as a robust foundation to ensure educational quality and its continuous improvement. With the increasing number of international schools worldwide, the international school accreditation system plays a crucial role in quality assurance. However, there are emerging concerns about the system's shift in purpose, its increasing formalization, and a tendency towards tokenism. Based on institutional theory and using the “institutional element-carrier” theoretical framework, this study examined the impact and real-world challenges of the international school accreditation system in safeguarding educational quality. The analysis indicates that while the accreditation system positively influences the standardized development of international schools, there is an increasing tendency towards utilitarianism, formalism, and homogenization in practice. This has, to a large extent, undermined the core purpose of quality assurance, weakening its actual effectiveness. Properly understanding the values, practices, and cultural tensions within the international school accreditation system is vital for maximizing its role in quality assurance and promoting the construction of high-quality schools.