The Impact of Massification - Is Australian Education Moving towards Deterioration - A Study

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of removal of higher education funding to the delivery and quality of Australian higher education. The data for this paper was collected from academics employed at Institutes of higher education within the Melbourne area in Australia. As the purpose of the study was to gain in-depth information from academics, a qualitative approach was taken. Academics from Institute of higher education were interviewed one on one. The data was analysed using Nvivo to identify themes. There are important contributions that surfaced out of this study, through this study, (i) the factors that are perceived as lowering the quality of higher education was identified. Through that identification, (ii) further investigation and corrective actions can now be taken to ensure that the quality of education is not compromised and the sustainability of these Institutes of Higher Education can be safeguarded. This study also provides recommendations as to what can be done to support Institutes of Higher Education to meet teaching and research goals.