Operationalising pedagogical policy enactment to enhance quality assurance and student satisfaction in higher education

Purpose This study aims to integrate, operationalise and evaluate previously developed pedagogical policy guidelines within an institutional quality assurance (QA) matrix to examine their implementation and association with student satisfaction outcomes in higher education (HE). Design/methodology/approach UK-based HE department was used as a longitudinal case study. Data collection involved auditing the adoption of pedagogical policy guidelines across 44 sampled modules and National Student Survey (NSS) themes, alongside analysis of corresponding NSS outcomes. Regression, thematic and comparative analyses were conducted to examine the relative associations between policy adoption and student satisfaction. Findings Student satisfaction increased across the analysed NSS themes, alongside increased policy adoption. Pedagogical practices demonstrated positive associations with student satisfaction outcomes, while organisational elements exhibited comparatively weaker associations. The findings support a differentiated and prioritised approach to pedagogical policy enactment. Practical implications The policy prioritisation and pedagogical integration (PPPI) model provides a staged framework for prioritising and operationalising pedagogical practices within HE curriculum design and QA processes. Originality/value The study extends existing pedagogical policy literature beyond framework development towards implementation-oriented evaluation. It operationalises previously developed pedagogical policy guidelines through audit-based evaluation and examines associations between policy adoption and student satisfaction outcomes.