Evaluating service quality in the higher education sector in Iran: an examination of students’ perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satar Rezaei ◽  
Behzad Karami Matin ◽  
Mohammad Hajizadeh ◽  
Ali Soroush ◽  
Zahra Mohammadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Educational Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education

Purpose Education is a human right and access to high quality education is key to sustainable socioeconomic development. Improving the quality of higher education institutes is essential for generating the productive human resources. Assessing the quality of higher education from the students’ perspective can be considered a crucial factor in the monitoring of service quality in universities. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality of educational services in a higher education institute, the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), in the west of Iran. Design/methodology/approach A multistage sampling method was used to select 346 students from the KUMS, who were enrolled in the second semester of the academic year 2015-2016. The SERVQUAL questionnaire was used to gather data on students’ perceptions and their expectations about the quality of educational services. The authors used a statistical significance level of 0.05 to examine the gap between the students’ expectations and their perceptions of service quality in five dimensions, namely tangibles, responsiveness, reliability, empathy and assurance. Findings The results showed that there was a negative service quality gap in all five dimensions. The overall mean score of students’ expectations and their perceptions was 3.19±0.44 and 2.4±0.45, respectively. The score gap between the overall mean score of perceptions and expectations of students was −0.79, which was statistically significant (p<0.0001). The highest and lowest quality gaps were related to the assurance (−0.84) and tangible (−0.70) dimensions, respectively. Originality/value The study indicated that the quality of educational services provided in the KUMS did not meet students’ expectations in five dimensions of service quality. Thus, it warrants further investigations to determine how to improve the quality of educational services in higher education institutes such as the KUMS.

scholarly journals MEASURING THE QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITAS MURIA KUDUS

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-26
Author(s):  
Muhkhammat Sahrul Gunawan, Dian Erliana Febriyanti, Rangga Primadasa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Education Services ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
Ease Of Access

The spread of Covid-19 led to changes in Higher Education services at Universitas Muria Kudus, where the learning system was carried out online. Servperf is a method for measuring the performance of performance-based service quality. This method is used in this study, where five dimensions of service quality, namely tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy are used as the basis. The literature review was conducted to obtain 15 indicators. From the results of distributing questionnaires based on these 15 indicators, 118 respondents were students of Universitas Muria Kudus. From the tangible dimensions, the average score is 3, the average reliability dimension score is 3.358757, the Responsiveness dimension has an average score of 3.180791, The Assurance dimension has an average score of 3.217514, and the Empathy dimension has an average score of 2.988701. Whereas the highest score indicator was obtained namely the lecturer workforce was able to communicate and present the material well in online learning with an average score of 3.51. Meanwhile, the lowest indicators are indicators namely Ease of access and internet connection during online learning and the learning process that is easy to understand by students during online learning with the same average score of 2.67.

scholarly journals Application of the SERVQUAL Model for the Evaluation of the Service Quality in Moroccan Higher Education: Public Engineering School as a Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 223
Author(s):  
Ouissal GOUMAIRI ◽  
Es-Saâdia AOULA ◽  
Souad BEN SOUDA
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Job Market ◽  
Engineering School ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
The University

The quality of higher education systems currently represents a major challenge for the development of societies. In Morocco, engineering education is at the heart of this development, it is a major and necessary lever which, due to an increasingly demanding job market, faces several challenges. According to Moroccan Directorate for Strategies and Information Systems (2018) these challenges are classified into two categories: quantitative (low rate of Moroccan engineers compared to global figures; 1.57 graduates in engineering per 10,000 inhabitants in 2016) and qualitative (adaptation of the academic curriculum to the needs of the job market). However, little work has been done on the introduction of service assessment tools in higher education in Morocco (Akrim, Figari, Mottier-Lopez, & Talbi, 2010).In our article, we are interested in the SERVQUAL method (SERVice QUALity-Quality of Service). This approach, initially designed to measure customer satisfaction in a company, allows, when applied to higher education, to measure student satisfaction at the university. Based on a bibliographic research, we have identified the five dimensions of the model that impact the quality of service.Through the application of this model to a sample of students from a public engineering school, we have been able to determine that tangible elements and physical installations have the biggest impact on service quality with a negative quality gap (-2.0275). As a result, more efforts are needed in these dimensions to improve service quality.In conclusion, the SERVQUAL model, applied to the educational system and more precisely higher education, allows to quantify the non-quality by measuring the gap between the perception of the students and their expectations for a good service. It has the advantage of helping decision-makers take corrective actions needed to improve the service quality provided by universities as a part of a process of continuous improvement to achieve higher degree of excellence.

Factors, criteria, and determinants of the increase in the effectiveness of university education in Russia

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Gushchina
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
University Education ◽  
Educational Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Main Determinants ◽  
Intellectual Potential

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to view the actual problems of the Russian system of higher education: lack of connection between labor market and market of educational services, decline in the quality of higher education in the country, reduction of intellectual potential of the youth, commercialization of higher education, etc. Design/methodology/approach The author offers approaches to complex evaluation of university education from the positions of social and economic effectiveness on the basis of the matrix of criteria; modern tendencies and perspectives of the development of educational environment are determined, as well as factors facilitating the achievement of the maximum effectiveness of educational activities in Russian universities. Findings The author offers her own vision of the main determinants of the growth of the effectiveness of university education within the framework of Russia’s integration into the global educational space. Originality/value The paper views the actual problems of the Russian system of higher education: lack of connection between labor market and market of educational services, decline in the quality of higher education in the country, reduction of intellectual potential of the youth, commercialization of higher education, etc.

scholarly journals IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE SYSTEM OF STATE REGULATION

2021 ◽  
pp. 35-42
Author(s):  
Ek.V. Agamirova ◽  
◽  
N.V. Kosareva ◽  
El.V. Agamirova ◽  
N.A. Ulyakina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Educational System ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Educational Services ◽  
Academic Mobility ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
The Russian Federation

The article considers approaches to improving the quality of higher education in the system of state regulation. It is established that the reform of the educational system in the Russian Federation requires adequate changes in the internal management of universities, their transition to the principles of strategic planning, monitoring of the educational services market, personnel management, expansion of academic freedoms and academic mobility of all participants in the educational process.

Measuring Relative Effectiveness of Service Quality Factors Affecting Quality of Higher Education in India

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 30-46
Author(s):  
Anshuman Kaler
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Program Quality ◽  
Quality Factors ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Input Quality ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education

The existing competitive environment in the education sector in India has forced higher education institutes to adopt ‘students as a customer' approach in educational delivery. The extant literature supports seven dimensions of service quality namely input quality, curriculum, academic facilities, industry interaction, interaction quality, support facilities, and nonacademic processes. The objective of the study was to measure the relative effectiveness of service quality factors as perceived by the Indian students. Focus group interviews were conducted with a group of technical and management students. Stratified judgmental sampling was used for the data collection. In the current study, it was observed that the factor of program quality plays a more dominant role than the factor of quality of life in determining the service quality in institutes of higher education. It is further observed that in the sub-dimension of program quality, the factor of curriculum and academic facilities are relatively more dominant than the factor of input quality.

Service quality of student services and student satisfaction: the mediating effect of cross-functional collaboration

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1197-1215
Author(s):  
Anwar Khamis Alsheyadi ◽  
Jawaher Albalushi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effect Model

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the interaction of tangibles, reliability, assurance, responsiveness and empathy dimensions of the service quality (SERVQUAL) and student satisfaction (SS), and second, to explore the mediating role of cross-functional collaboration (CFC) on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe structural equation modelling was used to examine the direct and mediated effect models using data collected through a survey of 352 students from 18 higher education institutes (HEIs) in Oman.FindingsThe statistical analysis confirms our main hypotheses. First, the centrality of tangibles, reliability, assurance, responsiveness and empathy dimensions of the service quality was established in the direct effect model, while the importance of tangibles and responsiveness was not confirmed in the mediated effect model. Second, it approved the partial mediation effect of CFC on the five dimensions of SERVQUAL and satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsService quality, level of CFC and relative SS in higher education could be subjected to contextual verification and evaluation of these internal and external contextual factors should be considered.Practical implicationsSeveral implications are highlighted for the effective development of the service quality of student affairs departments (SADs), the development of CFC for effective management, development and deployment of various student affairs initiatives.Originality/valueThis paper satisfies the need to validate the SERVQUAL model in different contexts such as SADs, and the need to investigate the possible mediating effect of other factors on SERVQUAL dimensions and satisfaction to show how the latter can be achieved.

The quality of higher education through the eyes of the consumers of educational services

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32
Author(s):  
Николай Дмитриев ◽  
Nikolay Dmitriev
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
Quality Management System ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Educational Services ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
Russian Higher Education

The article analyses the incentives of the Russian higher education institutions to provide quality education which develop as a result of the competition and signals from labor market. The mechanism of a quality assurance of training of specialists in higher education institution is the quality management system. The experience of formation of a quality management system is presented. The structure and interrelation of components of quality of education is considered. Criteria and indicators of quality of educational process, which can be applied in estimation of quality in the educational organization, are offered. Besides, backbone components of quality — satisfaction of consumers with educational services are considered.

scholarly journals Peran Kualitas Layanan Dalam Menciptakan Loyalitas Mahasiswa

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-27
Author(s):  
Dewa Nyoman Benni Kusyana ◽  
Putu Atim Purwaningrat ◽  
Milla Permata Sunny
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Of Service ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Student Loyalty ◽  
Education Service

Quality of service plays an important role in the world of education, especially higher education, although there is still debate about the position of students as customers, but it is believed that the quality of service in higher education plays an important role in ensuring the survival of a university. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of higher education service quality on the satisfaction and loyalty of FEBP UNHI students. The model of higher education service quality used in this study is HEdPERF which consists of five dimensions namely academic aspects, non-academic aspects, reputation, access, and program issues. The sample used was 119 students from management and accounting study programs with simple random sampling technique, and the analysis technique used was path analysis. The results obtained were (1) HEdPERF had a positive but not significant effect on student loyalty, (2) HEdPERF had a positive and significant effect on student satisfaction, (3) satisfaction had a positive and significant effect on student loyalty, and (4) satisfaction mediated the effect of HEdPERF on student loyalty.

scholarly journals QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN BANGLADESH: APPLICATION OF A MODIFIED SERVQUAL MODEL

2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-91
Author(s):  
Md. Mamun-ur-Rashid ◽  
Md. Zillur Rhman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Slight Modification ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Similar Proportion ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Campus Life ◽  
Academic Administration ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education

Progressive importance, swelling investment, and mounting national and global competition necessitate evaluation of the service quality of higher education. Quantifiable indicators such as student teacher ratio, student number, women participation, establishing new departments, and increase in the number of universities are no longer enough unless the student’s stand point is considered. This research probed the service quality of higher education in a public university in southern Bangladesh utilizing modified SERVQUAL gap model. The t-test results suggest that there is a significant service gap in all the selected service dimensions such as learning, teaching, recognition, assessment system, internet and library facilities, campus life, and non-academic administration. The results also mirror that little more than half (54.1%) students are satisfied with the service quality of the selected university and almost similar proportion (52.1 %) of the students have future interest in studying in the same university. Regression analysis reveals that learning and recognition are two important determinants of client’s overall satisfaction with the service of selected university. Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) advocates that the university should take immediate step in improving internet and library facilities, campus life, and non-academic administration. Factor analysis output confirms that slight modification of the proposed seven set model into six set factors can be employed by the management as off-the-rack service quality measurement tool. Key words: service quality, higher education, SERVQUAL, Bangladesh.

Factors of higher education quality service: the case of a Peruvian university

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-238
Author(s):  
María del Carmen Arrieta ◽  
Beatrice Avolio
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Private University ◽  
Curriculum Planning ◽  
Educational Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Service

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that impact the quality of the education service in a Peruvian private university, based on the perception of students and graduates. Design/methodology/approach The sample consisted of 29 students and 20 graduates from the Administration and Finance Program of a Peruvian private university. The data was collected through focus groups and in-depth interviews based on the students’ and graduates’ perspectives of their experiences. The collected data was subjected to content analysis. Findings The study identified ten factors or the underlying dimensions that drive the quality of the education service provided by a Peruvian private university. The factors are professors, lecturers, curriculum, extracurricular activities, position and recognition of the university, infrastructure, library, admission, adequate communication mechanisms with faculty and authorities and services. The main quality indicators of the education service were the professors and curriculum planning. As the students were using the education service, they were more focused on “how” they received the service, rather than “what” services they received, i.e. they evaluated the quality of the process. In contrast, graduates gave more importance to functional service quality. They evaluated the quality of “what they received,” i.e. the result. Research limitations/implications The study has several limitations. First, the qualitative approach does not allow generalizing data. The sample size was relatively small and only involved one Peruvian private university. The study was based on the respondent’s perceptions, which were considered accurate. Practical implications Based on the study findings, the authors made recommendations to meet the needs of the students and graduates. These findings can help universities to develop strategies that improve educational quality and to allocate resources more effectively. Further research could focus on factors that impact service quality in higher education at different stages of the student lifecycle, namely, applicants (service expectations), students (quality of the process) and graduates (results). The authors suggest validating these results quantitatively. Originality/value The study proposes a framework of the higher education service quality based on the experiences of students and graduates that can be used by higher education institutions to continue improving educational quality. The originality of the study lies in the perspective on service quality according to the experiences of students and graduates. Also, this study provides empirical evidence on service quality research in Latin American higher education institutions.

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