Assessing antecedents and consequences of student satisfaction in higher education: evidence from Malaysia

This paper explores the interrelationships of the key influences on student satisfaction via multivariate analysis from three groups of university students in two popular private universities in Malaysia. The correlation coefficient and structural model indicated that student satisfaction is influenced not only by academic quality, but also by the university core services, information technology services, and skill building. These dimensions are linked to one another. The strong interrelationships between these dimensions are indicative that holistic approach needs to be adopted rather than dealing with each dimension in isolation in creating a valued education. Significant performance gaps of key influences indicated that the satisfaction levels are below students’ expectation despite the satisfaction scores being above average. Academic assessment, teaching quality, and IT are areas where a university management needs to prioritize resources in order to increase student satisfaction. Students who perceived higher value are more likely to have higher repurchase intention.     

Student satisfaction with Canadian music programmes: the application of the American Customer Satisfaction Model in higher education

The purpose of this project is to empirically investigate several antecedents and consequences of student satisfaction (SS) with Canadian university music programmes as well as to measure students’ level of programme satisfaction. For this, the American Customer Satisfaction Model was tested through a survey of 276 current Canadian music students. The results indicate that customer satisfaction is strongly affected by programme quality, is slightly impacted by its perceived value but is not influenced by prior student expectations. Satisfaction strongly increases programme loyalty and positive word‐of‐mouth, marginally raises tuition change loyalty, and slightly decreases complaining behaviour. Contrary to expectations, tuition‐related constructs play only a minor role in the model. Therefore, money is a marginal factor in the educational environment; this empirically demonstrates the flaws underlying the premises of the students‐as‐customers metaphor. The resulting satisfaction index may facilitate the comparison among institutions. It was also found that the level of SS with Canadian music programmes was somewhat lower than those with services in other industries.     

A comparative analysis of study satisfaction among young European higher education graduates

This article identifies those aspects of the academic environment that are associated with graduates' overall satisfaction with their higher education (HE) course. We use REFLEX data, which allow comparison among 14 European countries, based on a pooled sample and individual country regressions. Overall, the degree of satisfaction with HE studies appears to be driven to a great extent by the academic environment. The results also confirm the persistence of country-specific traits in different HE systems. This substantial variation among European countries in terms of learning environment may have an influence on subsequent employment experience. While some systems encourage independent learning through participation in research projects, others rely heavily on direct teaching as the main source of information.     

Alternative education programmes: synthesis and psychological perspectives

This paper addresses the problem of high school dropout rates, identifies what risk factors cause students to be more likely to drop out, and examines the types of programmes in existence that serve as alternative educational settings. The traits and characteristics of successful alternative high school programmes are also identified and critiqued using theoretical perspectives from behavioural, social cognitive, cognitive, and motivational psychology, emphasising particular aspects that significantly contribute to developing and implementing successful alternative programmes. Educators can use the information presented in this article to help create a successful educational experience, not only for those at risk of dropping out of school, but for all of the students they serve.     

International brand alliances and co-branding: antecedents of cognitive dissonance and student satisfaction with co-branded higher education programs

The study investigates how in international partnerships the brand credibility of each partner, student-institution identification with each partner, and perceived service quality relate to student satisfaction. A structured survey questionnaire was completed by 528 students taking a co-branded higher education program in Hong Kong or Sri Lanka. The results indicate that the brand credibility of a foreign institution is a stronger influencer on student identification with the foreign institution as compared to the relationship between credibility and identification with the local partner. The negative relationship between organizational identification and cognitive dissonance for each institution in the partnership is also stronger for the foreign institution. As the popularity of international partnerships and co-branded higher education programs continues to grow, the importance and dominance of foreign brand credibility and student identification with foreign institutions is recognized.     

Performing support in higher education: negotiating conflicting agendas in academic language and learning advisory work

ABSTRACT

This article critically explores neoliberal administrative priorities and the ways in which they shape and constrain academic language and learning (ALL) advisory practice in the Australian higher education sector. Drawing on semi-structured interview data collected from in-service ALL advisors working in Australian universities, we highlight a disjuncture between the participants’ understandings of effective practice and the institutional framing of ALL advisory work as a mechanism to improve accessibility of higher study and retention of diversifying student cohorts. The data indicate the potential for institutional priorities to generate dilemmas in advisors’ daily practice as they are tasked with performing support via formats considered antithetical to meeting students’ needs and fostering productive approaches to study. Under these circumstances, participants characterised collaboration between advisors and content specialists in the pursuit of more embedded approaches as dependent on individual endeavours and stymied by a lack of institutional support. We call for renewed consideration of the formats and affordances with which advisors work in order to better align ALL advisory practice with the holistic development of students’ academic literacy skills.     

The role of received social support and self-efficacy for the satisfaction of basic psychological needs in teacher education

We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire study in 2016 with 697 student teachers from two Universities. The study used structural equation modelling to analyse the effects of received social support from family and fellow-students as well as perceived self-efficacy in relation to the basic psychological needs in teacher education. To measure the effects of received social support on the satisfaction of basic needs, we developed two scales adapting Mansfield’s qualitative approach on teacher resilience. Perceived self-efficacy turned out to be effected directly by received fellow-students’ support as well as having a mediation effect on higher levels of autonomy and competence, whereas received family support leads only to higher levels of autonomy. Especially received fellow-students’ support is directly connected to higher levels of need satisfaction. Finally, we discuss conclusions for shaping conditions of university-life according to experiencing what is necessary for a higher level of perception and satisfaction of basic psychological needs.     

Determinants of higher education choices and student satisfaction: the case of Poland

The dynamic changes in tertiary education that were observed in Poland for the last 20 years transformed the Polish educational market and led to the immense expansion of educational institutions. The rapid increase in the number of students that continued until 2006 is however over and Polish universities have begun to compete for their clients. Increased competition along with the pessimistic forecasts for Poland with regard to demographic changes result in the growing demand for the knowledge on determinants of student educational choices and satisfaction. Although the amount of studies in this field is growing, Poland is still substantially underrepresented in the current research. The purpose of this article was to examine the underlying factors behind the choices that Polish students make while pursuing their tertiary education. The research method that combines focus groups’ discussions and a survey study among 1,420 business major students helped us to identify the factors behind three phases of the decision making process: pursuing higher education; information search along with final choice of a university; and satisfaction from chosen studies. Our research implies that decision making with regard to tertiary education is multifaceted and longitudinal as it combines a different set of factors in each stage of the decision making process.     

Mini skirts and headscarves: undergraduate student perceptions of secularism in Turkish higher education

This article is based on a qualitative study that examines the perceptions of advanced undergraduate students in five Turkish state universities regarding their understanding of the concept of secularism and its manifestation within the higher education sector. The study further illuminates these students’ perspectives of how the university may change in relation to their understanding of secularism. This inquiry was guided by four central questions posed to the students: (1) what is your understanding of the concept of secularism?; (2) how does secularism manifest within universities in Turkey and your institution in particular?; (3) are there aspects of your university you would like to see change as a result of secularism?; and (4) in what ways has your identity influenced your academic decisions?     

Antecedents and consequents of student satisfaction in higher technical-vocational education: evidence from Brazil

International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance - This article proposes a model of antecedents and consequences of student satisfaction in Higher Technical-Vocational Education (HTVE)...     

Values education and student satisfaction: German business students' perceptions of universities' value influences

As a result of the past decade's financial crises, the focus on students' values as an output of higher management education has increased. Simultaneously, marketing theory has become prevalent in the management of higher education institutions, such that student satisfaction represents a key output variable for their service provision. This study integrates both perspectives to investigate how values-oriented education relates to student satisfaction. A sample of 191 respondents from a German university reveals that business students expect more value influence than they believe their institution actually delivers. Furthermore, students' perceptions of the value influence delivered by their university increase their satisfaction with the institution. Finally, the value influence students expect is more closely associated with universalism values (connected to sustainability and CSR) than with power values. These results imply that universities can increase student satisfaction if they coordinate opportunities to discuss and shape values, particularly with regard to universalism ideals.     

Academic conferences: representative and resistant sites for higher education research

The overarching argument made in this article is twofold. Firstly, academic conferences are posited as sites for higher education research. Secondly, the well-recognised emotional and social processes of conferences are used to make space at the boundaries of higher education research for psychosocial analysis. The article theorises conferences in relation to the current concerns of higher education, such as globalisation, technologisation and neoliberalisation, but simultaneously delves into the micro-conventions of academic spaces. This latter mode of analysis is adapted from Butler's (1997) work Excitable speech: A politics of the performative (New York: Routledge), around naming and vulnerability to language. An autobiographical example of naming and misnaming at a conference is worked through, both zooming in to micro-processes and zooming out to the wider concerns of higher education research. The article asserts the importance of recognising the connection between micro- and macro-scale analyses of higher education.     

Measuring the impact of inquiry-based learning on outcomes and student satisfaction

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of inquiry-based learning (IBL) on students’ academic performance and to assess their satisfaction with the process. Linear and logistic regression analyses show that examination grades are positively related to attendance at classes and tutorials; moreover, there is a positive significant relationship between academic performance and IBL, which is considered useful for better understanding of the subject. While students’ satisfaction is directly associated with class attendance and motivation and with the perceived usefulness of IBL, it is unaffected by attendance at tutorials. We conclude, therefore, that students become more involved in learning and acquire increased knowledge of the subject when an IBL-based method is followed.     

Determinants of PhD student satisfaction: the roles of supervisor,department, and peer qualities

Understanding the determinants of PhD student satisfaction is likely to become increasingly vital for universities as student satisfaction rankings already ubiquitous at undergraduate and master degree levels extend more broadly to the PhD level. Moreover, as PhD student populations and university competition become increasingly transnational, there is a growing need to understand cross-nationally common determinants of satisfaction. Building on prior research into PhD student satisfaction, and drawing upon relevant conceptual and metrical refinements in the measurement of satisfaction from cognate domains of psychology, we use cross-sectional data (N?=?409) from PhD candidates across the sciences, social sciences and humanities in 63 universities from 20 countries to examine how overall PhD student satisfaction is determined by, respectively and in combination, supervisor, department and peer-group, in terms of both their academic qualities and supportiveness. Taken together, we find that supervisor supportiveness is the greatest predictor of PhD student satisfaction, but that supervisor academic qualities have no significant effect. However, both the academic qualities and supportiveness of departments significantly predict PhD student satisfaction, suggesting university departments and PhD supervisors would ideally work jointly, and perhaps more closely than many currently do, to achieve competitive levels of PhD student satisfaction.     

Assessing students’ perceptions of fit between secondary and higher education: a validation study of the SPFQ

ABSTRACT

Supporting first-year students to adjust to their new academic environment is a crucial task in higher education. Investigating students’ perceptions of fit between secondary and higher education could give higher education institutions valuable information for student feedback and support, when captured in a reliable and valid way. This study examines the construct validity, reliability, and criterion-related validity of the Students’ Perceived Fit Questionnaire (SPFQ) by using a longitudinal dataset (N?=?930, first-year students). The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure measuring students’ perceptions of: 1) the extent to which secondary education prepared them for higher education in terms of content knowledge; 2) resemblance in the teaching approach between secondary and higher education, and 3) the need to adapt to their higher education study programme. Concerning the criterion-related validity, it was found that first-year students who experienced similarities in teaching approach are more likely to persist in their studies. Furthermore, our results indicated that first-year students who experienced less need to adapt to their higher education study programme felt more self-efficacious regarding their own learning and, consequently, were more likely to persist in their studies.     

Diversity in primary teacher education gender differences in student factors and curriculum perception

The teaching of Probability Theory constitutes a new trend in mathematics education internationally. The purpose of this research project was to explore the degree to which preschoolers understand key concepts of probabilistic thinking, such as sample space, the probability of an event and probability comparisons. At the same time, we evaluated an educational programme which aimed to introduce children to the basic principles of Probability Theory. The research sample consisted of 29 preschoolers (with an average age of 5 years and 4 months) from two classes of a Greek public kindergarten. The research was based on a semi-experimental, three-phase plan: the pretest, the teaching intervention and the post-test. The pretest explored the children’s conception of key probabilistic constructs and contributed to the planning of the teaching intervention. Through the post-test, we evaluated the contribution of the teaching intervention. The findings showed that pupils displayed a satisfactory level of comprehension of key probabilistic concepts and that, moreover, teaching this subject can improve their comprehension.     

The potential of student narratives to enhance quality in higher education

University policies are increasingly developed with reference to students’ learning experiences, with a focus on the concept of the ‘student voice’. Yet the ‘student voice’ is difficult to define and emphasis is often placed on numerical performance indicators. A diverse student population has wide-ranging educational experiences, which may not be easily captured within the broad categories provided by traditional survey tools, which can drown out the rich, varied and gradual processes of individual development. There is no single tool that can be used to measure students’ experiences. This paper draws on findings from four narrative inquiry studies, carried out in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, to illustrate how a narrative approach could be used to complement performance indicators. This provides a richer context for educators’ understanding of students’ experiences and for supporting and setting institutional agendas.     

Towards a clearer understanding of student disadvantage in higher education: problematising deficit thinking

The increased diversity in the student body resulting from massification poses particular challenges to higher education. This article engages the uncritical use of the ‘disadvantage’ discourse and its effect on pedagogy. It explores some of the challenges of coping with student diversity, with particular reference to the South African context. Students enter higher education institutions with a variety of educational backgrounds, not all of which are considered to be sufficient preparation for the demands of higher education. The dominant thinking in higher education attempts to understand student difficulty by framing students and their families of origin as lacking some of the academic and cultural resources necessary to succeed in what is presumed to be a fair and open society. This constitutes a deficit thinking model: it focuses on inadequacies of students and aims to ‘fix’ this problem. In the process the impact of structural issues is often ignored or minimised. Employing a deficit mindset to frame student difficulties perpetuates stereotypes, alienates students from higher education and disregards the role of higher education in perpetuating the barriers to student success. In the process, universities replicate the educational stratification of societies. This article suggests that we need to find more suitable responses to diversity in the student body. These require a change in our way of thinking: we need thoughtfully to consider the readiness of higher education institutions to respond to students and to cultivate the will to learn in students. We need to find ways to research the full texture of the student experience and to value the pre-higher education contexts from which students come. In addition, the notion of ‘at risk’ students could be helpful and the original sense of the concept needs to be reclaimed.     

Master and student in French higher education: Academic language and pedagogical distance

Academic Discourse is a contemporary study of the language of teaching in the Arts faculties of France in the mid-1960s. It was originally published asRapport pédagogique et communication (1965). Carried out during a time of mounting tension, it captures the breakdown in the social assumptions governing teaching practice in French universities. This empirical study of how students use academic language in their essays and exams brings out the implicit cultural expectations underlying scholastic success and the social functions served by the traditional pedagogical regime of the French university.     

Students' transition into higher education: The role of self-efficacy,regulation strategies,and academic achievements

Transition into higher education (HE) has received increased interest in recent years, since it represents a challenging period for students. The aim of this study was to further understand the associations between self-efficacy, academic achievements, and regulation in first-year university students during their transition into HE. The convenience sample consisted of 374 first-year university students (230 females, 61.5%), aged from 18 to 33 (M = 19.86, SD = 1.51) and recruited from an Italian university. Self-efficacy was assessed using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire; regulation strategies were assessed with the Inventory of Learning Patterns of Students; and a self-reported grade point average was taken as an indicator of each student's academic performance. Result shows that students' self-efficacy was positively associated with self-regulation and negatively associated with a lack of regulation. Students with higher self-efficacy and self-regulation strategies had better academic performance. Female students performed better in academic activities and adopted more external regulation strategies. The findings represent an opportunity for university institutions to consider the interventions they provide to first-year students in order to facilitate the successful transition from secondary school; they also provide researchers with further knowledge about the effect of self-efficacy, and regulation strategies on students' adjustment to HE.