The Relationship between Educational Service Quality and Student Academic Performance in Ethiopian Public Universities Located in Southern Part of Ethiopia: A Mediating Role of Students’ Satisfaction
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Date
2024-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between educational service quality and student academic performance via the mediating role of their satisfaction. To that end, a mixed research approach with QUAN+ QUAL model (or convergent parallel design) was implemented. The study total population consisted of all the regular undergraduate graduating class students, university instructors, and university leaders in the ten (10) public universities that found in the Southern part of Ethiopia. The study participants were selected via random and purposive sampling techniques. Questionnaires, Document analysis, Interviews and Focus Group Discussions were the main tools for gathering data. A self-prepared questionnaire, consisting of 116 items was administered to four hundred (400) randomly selected graduating class students. A semi-structured interview was conducted with twenty purposefully selected university instructors and leaders. Focus group discussion was also conducted with nineteen (19) graduating class students who were purposefully selected from each sample university. The quantitative data collected were analyzed using descriptive and advanced inferential statistics. The qualitative data collected were analyzed thematically to compare and/or relate with quantitative findings. The findings of the study revealed that although students‟ overall perception towards the educational service quality was somewhat positive (M=3.15945, SD=1.189395), poor quality of classroom environment, poor feedback on students‟ academic progress, inadequate supply of laboratory equipment and teaching tools and poor internet access in the universities were the most common educational service-related challenges that influence students‟ satisfaction and their academic performance. The findings of the study also uncovered that the lack of suitable buildings and facilities for students with disability, poor delivery of guidance and counseling services, shortage of medicines in the student clinics, unnecessary bureaucracies and difficulties particularly in finance, and skill gap among administrative workers, shortage of experienced human resources were additional challenges that influence students‟ learning. The quantitative findings revealed that there is a statistically positive correlation between overall education service quality and students' satisfaction (r=.844). The findings proved that the facets of education service quality accounted for 83.5 % of the variations in students‟ satisfaction in the universities. The quantitative findings further showed that the education service quality has a statistically indirect effect on students‟ academic performance via the mediating role of students‟ satisfaction (Test statistic = 31.5311573, Std. Error = 0.00122536, p-value = 0). The findings further confirmed that the overall education service quality accounted for 40.4 % of the variations in students‟ academic performance via student satisfaction in the universities. The study concluded that an improvement in educational service quality leads to students‟ satisfaction and that could contribute to boosting their academic performance. Finally, based on these findings and conclusion, it was therefore recommended that the universities should aggressively work to provide quality educational services that highly influence student academic performance to improve their satisfaction and academic performance.
Keywords: Higher Education; Academic Performance; Service Quality; Quality Education; Student Satisfaction; Public Universities
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Keywords
Higher Education, Academic Performance, Service Quality, Quality Education, Student Satisfaction, Public Universities