Zsuzsanna Tóth and Bálint Péter Bedzsula
The purpose of this paper is to identify and interpret the critical quality attributes of core educational services at the course level both with student and lecturer involvement…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and interpret the critical quality attributes of core educational services at the course level both with student and lecturer involvement. Significant differences between the viewpoints of these two directly involved stakeholder groups are also demonstrated to provide a better understanding of student expectations.
Methodology
Students of quality management courses were invited to collect those attributes that could have an impact on their perceived educational service quality. The compiled list of 23 characteristics has been formed on the basis of a four-point Likert scale-based questionnaire. With approximately 360 responses, thorough statistical analyses have been executed to investigate whether any significant differences could be detected between the quality attributes perceived by the different student segments. A group of lecturers has also been invited to fulfil the same questionnaire to compare their viewpoints with those of the students.
Findings
The results allow us to identify critical quality attributes which may be used in all platforms and interactions with students. The conclusions can be implemented on the course level to adjust the plan-do-check-act-based improvement of courses in which lecturers are directly interested.
Originality
As the new generation of students increasingly regard themselves as customers, they have become more aware of how they are taught and how they participate in the learning process. Institutionalizing this approach may contribute to the shaping of the organizational quality culture by emphasizing student focus and may result in the identification of best practices and standardization of processes at the course level.
Details
Keywords
Zsuzsanna Eszter Tóth, Tamás Jónás, Roland Bérces and Bálint Bedzsula
The Department of Management and Corporate Economics as the flagship of teaching and researching quality management at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics has…
Abstract
Purpose
The Department of Management and Corporate Economics as the flagship of teaching and researching quality management at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics has conducted an extended survey among students in five different business courses in order to get deeper knowledge about the factors influencing student (dis)satisfaction. The papers aims to discuss this.
Design/methodology/approach
Initially students were asked to fill out a course evaluation questionnaire of 11 questions. After processing the questionnaires, problem solving techniques with strong student involvement were applied in order to lay the foundation for long‐term course improvement actions. The main objective was to identify the factors that were given the greatest importance by the students, but where the performance of the course was low in order to reveal the potentials of development.
Findings
Improving student satisfaction is a must at all courses as the financial issues of the faculty and the department are strongly affected by students' course ratings. By extending the application of this type of course, evaluation to faculty and university level would be a step forward regarding the development of satisfaction questionnaire in use at this moment.
Originality/value
This kind of questionnaire structure and the validation of the presented dual approach would not only highlight the areas needing to be developed, but also student deliverance could have more aspects.