‘Service quality’ and higher education: investigating Chinese international student and academic perspectives at a UK university

Abstract

For a large number of Higher Education institutions in the UK, the recruitment of international students remains vital for economic, political, cultural and educational benefits. Increasing competition within the international student market has encouraged many Higher Education institutions to pay closer attention to the quality of their educational offer, as well as the expectations and experiences of international students themselves. With an aim to present a more insightful picture of this position, this article examines the 'service quality' of UK Higher Education through the lens of one group of international students at a single Russell Group institution while also engaging the academic perspective in direct comparison. To achieve this, a mixed-methods research study was carried out at a location in the South East of England, with quantitative survey data collected from a convenience sample of 139 Chinese students and 27 academics, with 11 qualitative follow-up interviews. Results show both consistency and inconsistency between participant perceptions and where those consistencies and inconsistencies may exist. The findings suggest caution when assuming, as is currently prevalent in the context of highly marketised UK Higher Education, that 'service quality' of Higher Education can be comprehensively understood and efficiently improved from the student perspective alone.

Evaluation and Stratification for Chinese International Education Quality with Deep Learning Model

“…At the same time, the dynamic layered teaching technique and the requirements of excellent education tend to be consistent; so, it is in line with the current teaching method reform and development. One of the foundations for the topic selection of this study [ 11 – 15 ] is the introduction of dynamic stratified teaching methods in teaching, organically merging with individual differences.…”

Increasing destination loyalty of international students towards Malaysian higher educational institutions

“…Furthermore, service quality is benchmarked by the level of capacity to fulfil the quality standards that have been determined by the consumers, and better service quality will engender a higher level of customer satisfaction. For educational tourism, the quality of service is also one of the essential attributes in sustaining the satisfaction of international students [24], [25]. As illustrated by previous studies, students' perception of service quality mainly derived from personal evaluations of the available services such as learning environment, teaching quality, and the facilities provided by the tertiary educational institutions including the libraries, classrooms, and student hostels [26].…”

Integrative conceptual framework of student loyalty, service quality, e-service quality and university image in open and distance learning

“…In higher education institutions, the students are the main customers, and these students' expectations must be exceeded (Othman et al. , 2019; Zhu and Sharp, 2022). In addition, Annamdevula and Bellamkonda (2016) examined student loyalty from the perspectives of service quality, trust and emotional commitment, which revealed that a robust emotional connection between students and institutions is necessary.…”

“…Retaining existing customers requires ongoing efforts to provide high-quality products and services, maintain strong relationships and offer incentives or rewards programs to encourage repeat business (Gallarza et al, 2020;Venkatesan and Jacob, 2019). In higher education institutions, the students are the main customers, and these students' expectations must be exceeded (Othman et al, 2019;Zhu and Sharp, 2022). In addition, Annamdevula and Bellamkonda (2016) examined student loyalty from the perspectives of service quality, trust and emotional commitment, which revealed that a robust emotional connection between students and institutions is necessary.…”