Assessing international students' satisfaction of a Jordanian university using the service quality model

Abstract

PurposeEducation plays a key role in socio-economic development and globalization has increased the numbers of students wanting to study abroad. Attracting international students is therefore an important objective for universities as international students open up opportunities to bring economic, cultural and academic benefits to both the universities themselves and to the countries in which they are located. This study therefore aimed to assess student satisfaction with a Jordanian university using the dimensions of quality contained within the established SERVQUAL model.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve these goals, quantitative data was collected from international students attending one university located in Jordan via a questionnaire survey, using a randomized sample. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the construct validity, and correlations between student satisfaction and the different dimensions of quality were tested.FindingsConsistent with other studies, the findings demonstrated that the five dimensions of service quality, i.e. tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy, and the university of study, have a strong relationship with student satisfaction. However, there was no statistically significant correlation between country satisfaction and the tangibility and assurance sub-dimensions of quality.Practical implicationsPractical implications – The findings of this study are of interest and practical benefit to university leaders in developing their quality and student acquisition strategies.Originality/valueThis study makes a useful contribution to the growing body of evidence of service quality in higher education set within the context of a developing country.