A student's overall satisfaction with his/her educational experience has traditionally been measured by a simple 'yes or no' question, or with one question assessing the degree of overall satisfaction. Even though this type of question is simple to answer and analyze, students may not thoroughly reflect upon their previous responses within a questionnaire regarding satisfaction with individual educational attributes when asked to assess their overall satisfaction with a university on the basis of a single question. The purpose of this article is to present an alternative approach to measuring student overall satisfaction using a multiple-item weighted gap score analysis approach. The results suggest that this approach may have more diagnostic value to both academics and practitioners.

Student Satisfaction: An alternative approach to assessing this important concept

In order to attract and retain students, universities must identify and meet student expectations. This article examines which aspects of a student's educational experience are more important in influencing student satisfaction. The findings show that “student centered-ness,” “campus climate,” and “instructional effectiveness,” have a strong impact on how satisfied a student is with his/her overall educational experience. The results also suggest that recruitment strategies may require emphasizing different aspects of a student's educational experience than retentio strategies.

Key Factors Influencing Student Satisfaction Related to Recruitment and Retention

The objectives of this study were to review the current literature on status attainment and student college choice and to develop and test a structural model of predisposition to attend college. Family and student background characteristics, parents’ educational expectations for students, level of student involvement in school, and student achievement were cited as influences on students’ predisposition toward postsecondary education and were the chief components of the model. Data from 2,497 ninth-grade students and their parents were used to test the model using LISREL. Parents’ expectations exerted the strongest influence throughout the model. Parents’ education, student gender, high school GPA, and high school experiences also contributed significantly in explaining students’ aspirations.

Family and High School Experience Influences on the Postsecondary Educational Plans of Ninth-Grade Students

This study uses National Educational Longitudinal Study data to show that information about higher education, guidance, and essential preparatory actions taken by secondary students influence whether they will attend post-secondary educational institutions (PEIs) within 2 years of high school graduation, and, if so, what types of institutions. The conceptual framework is embedded in research on college choice and talent loss. Talent loss is described as the occurrence of promising students not reaching their full educational potential. Choice theory attempts to explain the myriad factors contributing to individuals’ postsecondary destinations. We find that increased levels of information, guidance, and critical actions taken are positively and significantly associated with initial enrollment in a 4-year PEI, as opposed to enrollment in a 2-year PEI (full or part time) or no enrollment. These factors explain a large part of the effect of socioeconomic status on postsecondary destination, controlling for hi...

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/3202508.pdf

Effects of Information, Guidance, and Actions on Postsecondary Destinations: A Study of Talent Loss

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to identify the quality determinants for education services provided by higher education institutions (HEIs) in Greece and to measure their relative importance from the students' points of view.Design/mthodology/approach – A multi‐criteria decision‐making methodology was used for assessing the relative importance of quality determinants that affect student satisfaction. More specifically, the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) was used in order to measure the relative weight of each quality factor.Findings – The relative weights of the factors that contribute to the quality of educational services as it is perceived by students was measured.Research limitations/implications – The research is based on the questionnaire of the Hellenic Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. This implies that the measured weights are related mainly to questions posed in this questionnaire. However, the applied method (AHP) can be used to assess different quality determinants.Prac...

Evaluation of the factors that determine quality in higher education: an empirical study

Strategic Marketing Issues in Emerging MarketsManagement and Leadership of Educational MarketingFast forwarding Higher Education Institutions for Global ChallengesDemographics and the Demand for Higher EducationStrategic Marketing for Educational InstitutionsStrategic Marketing of Higher Education in AfricaSocial Media in Higher Education: Case Studies, Reflections and AnalysisGlobalization of Management EducationNew Age Admissions Strategies in Business SchoolsStrategic Marketing in the Global Forest IndustriesStrategic Marketing for Educational InstitutionsHow to Market a UniversityMarketing Strategies for Higher Education Institutions: Technological Considerations and PracticesStrategic Marketing for Educational InstitutionsReliability and Statistics in Transportation and CommunicationIndonesia Privatization Programs and Regulations Handbook Volume 1 Strategic Information and RegulationsSpace MarketingSTRATEGIC MARKETING : MAKING DECISIONS FOR STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE, SECOND EDITIONEBOOK: Marketing Higher EducationThe Ultimate Guide to School Marketing StrategiesStrategic Brand Management in Higher EducationEducational MarketingStrategic Marketing for Nonprofit OrganizationsBecoming A Digital Marketer: Gaining the Hard & Soft Skills for a Tech-Driven Marketing CareerInternational Marketing of Higher EducationAn Examination of Integrated Marketing Communication in U.S. Public Institutions of Higher EducationDemocratizing InnovationEducational ManagementThe Strategic Management of Higher Education InstitutionsThe College Stress TestManaging External Relations in Schools and CollegesChoosing FuturesStrategic Management in Schools and CollegesInstaBrainOpening Up EducationGlobalization and Internationalization in Higher EducationVisual Thinking StrategiesMarketing Techniques for Educational ProgramsCorporate Governance and Strategic Decision MakingHow to Market a University

Strategic Marketing for Educational Institutions

The purpose of research is to give us indications of what the effectiveness of particular treatments are on groups of people. The similarities between what we accept as a standard of education and practice and what we conceive to be research are striking. In both cases, these are disciplined methods of collecting and analyzing data, and acting upon the results of it. Those of us with clinical populations have unanswered questions and thus, good reasons for conducting research. The professional who wants answers must be willing to work for them knowing that the rewards and personal satisfaction will be great. Hopefully, the membership will recognize the importance of providing support to research and will be generous in their contribution to the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. The AOTF provides the necessary seed money to answer the questions that we are all facing.

Mary Ann Boyle

Papers

Strategic Marketing for Educational Institutions

Initiating occupational therapy clinical research.

Getting the Best Out of Yourself and Others

The changing face of the rehabilitation population: a challenge for therapists.

The CIBA Collection of Medical Illustrations, Vol. 1: Nervous System, Part II. Neurologic and Neuromuscular Disorders