Participation, Perceptions, and Satisfaction
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Participation, Perceptions, and Satisfaction
Participation, Perceptions, and Overall Satisfaction with College Student Life
RQ:
1. In what ways do perceptions and participation affect college student life
2. What indicators of participation and perception should be included?
3. What measures are taken to influence participation and perceptions of college student life/
Literature Review
1. Ways in which Perceptions and participation Affect College Student Life
Several studies have been conducted to determine the effect of student perceptions and participation in college life. Perceptions and participation may affect the grades of college students. Secondly, perceptions and participation may affect student satisfaction. This is a very important point as student satisfaction is the key measure of the success of a college student. According to Carey et al (2002), satisfaction of college students is mainly determined by their perceptions. Stated differently, perceptions are important determinants of how successful a college student will be. This finding is similar to the results obtained by Kara (2004).
Using a conceptual model together with empirical data, Kara (2004) demonstrated that a positive relationship exists between student perceptions and student satisfaction levels. However, other researchers do not agree that perception is important in determining the success of a college student. A study by Pereda et al (2007) measured the satisfaction level of students in foreign colleges. Students from nations outside the European Union were assessed in this study. Their findings indicate that satisfaction of foreign students is not determined by their perceptions and participation per se. Rather, satisfaction was determined by the adequacy of resources in the college, the level and quality of interaction between the students and the faculty, and the level of tutorage. The quality of the physical settings in the college was also a key determinant of how satisfied the students were. In conclusion therefore, whereas perception and participation may enhance the satisfaction levels of students in college, the most important determinants of success in college appear to be quality of services provided by the college (Fitri et al., 2008), college faculty (Pounder, 2007), and physical facilities among others (Pereda et al., 2007).
2. Indicators of participation and perception
There are several indicators of participation and perception which need to be included. These indicators include student satisfaction levels, student grades (Pike, 1991), student enrolment and participation in non-academic events such as drama, sports, and other extracurricular activities.
3. Measures to influence participation and perception of college student life
Participation and perceptions of college students can be influenced using a scientific approach. This entails determining their perceptions about all aspects of the particular college in which they are enrolled and evaluating their participation. This would then serve as the basis on which to formulate strategies targeted at enhancing the students’ perceptions and participation levels.
One of the most useful tools used to assess the quality of service is the SERVQUAL tool. Increasingly, the SERVQUAL tool is being used in the educational setup since many colleges now view their students as customers of their services. The SERVQUAL tool is used to assess the quality of service that is provided by an organization in a quantitative manner based on the perceptions of the organization’s consumers. It is based on a 7-point Likert scale with seven distinct gaps or incongruities. The gaps show the differences between the perceptions and expectations of the consumer. In this manner, the model is used to identify reasons behind these gaps and therefore assist management in instituting appropriate measures that would lead to an improvement in the quality of services offered hence higher consumer satisfaction (Parasuraman et al, 1985). In the context of the educational setup, the first gap represents the incongruity between the expectations of the student and what the college management thinks are the expectations of the student. The second gap arises due to the failure of the college management to come up with standards of service that fulfil the expectations of the student. The third gap arises due to the failure of the college faculty and technology to meet students’ expectations. The fourth gap is as a result of promises by the college to provide a certain level of service which it cannot meet due to inadequacies in the college’s technology, faculty and or processes (Parasuraman et al, 1990).
In addition to the SERVQUAL tool, other measures which can be used to assess the participation and perception of college students and hence formulate strategies to influence their participation and perceptions are the student evaluation of teaching (SET), questionnaires, focus groups, feedback forms, and ethnographic observation studies. The Student evaluation of teaching (SET) tool is created to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching activities and is solely based on the feedback given by the students themselves (Crumbley et al, 2001).
Based on the studies presented in the foregoing sections, participation and perception of college student life can be improved by enhancing the quality of faculty, improving classroom facilities, providing well-trained and caring support staff, and improving the quality of the physical qualities (Palacio et al, 2002; Pereda et al., 2007; Fitri et al., 2008; Hishmuddin et al., 2008; Illias et al., 2008). Physical qualities are those variables such as facilities available for learning and teaching, general services such as health services, and accommodation (Pereda et al, 2007).
References