THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS FINAL REPORT OF STUDENTS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION A CASE STUDY FROM FACULTY OF ECOMMERCE, THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS, THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG
THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS FINAL REPORT OF STUDENTS' SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY FROM FACULTY OF E-COMMERCE, THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS, THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG Group students: Le Phuong Cam Linh – 45K08.1 Le Thi Hoang Diem – 45K08.1 Pham Ngo Duy Doan – 45K08.1 Dang Van Hung – 44K08.1 Instructors: Le Duc Tien, PhD Truong Thi Hieu Hanh, MBA Danang, May 2022 THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS FINAL REPORT OF STUDENTS' SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY FROM FACULTY OF E-COMMERCE, THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS, THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG Belonging to the group of sciences: Economics and Business Performed student: Le Phuong Cam Linh Gender: Female Class/Faculty: 45K08.1, E-commerce Year: 3/Number of years of training: Ethnic group: Kinh Major: Commercial Business Management Performed student: Le Thi Hoang Diem Gender: Female Class/Faculty: 45K08.1, E-commerce Year: 3/Number of years of training: Ethnic group: Kinh Major: Commercial Business Management Performed student: Pham Ngo Duy Doan Gender: Male Class/Faculty: 45K08.1, E-commerce Year: 3/Number of years of training: Ethnic group: Kinh Major: Commercial Business Management Performed student: Dang Van Hung Gender: Male Class/Faculty: 44K08.1, E-commerce Year: 4/Number of years of training: Ethnic group: Kinh Major: Commercial Business Management Instructors: Le Duc Tien, PhD and Truong Thi Hieu Hanh, MBA Danang, May 2022 i ABSTRACT In the past, education was considered merely a non-commercial, non-profit sector However, these days, with the influence of external factors, especially a market economy, education has been almost becoming a special service in which “customers” (students, parents) can invest and choose “a service supplier” (higher education) Despite the growing importance of student experience in higher education institutions, there are few studies on the subject Therefore, this research is conducted with the purpose of exploring factors having an impact on perceived value and thereby on student satisfaction, which mainly plays a vital role in student experience This research specifically addresses the issue “What are the primary drivers affecting students’ satisfaction?” Based on three theoretical frameworks, namely the Hierarchial Model including three dimensions: interaction quality, physical environment quality, and outcome quality, which affects service quality, the American Customer Satisfaction Index Model which is used to make a judgment about customer satisfaction, and the Student Involvement Theory which mainly emphasize extracurricular activities, this research suggests and verifies the research framework for antecedents of student experience at the University of Economics, the University of Danang, Vietnam The results of PLS-SEM data analysis demonstrate that service quality (including outcome quality, physical environment quality, interaction quality) and curriculum quality have favorable effects on perceived value, which leads to student satisfaction As a consequence, this study will provide managers from not only the University of Economics, the University of Danang but also around the country with some suggestions to improve the student experience through assessment level of impact of those elements and contribute to the literature by validating the theoretical framework in Vietnam Keywords: service quality, student experience, student satisfaction, higher education instituions ii PLEDGE This research project has been completely conducted by ourselves, Le Phuong Cam Linh, Le Thi Hoang Diem, Pham Ngo Duy Doan, Dang Van Hung - studenst of the University of Economics, the University of Danang We absolutely affirm that this scientific research’s content and analysis are the result of our own research We guarantee that all help for the implementation of this study is under the supervision of PhD Le Duc Tien and MBA Truong Thi Hieu Hanh Furthermore, some comments, evaluations, and data from other authors have citations and references, and if any fraud is uncovered, we accept full responsibility for the content of our study Da Nang, April 29, 2022 Students Le Phuong Cam Linh Le Thi Hoang Diem Pham Ngo Duy Doan Dang Van Hung iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As a result of the completion of this dissertation, we owe a debt of appreciation to many people Without the support, direction, and aid of our instructors, friends, and family, we would not have completed our assignment on time First and foremost, we want to express our gratitude to our major supervisors, Le Duc Tien, PhD and Truong Thi Hieu Hanh, MBA., for their continuous support and excellent guidance during our investigation Throughout the process, their excitement for study was palpable, and it undoubtedly improved the quality of our thesis We have the best supervisor in the world who has never hesitated to assist us when we needed it Furthermore, we would like to express our gratitude to the University of Economics teachers, who kindly shared their knowledge and experience with us and supported us along our journey Furthermore, we would also want to express our gratitude to our friends who were willing to assist us in reviewing drafts of this thesis Finally, we want to convey our heartfelt gratitude to our family, whose unwavering love and support helped us to complete this tough endeavor We appreciate them for being a source of inspiration and strength in the face of adversity Le Phuong Cam Linh Le Thi Hoang Diem Pham Ngo Duy Doan Dang Van Hung April 2022 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .i PLEDGE ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .iv LIST OF FIGURES viii LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xi CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Overview 1.1.1 Overview of the research 1.1.2 Overview of Faculty of E-commerce in University in Vietnam 1.1.3 Overview of Faculty of E-commerce in University of Economics, University of Danang 1.2 Research objectives 1.2.1 Research objectives .6 1.2.2 Specific objectives 1.3 Key research questions 1.4 Importance of the research 1.4.1 Research gap identification 1.4.2 Academic importance of the research topic 1.4.3 Managerial importance of the research topic 10 1.5 Research subjects 10 1.6 Research scope 10 1.7 Research methodology .10 1.8 Research structure 10 v CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW 12 2.1 Customer experience 12 2.2 Student experience 13 2.2.1 Student experience in higher education context .13 2.2.2 Student experience in Vietnam universities 14 2.3 Related theoritical framework 15 2.3.1 The Hierarchical Model 15 2.3.2 American Customer Satisfaction Index Model 17 2.3.3 Student Involvement Theory .18 CHAPTER THEORITICAL MODEL AND HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT 20 3.1 Development of conceptual model 20 3.2 Hypothesis development 20 3.2.1 Relationship between university’s outcome quality and service quality 20 3.2.2 Relationship between university’s physical environment quality and service quality 21 3.2.3 Relationship between university’s interaction quality and service quality 22 3.2.4 Relationship between university’s service quality and perceived value 24 3.2.5 Relationship between university’s curriculum quality and perceived value 24 3.2.6 Relationship between university’s extra-curricular activities and perceived value 25 3.2.7 Relationship between perceived value and student satisfaction .26 CHAPTER METHODOLOGY AND MEASUREMENT 28 4.1 Research methodology and procedure 28 4.1.1 Quantitative approach .28 4.1.2 Research procedure 28 vi 4.2 Measurement of constructs 29 4.2.1 Outcome quality 29 4.2.2 Physical environment quality (PEQ) 31 4.2.3 Interaction quality (IQ) .34 4.2.4 Service quality (SQ) 36 4.2.5 Curriculum quality (CQ) 36 4.2.6 Extra-curricular activities (ECA) 37 4.2.7 Perceived value (PV) .38 4.2.8 Student satisfaction (SS) 39 CHAPTER RESEARCH RESULTS .40 5.1 Respondent profile 40 5.2 Descriptive statistics 41 5.1.1 Outcome quality 41 5.1.2 Physical environment quality (PEQ) 42 5.1.3 Interaction Quality (IQ) 43 5.1.4 Service quality (SQ) 43 5.1.5 Curriculum quality (CQ) 44 5.1.6 Extra-curricular activities (ECA) 44 5.1.7 Perceived Value (PV) 44 5.1.8 Student Satisfaction (SS) 45 5.2 Evaluation on the research scale 45 5.2.1 The internal consistency of the scales .45 5.2.2 The convergent validity of the scales 46 5.2.3 The discriminant validity of the scales .49 5.3 Testing the model and the research hypotheses .50 5.3 Discussion 52 vii CHAPTER CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, AND LIMITATIONS 55 6.1 Implications 55 6.2 Limitations and future researchs 57 REFERENCES 58 APPENDICES .78 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2-1 America Customer Satisfaction Index Model 17 Figure 3-1 Conceptual model 20 Figure 4-1 Research procedure 29 Figure 5-1 Final PLS-SEM results 51 ... .10 1.8 Research structure 10 v CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW 12 2.1 Customer experience 12 2.2 Student experience 13 2.2.1 Student experience in higher... satisfaction, and the Student Involvement Theory which mainly emphasize extracurricular activities, this research suggests and verifies the research framework for antecedents of student experience at... importance of the research topic 1.4.3 Managerial importance of the research topic 10 1.5 Research subjects 10 1.6 Research scope 10 1.7 Research methodology