Mr HJ Visser (Senior Specialist: Information and Strategic Analysis)

(Department of Information and Strategic Anslysis)&

Prof DH Tustin(Executive Research Director, Bureau of Market Research)

22 September 2009University of South Africa (UNISA)

STUDENT SATISFACTION MODELLINGAN IDEAL TOOL TO LOOPHOLE POTENTIAL THREATS AND WEAKNESSES

Southern African Association for Institutional Research (SAAIR) – Forum 2009

Prologue

Customer satisfaction surveys

Company mergers, restructuring and branding initiatives

Technology

Expansion of the higher

education system

More informed, brand-conscious and high-income

consumers

Diverse student corps

Student Satisfaction Surveys

Challenges

Stronger customer-oriented philosophy

Ensure student readiness

Develop retention strategies

Vigilant management approach: satisfaction-intention-retention link

CHE - 56 % of South African students drop out

NCES - 58 % of students are likely to complete qualification

3 million young South Africans between 18 and 24 years of age are neither in employment, education or training

Student satisfaction modelling

Identify aspects of educational experience that are associated with students' overall

expression of satisfaction…

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Research methodology…

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Meta-analysis Research results of previous student satisfaction studies were combined

with selected Student Information System (SIS) data 5 823 student data records

Descriptive analysis Mean satisfaction index scores

Multivariate analysis Correlation analysis (Bivariate) ANOVA-test

Examines ‘internal factors’ impacting on students satisfaction across the various pre-defined engagement areas and student biographics

Investigates ‘external’ factors that impact on student success across the various pre-defined student biographics

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Student registration Student

support

AdministrativeAcademic services/products

Internal factorsEngagement areas

Hypotheses…

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Successful students are more satisfied with services than unsuccessful students Successful students’ satisfaction levels differ by gender group Successful students’ satisfaction levels differ by population group Successful students’ satisfaction levels differ by age group Successful students’ satisfaction levels differ by guardian qualification level Successful students’ satisfaction levels differ by employment status Successful students’ satisfaction levels differ by geographic location Successful students’ satisfaction levels differ by entrance category Successful students’ satisfaction levels differ by IT skills category

SATISFACTION SCORES OF SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL STUDENTS

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Dimension

Unsuccessful students Successful students Total

Index Index Index

Registration 74 74 74

Student Support 65 64 65

Admin and Professional 71 69 70

Academic 70 70 70

Average 71 70 70

BIVARIATE CORRELATION ACROSS ENGAGEMENT AREAS

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Dimensions Registration Student support

Administration and professional

Academic Total

Registration 1.000 0.631 0.627 0.606 0.828

Student support 0.631 1.000 0.552 0.614 0.792

Administration 0.627 0.552 1.000 0.591 0.775

Academic 0.606 0.614 0.591 1.000 0.890

Total 0.828 0.792 0.775 0.890 1.000

How strong do student success and satisfaction correlate across a selection of biographic variables and how significant is such correlation?

BIVARIATE CORRELATION ANALYSIS

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Variable Correlation SigGenderMale - -0.039 0.060Female - -0.006 0.710PopulationAfrican + 0.012 0.492Coloured - -0.037 0.538Indian (Asian) + 0.037 0.426White + 0.032 0.241Age15-23 years - -0.041 0.11824-30 years - -0.046 0.07731-38 years - -0.041 0.12539+ years + 0.008 0.756

0

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Employment Correlation Sig

Full-time - -0.033 0.875

Part-time - 0.064 0.111

Unemployed - -0.020 0.533

Full-time student - -0.084 0.204

Geographic area

Towns - -0.004 0.884

Metro/city - -0.030 0.085

Entrance category

Previous ODL -0.007 0.650

Previous residential - -0.021 0.502

No previous experience - -0.064 0.226

IT literacy

Less IT literate - -0.004 0.852

More IT literate -0.031 0.063

Overall - -0.024 0.069

0

STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN SATISFACTION RATINGS

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Biographic variableRegistration Student Support

Administration services Academic Average

Index Index Index Index IndexGenderMale 75 64 71 71 71Female 73 64 69 70 70Total 74 64 69 70 70Population groupAfrican 77 67 74 73 73Coloured 69 59 65 66 65Indian 69 57 62 66 65White 69 61 64 68 67Total 74 64 69 70 70Age group15-23 72 63 69 68 6824-30 73 63 69 68 6931-38 74 64 70 71 7139-77 76 66 70 73 73Total 74 64 69 70 70

Statistically significant at a 95% level of confidence

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Biographic variableRegistration Student Support

Administration services Academic Average

Index Index Index Index IndexMale guardian qualificationDegree 69 60 65 68 66Diploma/certificate 72 64 67 70 69Grade 1 - 12 & ABET 73 62 69 69 69No qualification 79 68 75 74 75Total 73 63 69 70 70Male guardian qualificationDegree 68 61 64 66 66Diploma/certificate 70 62 66 69 68Grade 1 - 12 & ABET 73 63 69 70 70No qualification 78 68 74 73 74Total 73 64 69 70 70Employment categoryEmployed full-time 73 64 69 70 70Employed part-time 71 61 67 69 68Unemployed 76 65 72 72 72Full-time student 73 65 73 70 71Total 74 64 69 70 70

Statistically significant at a 95% level of confidence

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Registration Student SupportAdministration

services Academic Average

Geographic area

Towns 77 66 73 73 73

Metro/city 72 63 68 69 69

Total 74 64 69 70 70

Entrance category

Previously ODL 73 63 68 70 70

No previous university 75 68 73 75 73

Previously residential 72 66 72 69 71

Total 74 64 69 70 70

IT literacy levels

More advanced IT skills 71 62 67 69 68

Less advanced IT skills 75 65 71 71 71

Total 74 64 69 70 70

Student success

Unsuccessful students 74 65 71 70 71

Successful students 74 64 69 70 70

Total 74 65 70 70 70

Statistically significant at a 95% level of confidence

Hypotheses…

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Research dimension

Student success Accepted

Gender group Accepted

Population group Rejected

Age group Rejected

Guardian qualification level Rejected

Employment status Rejected

Geographic location Rejected

Entrance category Rejected

IT literacy Rejected

MOST AND LEAST SATISFIED STUDENT GROUPS

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Biographic variable Most satisfied Least satisfiedGender Males FemalesPopulation African Asian (Indian)Age Older students Younger studentsGuardian qualification No qualification Degree qualificationEmployment Unemployed Part-time studentsGeographic Towns Metro/cityEntrance category No previous higher education experience Previous ODL students

‘External’ factors

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Work related(ie stress at work, relevancy of study to workplace)

Financial and nonfinancial support and guidance Home environment

(ie stress from family and household) Social life

(ie sports/spiritual events) Study environment

(ie access to library, study space and support) Workload and length of study

(ie hours required for studies, period of completion of studies)

External factors

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Biographic variable Least satisfied Inhibiting factors(Priority ranking)

Gender Females Work stress, Family stressFinance

Population Asian (Indian) Work stress, Family stressAge Younger students Finance , Work stress

Lack of support/guidance

Guardian qualification Degree qualification Work stress, Family stressEmployment Part-time students Finance, Work stress

Geographic Metro/city Work stress, FinanceEnrolment status Part-time younger students Work stress, FinanceEntrance category Residential university

studentWork stressLack access to libraryFamily stress

CONCLUSION

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STUDENT SATISFACTION MODELLINGAN IDEAL TOOL TO LOOPHOLE POTENTIAL THREATS AND WEAKNESSES