A Model for Developing Student Satisfaction for Undergraduate Students in Private Higher Education Institutions in Singapore

Chongyan Zhang

doi:10.14456/jsasr.2023.25

Authors

Chongyan Zhang Ph.D., Lecturer, International College, Krirk University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0576-0482

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14456/jsasr.2023.25

Keywords:

Student Satisfaction; , Higher Education; , Undergraduate Students; , Model;, Singapore

Abstract

Background and Aim: Although the private education sector brings economic contributions to Singapore, there are still two kinds of problems encountered: a decline in enrollment and quality insurance. Moreover, undergraduate students are potential leaders, and their expectations and satisfaction could influence social change, accordingly, the researcher purposed the model to enhance levels of student satisfaction in private higher education institutions in Singapore.

Materials and Methods: The research was quantitative methods, with a total of 600 analytic samplings, then, the research was conducted in three representative private higher education institutions in Singapore, there were three parts including the research instrument: level of student satisfaction, factors influencing student satisfaction, and demographic information, the instrument conducted Likert’s five-point scale; the online questionnaire was a tool for data collection; in the first objective, here would perform to descriptive analysis, the second objective and the third objective would work to inferential analysis (multiple linear regression and MANOVA), the final objective would combinate significant findings and develop the suitable model, then, the proposed model would be validated by five experts given scores, the researcher would whether revise the model according to the given scores (>0.60 was acceptable level), the evaluation model was CIPP.

Results: the research provided significant results: (1) undergraduate students were general satisfied to private higher education institutions in Singapore, especially, three lower satisfactory factors as: education and teaching, utility and relevance, technology and library; (2) the six impact factors were significant relationship with student satisfaction, importantly, there were three strongly impact as: education and teaching, campus, and admin, support and flexibility; (3) two student groups were a lower satisfaction in private higher institutions in Singapore: the first-year students and Singapore citizens; (4) the model suggested private higher education institutions in Singapore need to exclusively improve quality of education and teaching, quality of campus, quality of admin, support and flexibility to enhance students’ satisfaction to the first-year students and Singapore citizen students, the model was validate by given scores (<0.60) from five experts who familied with higher education development in Singapore, finally, they approved the model can helpful to develop students’ satisfaction for undergraduate students in private higher education institutions in Singapore.

Conclusion: the model can provide significant empirical suggestions for stakeholders in higher education in Singapore or globally: the higher institutions can focus on improving quality in education and teaching, campus, admin, support, and flexibility, mainly including two student groups: the first-year students and their citizens.

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