Service Quality Dimensions and Student Satisfaction during the Covid-19 Pandemic among Selected Higher Education Institutions in Manila, Philippines

Abstract

Many private schools are greatly affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result, many HEIs decided to shut down their school operations such as College of Holy Spirit Manila, Colegio de San Lorenzo, and Kalayaan College. Low student retention is the main reason for its permanent closure and based on the previous study, student satisfaction with service quality can increase customer loyalty for continuous patronage. The study assesses student satisfaction in the SQD using the Modified SERVQUAL Model among the selected HEIs in Manila, Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main objective of the study is to provide updated data information regarding student satisfaction to help both participating and non-participating schools continuously improve the service quality for students. The 366 survey respondents and 12 interview participants are 3rd years and 4th-year undergraduate students from the selected private HEIs in Manila, Philippines. The research design is descriptive research and used the mixed method technique to assess student satisfaction in the service quality dimensions for both academic and non-academic services. The homogeneous purposive sampling technique is used to select and recruit participants with shared characteristics such as the same year levels which are the 3rd year and 4th year undergraduate students who have more knowledge, experience, and exposure to the services of the university for both academic and non-academic services. Kruskal Wallis test and Mann Whitney are used for statistical data analysis and hypothesis testing. In the quantitative part of the study, the empathy dimension is the lowest SQD among selected HEIs in Manila. Therefore, it is recommended that university administrators establish a TQM service culture with an emphasis on genuine connection. In the thematic analysis, the reliability dimension with academic teaching ineffectiveness got the highest frequency among negative sub-themes. Therefore, it is recommended for academic heads to reconduct a faculty development program with an emphasis on advanced teaching effectiveness. Keywords: Service Quality Dimensions, Student Satisfaction, Higher Education Institutions, Mixed Methods, Philippines