Postgraduate Students’ Satisfaction in Higher Education Institutions, Sri Lanka

Abstract

In accordance with the world changes and globalization, higher education is concerned as a service industry that highlighting on meeting the expectations and needs of their customers. Students of the universities and colleges are mainly considered as their intimate customers. Therefore, the study relate to determinants of postgraduate students’ satisfaction in higher education: applying Herzberg’s two-factor theory. All the required data gathered by using the stratified sampling method and simple random sampling techniques data were analyzed through multivariable and descriptive analysis methods to verify the objectives and to check the acceptance or the rejections of the null hypotheses. After an in-depth study, the outcome of the objectives and the hypotheses were discussed according to the conceptual framework. The study was based on primary data collected through questionnaires and they were analyzed using correlation, regression, and Cronbatch’s alpha. By looking at empirical data and a conceptual model, the results of this study clearly indicated that students’ college experience was positively related to their satisfaction at the higher education institutions, Sri Lanka. Further the results showed that the faculty, advisory staff, classes and experiences have a very significant and positive impact on the satisfaction. The faculty performance was the most leading factor for the student satisfaction. Additional implications for the higher education institutions are discussed.