Evaluating the Quality of Educational Services in the Architectural Design Course (2) in the Islamic Azad University of Tabriz from the Perspective of Students based on the SERVQUAL Model

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate in Architecture, Department of Architecture, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran (Corresponding Author).

3 Assistant Professor of Architecture, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

Investigation of the students’ perspectives as the main receivers of the higher education services plays a vital role in the quantitative and qualitative promotion of the services provided in this area. The main objective of the current study is the explanation of the quality of educational services for the course of architectural design (2) at the Islamic Azad University of Tabriz from the students’ perspective, based on the SERVQUAL Model. In terms of the courses provided for the bachelor course of Architectural Engineering, the architectural design courses are the most important part of the education and the main body of teachings in this major due to the connection they make between the theoretical and practical approaches. Therefore, a qualitative evaluation of the educational services related to these courses is necessary. The research method is a survey and the statistical population is undergraduate students in the field of architectural engineering at the Azad University of Tabriz who were taking the course of architectural design (2) in the first semester of the 2017-2018 academic year. The data collection instrument was the SERVQUAL questionnaire which measures the educational services in five dimensions tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. To determine the quality gap, the difference between the scores of the level of perception and the level expected by students from educational services is measured. Based on the studies, the research components, criteria, and indicators are explained based on the service quality dimensions of the SERVQUAL Model. The findings indicated that from the students’ perspective, in terms of the five dimensions of the SERVQUAL Model, the quality of educational services provided in the course architectural design (2) is lower than expected. The highest and lowest gap belonged to responsiveness and assurance, respectively. It indicates the necessity of higher attention paid to the quality of communication and interaction with the students by the professors and education staff and the importance of prioritization and appropriate managerial measures to eliminate or reduce this quality gap in other dimensions.

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 30 October 2018
  • Revise Date: 11 September 2021
  • Accept Date: 13 September 2021

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