Statistical quality control charts for measuring educational service quality at Albaha University, Saudi Arabia, from the viewpoint of students

Abstract

Abstract:The research aims to use statistical quality control charts to measure the quality level and the quality gap between the perceptions of students and their expectations for the service level provided by Albaha University. The data comprises a total of 200 students selected randomly from a cluster sample of 4 faculties during the period 1-30/04/2015. The data collection involves the use of the service quality (SERVQUAL) questionnaire that measures perceptions and expectations of students for service level in five dimensions consisting assurance, responsiveness, empathy, reliability, and tangibles. The statistical analytic approach of the research focuses on statistical quality control charts (arithmetic mean and capability process). The results reveal that the service level is outside the boundaries of quality control. There is a negative gap in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in Mandag, and the Faculty of Administrative and Financial Sciences; and there is a positive gap in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of Sciences in Aqiq, and the Faculty of Science in Aqiq respectively. Also, the results demonstrated that there is a negative quality gap in each of the five SERVQUAL dimensions. The least and the most negative quality gap means are found to be in the assurance elements and tangible dimensions respectively.