School Service Quality
Originating from marketing and business research, the notion of service quality has been measured via various models such as the Nordic model [11], the SERVQUAL model [12], the SERVPERF model [13], the internal service quality model [14], and the extended GAP model [15]. The SERVQUAL framework by Parasuraman et al. (1988), which includes five dimensions (tangible, responsiveness, assurance, reliability, empathy), and the SERVPERF model are particularly prominent [16]. The primary distinction between SERVQUAL and SERVPERF is that the former quantifies the discrepancy between consumers’ perceived and expected service quality, whereas the latter solely depends on consumers’ actual service perceptions, disregarding pre-existing expectations. In alignment with recent studies prioritizing consumers’ service quality perceptions over a mere comparison between expectations and perceptions [10], the SERVPERF model has been employed as an effective and direct measure of school service quality [17].
In the educational context, the five SERVPERF dimensions have been defined: tangibility indicates the state and management of a school’s resources and environment; responsiveness embodies the promptness of school administrators or teachers in responding to students’ needs; assurance assesses the proficiency and knowledge required to alleviate students’ physical or financial risks; reliability indicates the assurance of thorough and dependable service execution; and empathy illustrates the individualized attention and care provided to students by the school, particularly by the teachers [10].
The conceptual and operational interpretations of service quality (SQ) in education differ widely, and the exact construct of school SQ remains contentious [18]. Some scholars perceive SQ as multidimensional, while others view it as hierarchical [18]. The multidimensional approach suggests that students assess each SQ dimension independently, a notion supported by several studies [19, 20]. In contrast, the hierarchical approach suggests that SQ is a second-order construct, where students generate an overall SQ perception by aggregating the five primary dimensions [10]. This debate underscores SQ’s intricate nature, emphasizing the necessity of considering multiple perspectives when examining SQ in China. Therefore, to better understand SQ structure in the educational context of China, an empirical study should be conducted to elucidate the most effective measurement and assessment of school service quality within Chinese secondary schools.
Student Learning Satisfaction
Student learning satisfaction, indicative of students' contentment with their educational experiences, serves as a critical factor in secondary education [21, 22]. School, extending beyond a mere learning venue, significantly contributes to adolescents’ cognitive and emotional responses to their learning experiences [21, 23], thereby influencing their affective states and behaviors [24]. High satisfaction levels correlate positively with academic achievement [25], enhanced engagement [26], and improved psychological, behavioral, and social well-being [27]. In contrast, dissatisfaction may precipitate poor academic performance, increased dropout rates, and a heightened risk for mental health issues such as anxiety and depression [28, 29].
Student satisfaction levels are influenced by the quality of educational opportunities, resources, and services available to students [30, 31], as well as the school climate and the teachers’ instructional competence and attitude towards students [23, 32, 21, 33]. The determining factors of student learning satisfaction are further classified by Appleton-Knapp and Krentler (2006) into personal factors, such as gender, employment status, learning style, and academic performance, and institutional factors pertaining to pedagogical quality, instructor feedback responsiveness, and instructional style. The institutional factors align with the five dimensions of the SERVQUAL model, highlighting the critical role of the school environment, management, and teachers’ instructional competencies.
The Link between School Service Quality and Student Learning Satisfaction
The social cognitive theory asserts that an individual’s cognitive processes, including environmental perceptions, critically influence their behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs [34]. Zhang et al. (2021), guided by this theory, discovered that enhanced diversity in social support at universities positively influences student learning satisfaction. Similarly, Lent et al. (2007) identified academic goal progression, self-efficacy, and environmental supports as substantial determinants of academic satisfaction among engineering students, which validates the social-cognitive model of academic satisfaction. In the sphere of Chinese secondary education, the theory suggests a significant impact of students’ perceived school service quality on their overall learning satisfaction. Notably, a high-quality perception of school services likely results in increased academic progress and satisfaction.
A substantial amount of academic research has delved into the effects of specific school resources and capabilities on student academic performance and experiences [35, 36]. Evidence shows a correlation between tangible elements, such as location, physical facilities, and green spaces, and academic achievement [35]. Also, research exploring the relationship between teacher characteristics and student achievement has focused on elements of empathy and reliability [36].
Thus, high-quality school services, encompassing proficient teachers, appropriate facilities, and effective teaching materials, can be perceived as valuable assets that augment student satisfaction with their educational experiences. Furthermore, considering the multifaceted and hierarchical structure of SERVQUAL, it is reasonable to expect that the various dimensions of school service quality could enrich students' resources and capabilities, subsequently enhancing their learning satisfaction. Accordingly, we propose the following hypothesis:
Hypothesis 1
Students’ perception of their school service quality is positively related to their learning satisfaction.
Student learning satisfaction is a crucial aspect of positive educational experiences, and a significant body of literature has highlighted the importance of teacher support as the most critical predictor among various factors that impact student satisfaction in schools [21, 23, 32, 33]. Specifically, teachers’ care and support have been found to enhance students’ learning motivation and the school’s overall attractiveness to students [37]. In the context of Chinese high schools where there is frequent interaction with teachers, the empathy factors, which pertain to teacher influences, are expected to have the most significant impact on student learning satisfaction than other factors. Therefore, it is hypothesized that:
Hypothesis 2
The impact of empathy in the school service model on student learning satisfaction is stronger than that of other dimensions.
Comparative Studies of Public and Private Schools
Since the enactment of the Private Education Promotion Law in 2002 in China, the proportion of students attending private schools has increased significantly [3], signifying the crucial role private education plays in the educational choices of many families. Some scholars posited that private schools surpass public schools in terms of factors such as class size [38], teaching resources [39], hardware equipment [40], and highly educated teachers [41], which reflected the conditions for running a school. Moreover, private schools have more flexible teacher retirement mechanisms and more effective feedback systems, resulting in significantly lower teacher absenteeism rates than public schools [42]. These factors are considered key drivers of the differences in student performance between public and private schools. Hence, it is crucial for researchers to explore whether disparities exist in school service quality and student learning satisfaction between private and public high schools in China. In this context, it is hypothesized that:
Hypothesis 3
Chinese students attending private high schools have a higher perception of school service quality and learning satisfaction with school life than their public school counterparts.
In light of the literature reviewed above, it is evident that the relationship between school service quality and student learning satisfaction is multifaceted and the quality of educational services provided by public and private schools may exhibit considerable variability. Against this backdrop, this comparative study of public and private high schools in China seeks to augment the existing scholarship by examining the influence of school service quality on students’ learning satisfaction across both public and private high schools.
Study Objectives
The present study endeavors to investigate the impact of school service quality on the learning satisfaction of high school students in China, while also comparing students’ perceptions of school service quality and learning satisfaction between public and private high schools. By pursuing these research objectives, the study aims to advance our understanding of the intricate relationship between school service quality and students’ learning satisfaction and differences in school service quality and the learning experience between public and private schools.