Scientific research student experience nghiên cứu khoa học về trải nghiệm sinh viên

THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS FINAL REPORT OF STUDENTS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION A CASE STUDY FROM FACULTY OF ECOMMERCE, THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS, THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG

THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS

DANANG

Group students: Le Phuong Cam Linh – 45K08.1

Le Thi Hoang Diem – 45K08.1 Pham Ngo Duy Doan – 45K08.1 Dang Van Hung – 44K08.1 Instructors: Le Duc Tien, PhD

Truong Thi Hieu Hanh, MBA

Danang, May 2022

THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS



FINAL REPORT OF STUDENTS' SCIENTIFIC

RESEARCH STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY FROM FACULTY OF E-COMMERCE, THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS, THE UNIVERSITY OF

DANANG

Belonging to the group of sciences: Economics and Business 2

Performed student: Le Phuong Cam Linh Gender: Female

Class/Faculty: 45K08.1, E-commerce Year: 3/Number of years of training: 4 Ethnic group: Kinh Major: Commercial Business Management Performed student: Le Thi Hoang Diem Gender: Female

Class/Faculty: 45K08.1, E-commerce Year: 3/Number of years of training: 4 Ethnic group: Kinh Major: Commercial Business Management Performed student: Pham Ngo Duy Doan Gender: Male

Class/Faculty: 45K08.1, E-commerce Year: 3/Number of years of training: 4 Ethnic group: Kinh Major: Commercial Business Management Performed student: Dang Van Hung Gender: Male

Class/Faculty: 44K08.1, E-commerce Year: 4/Number of years of training: 4 Ethnic group: Kinh Major: Commercial Business Management

Instructors: Le Duc Tien, PhD and Truong Thi Hieu Hanh, MBA

Danang, May 2022

ABSTRACT

In the past, education was considered merely a non-commercial, non-profit sector However, these days, with the influence of external factors, especially a market economy, education has been almost becoming a special service in which “customers” (students, parents) can invest and choose “a service supplier” (higher education) Despite the growing importance of student experience in higher education institutions, there are few studies on the subject Therefore, this research is conducted with the purpose of exploring factors having an impact on perceived value and thereby on student satisfaction, which mainly plays a vital role in student experience This

research specifically addresses the issue “What are the primary drivers affecting students’ satisfaction?” Based on three theoretical frameworks, namely the

Hierarchial Model including three dimensions: interaction quality, physical environment quality, and outcome quality, which affects service quality, the American Customer Satisfaction Index Model which is used to make a judgment about customer satisfaction, and the Student Involvement Theory which mainly emphasize extracurricular activities, this research suggests and verifies the research framework for antecedents of student experience at the University of Economics, the University of Danang, Vietnam The results of PLS-SEM data analysis demonstrate that service quality (including outcome quality, physical environment quality, interaction quality) and curriculum quality have favorable effects on perceived value, which leads to student satisfaction As a consequence, this study will provide managers from not only the University of Economics, the University of Danang but also around the country with some suggestions to improve the student experience through assessment level of impact of those elements and contribute to the literature by validating the theoretical framework in Vietnam

Keywords: service quality, student experience, student satisfaction, higher

education instituions

PLEDGE

This research project has been completely conducted by ourselves, Le Phuong Cam Linh, Le Thi Hoang Diem, Pham Ngo Duy Doan, Dang Van Hung - studenst of the University of Economics, the University of Danang

We absolutely affirm that this scientific research’s content and analysis are the result of our own research

We guarantee that all help for the implementation of this study is under the supervision of PhD Le Duc Tien and MBA Truong Thi Hieu Hanh Furthermore, some comments, evaluations, and data from other authors have citations and references, and if any fraud is uncovered, we accept full responsibility for the content

of our study

Da Nang, April 29, 2022

Students

Le Phuong Cam Linh

Le Thi Hoang Diem Pham Ngo Duy Doan Dang Van Hung

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As a result of the completion of this dissertation, we owe a debt of appreciation

to many people Without the support, direction, and aid of our instructors, friends, and

family, we would not have completed our assignment on time

First and foremost, we want to express our gratitude to our major supervisors,

Le Duc Tien, PhD and Truong Thi Hieu Hanh, MBA., for their continuous support

and excellent guidance during our investigation Throughout the process, their

excitement for study was palpable, and it undoubtedly improved the quality of our

thesis We have the best supervisor in the world who has never hesitated to assist us

when we needed it

Furthermore, we would like to express our gratitude to the University of

Economics teachers, who kindly shared their knowledge and experience with us and

supported us along our journey

Furthermore, we would also want to express our gratitude to our friends who

were willing to assist us in reviewing drafts of this thesis

Finally, we want to convey our heartfelt gratitude to our family, whose

unwavering love and support helped us to complete this tough endeavor We

appreciate them for being a source of inspiration and strength in the face of adversity

Le Phuong Cam Linh

Le Thi Hoang Diem Pham Ngo Duy Doan Dang Van Hung April 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT i

PLEDGE ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF FIGURES viii

LIST OF TABLES ix

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xi

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Overview 1

1.1.1 Overview of the research 1

1.1.2 Overview of Faculty of E-commerce in University in Vietnam 2

1.1.3 Overview of Faculty of E-commerce in University of Economics, University of Danang 5

1.2 Research objectives 6

1.2.1 Research objectives 6

1.2.2 Specific objectives 6

1.3 Key research questions 7

1.4 Importance of the research 7

1.4.1 Research gap identification 7

1.4.2 Academic importance of the research topic 9

1.4.3 Managerial importance of the research topic 10

1.5 Research subjects 10

1.6 Research scope 10

1.7 Research methodology 10

1.8 Research structure 10

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 12

2.1 Customer experience 12

2.2 Student experience 13

2.2.1 Student experience in higher education context 13

2.2.2 Student experience in Vietnam universities 14

2.3 Related theoritical framework 15

2.3.1 The Hierarchical Model 15

2.3.2 American Customer Satisfaction Index Model 17

2.3.3 Student Involvement Theory 18

CHAPTER 3 THEORITICAL MODEL AND HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT 20 3.1 Development of conceptual model 20

3.2 Hypothesis development 20

3.2.1 Relationship between university’s outcome quality and service quality 20

3.2.2 Relationship between university’s physical environment quality and service quality 21

3.2.3 Relationship between university’s interaction quality and service quality 22 3.2.4 Relationship between university’s service quality and perceived value 24

3.2.5 Relationship between university’s curriculum quality and perceived value 24 3.2.6 Relationship between university’s extra-curricular activities and perceived value 25 3.2.7 Relationship between perceived value and student satisfaction 26

CHAPTER 4 METHODOLOGY AND MEASUREMENT 28

4.1 Research methodology and procedure 28

4.1.1 Quantitative approach 28

4.1.2 Research procedure 28

4.2 Measurement of constructs 29

4.2.1 Outcome quality 29

4.2.2 Physical environment quality (PEQ) 31

4.2.3 Interaction quality (IQ) 34

4.2.4 Service quality (SQ) 36

4.2.5 Curriculum quality (CQ) 36

4.2.6 Extra-curricular activities (ECA) 37

4.2.7 Perceived value (PV) 38

4.2.8 Student satisfaction (SS) 39

CHAPTER 5 RESEARCH RESULTS 40

5.1 Respondent profile 40

5.2 Descriptive statistics 41

5.1.1 Outcome quality 41

5.1.2 Physical environment quality (PEQ) 42

5.1.3 Interaction Quality (IQ) 43

5.1.4 Service quality (SQ) 43

5.1.5 Curriculum quality (CQ) 44

5.1.6 Extra-curricular activities (ECA) 44

5.1.7 Perceived Value (PV) 44

5.1.8 Student Satisfaction (SS) 45

5.2 Evaluation on the research scale 45

5.2.1 The internal consistency of the scales 45

5.2.2 The convergent validity of the scales 46

5.2.3 The discriminant validity of the scales 49

5.3 Testing the model and the research hypotheses 50

5.3 Discussion 52

CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, AND LIMITATIONS 55

6.1 Implications 55

6.2 Limitations and future researchs 57

REFERENCES 58

APPENDICES 78

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2-1 America Customer Satisfaction Index Model 17

Figure 3-1 Conceptual model 20

Figure 4-1 Research procedure 29

Figure 5-1 Final PLS-SEM results 51

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1-1 Many Universities participating in E-commerce training 3

Table 4-1 Summary of Academic development 29

Table 4-2 Summary of General education 30

Table 4-3 Summary of Vocational preparation 30

Table 4-4 Summary of Personal development 30

Table 4-5 Summary of University accommodation 31

Table 4-6 Summary of Campus 31

Table 4-7 Summary of Classroom 31

Table 4-8 Summary of Recreational facilities 32

Table 4-9 Summary of Computer room 32

Table 4-10 Summary of Library 32

Table 4-11 Summary of Social factors 33

Table 4-12 Summary of Safety 33

Table 4-13 Summary of Social life 33

Table 4-14 Summary of Expertise 34

Table 4-15 Summary of Attitudes and behaviors 34

Table 4-16 Summary of Accesibility 34

Table 4-17 Summary of Personal interaction 35

Table 4-18 Summary of Administration staff 35

Table 4-19 Summary of Cource content 36

Table 4-20 Summary of Service quality 36

Table 4-21 Summary of Instructional content 36

Table 4-22 Summary of Curriculum provision 37

Table 4-23 Summary of Instructional methods 37

Table 4-24 Summary of Course evaluation 37

Table 4-25 Summary of Extra-curricular activities 37

Table 4-26 Summary of Perceived value 38

Table 4-27 Summary of Student satisfaction 39

Table 5-1 Respondents' profile 40

Table 5-2 Conversion table of consumer rating by average range 41

Table 5-3 Descriptive statistical results of Outcome Quality 41

Table 5-4 Descriptive statistical results of Physical Environment Quality 42

Table 5-5 Descriptive statistical results of Interaction Quality 43

Table 5-6 Descriptive statistical results of Service Quality 43

Table 5-7 Descriptive statistical results of Curriculum Quality 44

Table 5-8 Descriptive statistical results of Extra-curricular activities 44

Table 5-9 Descriptive statistical results of Perceived Value 44

Table 5-10 Descriptive statistical results of Student Satisfaction 45

Table 5-11 Testing the internal consistency and convergent validity of the scales 46

Table 5-12 Results of Fornell-Larcker criterion test 50

Table 5-13 The results of research hypotheses 51

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS

THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG

RESEARCH RESULTS OF THE THESIS

1 General information:

- Topic: Student experience in higher education: a case study from faculty of commerce, the university of economics, the university of danang

e Students: (1) Le Phuong Cam Linh

- Class: 45K08.1 Faculty: E-commerce Year: 3 Number

of years of training: 4

- Students: (2) Le Thi Hoang Diem

- Class: 45K08.1 Faculty: E-commerce Year: 3 Number

of years of training: 4

- Students: (3) Pham Ngo Duy Doan

- Class: 45K08.1 Faculty: E-commerce Year: 3 Number

of years of training: 4

- Students: (4) Dang Van Hung

- Class: 44K08.1 Faculty: E-commerce Year: 4 Number

 Identifying factors influencing students’ perceived value

 Assessing the extent of factors affecting students’ perceived value

 Assessing the extent of students’ perceived value affecting student satisfaction

 Investigating the evaluation of students of E-commerce faculty for the current condition of student experience at Danang University of Economics

 Proposing measures to improve and develop the quality of teaching and service at Danang University of Economics

3 Novelty and creativity:

This research paper is one of the few studies related to student experience reviewed at the University of Economics, the University of Danang, Vietnam Additionally, this study attempts to fill in the gaps in previous research to solve the problem interested in students' perceptions of their experiences in the university environment It can be said that one of the new highlights of this study is examining the role of three main factors: service quality, curriculum quality, and extra-curricular activities in affecting students' perceived value, from which leads to student satisfaction Thereby, the experimental results help the University of Economics, the University of Danang in particular and throughout Vietnam in general have a deeper insight into the role of providing a positive experience for students

4 Research results:

The research has selected and verified a measurement scale that ensures the validity and reliability of the concepts in the proposed model: interaction quality, physical environment quality, outcome quality, service quality, curriculum quality, extra-curricular activities, perceived value, and student satisfaction Experimental results have confirmed the positive relationships between the above factors on the perceived value that students from the Faculty of E-commerce, the University of Economics, the University of Danang receive, thereby leading to their satisfaction, except for the variable extra-curricular activities that are not satisfactory

5 Contribution in terms of socio-economic, education, security, defense, and applicability of the topic:

This research contributes to university management with a comprehensive view

of the student experience at the university Knowing which factors are most important

or less important to students so that appropriate strategies and policies can be devised

to improve the student experience This not only helps students have an ideal university environment, but from which they can suggest the next generation to attend

the university, thereby increasing the quality of education and increasing the number

of students entering

Date: 15 Month: May Year: 2022

Student

(signature, full name)

Comments of the instructor on the scientific contributions of students to the topic

(this part is recorded by the instructor):

Date: 15 Month: May Year: 2022

THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG

THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS

INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE

SUBJECT IMPLEMENTATION

STUDENT SUMMARY: (1)

Name: Le Phuong Cam Linh

Day of birth: 28 September, 2001

Place of birth: Quang Nam

Class: 45K08.1 Faculty: E-commerce

Address: 115 Nguyen Phan Vinh Street, Cam An Commune, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province

Phone: 0393145804 Email: lephuonglinh289@gmail.com

LEARNING PROCESS (state the achievements of students from year 1 to year of

study):

* The first year:

Major: Commercial Business Management Faculty: E-commerce Academic ranking results: Excellent

Summary of achievements:

* The second year:

Major: Commercial Business Management Faculty: E-commerce Academic ranking results: Excellent

Summary of achievements:

STUDENT SUMMARY: (2)

Name: Le Thi Hoang Diem

Day of birth: 15 October, 2001

Place of birth: Quang Nam

Class: 45K08.1 Faculty: E-commerce

Address: Bo Ho 1 Street, Cam Ha Commune, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province Phone: 0905017745 Email: diemle2001@gmail.com

LEARNING PROCESS (state the achievements of students from year 1 to year of

study):

* The first year:

Major: Commercial Business Management Faculty: E-commerce Academic ranking results: Excellent

Summary of achievements:

* The second year:

Major: Commercial Business Management Faculty: E-commerce

Ảnh 4x6

Ảnh 4x6

Academic ranking results: Excellent

Summary of achievements:

STUDENT SUMMARY: (3)

Name: Pham Ngo Duy Doan

Day of birth: 01 January, 2001

Place of birth: Quang Ngai

Class: 45K08.1 Faculty: E-commerce

Address: Van Tien Dung street, Dien Ngoc Commune, Dien Ban district, Quang Nam province

Phone: 0326522364 Email: doanpnd112001@gmail.com

LEARNING PROCESS (state the achievements of students from year 1 to year of

study):

* The first year:

Major: Commercial Business Management Faculty: E-commerce Academic ranking results: Good

Summary of achievements:

* The second year:

Major: Commercial Business Management Faculty: E-commerce Academic ranking results: Good

Summary of achievements:

STUDENT SUMMARY: (4)

Name: Dang Van Hung

Day of birth: 22 July, 2000

Place of birth: Thua Thien Hue

Class: 44K08.1 Faculty: E-commerce

Address: Huong Toan, Huong Tra, Thua Thien Hue

Phone: 0376928343 Email: vanhungdvn@gmail.com

LEARNING PROCESS (state the achievements of students from year 1 to year of

study):

* The first year:

Major: Commercial Business Management Faculty: E-commerce Academic ranking results: Good

Summary of achievements:

* The second year:

Major: Commercial Business Management Faculty: E-commerce Academic ranking results: Good

Summary of achievements:

* The Third year:

Major: Commercial Business Management Faculty: E-commerce Academic ranking results: Excellent

Summary of achievements:

Ảnh 4x6

Ảnh 4x6

15 May, 2022

Confirmation of Faculty

(signature and sealed)

Students are mainly responsible for

implementing the topic

(signature, full name)

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Overview

1.1.1 Overview of the research

Higher education has been of paramount importance to the economic, political, and social development of countries all over the world because it is the level of education for training scholars related to economics, politics, education, and medicine (Brezis & Crouzet, 2004) Therefore, higher education always receives a substantial investment (Ampofo et al., 2015) Developing countries are no exception, the number

of higher education institutions and the number of students enrolled in universities in these countries has increased significantly over the years (Ampofo et al., 2015)

The student experience is crucial for universities (Siming et al., 2015) Because the alumni who have attended the universities have an influence on the attending decisions of the next generation of potential students (Siming et al., 2015) Furthermore, having a positive student experience also allows the school to receive their contributions both now and future (Siming et al., 2015)

Vietnam has been constantly integrating its higher education into the global higher education system (Welch, 2010) As the competition between higher education institutions is becoming more and more ferocious, universities are gradually paying more attention to student satisfaction (De Jager & Gbadamosi, 2013) Students not only pay tuition fees to directly benefits but what they expect to receive is the appropriate experience value they have at the university they are attending (Heo & Lee, 2016) Students are vital actors in the process of contributing to the formation of experiential value (Gunarto et al., 2018) Therefore, universities also need to be in the service of their students well (Kotler & Armstrong, 2016) by providing experiences for students as consumers of the organization (Khanna et al., 2014)

Higher education is an experiential service with the active participation of service suppliers and consumers, specifically universities and students (Khanna et al., 2014) The value of the student experience can increase as student engagement increases (Aygoren & Yilmaz, 2013; Armstrong & Kotler, 2015; Azemi et al., 2016; Mathis et al., 2016) The degree of student involvement in higher education has been through co-creation, which creates an enjoyable experience for students (Mathis et al.,

2016; Gunarto et al., 2018) Some studies have shown that increasing student engagement can increase the value of student experience and even increase student satisfaction (Mathis et al., 2016; Gunarto et al., 2018)

Customer experience is revealed to result from the process of customers interacting with the business (Katherine & Peter, 2016) Likewise, the student experience is assessed in all aspects of student engagement in higher education (Harvey, 2009) Temple et al (2014) have also shown that the student experience encompasses the full range of student relationships with the university, involving significant levels of learning and personal growth

This study uses three theories The first is Brady and Cronin's (2001) Service Quality Model Brady and Cronin (2001) have developed this service quality model, including 3 dimensions: interaction quality, physical environment quality, and outcome quality, explaining service quality (Brady & Cronin, 2001) The second theory is the American Customer Satisfaction Index model of Fornell et al (1996), which has been a general theoretical framework used to make a judgement about customer satisfaction The last one is Astin's (1984) Involvement Theory, which mainly emphasizes extracurricular activities

1.1.2 Overview of Faculty of E-commerce in University in Vietnam

According to a survey by the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy (Ministry of Industry and Trade), the rate of e-commerce graduates with jobs recorded

at some universities and colleges reached over 90% The current form of e-commerce training is mainly on orders, accounting for 37%, short-term training focuses on 33%, long-term formal training accounts for 16%, and online training accounts for 9% According to a survey from companies providing e-commerce solutions, there is still a shortage of e-commerce human resources, with less than 30% of the workforce having formal training in e-commerce, 55% of them trained in business, commerce, and information technology, and the rest are other professions The above figures reflect that the current formal training of e-commerce human resources has only partially met the actual needs That means that the demand for human resources in the field of e-commerce is increasingly attracting young people to study because of the relatively

open job opportunities with attractive salaries and a new and dynamic working environment

Realizing this need, since 2005, the University of Commerce has opened a major in E-commerce Administration within the Business Administration major This

is the first university in Vietnam to develop a program and register to open the commerce industry with the Ministry of Education and Training since 2014, and also the first one selected by the Ministry of Education and Training to pilot teaching e-commerce

e-During the 2008-2010 period, the Ministry of Industry and Trade coordinated with the Ministry of Education and Training to agree on a roadmap to deploy activities with the goal of expanding the construction of e-commerce majors in some universities and promulgating a framework of the E-commerce training program at university and college level Up to now, there have been many schools participating in e-commerce training, specifically, the survey is as follows:

Table 1-1 Many Universities participating in E-commerce training

N

No

Training institutions

Training scale

Enrollment block

200 students

A, A1, D1, D7

A00, A01, D01, D07

A00, A01,

target of 50 students

A00, A01, D01

A01, C01, D01, D96

A00, A01, D01, D90

A00, A01, D01

A00, A01, D01

A00, A01, D01

A01, C01, D01, D90

The survey results showed that the enrollment in the e-commerce industry is very diverse, the standards for entering the industry are also quite high, and the enrollment quota is very modest Therefore, the need to train qualified human resources to meet the diverse learning needs of the community, focusing on practice, allows learners after graduation to quickly adapt to job positions in the economy-society is huge

1.1.3 Overview of Faculty of E-commerce in University of Economics, University of Danang

The Faculty of Electronic Commerce, which is a new faculty of University of Economics, University of Danang was established on January 30, 2018 It is created

on the basis of Commercial Business subject belonging to the Faculty of Commerce and E-Commerce major belonging to the Faculty of Statistics - Informatics This is the first E-commerce faculty in the Central - Central Highlands to train E-commerce major according to specific regulations (increasing 30% of practice time at enterprises, students will have opportunities to not only learn but also work with experts in the field of E-commerce and experts from businesses as well) E-commerce major is the

reasonable course for those who are passionate about business and technology This major is also for those who are sensitive to the changes of the times, dynamic and creative as well

Corporate relations is an activity that the Faculty of E-commerce always pays attention to and promotes to assist students in gaining the opportunity to access practical activities of enterprises through graduate internship programs, extracurricular activities, conferences, seminars, scientific research

The Faculty of E-commerce trains 3 majors:

 Commercial Business Management

1.2.2 Specific objectives

To accomplish the above-mentioned general purpose, our group indicates some topic's specific objectives, which are as follows:

 Identifying factors influencing students’ perceived value

 Assessing the extent of factors affecting students’ perceived value

 Assessing the extent of students’ perceived value affecting student satisfaction

 Investigating the evaluation of students of E-commerce faculty for the current condition of student experience at Danang University of Economics

 Proposing measures to improve and develop the quality of teaching and service at Danang University of Economics

1.3 Key research questions

In order to attain the stated objectives, this study will address the following questions:

Question 1: What are the factors affecting students’ perceived value?

Question 2: In higher education context, are there significant relationships

between above factors and students’ perceived value?

Question 3: In higher education context, is there a significant relationship

between students’ perceived value and student satisfaction?

Question 4: How do students assess the current condition of student experience

at the University of Economics, the University of Danang?

Question 5: What are the methods which can be implemented to improve and

develop the quality of teaching and service at the University of Economics, the University of Danang?

1.4 Importance of the research

1.4.1 Research gap identification

According to Carroll and Ryan (2005), the level of competition in university admission is much more intense The goal of increasing student enrollment has placed considerable pressure on universities in creating a positive student experience Therefore, it has become an area of interest and attention of researchers, administrators and other stakeholders in the higher education system around the world

While customer satisfaction is considered the mantra in how companies manage customer relationships, little is known about the effects of perceived value on that satisfaction (Minh et al., 2015) However, in the university context, students are seen as the main customers (Sultan & Wong, 2013) Therefore, it can be said that the study of the relationship from perceived value to student satisfaction is still very limited

Several studies have been carried out in Vietnam to measure satisfaction with educational services, such as Dinh et al (2021), Hoang et al (2018), Nguyen (2013), Nguyen et al (2014), Nguyen (2010), Nguyen et al (2016), Truong et al (2016) However, these studies mainly used models available from international studies

(SERVQUAL which is invented by Parasuraman et al (1988) and SERVPERF models which is developed by Cronin and Taylor (1992)), while not considering the relevance of these models in education context in Vietnam

Despite the importance of perceived value, there are few studies examining how students as educational consumers perceive consumption value In addition, LeBlanc & Nguyen (1999) also detailed the fact that there are very few studies on how students assess value while in schools As a result, this study aims to find an index of students' perceived value in higher education and verify whether this perceived value is affected by service quality, curriculum quality and extracurricular activities as well

From a research perspective, many studies on service quality have been carried out in the context of large higher education institutions such as universities, public colleges and other large private colleges in developed countries (Onditi & Wechuli, 2017) This is also a disadvantage for a developing country like Vietnam Despite the small amount of the studies conducted in our country, it is undeniable that a few studies have also been carried out in Vietnam to study service quality, its constituent elements as well as its impact on other aspects However, those research papers only mainly consider the direct relationship between service quality and student satisfaction without assessing the mediating role of perceived value

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied the fact that there are still studies on the impact of service quality on student satisfaction through perceived value, but the number of research papers is still very limited For example, there is research which has been done in this area but its objects are only Chinese students (Understanding Chinese university students’ experiences: an empirical analysis, 2013 - Published in Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics)

Around the world, many studies have been conducted to survey the quality of curriculum quality However, they often hypothesize that curriculum quality will be the single factor affecting perceived value or student satisfaction Research papers in this topic are also quite rare in the context of universities in Vietnam There is almost

no research paper that studies the relationship between curriculum quality and perceived value which then leads to student satisfaction in Vietnam

Extra-curricular activities in recent years have also been considered as a factor influencing student experience at university considerably However, the number of studies focusing on this issue is quite limited There are still a few studies that examine the impact of student participation in extracurricular activities, but most are conducted with graduate students Its effect on undergraduate students has received little research attention

There have still been researches considering the impact of extracurricular activities in Vietnam, for example Extracurricular Activities on Students' Academic Performance: The Good or the Bad? (Van Dang, 2021); however, it has only been studied in relation to students' academic performance Dang (2021) Almost no studies examining the relationship between ECAs and PV have been conducted in Vietnam

Based on the research gap identification after searching for relevant information, we hope this research paper will contribute to some extent to help not only the University of Economics, the University of Danang but also universities in Vietnam in improving the student experience through assessment level of impact of service quality, curriculum quality and extracurricular activity on perceived value and thereby affect student satisfaction

1.4.2 Academic importance of the research topic

First, this research gathers together existing customer experience research in order to better understand its origins and sources, as well as position it in a university setting In an era of more complicated consumer behavior, we want to get a better knowledge of customer experience in general and student experience in particular through this approach

Following that, based on earlier research, this study created a new scale to quantify the college student experience

Finally, by using a multi-level modeling approach to analyze the interrelationships among students' experiences, service quality, curriculum, extra-curricular activities, perceived value, and student satisfaction in the university context, this study aims to fill the research gap of the e-commerce department in Vietnam in general and the faculty of the e-commerce department at the University of Economics, the University of Danang in particular

1.4.3 Managerial importance of the research topic

First, the goal of this research is to increase public awareness of university student experience research and to broaden participants' understanding of the subject

Following that, the findings may also assist the head of the University of Economics, the University of Danang in better understanding the intricacies of students' perceptions of the university's aspects, allowing them to make better resource allocation decisions in order to improve students' experiences

Finally, while this study focuses on one business, the information offered may

be used by managers in a variety of disciplines that deal with many groups of employees who engage with consumers

This research comprises six chapters as follows:

Chapter 1 declares the research's introduction consisting of the research overview, the research objectives and questions, the importance of the research, the research methodology and structure

Chapter 2 involves the literature review beginning with an introduction to the customer and student experience Then it reviews student satisfaction and finally, the theoretical framework is indicated

Chapter 3 details the conceptual model and develops the research hypotheses Chapter 4 performs the research methodology along with the quantitative research method so as to check stated hypotheses and measurement scales

Chapter 5 renders the research's results and findings obtained from quantitative analysis Then, the EFA process is represented and the result of the SEM analysis is enunciated

Chapter 6 is the final chapter, comprising the research's conclusions, implications and limitations

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Customer experience

The concept "customer experience" was introduced in the mid-1980s, based on the assumption that customers make logical decisions This is a novel experience approach to consumer behavior that gives a unique perspective (Holbrook et al., 1982)

In the 21st century, Customer experience (CX) is described as the consequence

of interactions between the company and the customer (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016; LaSalle et al., 2003; Shaw et al., 2005) In more details, CX is what customers perceive and judge about a company after communicating with its system, people, and processes, according to Nguyen D Due to this definition, we divide CX into 2 stages: the interactions stage and the personal evaluation stage

In the first stage, customers interact with all areas that a company’s offering to them, including brand trustworthiness, customer care, service, product (quality, simplicity of use, etc.), and marketing support (advertising, packaging, etc.) (Meyer & Schwager, 2007) According to Gentile et al., (2007) and Klaus and Maklan (2013), customers contact the brand in both direct or indirect ways Direct contact generally occurs in the course of purchase, use, and service and is usually initiated by the customer Indirect contact most often involves unplanned encounters with representations of a company’s products, services, or brands and takes the form of word-of-mouth recommendations or criticisms, advertising, news reports, reviews, and so forth (Gentile et al., 2007) Therefore, those contacts create customers’ experience with the brand This experience is strictly personal and implies the customer’s involvement at different levels (rational, emotional, sensorial physical and spiritual) (LaSalle & Britton, 2003; Schmitt, 1999) Those interactions and experiences provoke a reaction, which leads to the second stage (Gentile et al., 2007)

The personal evaluation is the next step The customer's engagement is assessed based on a comparison of the customer's expectations and the stimuli derived from the connection with the firm and its offering at various touch-points or times of contact (LaSalle & Britton, 2003; Shaw & Ivens, 2005) CX, according to Klaus and

Maklan (2013), is the customer's cognitive and affective evaluation of interactions with the company that relate to their purchase behavior

Customer experience is a crucial driver of customer satisfaction and loyalty (Caruana, 2002) Furthermore, experience leads to contentment, which leads to loyalty (Klaus & Maklan, 2013) Marketers recognize the correlation between customer pleasure and loyalty intentions (Yi & La, 2004)

CX has a significant impact on a customer's future business with the company;

it offers a promise that encourages customers to keep interacting with the company, or

it pushes them to stop (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016) Therefore, by integrating the basic value proposition in every offering's aspect, a successful brand influences customers' experiences (Meyer & Schwager, 2007)

2.2 Student experience

2.2.1 Student experience in higher education context

Over the last ten years, the term "student experience" has been increasingly popular in higher education It has appeared in many different contexts, by linking to different policies and practices in a variety of nations, including the National Survey

of Student Engagement (2015), Strydom and Mentz (2010), Radloff (2011), Temple et

al (2014), UES Consortium (2015), Universities UK (2016) On the other hand, researchers have been utterly reserved in discussing, disputing, and clarifying the term's meaning Ainley (2008) has written that studies have concentrated almost primarily on classroom and learning situations, with little concentration to comprehend student lives more broadly

The Analytic Quality Glossary defines “student experience” as the whole experiences of students while they are still students, which refers to all sides of students' participation in higher education (Harvey, 2009) Krause et al (2005) has indicated another definition that the student experience refers to a student's totality of experiences during all or part of their study Nevertheless, student experience, according to Benckendorff et al (2009), is defined as a term that incorporates not just academic components of the curriculum, learning, and teaching but also the lifestyle

of students, extracurricular activities, academic assistance, supporting and mentoring

An examination of how the word "student experience" is used in practice and policy exposes a variety of viewpoints In some circumstances, the student's academic learning experience is given greater importance (Universities UK, 2016), while in others, the concept is broadened to include the totality of the student's relationship with the university (Temple et al., 2014) This term is also exploited outside of the UK

in discussions of student engagement, such as in the United States, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia (Strydom & Mentz, 2010; Radloff, 2011; UES Consortium, 2015; National Survey of Student Engagement, 2015) As a result, it has been suggested that institutional attempts to enhance the student experience should focus on increasing chances for student engagement (Strydom & Mentz, 2010) This shows that

a broad conception of the student experience expanding beyond academic learning and a conception of student engagement including more broadly based 'educationally purposeful experiences' such as extra-curricular activities and interactions with other students have some similarities (National Survey of Student Engagement, 2015) The phrase "student experience" implies that a good student experience should include a considerable level of learning and personal growth (Temple et al., 2014)

2.2.2 Student experience in Vietnam universities

According to Tran and Marginson (2014), in modern Asia, Vietnam is seen as a fast-developing economy and society Despite Vietnam’s early colonial roots and civil unrest during the ‘American War’, our country has spent significant time reconstructing itself through the implementation of the Renovation strategy, with the objective of establishing a modernized and market-driven economy (Hayden & Lam, 2007; Huong & Fry, 2004) Vietnamese higher education, which is regarded as a "key driver in the country's transition from a centrally controlled economy to a market-led economy with a socialist orientation", prioritized creating qualified college graduates capable of working in an accelerated economic and global society (Harman & Bich, 2010) In the current context, when the competitive pressure in higher education is increasingly fierce, today’s universities need to place a greater emphasis on the satisfaction of students (Jager & Gbadamosi, 2013)

Higher education system in Vietnam is progressively integrated into the global education system (Welch, 2010) Developing employability abilities for students has

emerged as one of the top priorities of Vietnam's higher education reforms (Harman & Pham, 2010) In recent years, in Vietnam, students’ feedback has been increasingly focused more often with research studies utilizing quality service form to determine student satisfaction These studies are being carried out in two primary directions The first concentrates on the quality of all activities relating to higher education (Harvey, 2003; Leckey & Neill, 2001) The second concerns the detection and verification of the relationship between and the students’ satisfaction and the quality of higher education through SERVQUAL (The Service Quality Model) or SERVPERF (The Perception Service Quality Model) form (Bình, 2009; Long, 2006; Việt & Duy, 2005)

2.3 Related theoritical framework

2.3.1 The Hierarchical Model

Various service quality models were proposed and widely regarded in applied research (García, 2010) The service quality model presented by Grönroos (1984) was the initial effort, and further studies by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988), Cronin and Taylor (1992), Teas (1993), Rust (1994), Dabholkar (2000) The validity

of those models has been widely debated Then there was Brady and Cronin (2001) Hierarchical and Multidimensional Service Quality Model This model, according to García (2010), overcomes some of the criticisms expressed by previous models

Brady and Cronin (2001) suggested that customers develop their service quality perceptions on many levels of performance assessments Customers eventually aggregate these ratings to get an overall service quality perception Those researchers proposed a Multidimensional, Hierarchical Model They proposed a third-order factor model in which three major aspects, namely interaction quality, physical environment quality, and outcome quality, explain service quality

Employee - customer interactions have been regarded as the important aspect

in a service exchange (Hartline & Ferrell, 1996; Czepiel, 1990) According to Brady and Cronin (2001), customer perceptions of interaction quality are based on three sub dimensions: employee attitudes, behaviors, and expertise Attitudes pertain to workers' eagerness to assist customers; behaviors refer to employees' activities to meet customers' demands; and expertise refers to employees' understanding of the service

Physical environment quality, the second fundamental factor of service quality, has been studied for its environmental impacts on customer behavior since the early 1970s (Kotler, 1973) Physical environment quality is defined by Elliott, Hall and Stiles (1993) as the physical characteristics of the service production process

The third key factor, outcome quality, is concerned with the consequence of the service act and reflects what consumers receive from it; in other words, if the outcome quality meets the demands and desires of customers (Levesque, 1996; Rust, 1994) Grönroos (1984) refered to this component as 'technical quality,' which he defined as

"what the consumer is left with when the production process is done." Several studies have found that the outcome quality component of service quality is a factor of how customers rate overall service quality (Mangold, 1991; Powpaka, 1996) Brady and Cronin (2001) defined three sub-dimensions based on their qualitative research: waiting time, tangible, and valence

According to Ko and Pastore (2004), the work of Brady and Cronin (2001) was the first to integrate the traditional approach to service quality (Tri-component model

of service quality) with the multi-level conceptualization of service quality (Dabholkar, 2000) The basic dimensions of Brady and Cronin (2001) service quality model are taken from Rust (1994) 'Tri-Component Model of Service Quality,' as well

as Levesque (1996) 'Three Factor Model of Service Quality.' The conceptual framework developed by Rust (1994) has three unique elements: (a) service product, (b) service delivery, and (c) service environment The three-factor model proposed by Levesque (1996) contains (a) service outcome, (b) service process, and (c) physical environment Brady and Cronin (2001) model's distinguishing feature is the hierarchical and multilevel conception of perceived service quality, which is based on Dabholkar (2000) 'multi-level' conceptualization of service quality

The suggested model by Brady and Cronin (2001) increases our knowledge of three essential issues: (1) what characterizes service quality perceptions, (2) how service quality perceptions are created, and (3) how relevant the location of the service experience is

2.3.2 American Customer Satisfaction Index Model

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) was initially introduced by Fornell et al (1996) It was a general theoretical framework which is used to assess customer satisfaction ACSI, he identified three key antecedents (perceived quality, perceived value, and customer expectation) and two consequences (complaint and loyalty) of satisfaction

According to Saleem et al (2015), perceived quality was defined as a consumer experience measure having a direct influence on the total customer satisfaction Following two studies of Cardoso et al (2011) and Singleton-Jackson (2010), students were considered as customers purchasing educational products from their school in higher education research Since then, in that context, quality perceived by such customers basically involved two dimensions: curriculum quality (Aman, 2009; May Jr., 2010; Temizer & Turkyilmaz, 2012) and educational service quality (Asaduzzaman et al., 2013; Hanaysha et al., 2011; Hasan et al., 2009) In the research conducted in 1988, Parasuraman et al assumed that perceived value was regarded as

an evaluation of quality in connection with the price Customer expectation was a measure of the expectation of customers of the quality of the product and service which they received (Almsalam, 2014)

Yazdanpanah and Feyzabad (2017) defined Customer loyalty as the commitment to repurchase or have the consistency in recommending a preferred product/service in the future, whereas Customer complaint was described as customer’s dissatisfaction and the choice not to consume the products and services of that company anymore

Figure 2-1 America Customer Satisfaction Index Model

Source: Fornell et al.,1996

2.3.3 Student Involvement Theory

Student involvement theory indicates that students can benefit from going to university if they know how to devote their time not only to academic activities but also to extra-curricular activities such as volunteering, participating in events, and joining clubs to make friends (Astin, 1984) Since then, Astin (1984) assumed that students' participation in extracurricular activities affects their cognitive and social development Astin's research also mentions the view that students adjust in many aspects, in contrast to the opinion that focuses mainly on the psychological aspect (Church, 1982; Thomas & Harrell, 1994) Similarly, another study by Baker and Siryk (1984) also points out the multidimensionality of students' adjustment to university, hence the multidimensional indices related to the adjustment to academic, psychological, and social, as well as the commitment to goals and institution, are also used to measure

There are many studies that have discovered that the extent of student involvement in extracurricular activities is positively related to the extent to which they are engaged in learning and their level of cognitive development in terms of academic adjustment (Kuh, 1995; Terenzini et al., 1996; Whitt et al., 1999) Since then, a conclusion is drawn that the higher the extent of students' involvement in extracurricular activities, the higher the extent of their involvement in learning (Kuh, 1995; Terenzini et al., 1996); Whitt et al., 1999) For social adjustment, students participate in a variety of extracurricular activities that benefit their social interactions,

so students have the opportunity to expand new peer relationships and their social network in a new environment (Bochner et al., 1977)

Astin (1984) also investigated the relationship between three factors: students' participation in extracurricular activities, use of their free time actively, and the advantages they received from these leisure activities Accordingly, individuals spend their free time actively participating in these activities that are motivated by their own (Astin, 1984) Moreover, students find these activities challenging, interesting and useful (Astin, 1984) Similarly, Iso-Ahola and Weissinger (1990) also stated that people who participate in these leisure activities in a non-active way, that is, do not

spend much time participating in these activities, they are more likely to feel bored and judge that leisure time is not interesting (Iso-Ahola & Weissinger, 1990)

CHAPTER 3 THEORITICAL MODEL AND HYPOTHESIS

DEVELOPMENT 3.1 Development of conceptual model

Based on the theories mentioned above, this study supposes the following conceptual model:

Figure 3-1 Conceptual model

Many studies have attempted to break down the service quality element into smaller components To put it another way, these studies search for the elements that make up and influence service quality Brady and Cronin established a Hierarchical

Model of service quality in 2001, in which three key variables drive service quality: interaction quality, physical environment quality, and outcome quality

Furthermore, the outcome quality component of service quality is a key factor

of the total service quality judged by the consumer, according to those research Powpaka (1996) believed that outcome quality is crucial in influencing total service quality judgments

Many service sectors, including health care (Dagger, Sweeney, & Johnson, 2007), hair salon and phone service industries (Pollack, 2009), motel industry (Clemes, Gan, & Ren, 2010), and sports industry (Clemes, Brush, & Collins, 2011), have recently shown support for Brady and Cronin's (2001) Hierarchical structure In this study's industry - higher education - there is an article by Clemes, Gan, and Kao (2007)

As a result, the following hypothesis is put forth:

H1: The university’s outcome quality positively affects the university’s service quality

3.2.2 Relationship between university’s physical environment quality and service quality

Baker (1986) has stated that the physical environment consists of three aspects, namely ambient factors, design factors, and social factors Ambient factors are physical environment components such as noise, air quality, aroma, and illumination that affect the five senses The construction, materials, color, pattern, structure, and arrangement are all design factors As for the social factors, Baker (1986) argued that they include factors, people, and relationships that make up the environment Physical environment factorials divulge emotions that can be transferred to individuals and objects in the environment (Bitner, 1992), thereby influencing judgments of satisfaction (Dawson et al., 1990; Mano & Oliver, 1993; Wirtz & Bateson, 1998); cost perceptions (Grewal & Baker, 1994); perceived value (Babin & Darden, 1995); perceived quality (Koernig & Page, 2002); and perspectives on the service provider (Koernig & Page, 2002)

According to Parasuraman et al (1988), tangible quality is a critical component

of total service quality Another study by Brady and Cronin (2001) also points out that