Students as ‘Customers’: unmasking course experience and satisfaction of undergraduate students at a Malaysian Research University

Abstract

ABSTRACT The scarcity of Malaysian undergraduate students’ course experience and their overall satisfaction in higher education literature has prompted this study to examine the effects of five course experience quality factors on students’ overall satisfaction and gender difference perspective. Data were collected from 315 undergraduate students at a Malaysian research university using a Malay version course experience questionnaire (CEQ). This quantitative study used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis. Findings of Henseler’s multigroup analysis and the permutation methods revealed no significant differences between male and female groups with the five course experience quality factors on students’ overall satisfaction. However, findings of the pooled dataset revealed good teaching, clear goals and standards, appropriate workload and appropriate assessment have significant effects on students’ overall satisfaction. The findings have provided empirical evidence to inform university authorities to tailor well-planned courses to meet students’ needs and their satisfaction.