Students’ Experience of Service Quality of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programs of Private Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines

Abstract

This study aimed todescribe students’ experience of service quality (training quality and delivery, student support, training facilities and student services) while enrolled in various private HEI-TVET programs. Further, itsought to determine if there weredifferences in the perception of students of the same service quality across work experience, certification, high school curriculum, and availability of scholarship.Following review of TVET literature a multi-aspect researcher-made questionnaire was developed to measure skill development, training delivery and quality, student support and services. Students (n=234) enrolled in various technical vocational courses in private HEIs participated in this study. The data was analyzed using independent t-test for comparisons across demographic profiles while Pearson’s r was utilized to test relationships between variables. Results showed high overall satisfaction on the quality of TVET training of private HEIs. The study found that work experience, certification, high school curriculum, and scholarship make a significant difference in the students’ perception in some of the quality indicators of private HEIs TVET courses. The findings are deemed valuableand useful for school and program managers, policy makers and researchers in the training and educational sector. The results imply that HEI’s can offer quality higher technical vocational programs including diploma programs and TESDA should encourage HEIs to do so. The results also suggest that TESDA must come up with responsive policy infrastructure for developing training programs that respond to the nuances and needs of changing and diverse clienteles.