SERVQUAL Instrument Research Articles

Quality Assessment of Administrative Units in Tourism Higher Education Using Continuous Scales

Higher education serves a pivotal role in enhancing citizens’ quality of life and, therefore, must uphold high standards of quality. This study evaluated the quality of services provided by departmental administrative offices using the SERVQUAL instrument, which measures quality through the difference between perceived and expected service performance. Our primary aim was to investigate the marginal behavior of this assessment by capturing the underestimated and overestimated perceptions and expectations. To achieve this, we introduced a modified version of SERVQUAL, replacing traditional Likert scales with continuous scales. This enabled a detailed mapping of the area between underestimation and overestimation, enhancing the instrument’s ability to yield more comprehensive insights. The study focused on the secretariat of the Department of Tourism Management, at the University of Patras, Greece, with second- and third-year students as assessors. Data analysis utilized the endpoints of these continuums. The results revealed that perceived service performance consistently and significantly fell below expectations, with reliability identified as the most important dimension. Furthermore, perception was found to be relatively objective, whereas expectation exhibited greater subjectivity. The findings demonstrate that this approach not only enhances service quality assessment but also provides a new perspective for evaluating tourism services, as a novel research tool.

Evaluating the Impact of Healthcare Service Quality on Patient Satisfaction and Loyalty: A Study of Public and Private Hospitals in Telangana, India

This study investigates the connections between patient loyalty, patient satisfaction, and the quality of healthcare services provided in Telangana, India's public and private hospitals. Data was gathered from 600 respondents, equally distributed throughout seven hospitals, using the SERVQUAL instrument. A stratified random sample was used in the study to guarantee thorough insights from admitted patients. Important results show that patient happiness and loyalty are highly influenced by the perceived quality of healthcare services. Furthermore, particularly in areas like medical treatment, operational activities, and physical upkeep, patient satisfaction acts as a mediator in the relationship between service quality and loyalty. When comparing private hospitals to public hospitals, higher levels of satisfaction and loyalty were found. The study emphasizes how crucial it is for healthcare services to continuously improve their quality to improve patient outcomes and institutional reputation. Future studies should examine how demographic factors, and longitudinal effects affect patient views in various healthcare environments.

Comparing the Quality of Long-Distance Bus Transport Services in Ghana to Sierra Leone

ABSTRACT This study wishes to reveal the gap between perceptions and expectations of the quality of services offered by long-distance bus transport services in Ghana and Sierra Leone. The study also reveals if there are differences, with statistical significance, in the sample response due to the three variants which are pre-departure, departure, and arrival. The research uses the SERVQUAL instruments which have been applied to a random sample of 107 persons from both countries. The study outcomes show that the expectations are higher than the perceptions in terms of all dimensions in both countries and also demonstrate the differences among pre-departure, departure, and arrival variants among the two countries. The study provides suggestions to raise the quality of services delivered to passengers on those long-distance transport buses.

Assessment of Service Quality on Public Satisfaction in Motor Vehicle Testing: A Study of the Transportation Department in Paser Regency

In an increasingly competitive era of public service, understanding the factors that influence public satisfaction is crucial for enhancing service quality. The primary objective of this study is to identify and analyze the impact of five service quality dimensions—tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy—on public satisfaction. This research also aims to provide recommendations for improving service quality at the Department of Transportation in Paser Regency. The study employs a quantitative approach using a survey method. Data were collected from 60 respondents who had used motor vehicle testing services within the last six months. Purposive sampling was employed to determine the sample, and data were gathered through questionnaires adapted from the SERVQUAL instrument. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships between variables. The findings indicate that of the five service quality dimensions tested, only assurance and empathy have a positive and significant impact on public satisfaction. Assurance was the most dominant factor, highlighting that the knowledge and competence of staff in providing safe and reliable services are crucial to the public. Empathy also plays a significant role, as attention and understanding of individual needs enhance satisfaction. Conversely, the dimensions of tangibles, reliability, and responsiveness did not show a significant impact on public satisfaction, suggesting that other factors might be more influential in this context. The managerial implications of these findings include the need for improvements in supporting facilities, regular training for staff, increased responsiveness, and the development of empathetic attitudes. With these measures, it is expected that service quality can be significantly improved, ultimately enhancing public satisfaction.

Examining the Impact of Service Quality on Repurchase Intent: A Study of Foreign International Airlines

Objective: The primary objective of the study is to ascertain whether airline passengers will opt for future trips with the same airline, based on the correlations among service quality (SQ), brand image (BI), and customer satisfaction (CS). Theoretical framework: The aviation sector is the most volatile due to strict regulations, high operating costs, and uncertain economic conditions. Amidst these challenges, meeting quality standards becomes imperative to sustain services and retain customers, which has increased the importance of SQ in the aviation industry. Therefore, this study aims to empirically analyse the repurchase intentions of airline customers. Method: The hypothesis was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) on a convenience sample of 423 respondents from Foreign International Airlines (FIA). Statistical methods, such as analysis of moment structures (AMOS) and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), were utilized to analyze the data. Descriptive research was identified as the preferred approach. Result: The findings revealed that the SERVQUAL instrument exhibited five dimensions consistent with the theory. Service quality (SQ) has a significant positive effect on repurchase intention (RI), also mediated by customer satisfaction (CS). Conclusion: The study offers insights into how airlines can enhance their service quality to align with customer expectations. The results prove beneficial for airline management in devising strategies to enhance customer satisfaction, subsequently boosting repurchase intent and facilitating customer retention.

Mediating effects of employees’ education on service quality and customer satisfaction: A study of resorts in Nepal

This study was conducted to measure the mediating effect of employees’ education on their service quality and customer satisfaction at selected resorts in Nepal. Six components of the contextualized SERVQUAL instrument were used to measure service quality and customer satisfaction. All components of service quality were not significant, with a positive direction for all components of customer satisfaction. However, service quality in terms of responsiveness was positively correlated to all six components of customer satisfaction. Assumptions of regression analysis were satisfied with education status, service quality in terms of responsiveness, and customer satisfaction. Therefore, to measure the mediating effect of employees’ education on service quality and customer satisfaction, Hayes’ simple mediation process model and multiple mediation analysis model-4 were used in this study, taking service quality in terms of responsiveness. To justify the results, segregated effects of employees’ education status and its covariates were identified. In order to isolate the impact of employees’ educational status, six covariates were employed: gender, age, ethnicity, experience, training, and professional education. The desegregated mediating effect of education status was 16.26% positive change on the dependent variable, customer satisfaction, whereas the segregated effect was 11.32% employing a simple mediation process model and a multiple mediation analysis model, respectively. Therefore, a positive and significant mediating effect of employees’ education status was revealed on service quality in terms of responsiveness and all components of customer satisfaction in the resorts of Nepal.

Examining the Impact of Service Quality on Repurchase Intent: A Study of Foreign International Airlines

Objective: The primary objective of the study is to ascertain whether airline passengers will opt for future trips with the same airline, based on the correlations among service quality (SQ), brand image (BI), and customer satisfaction (CS). Theoretical framework: The aviation sector is the most volatile due to strict regulations, high operating costs, and uncertain economic conditions. Amidst these challenges, meeting quality standards becomes imperative to sustain services and retain customers, which has increased the importance of SQ in the aviation industry. Therefore, this study aims to empirically analyse the repurchase intentions of airline customers. Method: The hypothesis was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) on a convenience sample of 423 respondents from Foreign International Airlines (FIA). Statistical methods, such as analysis of moment structures (AMOS) and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), were utilized to analyze the data. Descriptive research was identified as the preferred approach. Result: The findings revealed that the SERVQUAL instrument exhibited five dimensions consistent with the theory. Service quality (SQ) has a significant positive effect on repurchase intention (RI), also mediated by customer satisfaction (CS). Conclusion: The study offers insights into how airlines can enhance their service quality to align with customer expectations. The results prove beneficial for airline management in devising strategies to enhance customer satisfaction, subsequently boosting repurchase intent and facilitating customer retention.

Service Quality Impact on Repurchase Intentions: A Pragmatic Airline Study

This study aims to explore the influence of Service Quality (SQ), Customer Satisfaction (CS) and Brand Image (BI) on airline passengers Repurchase Intentions (RI). Despite the aviation industry grappling with challenges such as increased operational costs and stringent regulations, maintaining high levels of SQ remains essential for customer retention. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), the study examined data collected from 423 participants who flew on foreign-based international airlines and arrived at Chennai International Airport. The study employed analysis of moment structures (AMOS) and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) in a descriptive research approach. The study's findings confirm that the SERVQUAL instrument's five dimensions align with established theory. SQ positively impacts RI, and partially mediated by CS. This study provides valuable insights for airlines to enhance SQ, meet customer expectations, and develop strategies for improving CS, increasing RI, and retaining customers. The study's exploration of this unique combination of factors contributes to addressing a significant research gap in the aviation sector.

SERVICE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN ETHIOPIAN LEATHER INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE

This study's objective is to assess the level of customer satisfaction and product quality in the consultation and project office of Ethiopian Leather Industry Development Institute. Importance of customer satisfaction cannot be undermined for any organisation. The processes and practices of Corporate governance should assess the service gaps and should aim to fulfil the same. The SERVQUAL instrument is used in conjunction with the gap model of service quality to carry out this research. the five SERVQUAL dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy were used to gauge the extent of customers' expectations and perceptions of service quality. A sample of 240 respondents was selected using a non-probabilistic convenience sampling technique. According to the findings of the study all the five dimensions of service quality have shown a negative gap score. This indicates that customers of Ethiopian leather industry development institute consultancy and project office are dissatisfied with the service provided to them hence; there perceptions are below their expectations. The dimension with the lowest negative gap score is assurance followed by tangibles and responsiveness. The findings of the gap analysis also indicate that tangibility and responsiveness are the two dimensions with the highest negative gap scores which makes these two dimensions the largest contributors to customer’s dissatisfaction. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between SERVQUAL dimensions and service quality the results shows that all the five dimensions of service quality have a positive relationship with customer satisfaction where tangibility, empathy and responsiveness have a moderate and positive correlation with satisfaction while assurance and reliability have a weak positive correlation with customer satisfaction. Generally, only tangibility and responsiveness dimensions of service quality have shown statistically significant impact on customer satisfaction. Accordingly, Ethiopian leather industry development institute consultancy and project office needs to give more emphasis and due attention to tangibility and responsiveness dimensions of service quality to improve the level of customer satisfaction.

SERVICE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN ETHIOPIAN LEATHER INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE

This study's objective is to assess the level of customer satisfaction and product quality in the consultation and project office of Ethiopian Leather Industry Development Institute. Importance of customer satisfaction cannot be undermined for any organisation. The processes and practices of Corporate governance should assess the service gaps and should aim to fulfil the same. The SERVQUAL instrument is used in conjunction with the gap model of service quality to carry out this research. the five SERVQUAL dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy were used to gauge the extent of customers' expectations and perceptions of service quality. A sample of 240 respondents was selected using a non-probabilistic convenience sampling technique. According to the findings of the study all the five dimensions of service quality have shown a negative gap score. This indicates that customers of Ethiopian leather industry development institute consultancy and project office are dissatisfied with the service provided to them hence; there perceptions are below their expectations. The dimension with the lowest negative gap score is assurance followed by tangibles and responsiveness. The findings of the gap analysis also indicate that tangibility and responsiveness are the two dimensions with the highest negative gap scores which makes these two dimensions the largest contributors to customer’s dissatisfaction. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between SERVQUAL dimensions and service quality the results shows that all the five dimensions of service quality have a positive relationship with customer satisfaction where tangibility, empathy and responsiveness have a moderate and positive correlation with satisfaction while assurance and reliability have a weak positive correlation with customer satisfaction. Generally, only tangibility and responsiveness dimensions of service quality have shown statistically significant impact on customer satisfaction. Accordingly, Ethiopian leather industry development institute consultancy and project office needs to give more emphasis and due attention to tangibility and responsiveness dimensions of service quality to improve the level of customer satisfaction.

Evaluation of patients' satisfaction with services accessed under the contributory scheme at a Katsina State, North-West, Nigeria

Background: The evaluation of patient satisfaction provides an indicator of the quality of care and contributes to strategies for the improvement of healthcare delivery. Objective: To assess patient satisfaction with services accessed under the contributory scheme at Katsina State in North-West, Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional study with a sample size of 393 Katsina State Contributory Scheme (KTSCS) patients under a formal sector program was done from 1st October to 30th November 2022, at Katsina State, Nigeria. Patients were selected by multistage sampling techniques. Data was collected using a questionnaire adapted from a study by Parasuraman et al., (1988) who designed the SERVQUAL instrument to specifically measure functional service quality using both the gap concept and service quality dimensions. The SERVQUAL instrument, in its original form, contains twenty-two pairs of Likert scale statements structured around five service quality dimensions: These dimensions are: · Tangible: describes the appearance of physical facilities, personnel, and equipment. · Reliability: deals with the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. · Responsiveness: considers the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. · Assurance: talks about the knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence, and · Empathy: the ability to provide caring and individualized attention to customers Results: The overall average satisfaction score was 75.8%. The study found that the positive gap of responsiveness, assurances, and empathy means that patients were satisfied with the quality of the service associated with these three dimensions, however, the negative gaps across the reliability and tangibility indicated that patients’ expectations generally were not being met. Conclusion: This study showed that the overall patients' satisfaction with services accessed was good. However, there is a need for the KTSCS and healthcare providers to continuously improve on the provision of healthcare services and address areas of dissatisfaction.

DETERMINANTS OF USERS’ SATISFACTION WITH ELECTRONIC RESOURCES AND SERVICES PROVISION IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NIGERIA

Despite the number of studies conducted on users’ satisfaction with library services, only a handful of reports was able to assess the level of users’ satisfaction with library electronic services. The review showed that previous studies measured the quality of services rendered by the federal university libraries with just a question or an extract from the ServQual instrument without proper application of the ServQual model. Identification of determinants of library users' satisfaction needs an in-depth investigation using different methods before librarians can work towards improving those identified factors for maximum utilization of library resources and services. This present study used the ServQual model for determining users' satisfaction with electronic resources and services provided in six federal university libraries. The instruments used for data collection were descriptive surveys, focus groups, observation, and interview designs. This study applied a multistage sampling technique to arrive at the 733 sample size that represented the registered postgraduate users for the selected federal university libraries from the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. Structural Equation Model and SPSS were used to analyze data collected from the respondents, it was found that the federal university libraries provided minimal (acceptable) electronic services with a beta coefficient of (β=0.66**) which showed a significant level of user satisfaction with electronic services. Determinants of users’ satisfaction were a conducive environment; good Internet connection; constant power supply; adequate computer systems; use of laptops either personal or loan; longer operating hours; remote access to eResources; adequate security measures, availability and accessibility of electronic resources, currency and adequacy of electronic resources. The study concluded that users were moderately satisfied with library services provision but libraries need to improve the quality of resources quality of services provided in the various universities. This paper recommended that, the library environment must be conducive to learning; good Internet connection is provided and sustained; have power backups; provide adequate computer systems; allow users to bring in their laptops to the library; increase their operation hours; provide remote access to e-resources; re-work the security systems and subscribe to numerous electronic resources to optimally satisfied users.

Quality of government secondary school services in regional Bangladesh

This research investigated the service quality of government secondary schools (GSS) in Bangladesh. A mixed methods research design combining quantitative and qualitative methods was applied for gathering and analyzing data. Quantitative data was collected from 601 randomly selected clients using a structured interview schedule developed based on the five-dimensional SERVQUAL instrument. Qualitative data was obtained through focus group discussions and interviews of students, teachers, headteachers, guardians, assistant school inspectors, and the deputy director of secondary and higher education working in the selected region. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis, while qualitative data was transcribed and labeled into emerging themes. The study found that the quality of secondary education in the GSSs of the study area failed to meet the demand of the clients in terms of all the quality dimensions of SERVQUAL, where t-values revealed a significant gap between expectation and perception in Tangibles, Responsiveness, Reliability, Assurance and Empathy dimensions. Data from qualitative methods showed that all the stakeholders agreed with the gap in tangibles and empathy dimension claimed by the respondents in the quantitative survey. However, teachers and guardians showed differential opinions regarding the gaps in responsiveness, reliability, and assurance. It was also found that 40% of the respondents were either neutral or dissatisfied with the education service of GSSs. Logistic regression output shows that among the dimensions of SERVQUAL, tangibles, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy can significantly influence a respondent’s overall satisfaction with GSS services. One-way ANOVA results show that schools from at least two districts differ significantly in terms of the mean score of overall satisfaction and the perceived mean score of tangibles, responsiveness, reliability, assurance, and empathy dimensions. The schools lack teaching, learning and recreational facilities such as laboratory, library, common room, and sports. The students did not receive individual need-based care for academic performance improvement and did not participate in lesson planning, preferring teaching methods and deciding assessment strategies. The teachers were not sufficiently skilled in delivering intelligible lectures and didn’t give time to students outside of formal classes. A sizeable gap in the SERVQUAL dimensions indicates that a comprehensive all-out effort is necessary to improve the service quality of GSSs. Consequently, improving teaching learning facilities, student participation in the lesson plan and deciding on teaching methods, teachers' training in pedagogy, and school-specific quality improvement measures are imperative.

The SERVQUAL instrument to measure service quality in higher education – A case study

Students and employers, are the “clients” of Higher Education Institutions (HEI), so it is important to obtain their feedback on the quality of HEI and the courses they attend. This article aims to listen to students’ opinion as “clients” of higher education, based on their expectations and perceptions, to measure the quality of the service of HEI. The results from empirical research were presented on the measurement of expectations and perceptions to assess the quality of services provided by a HEI perceived by students, based on observations obtained through survey. Quantitative methodology and data analysis techniques were applied. The SERVQUAL questionnaire was filled by 271 students who attended the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of the five undergraduate courses taught by the institution, in the academic year 2021/2022. The values obtained for the expectations were very high which translated into negative deviations (Gaps). Thus, we can conclude that ESCE students are very demanding, have high expectations or are very demanding when they classify perceptions by assigning them low values.

Patient satisfaction with quality of care in public hospitals in Albania.

Healthcare service quality and hospitalized patient satisfaction in Albania have never truly received the necessary attention. The aim of this study is the assessment of key elements of service quality and their relationship with patients' satisfaction with receiving healthcare at public health institutions in Albania. The study examines five key dimensions of quality such as responsiveness, reliability, assurance, tangibles, and staff empathy to assess properly the healthcare quality and patient satisfaction in Albania based on the SERVQUAL instrument, which measures the differences between patient's perceptions of service quality received, and their expectations in terms of these five dimensions. A total of 800 randomly selected patients were interviewed in the main cities of Albania in public hospitals. A respective literature review was also a necessity to determine not only the appropriate methodology to be applied, together with the right quality dimensions to use but also for a better understanding of the link between service quality and patient satisfaction. The determination of the main quality factors which contribute to patient satisfaction, as well as, their order of importance, is another key aspect of the study, which finalizes with appropriate recommendations that might help quality improvement in future. The analysis shows that overall patient satisfaction is affected in public hospitals by all dimensions of service quality. Therefore, patients' perspective is extremely important in assessing healthcare service quality and should be taken into consideration by healthcare managers and policymakers in Albania, whenever significant reforms will be undertaken to improve the quality of services in this sector.

Impact of service quality on user satisfaction in public university libraries of Bangladesh using structural equation modeling

PurposeThe study aims to appraise the impact of service quality dimensions on user satisfaction in Bangladeshi public university libraries using structural equation modeling (SEM).Design/methodology/approachThis study developed an SEM method based on SERVQUAL, LibQUAL+ and SERVPERF instruments, including 30 items under five service quality dimensions and eight satisfaction items with the 7-point Likert scale to appraise the impact of library service quality dimensions on user satisfaction. For this purpose, a survey was carried out among 437 students, 52 MPhil/PhD researchers and 32 teachers of the nine selected public university libraries of Bangladesh through a structured questionnaire. The SEM approach included path analysis, confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, as well as construct reliability and validity where user satisfaction was used as the dependent variable, and five service quality dimensions were applied as independent variables.FindingsThis model was identified as significant and clarified 58% of the total variation in user satisfaction. The study findings indicated that resources of the libraries, staff competence, demeanor approach and tangible facilities of the public university libraries have a significant impact on user satisfaction.Originality/valueAn initiative has been taken for the first time to ascertain the impact of library service quality on user satisfaction applying the SEM approach in Bangladesh. Moreover, it creates an avenue to prompt future studies on the structural relationship between user satisfaction and service quality dimensions in academic libraries globally.

PENINGKATAN KUALITAS PELAYANAN PADA CV. X SELAMA PANDEMI COVID-19 MENGGUNAKAN INSTRUMEN SERVICE QUALITY DAN METODE KANO

In COVID-19 pandemic, there are a lot of industries that are affected and required to adapt with the new situation. CV. X is one of the education service providers that focus on language, English language in particular, that is located in Bandung. CV. X needs to satisfy its costumers by giving a good service quality. This research intends to figure out the service quality in CV. X and conducting a service improving action using SERVQUAL instrument and Kano method. To perceive the customer satisfaction, SERVQUAL instrument is used by calculating the gap between costumer expectation and company performance. Kano method is used to categorize which attributes that are required to be improved, sustained and put attention. The result of this research implies that from 5 dimensions of service quality, all of them have not fully met the satisfaction of CV. X customers because there are 17 out of 18 attributes that have negative value which means they have not satisfied customer’s expectation. Based on SERVQUAL calculation and Kano method, it is recommended for 2 attributes to be improved, 5 attributes to be sustained and 7 attributes to be put attention. Whereas. After conducting the service improving action, there is an improvement on service quality for 12 attributes and deterioration on service quality for 6 attributes.

The Gap Between the Perceptions and Expectations of Quality of Services Delivered to the Participants at the Scientific Conferences Using the University of Hafr Al Batin as a Model.

This study aims to reveal the gap between the perceptions and expectations of the quality of services delivered to participants at scientific conferences held at emerging Saudi universities (using University of Hafr Al Batin as a model). The study also reveals if there are differences, with statistical significance, in the sample response due to several variants such as gender, nationality, and the attendance rate of conferences per year. The research adopts the descriptive approach and uses SERVQUAL instruments. It has been applied to a random sample of 155 persons. The study outcomes show that the expectations are higher than the perceptions in terms of all dimensions and also demonstrate the differences that exist due to the attendance rate of conferences per year in favor of those who attended three or more conferences. The study provides suggestions to raise the quality of services delivered to the participants at these conferences.

Service Quality and User Satisfaction at Machakos University, Kitui Campus Library, Kenya

The article examines the affiliation between service worth and client gratification in at Machakos University, Kitui Campus library. The SERVQUAL instrument for measuring service eminence, which is based on 22 questions and assesses a user's evaluation of service quality, was utilized. The researcher utilized a cross-sectional design as an expressive research design in order to offer an overall picture of how service quality affects customer satisfaction in academic libraries. The study's target population was third and fourth-year academic undergraduates who use and made use of the academic library during the time of research data collection. A systematic random sampling method was used to select a sample size of 161 respondents. The primary data was collected using questionnaires that was distributed to the two libraries. The information analysis was done by use of both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found out that that some library users frequented the library once every week, while others frequented the library daily. They users added that they visited the library because it had individualized attention by the librarians. It was noted that Personnel at the library are well dressed and neat at all times. Another discovery made by the respondents is that the library keeps accurate records e.g., circulation, accounts records and academic reports etc. it was noted that Personnel of library are not too busy to respond promptly to students’ requests. On regression analysis, the study discovered that an f-value of 22.164, which is significant at (p<0.05), was used to establish a significance value of p less than 0.05. Based on the regression equation, service quality will increase by 0.782 (p <0.05) if the other parameters in the equation remain constant. Finally, the correlation coefficient, R, was 0.341, indicating that service quality and user pleasure are highly intertwined. The study concluded that academic libraries ensuring tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy will lead to favorable impact on service quality in Kenyan libraries and specifically the Kitui campus library at Machakos university, Kenya. Study recommended that all five SERVQUAL aspects namely assurance, empathy, reliability, responsiveness, and tangibles be upgraded by all libraries within Kenyan universities in order to improve user perception levels.

Using the service quality instrument to assess the quality of the professional certification programme

The professional teacher certification programme is a programme that has been implemented online for both in-service teachers and pre-service teachers since 2019. The change in the pattern of implementing the professional teacher programme from offline to online will provide a different programme experience for teachers, participants and tutors. The aim of this research is to measure the quality of service provided to the professional teacher certification programme participants using the SERVQUAL instrument. The instrument used was developed and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Subjects involved were 354 teacher respondents. Data analysis was carried out by SmartPLS version 3. The CFA results show that the model has met the fit index. Convergent and discriminant validity meet the criteria. The CR ranges between 0.948 and 0.989 and CA ranges between 0.917 and 0.985. Finally, the level of service quality provided to the professional teacher certification programme participants at Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta is in the very high level category.
 Keywords: Confirmatory factor analysis, service quality, professional teacher certification programme.