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Modeling students' mathematics achievement and performance through teaching quality: SERVQUAL perspective

Yarhands Dissou Arthur (Department of Mathematics Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi, Ghana)
Courage Simon Kofi Dogbe (Department of Management Studies Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi, Ghana)
Samuel Kwesi Asiedu-Addo (Department of Mathematics Education, University of Education Winneba, Winneba, Ghana)

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education

ISSN: 2050-7003

Article publication date: 28 September 2021

Issue publication date: 6 December 2022

333

Abstract

Purpose

This study explored the effect of mathematics teaching quality on mathematics achievement among undergraduate students, using the SERVQUAL model.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprised of 320 first-year undergraduate students of a public university in Ghana. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was run in Amos (v.23) to test the various hypotheses.

Findings

The study concluded that the tangible aspect of the SERVQUAL model (service quality), which is very instrument in some service industries such as the airline, had no significant effect on mathematics achievement. Mathematics teaching reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy, however, had significant positive effects on mathematics achievement among undergraduate students.

Research limitations/implications

The study assessed the effects of the individual dimensions of SERVQUAL on mathematics achievement, and it was realized that the tangible dimension had no significant effect. Tangibles may however compliment the other dimensions and is therefore imperative to also assess the effect of service quality (as a higher/second order variable) with the five dimensions as its first-order variables.

Practical implications

Human resources (lecturers) were seen as a strategic tool in enhancing students' academic performance and mathematics performance to be specific. Management of universities is therefore expected to invest in building, training and developing their human resources for an enhanced academic performance of students, especially in mathematics.

Originality/value

Although some past studies have applied SERVQUAL to teaching and learning researches, attention was largely focused on the measurement or assessment of teaching quality using SERVQUAL, with little attention on the effect of SERVQUAL on an outcome variable.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge all the 320 students who participated in this study.

Declaration of Interest Statement: There was no conflict of interest in the preparation or submission of this manuscript.

Citation

Arthur, Y.D., Dogbe, C.S.K. and Asiedu-Addo, S.K. (2022), "Modeling students' mathematics achievement and performance through teaching quality: SERVQUAL perspective", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 1509-1523. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-06-2021-0243

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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