A DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGY FOR ENHANCING STUDENTS’ COMPLIANT BEHAVIOR AND LOYALTY OF ONLINE LEARNING IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES OF HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA

With the rapid expansion of online learning, student satisfaction and loyalty have become critical factors in evaluating the effectiveness of digital education. This study investigates the relationships among student expectations, perceived quality, satisfaction, complaints, and loyalty in the online learning environment of private universities in Hunan Province, China. A quantitative research approach was employed, with data collected from 1,785 undergraduate students through a structured questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationships among key variables. The results reveal that student expectations positively influence perceived quality and satisfaction, while perceived quantity significantly impacts satisfaction. Additionally, student satisfaction negatively affects complaints and positively influences student loyalty, whereas student loyalty is negatively associated with complaints. However, the direct effect of student expectations on loyalty is not significant, suggesting that satisfaction serves as a critical mediating factor. These findings emphasize the importance of improving perceived quality and satisfaction to enhance student loyalty and reduce complaints in online learning environments.