Educational service quality as a predictor of academic satisfaction perception among university students in Ecuador

Introduction: The quality of the educational service aims to satisfy the interests and expectations of students. Objective: It evaluated the quality of the educational service as a predictor of the perception of academic satisfaction in students at an Ecuadorian university, using the SERVQUAL instrument. Methods: A non-experimental cross-sectional research design was employed. A survey was administered to 205 students enrolled in the Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine programs. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted to identify the dimensions of academic satisfaction that best explain educational quality. Results: The Principal Components Analysis showed that the variables that explain the quality were: time dedicated by teachers to answer questions and to offer quick and satisfactory solutions within the Responsiveness dimension, and the variables on satisfaction in the development of the class and time of development of activities in the dimension of Reliability. Conclusion: Student perceptions highlight responsiveness, reliability, empathy, and tangible elements as key to educational quality. Improving faculty availability, time management, class development, and empathy while addressing low satisfaction with student attention and scheduling can enhance overall quality.