Promoting the quality of education and training at Thai Nguyen University

PROMOTING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

AT THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

A DISSERTATION PAPER

Presented to

School of Graduate Studies

Central Philippine University, Philippines

In Collaboration with

Thai Nguyen University, Vietnam

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

DOCTOR OF MANAGEMENT

HOANG THAI SON

JUNE 2021

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author wishes to convey the gratitude to the following people who

wholeheartedly devoted and helped me finish my research:

To Ass.Pro Do Anh Tai and Dr. Lucio Tato Encio for their advices, guidance,

supervision, suggestions and precious time in enthusiastically reading and checking the

manuscript, providing the author useful materials;

To Professor Teodoro C. Robles, President of the Central Philippine University,

Philippines and Professor Pham Hong Quang, President of the Thai Nguyen University,

Vietnam for their incomparable contribution and support to the development of Business

Administration doctoral programme in Thai Nguyen University;

To members of the examination committee for their comments and suggestions to

further improve the thesis;

To the leadership of International Cooperation Center for Training and Study Abroad

and their staff for their enthusiastic support so that I could complete the study program.

To the faculties and researchers of Thai Nguyen University of Economics and

Business Administration and the respondents of the study, for their active involvement and

cooperation which made the conduct of the study possible;

To my family and friends for their love and support in one way or another, and to all

who have contributed to make this study a success.

Thank you so much!

ii

LỜI CẢM ƠN

Tác giả xin gửi lời tri ân đến những người sau đây đã hết lòng tận tụy và giúp đỡ tôi

hoàn thành nghiên cứu của mình:

Tới PGS.TS. Đỗ Anh Tài và Tiến sĩ Lucio Tato Encio vì những lời khuyên, chỉ dẫn,

giám sát, góp ý và dành thời gian quý báu của mình để đọc và kiểm tra bản thảo, cung cấp

cho tác giả những tư liệu hữu ích;

Tới Giáo sư Teodoro C. Robles, Hiệu trưởng Đại học Miền Trung Philippines và

Giáo sư Phạm Hồng Quang, Giám đốc Đại học Thái Nguyên, Việt Nam vì những đóng góp

và hỗ trợ không thể thiếu trong việc xây dựng chương trình đào tạo Tiến sĩ Quản trị Kinh

doanh tại Đại học Thái Nguyên;

Tới các thành viên Hội đồng chấm thi đã cho những ý kiến đóng góp để luận văn

được hoàn thiện hơn;

Tới Ban lãnh đạo Trung tâm Hợp tác Quốc tế Đào tạo và Tư vấn Du học và các cán

bộ đã nhiệt tình hỗ trợ để tôi có thể hoàn thành tốt chương trình học.

Tới các giảng viên và cán bộ nghiên cứu của Trường Đại học Kinh tế và Quản trị

Kinh doanh Đại học Thái Nguyên và những người tham gia nghiên cứu, vì sự tham gia và

hợp tác tích cực của họ để giúp cho việc tiến hành nghiên cứu được khả thi;

Tới gia đình và bạn bè của tôi vì tình yêu và sự ủng hộ của họ bằng cách này hay

cách khác, và cho tất cả những người đã góp phần làm cho nghiên cứu này thành công.

Xin chân thành cảm ơn!

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COMMITMENT

I assure you that th data and reseach findings in this disertation are honest and have

not been used for publication in any other reseach.

I would like to assure you that all helps for the implementation of the disertation has

been thanhked and the information cited in the disertation is clearly indicated.

Thai Nguyen, June 2021

Author of disertation

Hoang Thai Son

iv

LỜI CAM ĐOAN

Tôi xin cam đoan: Số liệu và kết quả nghiên cứu trong luạn án này là trung thực và

chưa được sử dụng để công bố cho bất kỳ nghiên cứu nào khác.

Tôi cam đoan rằng tất cả những trợ giúp cho việc thực hiện luận án đã được cảm ơn

và thông tin trích dẫn trong luận án đều được chỉ rõ nguồn gốc.

Thái Nguyên, tháng 6 năm 2021

Tác giả của luận án

Hoàng Thái Sơn

v

APPROVAL SHEET

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT......................................................................................................i

LỜI CẢM ƠN........................................................................................................................ii

COMMITMENT...................................................................................................................iii

LỜI CAM ĐOAN .................................................................................................................iv

APPROVAL SHEET............................................................................................................. v

TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................................vi

LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................................ix

LIST OF FIGURES ..............................................................................................................xi

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS..............................................................................................xii

ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................xiii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................... 1

1.1. Problems statement......................................................................................................... 1

1.2. Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 6

1.2.1. General objective of the study ..................................................................................... 6

1.2.2. Specific objectives....................................................................................................... 6

1.3. Research Hypotheses...................................................................................................... 6

1.4. Theoretical framework.................................................................................................... 7

1.5. Conceptual Framework................................................................................................. 10

1.6. Definition and measurement of variables..................................................................... 11

1.7. Research significance ................................................................................................... 12

1.8. Research scope and limit .............................................................................................. 13

1.7.1. Research scope........................................................................................................... 13

1.7.2. Research limit ............................................................................................................ 14

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................... 15

2.1. Introduction................................................................................................................... 15

2.2. Related literature........................................................................................................... 15

2.2.1. The concept and content of higher education ............................................................ 15

2.2.2. The concept of education and training quality and its relationship with the

satisfaction of learners and employers..................................................................... 17

2.2.3. The measurement model for satisfaction with service quality .................................. 24

2.2.4. The model measuring the satisfaction of stakeholders on the education and

training quality of higher education ......................................................................... 26

vii

2.3. Domestic and international studies on Problems in the Field of education and

training ..................................................................................................................... 29

2.3.1. Overseas studies......................................................................................................... 29

2.3.2. Domestic research...................................................................................................... 34

2.4. Overall assessment and research gaps .......................................................................... 37

CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.......................................................... 38

3.1. Research design ............................................................................................................ 38

3.1.1. Proposed factors after literature review ..................................................................... 40

3.1.2. Qualitative research ................................................................................................... 45

3.1.3. Pilot survey ................................................................................................................ 50

3.2. Population and sample respondents.............................................................................. 50

3.2.1. Population .................................................................................................................. 50

3.2.2. Sample respondents ................................................................................................... 51

3.3. Sampling technique....................................................................................................... 52

3.4. Data gathering and instruments .................................................................................... 53

3.4.1. Data gathering............................................................................................................ 53

3.4.1. Instruments................................................................................................................. 54

3.5. Data processing and analysis........................................................................................ 55

3.5.1. Data processing.......................................................................................................... 55

3.5.2. Information analyzing method................................................................................... 55

3.6. Calibration scale results................................................................................................ 59

3.6.1. Students‟ satisfaction model scales............................................................................ 59

3.6.2. Employers‟ satisfaction model scale.......................................................................... 65

CHAPTER IV: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION.... 71

4.1. Thainguyen University ................................................................................................. 71

4.1.1. Introduction about Thainguyen University................................................................ 71

4.1.2. Quality of Thainguyen University Education and Trainning basing result of

Higher education quality accreditation program of Vietnam's Ministry of

Education ................................................................................................................. 73

4.2. Students‟ satisfaction with education and training quality of TNU.............................. 74

4.2.1. Characteristic of student respondents ........................................................................ 74

4.2.2. The effectiveness of factors on students‟s satisfaction to quality of education

and training of Thainguyen University .................................................................... 75

viii

4.2.3. Satisfaction of student with quality of education and traning services of

Thainguyen Universities. ......................................................................................... 78

4.3. Satisfaction of Employers with education and training quality of TNU ...................... 82

4.3.1. Characteristic of employer respondents..................................................................... 82

4.3.2. The effectiveness of factors on employers‟ satisfaction to quality of the

education and training services of Thainguyen University...................................... 84

4.3.3. Satisfaction of employers with education services of Thainguyen Universities. ...... 87

4.3.4. Assess the important and satisfaction with graduates' skill ....................................... 91

4.4. Differences in assessing the satisfaction of students and enterprises with quality of

education and training of Thainguyen Universities................................................. 93

4.4.1. Differences in assessing the overall satisfaction of students and enterprises with

quality of education and training of Thainguyen Universities................................. 93

4.4.2. Differences in assessing the components of satisfaction of students and

enterprises with quality of education and training of Thainguyen Universities...... 94

4.5. Differences in assessing the satisfaction with quality of education and training of

Thainguyen University by profile of respondents.................................................... 95

4.5.1. Differences in assessing the overall satisfaction with quality of education and

training of Thainguyen Universities of students by sex and year in university....... 95

4.5.2. Differences in assessing the overall satisfaction with quality of education and

training of Thainguyen Universities of employers by legal status of

organization and field of organization ................................................................... 100

CHAPTER V: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....... 102

5.1. Summary..................................................................................................................... 102

5.2. Findings ...................................................................................................................... 105

5.3. Conclusions................................................................................................................. 106

5.4. Recommendations....................................................................................................... 107

5.3.1. Policies about Tangible............................................................................................ 107

5.3.2. Policies about Reliability......................................................................................... 108

5.3.3. Policies about Responsiveness................................................................................. 111

5.3.4. Policies on Assurance .............................................................................................. 111

5.3.5. Policies about Empathy ........................................................................................... 112

5.3.6. Other polices............................................................................................................ 113

REFERENCE................................................................................................................... 115

APPENDIX........................................................................................................................ 125

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1: Classification of clients under major activities of the university by Marco

Antonio and Márcia Terra (2003)................................................................... 21

Table 2.2: Studies in Higher Education adopting SERVQUAL and SERVPERF

Models............................................................................................................ 26

Table 2.3: A summary of training quality factors affecting student satisfaction................. 32

Table 3.1: Proposed factors in the research ......................................................................... 40

Table 3.2: Remained factors after in-depth interviews........................................................ 46

Table 3.3: The total number of students of each university................................................. 51

Table 3.4: Reliability and Item-Total Statistics of students‟ satisfaction scale ................... 60

Table 3.5: Reliability and Item-Total Statistics of Satisfaction groups............................... 62

Table 3.6: KMO and Bartlett's Test.................................................................................... 63

Table 3.7: Rotated Component Matrix ................................................................................ 63

Table 3.8: Reliability and Item-Total Statistics of employers‟ satisfaction scale ............... 65

Table 3.9: Reliability and Item-Total Statistics of employers‟ satisfaction ........................ 68

Table 3.10: KMO and Bartlett's Test.................................................................................. 68

Table 3.11: Rotated Component Matrix .............................................................................. 68

Table 4.1: Result of Higher education quality accreditation program of TNU‟s

members ......................................................................................................... 73

Table 4.2: Characteristic of respondents.............................................................................. 74

Table 4.3: Pearson Correlations........................................................................................... 75

Table 4.4: Model Summary by Enter method...................................................................... 76

Table 4.5: ANOVAa by Enter method ................................................................................ 76

Table 4.6: Regression Results.............................................................................................. 77

Table 4.7: Satisfaction of student with education services of Thainguyen Universities..... 79

Table 4.8: Characteristic of employer respondents ............................................................. 83

Table 4.9: Pearson Correlations........................................................................................... 84

Table 4.10: Model Summary by Enter method.................................................................... 85

Table 4.11: ANOVAa by Enter method .............................................................................. 85

Table 4.12: Regression Results............................................................................................ 86

Table 4.13: Total satisfaction of employers with quality of education and training of

Thainguyen Universities................................................................................. 88

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Table 4.14: Employers‟ satisfaction with skills of graduates from TNU members ............ 92

Table 4.15: Total satisfation to quality of education and training of Thainguyen

University by group of type of respondents ................................................... 93

Table 4.16: Results of T-test by group of Type of respondents .......................................... 94

Table 4.17: Differences in assessing the overall satisfaction with quality of education

and training of Thainguyen Universities of students by sex and year in

university ........................................................................................................ 96

Table 4.18: Levene's Test results......................................................................................... 97

Table 4.19: ANOVA – Test results ..................................................................................... 97

Table 4.20: Post – hoc test results........................................................................................ 98

Table 4.21: Levene's Test results....................................................................................... 100

Table 4.22: ANOVA – Test results ................................................................................... 101

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1: Five dimensions of Perceived service Quality .................................................... 8

Figure 1.2: Outline illustrating the hypothesis of the declared variables ............................ 10

Figure 2.1: Model of assessing the education and training activities of University............ 21

Figure 2.2: Research model of Hayan Dib, Mokhles Alnazer (2013) ................................. 32

Figure 3.1: Research process............................................................................................... 39

Figure 4.1: Satisfaction of student with Tangibles .............................................................. 80

Figure 4.2: Satisfaction of student with Reliability ............................................................. 80

Figure 4.3: Satisfaction of student with Responsiveness..................................................... 81

Figure 4.4: Satisfaction of student with Assurance ............................................................. 81

Figure 4.5: Satisfaction of student with Empathy................................................................ 82

Figure 4.6: Satisfaction of employers with Tangibles......................................................... 89

Fig 4.7: Satisfaction of employers with Reliability ............................................................. 89

Fig 4.8: Satisfaction of employers with Responsiveness..................................................... 90

Fig 4.9: Satisfaction of employers with Assurance ............................................................. 90

Fig 4.10: Satisfaction of employers with Empathy.............................................................. 91

Figure 4.11: Difference in assessing the important and satisfaction with graduates' skill .. 92

Figure 4.12: Differences in assessing the components of satisfaction of students and

enterprises with education services of Thainguyen Universities.................... 95

Figure 5.1: Education supply chain model of universities (O'Brien, 1996) ...................... 109

Figure 5.2: Participation of stakeholders into the training process of higher education ... 110

xii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation Meaning

DTS Thainguyen University of Education

DTY Thainguyen University of Medicine

DTK Thainguyen University of Technology

DTN Thainguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry

DTE

Thainguyen University of Economics and Business

Administration

TNU Thainguyen University

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PROMOTING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

AT THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

ABSTRACT

Recent reforms in higher education lead to the increasing of privatisation and

marketisation trends in universities in Vietnam. The transformation of higher education from

the dependency on government funding to the competitive market indicates that universities

have to compete for educating better students for the recruitment markets and therefore, must

care more for students and employers satisfaction. Many papers argue that university

managers need to understand its customer needs and wants in order to remain competitive and

survive among higher education providers.

The overall objective of the study is to assess and measure the satisfaction level of

stakeholders related to the training quality of Thai Nguyen University members; and analyze

the factors affecting the satisfaction level; thereby, proposing solutions to improve the

education and training quality of Thai Nguyen University. In order to complete the research

objectives of the thesis, the author has done certain specific tasks as follows:

First, systematizing theories related to factors affecting the satisfaction level of

stakeholders towards the quality of higher education; designing the research framework for

assessing the satisfaction level, and factors affecting the satisfaction of stakeholders with

respect to the training services provided by Thai Nguyen University members.

Second, Practical research has been conducted with a relatively large sample size: 400

students enrolling in full-time training programs at five Thai Nguyen University members:

University of Technology; University of Education, University of Medicine and Pharmacy,

University of Economics and Business Administration, and University of Agriculture and

Forestry; and 400 employers who recruit students from those five universities. Analyzing the

factors affecting the satisfaction of stakeholders related to the training quality at 5 Thai

Nguyen University members was done through the 4-step regression analysis: Verification of

scale reliability (Cronbach Alpha); Analysis of exploratory factors; Correlation analysis and

Multivariate regression. In particular, the author selected two beneficiaries from the main

products of the training process at university including: students (full-time students), and

employers.

xiv

Research results from the regression process have shown that all 5 initially proposed

factors of the research framework are significant to stakeholders‟ satisfaction with quality of

education and training of Thai Nguyen University. The factors influence students‟ satisfaction

in the order of decreasing importance as follow: Tangible, Assurance, Reliability, Empathy

and Responsiveness. The factors influence employers‟ satisfaction in the order of decreasing

importance as follow: Reliability, Responsiveness, Empathy, Tangible and Assurance. The

influence level these factors are the scientific bases for proposing effective solutions to

improve the quality of higher education at TNU. Namely, (1) Improve the Tangible and

Reliability factors that influence the satisfaction of stakeholders with the quality of TNU‟s

training services; (2) Improve the Assurance factor which both students and employers

underestimate in all TNU members;

The T- test shows that there is mean difference between groups of stakeholders. The

trend shows that the employers are less satisfied than students. Students are direct customers

of higher education services; however, it is the employers who evaluate the true effectiveness

of the training services through assessing the suitability of training with the demand of the

society, and the return impact on the long-term satisfaction of students with the training

services. Therefore, the strategy for improving the quality of training should pay attention on

the aspects between the beneficial factors, short-term satisfaction of students and long-term

benefits derived from employers‟ satisfaction in order to propose reasonable solutions

balancing the interests of stakeholders.

Thirdly, the Two-Way Anova test and Tukey Post Hoc Tests show that 1-year student

and 5-year student have difference in accessing their satisfaction (Tukey Post Hoc Tests has

p–value = 0.049 < 0.050), the mean difference is -.3433. The research results show that there

is a difference in student satisfaction ratings over school years. Fortunately, senior students

tend to be more satisfied with the training services which demonstrates that their long-term

experience brings better evaluation on the training services of TNU members. However, this

also requires universities to consider more about the content of training programs for students

in the early years by the fact that many first-year students at TNU have dropped and taken

entrance exam to other universities in Hanoi which are more suitable to their aspirations.