Exaimining the realationship between students' perceptions and expactations of distance education service quality and satisfaction and loyalty according to some variables

The aim of this research is to determine the perceptions and expectations of undergraduate students towards the service quality of distance education as a whole, and to examine the relationship between service quality, student satisfaction, and student loyalty. Within the scope of the research, students' expectations from distance education, the level of fulfillment of these expectations, student satisfaction, and student loyalty are measured. Additionally, it is investigated whether these findings are influenced by various demographic characteristics." The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data. Within the framework of the mixed-methods paradigm, the quantitative dimension of the study is designed as a correlational research. In the qualitative dimension of the research, a semi-structured interview form is utilized. The population of the research consists of fourth-year students enrolled in faculties and vocational schools at Firat University in Elazig during the academic terms of Spring 2019-2020 and Fall 2020-2021. The study employs a mixed sampling method, utilizing stratified random sampling in the quantitative dimension. A total of 532 participants were reached through the quantitative dimension of the research. Qualitative dimension of the research, the maximum variation sampling method was employed, involving 42 students. The study utilized the Student Loyalty Scale, Student Satisfaction Scale, and the Distance Education Satisfaction Scale. The collected data were analyzed manually since the data exhibited a normal distribution, and parametric tests were applied. To determine students' demographic characteristics, frequency and percentage values were used. The One Way ANOVA test was employed for multiple group comparisons concerning the gender variable. Additionally, statistical tests such as the Pearson correlation coefficient and simple regression analysis were used in the research. In the analysis of qualitative data, both content analysis and descriptive analysis were employed. The key themes included in the analysis encompassed distance education, service quality, student satisfaction, and student loyalty, utilizing various scales for differentiation. Key Words: Distance Education, Service Quality, Student Satisfaction, Student Loyalty