Examination of service quality perceptions of students taking sports education in universities

This study aims to measure the level of satisfaction of undergraduate students majoring in sports in universities that have specific departments for educating sports instructors determine the quality of these universities and identify the areas open for improvement/enhancement and finally detect possible changes in quality standards over years. The study was conducted with the general survey model (correlational survey model), which is one of the quantitative research models.The population of the study consists of students majoring in sports in Turkish universities and the sample consists of 747 students (297 female, 450 male) studying in sports education departments of universities in Ege, Marmara, Karadeniz and Anadolu regions. The data collection tool exploited in this study is the "Student Satisfaction Survey" developed by the Ministry of Education's Department of Research and Development and readapted by Yanık and Sunay (2007) for university students; consisting 14 sub-dimensions, 45 questions and with a reliability coefficient of α , 9978. For the purpose of this study, the scale has been reorganized to include 13 sub-dimensions and 39 questions. Pearson Correlation Analysis, T-test and ANOVA of the Parametric Hypothesis tests were used in data analysis. As a result; the students studying in the evening education found their schools insufficient in the security sub-dimension compared to the students studying in the daytime education. The quality perceptions of the students studying in the Department of Sports Management were higher than the students studying in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Teaching. The dissatisfaction levels of the students with a low academic grade point average were found to be higher. The service quality perception levels of the students studying at universities in the Aegean-Marmara regions were found to be higher than the students studying in the Black Sea and Anatolian regions. KEYWORDS: Education, Quality, Education Service, Total Quality Management, Universty, College Student, Sports Science Faculty