Abstract:
This study examined the relationship between higher education service quality and
student academic achievement at a public university in Zimbabwe. It was hypothesised
that academic, support, access and library service quality would predict student academic
achievement. The study adopted an explanatory research design and used a survey
to collect data. A sample of 338 responses was collected at a public university in
Zimbabwe. In order to test the research hypotheses, data analysis was performed using
structural equation modelling (SEM) in SPSS AMOS. Furthermore, to examine genderbased
differences in students’ perceptions of service quality and academic achievement,
the study used multi-group invariance analysis. The findings confirmed positive
and statistically significant effect of academic service quality, support service quality,
access service quality and library service quality on student achievement. In addition,
female students reported more positive perceptions of university service quality and
academic outcomes than male students. The study confirmed a good model fit and
validated the HEDQUAL and HEdPERF constructs as predictors of academic success in
higher education. The managers of service quality in universities are reminded of the
key functional areas that warrant continuous improvement to enhance student academic
outcomes. The findings also suggest that universities can adopt gender-sensitive
strategies to improve student learning and academic achievement.
