Minoritised ethnic students’ perceived quality of their UK higher education experience

Amidst ongoing globalisation and marketisation of UK higher education (HE), student satisfaction and service quality (SQ) have become central concerns for higher education institutions (HEIs) seeking to attract new and retain existing students. However, the generally lower overall satisfaction of minoritised ethnic (ME) students with their university experience is of concern to HEIs as it is thought to be a contributing factor for the awarding gap and lower rates of continuation and progression of ME students in comparison to their White peers (Neves & Hillman, 2019; NUS, 2011). Previous research has explored ME students’ university experience in the context of student engagement, success and retention. However, this study focuses on ME students’ university experience in relation to perceived service quality (SQ) and student satisfaction in HE, thus, addressing the lack of empirical research in this area. Adopting a pragmatic philosophy and abductive approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 ME students across English HEIs to facilitate an in-depth examination of their experiences at university and explore critical factors shaping their perceptions of SQ, to develop a multi-dimensional, hierarchical SQ in HE model. The study revealed that a sense of belonging is essential for a good university experience and influences ME students’ SQ perceptions. This SQ in HE model is the first to incorporate ‘belonging’ as a critical SQ dimension, addressing a significant gap in existing SQ models and scales. The framework, which is specifically designed to evaluate ME students’ perceptions of SQ in HE (MESQHE), is grounded in ME students’ own perspectives, encompasses belonging, interaction quality, physical environment quality and transformative quality. The study also developed a culturally sensitive SQ scale, offering a replicable methodology and a practical tool for HEIs to assess and enhance service provision for diverse student populations. By examining ME students’ university experience through the lens of SQ and student satisfaction, the study advances understanding of how ethnicity influences perceptions of quality and satisfaction, contributing both theoretically and practically to inclusive HE practice.