EEPERF(Experiential Education PERFormance): An Instrument for Measuring Service Quality in Experiential Education

체험형 교육 서비스 품질 측정 항목에 관한 연구: 창의적 체험활동을 중심으로

  • Received : 2011.12.13
  • Accepted : 2012.02.15
  • Published : 2012.02.28

Abstract

As experiential education services are growing, the need for proper management is increasing. Considering that adequate measures are an essential factor for achieving success in managing something, it is important for managers to use a proper system of metrics to measure the performance of experiential education services. However, in spite of this need, little research has been done to develop a valid and reliable set of metrics for assessing the quality of experiential education services. The current study aims to develop a multi-item instrument for assessing the service quality of experiential education. The specific procedure is as follows. First, we generated a pool of possible metrics based on diverse literature on service quality. We elicited possiblemetric items not only from general service quality metrics such as SERVQUAL and SERVPERF but also from educational service quality metrics such as HEdPERF and PESPERF. Second, specialist teachers in the experiential education area screened the initial metrics to boost face validity. Third, we proceeded with multiple rounds of empirical validation of those metrics. Based on this processes, we refined the metrics to determine the final metrics to be used. Fourth, we examined predictive validity by checking the well-established positive relationship between each dimension of metrics and customer satisfaction. In sum, starting with the initial pool of scale items elicited from the previous literature and purifying them empirically through the surveying method, we developed a four-dimensional systemized scale to measure the superiority of experiential education and named it "Experiential Education PERFormance" (EEPERF). Our findings indicate that students (consumers) perceive the superiority of the experiential education (EE) service in the following four dimensions: EE-empathy, EE-reliability, EE-outcome, and EE-landscape. EE-empathy is a judgment in response to the question, "How empathetically does the experiential educational service provider interact with me?" Principal measures are "How well does the service provider understand my needs?," and "How well does the service provider listen to my voice?" Next, EE-reliability is a judgment in response to the question, "How reliably does the experiential educational service provider interact with me?" Major measures are "How reliable is the schedule here?," and "How credible is the service provider?" EE-outcome is a judgmentin response to the question, "What results could I get from this experiential educational service encounter?" Representative measures are "How good is the information that I will acquire form this service encounter?," and "How useful is this service encounter in helping me develop creativity?" Finally, EE-landscape is a judgment about the physical environment. Essential measures are "How convenient is the access to the service encounter?,"and "How well managed are the facilities?" We showed the reliability and validity of the system of metrics. All four dimensions influence customer satisfaction significantly. Practitioners may use the results in planning experiential educational service programs and evaluating each service encounter. The current study isexpected to act as a stepping-stone for future scale improvement. In this case, researchers may use the experience quality paradigm that has recently arisen.

최근 국내외에서 체험형 교육서비스의 도입과 활용이 활발해지고 있다. 체험형 교육서비스가 제대로 관리됨으로써 효과적인 체험형 교육서비스가 제공될 경우 다양한 체험형 교육서비스 제공자와 이용자 사이의 사회적, 경제적 교환의 기회가 지속적으로 확대될 개연성이 존재한다. 이를 위해 필요한 선결과제 중 하나가 바로 '성과 측정 수단'인데, 문제는 새로운 체험형 교육서비스 성과 측정에 적합한 성과 측정 수단이 마땅치 않다는 점이다. 이와 같은 상황에서 우선적으로 고려해볼 수 있는 연구화두는 다음과 같다: 창의적 체험활동과 같은 체험형 교육 서비스 품질을 어떻게 측정할 것인가. 본 연구에서는 바로 이 화두에 대한 답을 모색하기 위해 체험형 교육 서비스 중 하나인 창의적 체험활동 교육 서비스 품질 측정 문항을 개발하여 체험형 교육서비스 품질 측정 도구화 하는 것을 목적으로 연구를 진행하였다. 본 연구에서는 체험형 교육 서비스 품질 평가를 위한 척도를 개발하기 위해 창의적 체험활동에 초점을 맞추어 이론적 배경으로부터 실무 전문가의 검토 조정을 거쳐 평가 척도 후보군을 개발하고, 실증적 정제 과정을 통해 최종 척도 항목을 도출하였다. 본 연구에서 도출한 체험형 교육 서비스 품질 측정 항목은 (체험형 교육) 결과 품질 (EE-outcome), (체험형 교육) 공감 품질 (EE-empathy), (체험형 교육) 신뢰 품질 (EE-reliability), (체험형 교육) 물리적환경 품질 (EE-scape) 등 4차원으로 구성되며, 전반적인 신뢰성과 타당성이 있는 것으로 확인되었다. 본 연구에서 제시하는 체험형 교육 서비스 품질 측정 도구는 운용 주체에게 기획 포인트를 제공하고 '교육용' 세분시장을 추구하는 서비스 제공 주체에게는 관리 포인트를 제공한다는 점에서 유용한 지침이 될 수 있을 것이다.

Keywords