An assessment of the services quality of Palestine higher education

The history of the Palestinian universities is relatively recent; however their impact on the Palestinians case and wellbeing is undeniable. Today, almost forty years later the Palestinian universities like many higher education institutions in the region and worldwide tussle to fulfil the students ’ demands on education while trying to maintain high quality and relevant education. In Palestine; studies of higher education sector seems to focus primarily on easily quantifiable indicators such as teacher vs. students ratios and gender participation, while the assessment of educational services quality have not yet been explored and the assessment of higher education from the students ’ stands point is yet to be enhanced. Meanwhile; the literature is rich with scholars who emphasize that “service quality ” is the key to achieve customers ’ satisfaction and loyalty. The applicability of service quality concepts and assessment models is becoming more acceptable within the higher education arena. This research presents an assessment of the services quality at two universities in the West Bank; Palestine utilizing the SERVQUAL gaps model and instrument for measuring students ’ satisfaction and behavioural intentions. The study wishes to assist the Palestinian universities administrative boards and stakeholders to create informed decisions with regards to the effectiveness of their educational policies. The results suggest that the “service quality ” in Palestine universities is slightly unsatisfactory to the students and needs further attention