Classifying students using an expectation-perception survey about a hospitality laboratory class: Empirical research with the finite mixture model

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationship between teaching styles, the gap between students’ expectations and perceptions, and overall class evaluations. Using confirmatory factor analysis and Finite Mixture Model, the data obtained from 332 students in the business laboratory classes were analyzed. The students were grouped into two clusters. Results showed that, even within asame cohort, there are significantly diverse groups of students. Students with larger changes in their expectations and perceptions were influenced by (1) instructor’s core contents and (2) the relationship with the instructor. In addition, these students exhibited lower evaluations. The findings recommend that instructors should be demonstrating instructors’ academic readiness and building good relationships in the college laboratory classes.

KEYWORDS:

• Student expectations
• student perceptions
• instructor’s characteristics
• laboratory class
• course evaluation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wookjae Heo

Wookjae Heo is an assistant professor of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Consumer Sciences at the South Dakota State University, USA. Prior to earning a PhD from the University of Georgia, USA, he had worked for a marketing consulting firm as a Strategic Marketing Planner and Consumer Research Specialist in Korea and received a Masters of Arts Degree in Consumer Sciences from Seoul National University, South Korea. His main research interest is broadly about consumer welfare including consumer behavioral intervention, financial stress on consumer behavior, demand of life insurance, and data mining/data analysis in consumer research.

Narang Park

Narang Park is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Financial Planning, Housing, and Consumer Economics at the University of Georgia. Her research explores individuals’ and households’ financial behavior influenced by attitudes, cognitive process, and dispositional factors together with environmental conditions. She received her M.A. in Consumer Science from the Seoul National University.

Kunsoon Park

Kunsoon Park is an associate professor of Hospitality Management in the Department of Consumer Sciences at the South Dakota State University.