Assessing the Quality of Physical Fitness Instructional Service and Its Relationship with Contextual Factors in Bahir Dar University

Abstract

In recent years, there is continuous promotion and implementation of physical fitness and related activities around the globe. However, a few pieces of research have been done on quality physical fitness instructional service and its perception across contextual groups of students. The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of physical fitness instructional service and compare its perception across contextual groups of 1st-year students at Bahir Dar University. The cross-sectional research design used for the study consisted of 323 students sampled from the total population of 1860. The age of the majority of students (n= 216, 66.9%) was 20. The quality of physical fitness instructional service and the perception of contextual groups towards the same were assessed using the adapted Service Quality Assessment Scale (SQAS) and analyzed descriptively. Findings showed that the overall mean quality of physical fitness instructional service was below the average (2.62). This implies that the quality of the service was not up to the standard and could negatively affect the activity and personal goals of the students. This could lead to dissatisfaction, reduced sense of well-being and performance, and also influence their lifestyles. It could also result in loss of goodwill, image, and market shares of the university. The mean scores of most quality variables did not show significant statistical differences across age, gender, educational stream, residence area, and sports experience of students as a player (p<.05). However, there was a statistically significant quality perception difference between male and female students in two quality variables: dressing room and workout facility (p<.01). Similarly, there was also a statistically significant difference between students who come from families living in big cities and those living in woreda towns in only one quality variable: workouts facility (p<.01). As far as experience of students as a player was concerned, there was a statistically significant quality perception difference in only one quality variable: instructor performance (p<.01). The university under discussion and other higher educational institutes of the country have the opportunity to implement quality physical fitness instructional service. Yet, much more effort is needed from the concerned bodies. Future studies also need to investigate situations in other universities and include the influence of some other contextual factors.