Exploring the relationships between importance–performance analysis (IPA) rankings and satisfaction and loyalty among English as the medium of instruction (EMI) students

Abstract

Purpose

This study sought to investigate the attitudes of Vietnamese undergraduate business students towards English-Medium Instruction (EMI) courses.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through purposive sampling using structured questionnaires, resulting in a dataset comprising 291 responses. This study employs a combination of Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate students' perceptions of effectiveness of EMI courses, their satisfaction and loyalty.

Findings

The study’s findings revealed a noteworthy pattern: students assigned higher levels of importance to various aspects of EMI courses than the actual performance levels of these elements. Additionally, the analysis identified specific attributes that fell into different IPA quadrants, shedding light on their relative significance. Notably, the students placed their teachers' professional expertise and English proficiency in the “keep up the good work” quadrant, indicating the strengths of these attributes. In contrast, learning assessment techniques, course learning materials and electronic teaching platforms were situated in the “concentrate here” quadrant, implying room for improvement in these areas. Furthermore, it was observed that attributes falling within the “keep up the good work” quadrant had a positive effect on students' overall satisfaction and loyalty, while other characteristics did not significantly contribute to predicting these outcomes.

Originality/value

Based on these findings, the study offers recommendations for educational institutions and educators concerning the planning and implementation of EMI courses.

Citation

Nguyen, H.T., Nguyen, T.T., Nguyen, T.V.T. and Nguyen, T.T.T. (2024), "Exploring the relationships between importance–performance analysis (IPA) rankings and satisfaction and loyalty among English as the medium of instruction (EMI) students", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-10-2023-0496