Relational coordination as a driver of student satisfaction in higher education
A nonlinear structural equation modelling analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22434780 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Carmen De-Pablos-Heredero (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos), Miguel-Ángel Morales-Moya (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos), Mónica Santos-Cebrián (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos), José-Luis Montes-Botella (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-14 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2504-284X • E-ISSN: 2504-284X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/feduc.2026.1813557 |
| OpenAlex | W7168254909 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 25 |
Introduction Student satisfaction is a strategic indicator of higher education quality and is closely related to retention, engagement, and students' overall evaluation of their university experience. Previous research has often examined academic, administrative, social, and participatory dimensions separately, leaving limited evidence on how relational coordination with different university actors is jointly associated with satisfaction. This study examines whether relational coordination with lecturers, administrative staff, peers, and student representatives is associated with overall student satisfaction, and whether perceived institutional improvement moderates these relationships. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 593 undergraduate students at a Spanish public university during the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were analysed using nonlinear structural equation modelling with WarpPLS, allowing the estimation of direct associations, latent interaction terms, and potential nonlinear patterns. Results The model explained 46.9% of the variance in student satisfaction. Coordination with administrative services, lecturers, and peers was positively associated with student satisfaction, while coordination with student representatives was not significant as a direct predictor. Perceived institutional improvement selectively moderated the relationship between relational coordination and satisfaction: it strengthened the associations involving lecturers and student representatives but did not significantly moderate the relationship involving administrative coordination. The interaction involving peer coordination was positive but did not reach the conventional level of statistical significance. Discussion The findings suggest that student satisfaction is closely linked to the quality of everyday relational coordination, particularly in administrative and academic domains. They also show that perceived institutional improvement does not operate as a universal enhancer, but rather as a selective contextual condition that strengthens some relational pathways more than others. The study contributes to higher education research by clarifying how relational ecosystems and institutional perceptions jointly shape student satisfaction, while also offering practical guidance for university managers seeking to improve the student experience.
Citizen journalism · Higher education · Multilevel model · Public university · Structural equation modeling · Survey data collection · Customer Service Quality and Loyalty · Higher Education Governance and Development · Higher Education Research Studies
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| Highly cited | No |
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