The gap between perceptions and expectations of service quality in agricultural education environments: A case study of Shalkan farm

The research aims to achieve several key objectives that align with the analysis of service quality in Egyptian agricultural education environments. These objectives include identifying the differences between the expectations of students enrolled in the Animal Production and Plant Production programs regarding the quality of agricultural education environments. Additionally, the research seeks to examine the differences in perceptions of students from both programs concerning the quality of these environments. Furthermore, it aims to uncover the gap between the expectations and perceptions of students in agricultural education programs (Animal Production and Plant Production) regarding service quality in agricultural education environments.
The study also attempts to leverage the social interaction dimension within agricultural education environments to enhance service quality. To achieve these objectives and answer the research questions, the study employs a descriptive research methodology, which is useful for observing the research phenomenon, identifying facts related to the current reality, describing them, collecting relevant data and information, and selecting studies pertinent to the subject.
The SERVQUAL model, with its various dimensions, was applied to assess the quality of educational services in agricultural education environments. The study was conducted on a sample of third-level students from the Plant Production and Animal Production programs who were undergoing training at Shalakan Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University.
The research findings revealed several insights, including that the gap analysis between students’ perceptions and expectations of agricultural educational service quality at Shalakan Farm demonstrated significant variations across different service quality dimensions. The results indicated negative gaps in some dimensions, reflecting the need for substantial improvements, while other dimensions exceeded students’ expectations, contributing to their satisfaction and highlighting key strengths that should be maintained and further enhanced.