Perception of Institutional Quality as a Determining Factor in Academic Performance in Higher Middle School Students

Higher middle education is within compulsory education in most Latin American countries. In Mexico, higher middle education presents the lowest indicator in relation to terminal efficiency, this is due to the low academic performance of students. Meeting student expectations have been found to have a direct influence on their academic performance. Other authors indicate that the measurement of satisfaction in education should be considered from a service perspective. The study aims to assess the impact of students' perception of quality towards their institution (teachers and administrators) on their academic performance and gender differences. This study was conducted using the SERVQUAL data collection tool, in upper middle-level students in Mexico. The findings suggest that the ability to convey confidence during teacher-student or institution-student interaction is the variable that most influences students' academic performance, followed by tangibility and empathy with significant variations in gender. These results will help higher middle-level educational institutions develop not only educational plans, but also more efficient administrative plans to improve academic performance.