Examining the Service Quality of Administrative Practices in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in South Africa

The purpose of the research was to evaluate administrative practices in three selected Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In the higher education sector, students are the clients who are to be given service and whose needs are to be satisfied. A SERVQUAL theoretical framework was employed in this study. The study drew on a mixed method research design. Questionnaires were administered to students, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with administrative clerks and administrative managers. A stratified sampling technique was used when collecting data from staff, and a convenience sample was applied when collecting data from students. Content analysis was used to analyse data from the interviews and the responses from questionnaires were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The results of the research indicated a need for TVET Colleges to implement an appropriate set of processes for administrative practices and how critical it is that all employees should adhere to principles of quality customer service.