Redesigning work in university classrooms: factors related to satisfaction in engineering and business administration students

Abstract

Purpose: We analyze how it affects the teaching model to motivational potential of the course and student satisfaction. Design/methodology: Using structural equation modeling (SEM) has analyzed data from a cross-section (2008, 2009 and 2010) of 535 students of industrial engineering and business administration, a Spanish public university.

Findings: The results, using a validated instrument adapted to the teaching world, demonstrate the association between the characteristics of the type of student work, the motivating potential of the subject and satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications: The Identity scale does not have good fit and the results should be considered tentative. The sample is limited and does not allow to generalize the findings, it should be extended in the future to include other universities and graduate students.

Originality/value: This work confirm that the JDS model adapted to teaching is met. We found that the variety, identity, significance, autonomy, job feedback and social feedback are elements of a second-order construct representing the motivating potential of the subject and that the values of this construct are positively related, significantly and substantially to the overall satisfaction perceived by the student. We have also found that these relationships are maintained on samples of students from different years or rather different degrees. As a result, education professionals can use the model for analysis and redesign of jobs to help foster motivation and student satisfaction.