Measuring the mediating role of quality education for ensuring employability skills: An analysis of higher education student perception in Bangladesh

• Published in: PloS one 2024-10, Vol.19 (10), p.e0310815
• Main Authors: Hasan, Khandakar Kamrul, Sharmin, Shadia, Islam, A T M Fahimul, Khandakar, Hissan, Siddique, Abdul Hasib, Shuhan, Ariful Hoque, Khandaker, Mobashwer A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Bangladesh; Biology and Life Sciences; Book publishing; Careers; Collaboration; College students; Colleges & universities; Cross-Sectional Studies; Education; Education policy; Education, Higher; Employability; Employment; Engineering and Technology; Female; Higher education; Humans; Labor market; Learning; Male; Measurement; Mediation; People and Places; Perception; Perceptions; Population studies; Private schools; Quality management; Quality of education; Research and Analysis Methods; Skills; Social Sciences; Structural models; Structured data; Student attitudes; Student behavior; Students; Students - psychology; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310815

The present study employs a quantitative approach to measure the student perception of the direct and mediating effect of quality education for ensuring employability skills in higher education students of Bangladesh. The study was conducted on 154 undergraduate and graduate students at a Private University in Bangladesh, through a cross-sectional survey using a structured data questionnaire. The multilevel measurement and structural model, which was based on the constructs of quality education, employability skills of students, course structure, institutional policy, and physical aspects, was analysed using Partial Least Squares modelling with SmartPLS 4. The aim was to identify the employability skills that are present among higher education students in Bangladesh through student perception and explore the mediating role of quality education in shaping these skills. The findings suggest a significant gap between the skills taught in private universities, and the industry requirements of Bangladesh, which highlights the urgency for administrators and policy-makers to act fast. physical aspects have a positive influence on quality education and employability skills, but course structure and policy show less direct impact. Moreover, quality education is a crucial mediator for only the factors that match a direct effect. This proves that higher education students in Bangladesh may not have acquired the technical knowledge required by the industry. However, the present study was conducted on undergraduate and graduate students at a single private university, thus acknowledging the need to diversify the population sample in future studies for enhanced generalizability. The implications of these results extend to educational policymakers, institutions, and stakeholders, therefore emphasizing the need for curriculum enhancement, industry-academia collaboration, and policy reforms.