Ramzi Nasser

University students' knowledge of services and programs in relation to satisfaction: A case study of a private university in Lebanon

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to survey students on their satisfaction with university services and programs in a coeducational Lebanese Catholic higher education institution. The study attempts to relate self‐assessed knowledge of the university procedures, rules and regulations on six dimensions of satisfaction, being: academic experience, academic advisor, residential life, campus life, personal development opportunities, resources and student services.Design/methodology/approach – A cluster random selection procedure was used to select n=870 students from within the university. Students rated 31 knowledge items and 33 satisfaction items. The study analyses student satisfaction in relation to their knowledge of procedures, rules and regulations. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was run to determine differences between university class level, and knowledge level on satisfaction. In addition, a regression analysis was run to determine whether university class (freshmen, sophomore, junior, and sen...

Poverty attitudes and their determinants in Lebanon's plural society

Abstract This paper examines the causal attribution of poverty among Lebanese Christian and Muslim students through a pre-conceptualized scale along fatalistic, individualistic, and structural dimensions. Factor analysis results reproduced the factor dimensions reported by J. Feagin [Psychology Today 6 (1972) 101–129; Subordinating poor persons: Welfare and American beliefs. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1975] explanations for the causes of poverty were more structural than individualistic. The MANOVA regression analysis showed no significant differences between religious affiliations (Muslim and Christian) and students subjective report of their parents level of educational attainment (high, medium, low). However, significant mean differences ( F (3,200)=3.43, p =0.018) are found for class on the individualistic dimension. There was some suggestion that parents of students whose occupational status appeared higher were more likely to favor individualistic explanations for poverty. The high rating on the structural dimension of the poverty scale showed Lebanese student attitudes to the causes of poverty in a rapidly changing society. Recommendations are offered for further research on heterogeneous samples.

Graduates' Perception of University Training in Light of Occupational Attainment and University Type: The Case of Lebanon.

Purpose – The study examines the level of satisfaction amongst Lebanese university graduates on their training/education in light of their current occupational level.Design/methodology/approach – Focus groups were interviewed to understand factors that helped graduates in their occupation. These factors were turned into a Likert‐scale questionnaire in which a large sample (n=604) of university graduates from public and private universities in Lebanon were asked to report the utility of their university education and training required for their current job.Findings – Findings showed that graduates from private universities documented greater satisfaction in their education and training, especially in the fields of engineering, medicine, and information science, than did graduates from the public sector of higher education. Graduates in the low occupational status category perceived university education as important in the performance of their occupation.Research limitations/implications – The study was int...

Occupational attainment through Lebanon’s higher education: using individual, societal, structural and gender factors as predictors

This study sought to analyze university graduate job attainment in Lebanon through an individualist, societal and structuralist perspectives. Differences appeared between females and males on factors that predicted occupational attainment. In concert with neo‐patriarchal discourse increased occupational attainment among males was significantly predicted by fathers’ occupational status. The data reported that male and female university degree type produced higher occupational attainment between male and female graduates. Further analysis would seek to understand graduate attitudes towards their occupational attainment along individualist, societal and structural dimensions.

Gender Differences on Self-Estimates of Multiple Intelligences: A Comparison Between Indian and Lebanese Youth

Abstract A sample of 648 Lebanese and 252 Indian students estimated their multiple intelligences based on Gardner’s conceptualization. Males rated the body kinesthetic component higher than females while females estimated their verbal and intra-personal intelligence higher than males. Differences appeared between Indian and Lebanese samples on the cognitive components, namely, verbal, spatial and logical abilities. Using the educational level of the parent as a covariate, significant differences were found between the Indian and Lebanese sample on verbal, spatial, and logical abilities. Interaction effects of gender and nationality were observed on the logical component. While Lebanese males rated the logical component higher than the Lebanese females, Indian females rated the logical component higher than their male counterparts but lower than the male and female Lebanese students.