Quality of Educational Service in Public Universities in Ecuador: A Sustainable and Equitable Education Approach

Sonnia Valeria Zapatier CastroDelia Dolores Noriega VerdugoRuth María Farias LemaRuth Rubi Peña HolguinJuan Diego Valenzuela Cobos^*

• State University of Milagro, Milagro, Ecuador

In Latin America, structural and contextual challenges continue to hinder public universities from delivering high-quality education. In Ecuador, institutional efforts to improve educational services have yet to resolve the persistent gaps between students' expectations and perceived quality. This study aims to evaluate the quality of educational services in a public university from the students' perspective using the HEdPERF model. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied to validate the factorial structure of the instrument, yielding excellent fit indices (CFI = 0.997, TLI = 0.997, RMSEA = 0.020). The model's reliability was confirmed through Cronbach's Alpha and Composite Reliability (CR), both exceeding 0.70. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified that non-academic factors, such as access to services, infrastructure, and institutional reputation, significantly impact student perception, distinguishing them from strictly academic aspects. The results highlight the need to implement sustainable educational strategies that integrate continuous assessment, curriculum updates, and equitable access to resources to ensure quality education for all. This study emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making to optimize the student experience, strengthen institutional reputation, and foster a more inclusive and sustainable educational environment for students.