제4차 산업혁명의 도래로 IT(information technology)를 활용한 다양한 융합기술에 대한 관심이 높아지고 있으며, 이에 따른 고품질의 IT관련 교육서비스 제공의 필요성 및 중요성 또한 점차 증대되고 있다. 한편, 일반적인 교육서비스 품질 및 만족도에 관한 연구는 그 동안 다양한 맥락에서 활발히 진행된 바 있으나, IT교육 참가자를 대상으로 한 IT교육 서비스품질의 역할을 살펴본 연구는 상대적으로 부족한 것으로 파악된다. 이에 본 연구에서는 SERVPERF 모형 및 관련 선행연구를 바탕으로 IT교육 맥락에서 IT교육 서비스품질의 다섯 가지 차원(유형성, 신뢰성, 반응성, 확신성 및 공감성)을 도출하고, 이러한 세부 IT교육 서비스품질 요인이 학습자의 교육만족도, 나아가 현업적용의도 및 추천의도에 미치는 영향을 검증하였다. 또한, 이러한 영향이 학습자 직위(실무자집단/관리자 집단) 및 참여동기(자발적 참여집단/비자발적 참여집단)에 따라 어떻게 달라지는지에 대한 추가분석도 실시하였다. 서울 소재 ‘M’교육기관 203명의 IT교육 참가자 대상 설문을 활용한 구조방정식모형 분석 결과, IT교육 서비스품질의 다섯 가지 차원 가운데 유형성, 신뢰성 및 확신성이 교육만족도에 유의한 영향을 주는것으로 나타났으며, 이러한 교육만족도는 현업적용의도와 추천의도에도 유의한 영향을 주는 것으로 조사되었다. 또한, IT교육 서비스품질이 교육만족도에 미치는 영향 관계에서 학습자 직위 및 참여동기가 유의한 조절효과를 가진다는 사실을 확인하였다. 본 연구는 SERVPERF 모형을 활용하여 IT교육 맥락에서 IT교육 서비스품질의 영향력을 실증한 최초의 연구라는 점에서 학술적 의의가 있다. 본 연구결과가 IT교육 서비스 제공기관의 교육만족도 제고 및 효율적인 서비스 운영을 위한 실질적인 지침을 제공해 줄 수 있을 것으로 기대한다.
The fourth industrial revolution represents a revolutionary change in the business environment and its ecosystem, which is a fusion of Information Technology (IT) and other industries. In line with these recent changes, the Ministry of Employment and Labor of South Korea announced ‘the Fourth Industrial Revolution Leader Training Program,’ which includes five key support areas such as (1) smart manufacturing, (2) Internet of Things (IoT), (3) big data including Artificial Intelligence (AI), (4) information security, and (5) bio innovation. Based on this program, we can get a glimpse of the South Korean government’s efforts and willingness to emit leading human resource with advanced IT knowledge in various fusion technology-related and newly emerging industries. On the other hand, in order to nurture excellent IT manpower in preparation for the fourth industrial revolution, the role of educational institutions capable of providing high quality IT education services is most of importance. However, these days, most IT educational institutions have had difficulties in providing customized IT education services that meet the needs of consumers (i.e., learners), without breaking away from the traditional framework of providing supplier-oriented education services. From previous studies, it has been found that the provision of customized education services centered on learners leads to high satisfaction of learners, and that higher satisfaction increases not only task performance and the possibility of business application but also learners’ recommendation intention. However, since research has not yet been conducted in a comprehensive way that consider both antecedent and consequent factors of the learner’s satisfaction, more empirical research on this is highly desirable. With the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, a rising interest in various convergence technologies utilizing information technology (IT) has brought with the growing realization of the important role played by IT-related education services. However, research on the role of IT education service quality in the context of IT education is relatively scarce in spite of the fact that research on general education service quality and satisfaction has been actively conducted in various contexts. In this study, therefore, the five dimensions of IT education service quality (i.e., tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy) are derived from the context of IT education, based on the SERVPERF model and related previous studies. In addition, the effects of these detailed IT education service quality factors on learners’ educational satisfaction and their work application/recommendation intentions are examined. Furthermore, the moderating roles of learner position (i.e., practitioner group vs. manager group) and participation motivation (i.e., voluntary participation vs. involuntary participation) in relationships between IT education service quality factors and learners’ educational satisfaction, work application intention, and recommendation intention are also investigated. In an analysis using the structural equation model (SEM) technique based on a questionnaire given to 203 participants of IT education programs in an ‘M’ IT educational institution in Seoul, South Korea, tangibles, reliability, and assurance were found to have a significant effect on educational satisfaction. This educational satisfaction was found to have a significant effect on both work application intention and recommendation intention. Moreover, it was discovered that learner position and participation motivation have a partial moderating impact on the relationship between IT education service quality factors and educational satisfaction. This study holds academic implications in that it is one of the first studies to apply the SERVPERF model (rather than the SERVQUAL model, which has been widely adopted by prior studies) is to demonstrate the influence of IT education service quality on learners’ educational satisfaction, work application intention, and recommendation intention in an IT education environment. The results of this study are expected to provide practical guidance for IT education service providers who wish to enhance learners’ educational satisfaction and service management efficiency.