Chapter 1

The Problem

Introduction

Canteen is a facility that is set inside a building or a compound in order to provide

the regular food service and cater the needs of individuals inside the premises. A school

canteen is necessary and deemed essential in order to meet the food and nutritional

needs of the students for them to have the energy in to accomplish the task that they

would do for the day. The Department of Education is strongly commited to support

student’s health and well-being through its curriculum in schools and range initiatives

that offer opportunities for physically fit individuals who love eating healthy food. Schools

are encouraged to implement comprehensive health and well-being programs, including

food and nutrition education. The establishment and operation of school canteen is

important in developing love and interest in buying nutritious and healthy food among

students, faculty and the school personnel, making it possible for them to enjoy nutritious

and healthy foods at affordable prices during the school day. The canteen should also

provide the students variety of foods and dishes that enhance their skills and knowledge

(DepEd Order No. 8 s, 2007).

Canteen plays a significant role in the daily nutrition of many people, including

students. A well-balanced, satisfying and healthy diet is just as important as the correct

class schedule, teachers or learning environment that’s why it should propose menus

that promote healthy diet, but at the same time not limiting their food choices, including
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new trends in nutrition. Young adulthood is a particularly important time for the

promotion of healthy eating, because during this period, nutrition habits are developed

and remain all through one’s lifetime (Garg,A & Kumar, J.)

There are four secondary schools in the municipality of Tiwi: three public schools

and one private school. Naga National High School (NNHS) in Barangay Naga, is one of

the three public schools in the municipality. The students population for this school year

2022 to 2023 totalled 3,376 from grade 7 to grade 12. The NNHS school canteen

recently operated last January 2021 after a decade of no school canteen that serve

students needs. In the absence of school canteen during that time, food service of

students and teachers were provided by ambulant vendors hat are permitted to get

inside the school during break time. This ambulant vendors consist primarily of the

people residing in the nearby communities. There are also other food service provider

and other food establishment outside the school premise.

The number of students enrolled in Naga National High School is increasing

constantly, causing the enormous growth of the so called “market”. This contributes to

increasing demand and constant rivalry between food service providers inside and

outside of the school. Therefore, the assessment of school canteen became essential

for the reason that, students will patronize foodservices outside the school if the school

canteen do not satisfy their needs. Food service operations ought to give priority to the

quality of foodservices in order to withstand in the competitive market, because

foodservice quality is reflected as an effective aspect in satisfying students. In addition,

students’ satisfaction with the school canteen is very much influenced by food quality,

followed by staff and ambiance, respectively. According to Andaleeb and Caskey (2007),

students’ expectations and perceptions concerning the quality of service fluctuate from

one student to another and from one semester to the next semester. Hence, this
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deviation leads to a more complex, diverse, and dynamic business environment, a

difficulty in measuring service quality, and a difficulty in identifying the determinants of

service quality. Students are not only confined to foodservice providers inside the school

, as they are well aware of nearby foodservice providers. So, it wise to enhance the

quality of service delivered of school canteen inside the school to retain students from

alternative search. However, no earlier researches investigated the service quality of

school canteen in Naga National High School and its influence on student satisfaction,.

Foodservice improvement according to continuous evaluations and surveys are

necessary in order to increase students’ satisfaction

Presently, Naga National High School (NNHS) school canteen has various

challenges that need to be addressed especially in terms of its service quality provided

to students. For example, a lot of students complain about the price of canteen products

because according to them it cost high, hence, the students cannot afford because of

their insufficient allowances. There are also various experiences and complaints from

students regarding the kind or variety of foods display in the canteen and inconvenient

space due to overcrowding specially during break time. Furthermore, less patronage of

students to the canteen products and service is evident specially within the hours that

ambulant vendors are inside the school premise and at times students prefer to eat at

the cafeteria and other mini dining area outside the school when given the chance that

they are allowed to go out of the school. Hence, the researcher is challenged to conduct

this study in order to assess the canteen service quality provided to students at Naga

National High School where the findings would serve as feedback mechanism of

providing good and satisfying canteen services.

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Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to determine the relationship between canteen service quality

and student satisfaction at Naga National High School, Also this research sought to

determine the significant impact of canteen service quality on student satisfaction.

Specifically, this study targeted the following questions:

1. What is the level of service quality provided by the school canteen of Naga

National High School in terms of

 Tangibility

 Assurance

 Reliability

 Responsiveness

 Empathy

2. What is the level of student satisfaction in the school canteen of Naga National

High School

3. Is there a significant relationship between the domains of canteen service quality

(tangibiity, assurance, reliability, responsiveness, and empathy) and student

satisfaction at Naga National High School

4. What domains of canteen service quality (tangibility, assurance, reliability,

responsiveness, and empathy) do significantly influence on student satisfaction

in Naga National High School

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5. What intervention can be apply to improve the canteen service at Naga National

High School utilizing the domains of service quality as basis

Hypothesis

Hypothesis 1;

There is a significant relationship between the domains of canteen service quality

(tangibility, assurance, reliability, responsiveness, and empathy) and student satisfaction

at NNHS canteen.

Hypothesis 2;

The domains of canteen service quality (tangibility, assurance, reliability,

responsiveness, and empathy) significantly influence on student satisfaction at the

NNHS canteen

Scope and Delimitations

This study focused on the student satisfaction on the service quality of school

canteen at Naga National High School as perceived by the Grade 12 students. The said

grade level were chosen as respondent since they have a whole day class schedule

compared to other grade level that have a half day class schedule only . The fact that

the Grade 12 students have more time in accessing the service of school canteen

makes it valid reason to choose them as respondent. However, the grade 12 respondent

does not represent the entire population of the said school so that the result of the study
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may not truly represent the reality in the school canteen as perceived by the entire

population of the said school.

Significance of the Study

This study was conducted to determine the significant relationship between the

levels of service quality and student satisfaction in the school canteen of NNHS. The

study results may be beneficial to the following:

School Administrators. The results of the study will aid them to find out if the school

canteen needs their support in the improvement of the facilities.Also some information

may be used as guidelines for policy formulation that can be included in the School

Improvement Plan(SIP)

NNHS Canteen Management. This study may serve as a feedback mechanism that can

serve as a basis for further improvement in the services, food, and facilities of the

canteen in which they operate. Likewise,this may provide the necessary data for the

canteen managers to identify the priority areas of improving the canteen services to

better serve its customers, the students.

Teachers. This may encourage teachers to give feedback to the administration and

school canteen managers for improvement of services like affordable prices, nutritional

foods, facilities, maintaining cleanliness, and sanitation.

Parents . This study may serve as valuable source of information to parents of NNHS
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students as to the type of food, facilities and health and sanitation of the NNHS

Canteen.

Students. This study will provide students of the understanding and basic know how in

the operations of school canteen and its basic services where they can adapt and apply

as future entrepreneur.

Future Researchers. This may serve as basis for those research enthusiasts to conduct

further inquiry regarding canteen service quality and student satisfaction

 
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