Summary Student satisfaction has been widely recognised as an indicator of the
quality of the students’ learning and teaching experience. The aim of the study
was to explore the extent to which student satisfaction is influenced by 13 demographic-
and educational-related variables. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken
(18-item questionnaire, 1660 questionnaires). Principal component
analysis categorised the 18 items into four learning and teaching dimensions.
Each of the 13 variables was analysed for its influence on student satisfaction
generally and on the four dimensions individually, before and after controlling
for all the other variables. After controlling for all the variables, none of the
demographic characteristics was associated with satisfaction. Most of the educational
variables exercised their own independent and significant effects on general
satisfaction and on satisfaction with the four individual dimensions.
Collectively, decreased satisfaction was associated with being a pre registration,
full-time student, usually with A level entry qualifications, attending term two
modules whose assessment/s comprised combined strategies. Decreased satisfaction
was also significantly associated with larger class sizes as regards the student
numbers and with attaining lower grades in the assessments. The demographic
variables were not as influential as the educational ones as regards the affects
on students’ satisfaction. The implications of the findings for research and practice
are discussed.