Students’ Perception of the Learning Environment in Business Education in Kuwait: A Comparative Study between Private and Public Universities

Several private universalities have opened doors to students in the last decade or so in Kuwait. This has raised some questions about the quality of education these universities have been providing. This study explores the learning environment in business schools at private universities in Kuwait and tries to relate it to students’ attitudes toward their universities. The study compares that with the public Kuwait University and tries to find out if there is any gender difference in students’ perception. The study used regression analysis to explore the individual effects of each of the five dimensions of the learning environment (student cohesiveness, teacher support, involvement, task orientation and cooperation) on students’ attitude toward their academic institution. The findings of the study proved positive effects of the five dimensions of the learning environment on students’ attitude toward their academic institution however; students’ attitude was significantly higher for public institutions than private ones. When it comes to gender, the study found significant differences in students’ perception of the five dimensions of the learning environment and the attitude toward the academic institution.