The Satisfaction of Polytechnics' Students with the Higher Education System in Croatia

The globalization process has brought substantial changes to all spheres of contemporary life, including higher education. Through teaching and research activities, higher education institutions are responsible for the creation and application of knowledge in order to meet the current and future needs of the society in which they operate, with an aim to prepare individuals for the labour market. The 21st century has been a time of change, uncertainty and complex issues. Higher education institutions are challenged to meet the needs of individuals and the society by creating new study programmes and enhancing existing ones that will add social value to regional and global environments. By developing their students’ social responsibility along with providing education, they also contribute to growing interdisciplinarity. The competitive advantage of an economy lies in the development of higher education. Knowledge represents a set of acquired information, whereas skills are the ability of an individual to apply this knowledge in real-life situations. Students acquire adequate theoretical knowledge and skills at higher education institutions, but this knowledge needs to be applicable to innovation and creation of new business processes. Polytechnics are institutions geared towards producing the adequate labour force for businesses and local communities. The main goals of higher education are acquisition and transfer of knowledge, as well as development of competencies to create opportunities and introduce changes in the increasingly complex environments. The expected learning outcomes are appropriate competencies that will improve young people’s employment prospects. Attaining learning outcomes, i.e., their application is one of the priorities of the Bologna process for the purpose of achieving quality assurance in higher education; increasing the employability of students; and creating a learning environment that will foster creativity, innovation and modern technologies. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of investing in higher education based on the attitudes of students attending professional studies at six polytechnics in the Republic of Croatia. Higher education institutions should be able to meet the needs of the communities in which they function and develop knowledge-based society by producing competent, employable professionals. The questionnaire used in the survey of students contains statements about attitudes towards higher education system in Croatia and issues related to the implementation of knowledge and conditions of studying at polytechnics. The results obtained show that generally polytechnic students are not satisfied with the Croatian higher education system. Various statistical methods have been used to analyse the data collected.