scholarly journals Factors Related to Students’ Drop Out of a Distance Language Learning Programme

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Rahmat Budiman

This paper presents a study that examined the reasons for dropping out of a distance language learning programmeoffered by an open university in Indonesia. A purposive sample of students who registered for online English writingcourses at the university was used. To gain a better understanding of the issues, the study also sought informationfrom online tutors. A longitudinal research design employing qualitative research method was used over four stagesof data collection. Open-ended question surveys were adopted to gain an understanding of underlying reasons forpersisting or discontinuing their studies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at each stage to obtain deeperinformation from the students and the online tutors. The data was analysed with NVivo version 10. The findings ofthe open-ended question surveys and the interviews indicated that the major reasons that led the students to drop outwere lack of basic skills in English, unmet expectations, feelings of isolation, and the inability to balance work,family, and study responsibilities. The study offers a theoretical framework to describe the factors related to studentdropout from a distance language learning programme. This study also offers models of interaction, teaching andlearning in distance language learning to minimise the dropout rate.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Tchouata Foudjio ◽  
Guy Ari Hamadou

<p>Les établissements facultaires classiques des Universités camerounaises connaissent depuis plusieurs années, le phénomène d’abandon des études qui touche les étudiants inscrits au premier cycle universitaire. Selon le rapport de Delpouve et Breillat (2010) réalisé à l’Université de Yaoundé 1, près de 31% d’étudiants abandonnent les études en première année. L’objectif de cette étude est d’examiner l’impact des déterminants psychosociaux sur l’abandon scolaire des étudiants au sein des facultés universitaires. Notre hypothèse d’étude stipule que l’abandon scolaire des étudiants, relève davantage du processuel que de l’événementiel. C’est à dire qu’il est influencé par les déterminants psychologiques et/ou sociaux. Cette hypothèse a été vérifiée sur la base des données recueillies à l’aide d’un questionnaire administré auprès de 149 anciens étudiant(e)s ayant abandonné au premier cycle d’études à l’Université de Ngaoundéré. Les résultats obtenus sont en faveur d’une validation de l’hypothèse de départ. Il existe donc une corrélation significative et positive entre les déterminants psychosociaux et l’abandon scolaires des étudiants inscrits dans les établissements facultaires de l’Université de Ngaoundéré. Des entretiens semi-directifs ont été menés auprès de 15 étudiants dans le but d’approfondir la compréhension du phénomène d’abandon des études observé à l’Université. </p><p> </p><p>The traditional faculty establishments of Cameroonian universities have known for several years the phenomenon of dropping out of studies affecting students enrolled in the first cycle of university. According to the report by Delpouve and Breillat (2010) carried out at the University of Yaoundé 1, nearly 31% of students drop out of studies in the first year. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of psychosocial determinants on the dropout of students in university faculties. Our study hypothesis stipulates that students dropping out of school is more a process than an event. That is to say, it is influenced by psychological and / or social determinants. This hypothesis was checked on the basis of the data using a questionnaire administered to 149 former students who dropped out in the first cycle of studies at the University of Ngaoundéré. The results obtained are in favor of a validation of the initial hypothesis. There is therefore a significant and positive correlation between psychosocial determinants and the school dropout of students enrolled in faculty establishments of the University of Ngaoundéré. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 students with the aim of deepening the understanding of the phenomenon of dropping out of studies observed at the university.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0856/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>


Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1664-1675
Author(s):  
Eilidh Cage ◽  
Jack Howes

Autistic people are at high risk of dropping out of university, but little research has examined this issue. Fourteen autistic people participated in semi-structured interviews examining their experiences at university and the reasons they had dropped out. Thematic analysis identified patterns in participants’ responses. Themes were categorised as systemic issues, challenges within university or life after dropping out. Systemic issues centred around accessing diagnosis, autism understanding, mental health and outsider status. Challenges at university included culture shock, becoming disengaged, lack of proactive support and perceived inevitability of dropping out. Finally, life after dropping out was characterised by processing of trauma and shame, and realisation of doing ‘what’s right for you’. Together, these themes suggest that many improvements could be made at universities, such as more proactive support and creating more accessible environments. Societal-level change is also needed to improve educational opportunities for autistic people. Lay abstract Many autistic people now go to university, but many of them also drop out of their studies. In fact, it is believed that autistic people are at higher risk of dropping out, but little research has been done to understand why this is happening. This research used interviews to take an in-depth look at 14 autistic people’s experiences of dropping out of university. All the things the participants talked about were examined closely by the researchers who identified common themes in what the participants discussed. The first set of themes captured some overarching issues faced by autistic people, such as difficulties with getting diagnosed, a lack of autism understanding, mental health challenges and feeling like an outsider. The next themes were organised within challenges faced at university, including a feeling of culture shock, becoming disengaged from one’s studies, a lack of proactive support from their university and a feeling that dropping out became inevitable. Finally, there were themes about life after dropping out, which involved a sense that the experience at university had been traumatic and shameful, but they believed people had to do what is right for them. All of these themes suggest that universities need to be better at supporting autistic people when they first come to university, and that they should actively offer clear support throughout and try and make the university environment more accessible for everyone, to ensure more autistic people have a positive university experience.


Accurate pronunciation has a vital role in English language learning as it can help learners to avoid misunderstanding in communication. However, EFL learners in many contexts, especially at the University of Phan Thiet, still encounter many difficulties in pronouncing English correctly. Therefore, this study endeavors to explore English-majored students’ perceptions towards the role of pronunciation in English language learning and examine their pronunciation practicing strategies (PPS). It involved 155 English-majored students at the University of Phan Thiet who answered closed-ended questionnaires and 18 English-majored students who participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that students strongly believed in the important role of pronunciation in English language learning; however, they sometimes employed PPS for their pronunciation improvement. Furthermore, the results showed that participants tended to use naturalistic practicing strategies and formal practicing strategies with sounds, but they overlooked strategies such as asking for help and cooperating with peers. Such findings could contribute further to the understanding of how students perceive the role of pronunciation and their PPS use in the research’s context and other similar ones. Received 10th June 2019; Revised 12th March 2020; Accepted 12th April 2020


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus D. Stiller ◽  
Regine Bachmaier

AbstractHigh dropout rates are still a problem with online training. It is strongly suggested that learner characteristics influence the decision to persist in an online course or to drop out. The study explored the differences in domain-specific prior knowledge, motivation, computer attitude, computer anxiety, and learning skills between dropouts and active learners who enrolled in a vocational online training about media pedagogy for teachers. The data were collected from 575 trainee teachers from which three groups were formed: (a) students who only registered (n = 72) and (b) students who started learning but failed to complete any of the course modules (n = 124) and (c) active students who completed at least one module (n = 379). A dropout rate of 34.1% was observed. In general, only small effects were found. Students dropping out were older, had less prior knowledge, and lower skills in arranging an adequate learning environment.


1982 ◽  
Vol 51 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1307-1316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doris Buhrmaster ◽  
Julia Hartman ◽  
Patricia Menefee ◽  
E. M. Shores ◽  
Ronald W. Rogers

A high proportion of clients unilaterally drop out of rehabilitation and psychological treatment programs. The purpose of the present study, conducted at a comprehensive rehabilitation center, was (a) to devise an intake interview that would differentiate those clients who would drop out from those who would remain in the program and (b) to interview the dropouts after termination to understand their reasons for leaving their treatment program. Dropouts' responses on these interviews were compared to those of a control group of successful clients who had been matched on demographic variables. The results of the initial interview indicated four factors that successfully identified potential dropouts: (a) unrealistically high expectations, (b) low levels of family support for the client's going to work, (c) parents not working outside the home, and (d) a history of few work responsibilities at home. The final interview suggested four major ways a center should try to reduce the dropout rate; (a) prepare the client for the center by establishing realistic expectations, (b) develop a sense of personal efficacy, (c) obtain family support, and (d) improve social interactions among clients at the center.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-220
Author(s):  
Muhammad Arwan Rosyadi ◽  
Syarifuddin Syarifuddin ◽  
Anisa Puspa Rani ◽  
Taufiq Ramdani

The high dropout rate in West Nusa Tenggara is a worrying fact behind the incessanteducation programs such as Law No. 20 of 2013 which requires 20 percent of the statebudget for education. In 2017, as many as 80 school-aged children in Guntur Macanvillage, Gunung Sari sub-district, West Lombok Regency were not in school. Besides theexternal factors (family economy) which are considered as the dominant factors causingdropout students, there is a personal initiative factor that encourages adolescents to takeaction to drop out of school. This research aims to understand: (1) the internal motives ofindividuals who encourage teenagers to drop out of school, (2) subjective knowledge aboutdropouts in teenagers dropping out of school, and (3) the form of externalizing the meaningin daily life - specifically in education and economics. This study used a qualitative researchmethod with a phenomenological approach. Then, the subjects of the study are teenagerswho dropped out of school in Guntur Macan Village. The focus and unit of analysis in thisstudy are the motives, subjective meanings, and externalization of individual actors(informants). This study finds out various motives and subjective meanings of studentdropout school. After dropping out of school, externalization in the field of education, themajority took the form of "other externalization", and the minority attended courses at theVocational Training Center. While in the economic field, the majority of teenagers droppingout of school are construction workers (peladen), and the minority are mechanics. Based onthe identification of motives, subjective meaning, and externalization of teenagers whodropped out of school in Guntur Macan Village, three categories of dropping out of schoolactions were obtained; conventional, conditional, and constructional.


2014 ◽  
pp. 235-245
Author(s):  
Afshin Mohammadi

The roles that self-access centers play in language learners’ development of autonomy considerably vary in accordance with the institutional features attributed to their structure and the services they offer. As part of a larger study which assessed 100 learners’ readiness for autonomy, this paper reports on the status quo of two facilities at the humanities faculty of an Iranian university, based on English-as-Foreign-Language (EFL) learners’ views and practices. Seven undergraduate EFL learners from various years of study were asked to describe the ways in which they exploit self-access services for language learning purposes and express their opinions vis-à-vis their functionality through semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal that most learners preferred not to attend the computer center, principally because, the Internet, as the most widely acknowledged service, had become available in other places around the university, such as in the dormitory. The reasons for this reluctance are highlighted, along with a presentation of some suggestions for upgrading learners’ participation in self-access language learning in similar contexts.


Author(s):  
Li Xin ◽  
Zhang Jiayi

<p>This study seeks to explore the interrelation between learners’ beliefs and language proficiency in study abroad (SA) context. The participants of this study consisted of 30 Chinese students who were taking the pre-sessional language course at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Combining data from the questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and test scores, the current study tries to answer three research questions: (1) Do learners’ beliefs change in the SA context? If so, in what ways? (2) Does learners’ language proficiency change in the SA context? If so, in what ways? (3) What is the relationship between learners’ English language proficiency and their beliefs about language learning?</p>By investigating learners’ beliefs change in SA context and how such change impacts on their language learning behavior and outcomes, it is hoped that students can have a more fruitful study-abroad sojourn.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-83
Author(s):  
Brett Williams ◽  
◽  
Bronwyn Beovich ◽  

Background: The use of casual staff within the university undergraduate educational setting is a widespread phenomenon worldwide. However a lack of understanding exists regarding experiences of recruitment, support, professional development and other perceived professional needs in this area. Although previous studies of the experience of sessional educators have been reported in the literature, this is the first to describe experiences within the paramedic discipline. Objectives: To explore the experiences of sessional educators in an undergraduate program within the paramedic department of a university in Melbourne, Australia. Methods: A qualitative methodology was used that involved 10 semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of sessional paramedic educators. Data collected from the interviews were thematically analysed to identify major issues from interview transcripts. The study was conducted in the paramedic department of a major university located in an outer metropolitan area of Melbourne, Australia. Results: Interview analysis identified five key themes of the sessional paramedic educator experience: informal processes, program inconsistencies, preparation for teaching, connection and support, and, educator benefits. Conclusion: This study fills a gap in the literature by describing the experiences of paramedic sessional educators, which was previously unreported. Many of the experiences expressed were commonly reported in the literature from other disciplines. Although the experiences was generally described as positive, the study identified a need for targeted support of these individuals, including formalisation of employment procedures, encouraging the open and timely transmission of information, as well as provisions for performance feedback and professional development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-255
Author(s):  
Xiaoyun Liu ◽  
Scott Rozelle

PurposeAlthough China has instituted compulsory education through Grade 9, it is still unclear whether students are, in fact, staying in school. In this paper, the authors use a multi-year (2003–2011) longitudinal survey data set on rural households in 102–130 villages across 30 provinces in China to examine the extent to which students still drop out of school prior to finishing compulsory education.Design/methodology/approachTo examine the correlates of dropping out, the study uses ordinary least squares and multivariate probit models.FindingsDropout rate from junior high school was still high (14%) in 2011, even though it fell across the study period. There was heterogeneity in the measured dropout rate. There was great variation among different regions, and especially among different villages. In all, 10% of the sample villages showed extremely high rates during the study period and actually rose over time. Household characteristics associated with poverty and the opportunity cost of staying in school were significantly and negatively correlated with the completion of nine years of schooling.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study suggest that China needs to take additional steps to overcome the barriers keeping children from completing nine years of schooling if they hope to either achieve their goal of having all children complete nine years of school or extend compulsory schooling to the end of twelfth grade.Originality/valueThe authors seek to measure the prevalence of both compulsory education rates of dropouts and rates of completion in China. The study examines the correlates of dropping out at the lower secondary schooling level as a way of understanding what types of students (from what types of villages) are not complying with national schooling regulations. To overcome the methodological shortcomings of previous research on dropout in China, the study uses a nationally representative, longitudinal data set based on household surveys collected between 2003 and 2011.


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