Improving Student Persistence in Open and Distance Learning; An Investigation of Demotivational Challenges

Student retention is evidently low in Open and Distance Educational (ODE) institutions. This study comprehensively analyzes the student retention patterns and demotivational challenges of ODE systems. The registered students of the Bachelor of Science degree program of the faculty of natural sciences of the Open University of Sri Lanka, was chosen as the sample of this study. The data revealed the lowest student retention in the first year (level 3) courses (65–75%) compared to the higher-level courses (92–95%). The online questionnaire survey showed that 35% of persistent students felt demotivated at some point. Using a Likert scale, students rated 44 potential demotivational factors based on the degree of the influence on their demotivation. The top three demotivational factors were: 1) packed semesters, 2) low flexibility in the program, and 3) social and political disappointment. Further, several other statistically significant relationships were identified: 1) Female students (70% of the sample) are significantly affected by the low flexibility of the program compared to their male counterparts 2) The married (27%) and employed (60%) students were significantly demotivated by the external factors related to job and family commitments and life crises. 3) 70% of the students who selected Tamil as the study language during the first year were severely demotivated due to their inadequate competency in the second language (English). Based on the findings, we suggest improving the flexibility of the academic activities, especially in the first year, to increase the satisfaction of the persistent students. Further, implementing a less rigorous academic schedule may reduce academic burden and enhance retention.