The Effect of Motivation on Student Persistence in Online Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study of How Adult Learners Experience Motivation in a Web-based Distance Learning Environment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of motivation in the persistence of adults enrolled in online higher education. Since the 1990’s, online courses and programs have proliferated across higher education, with adults (ages 25 and over) currently making up the largest portion of online enrollments. Online courses, however, suffer from a higher rate of student attrition than their hybrid and face-to-face counterparts. Although it is difficult to attribute the high rate of attrition in online education to any one factor, research has identified a lack of motivation as a primary cause of student dropout. Likewise, studies have shown that when motivation is present, learners are more likely to persist in their coursework. In order to develop a deeper understanding of this issue, a phenomenological approach was chosen as the most appropriate method for this study. Participants for this study were at least 25 years of age and were enrolled in an online class at a large public university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. In adhering to the phenomenological method, open-ended, in-depth interviews were used to investigate how adult learners experience motivation in online higher education. Transcendental phenomenological analysis was then used to determine the essence of this experience. During the first stage of this process, twelve distinct themes emerged from the data, including Relevance and Applicability, Communication, Flexibility, and Instructor Presence. During the next stage, three additional structural themes were identified: Relation to Self, Relationship with Others, and Time. During the final stage of analysis, the essence of this experience was revealed as the participants’ Goal Commitment and their Need for Guidance. Key findings from this study include the confirmation of motivation as a critical component in the persistence of adult online learners. In addition, a number of factors were identified as key facilitators and barriers to persistence in adults learning online. In developing an in-depth understanding of the link between motivation and persistence in this particular sample of learners, the results of this study may potentially contribute to addressing the overall larger problem of high rates of attrition in online higher education

Re-Defining, Analyzing and Predicting Persistence Using Student Events in Online Learning

This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart LearningIn education, several studies have tried to track student persistence (i.e., students' ability to keep on working on the assigned tasks) using di fferent definitions and self-reported data. However, self-reported metrics may be limited, and currently, online courses allow collecting many low-level events to analyze student behaviors based on logs and using learning analytics. These analyses can be used to provide personalized and adaptative feedback in Smart Learning Environments. In this line, this work proposes the analysis and measurement of two types of persistence based on students' interactions in online courses: (1) local persistence (based on the attempts used to solve an exercise when the student answers it incorrectly), and (2) global persistence (based on overall course activity/completion). Results show that there are different students' profiles based on local persistence, although medium local persistence stands out. Moreover, local persistence is highly a ffected by course context and it can vary throughout the course. Furthermore, local persistence does not necessarily relate to global persistence or engagement with videos, although it is related to students' average grade. Finally, predictive analysis shows that local persistence is not a strong predictor of global persistence and performance, although it can add some value to the predictive models.This work was partially funded by FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades - Agencia Estatal de Investigación/project Smartlet (TIN2017-85179-C3-1-R), and by the Madrid Regional Government, through the project e-Madrid-CM (S2018/TCS-4307). The latter is also co-financed by the Structural Funds (FSE and FEDER). This work received also partial support by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, under an FPU fellowship (FPU016/00526)

Online Learning Success: Underlying Constructs Affecting Student Attrition

With the advent of the Internet, distance education has achieved a new meaning. Online delivery has become one of the most convenient ways to impart knowledge and education, and it has opened new educational possibilities for some who prefer this method of learning, rather than the traditional classroom setting. The purpose of this critical analysis of theoretical and empirical literature is to explore the relationships among, online student progress, student characteristics of successful online completers, and to identify areas of future scholarly inquiry. The review examines how social and academic integration are predictors of course performance and course persistence in course completion. An exploratory (comparative) and explanatory and predictive (correlational) online survey research design employing survey research methods which will examine the relationships among demographic characteristics, distance education student progress, course performance, and course persistence of undergraduate students who take online courses. The sample population estimated to be approximately 1,100 students used in this study, consisted of non-traditional degree-seeking online students at a medium sized private university in south Florida. A total of 877 agreed to participate. There are three implications the researcher believes to be important. The first implication of this research study reveals that there is a correlation between course performance (GPA) and student retention. It is interesting to note that students who withdrew from school showed a tendency to agree less with social integration questions and showed a lower GPA. The second implication deals with academic incompatibility. The academic incompatibility subscale had a low but significant positive correlation, and the third implication of this study reflects a statistical significance difference between the means of those students who remained and those who withdrew on the external attribution subscale. The research found that there are more female students taking online classes than men and the majority of these females are white. The research also found that social integration and academic incompatibility are important predicators in student retention and that academic incompatibility plays an important role in the GPA of students who withdrew

Support Systems, Isolation, and Intended Persistence in Doctoral Education

This study investigated the effects of formal academic support systems and stage of doctoral study on persistence, satisfaction, and knowledge of resources, expectations, and customs in doctoral education. Part-time and full-time doctoral students (N=141) enrolled in four public institutions in a southeastern state during the spring and summer semesters of 2007 were surveyed. An online questionnaire, adapted from the 1999 Survey on Doctoral Education (Golde & Dore, 2001), was used to survey participants. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were performed to define the variables. A MANOVA was performed to determine if any differences existed between formal academic support system membership and stages of doctoral study on student knowledge of customary field practices and student understanding of program expectations. There were no statistically significant differences according to MANOVA. However, there were statistically significant correlations found in student satisfaction with the advisor relationship and advisor practices. Previous literature suggestions for effective doctoral education practices are supported in the findings of this study. Approximately 94% of participants self-reported intent to persist. The majority of the participants also indicated belonging to at least one support system within the doctoral program. Doctoral programs may consider offering several forms of support to improve doctoral student satisfaction and knowledge of resources while increasing persistence. Doctoral programs also should give close attention to the relationship between the advisor and the student

The persistence scale for online education: development of a psychometric tool

Title from PDF of title page, viewed on April 25, 2012Dissertation advisor: Peggy Ward-SmithVitaIncludes bibliographical references (p. 71-77)Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Nursing. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 012Despite the popularity of online education, lack of persistence and attrition are problems faced by many colleges. Although multiple studies have been published about the best teaching methods for the online education environment, little is known about how to identify the student who is at risk of dropping from an online course. The lack of persistence has been identified as an important factor that leads to attrition among online nursing students worldwide. The objective of this research was to psychometrically test the Persistence Scale for Online Education (PSOE). The PSOE was specifically developed to measure the ability of the online nursing student to persist and complete an online program. The specific aims of this study were to obtain sufficient and appropriate data to determine the psychometric properties of this new instrument. The sample included nursing students (n=101) from two Midwestern universities enrolled in an online course. This cross-sectional study used a convenience sample. Data was collected using SurveyMonkeytm, a web-based format that provides response confidentiality. Results of a concept analysis on persistence were used to develop four constructs hypothesized to serve as attributes and antecedents to persistence. Items within the PSOE were developed from this analysis; thus, the PSOE uses four constructs to describe online experience and assesses persistence by responses to 23 Likert-scaled items. Potential participants received an email inviting them to participate in the study. Exploratory factor analysis was then used to determine the reliability and validity of the PSOE and the relationship of the constructs (inter-item correlations) hypothesized to contribute to persistence in the online student. Results indicate that the persistent student may be characterized as enjoying discussion, confident on passing, confidence in friendly interactions, believing that a challenging course will help achieve goals, looking forward to interactions, and not frequently upset by unexpected events. Conversely, while the non-persistent student may have personal strengths and succeed in their goals, he or she does not believe the course will increase job opportunities, does not enjoy discussion, does not believe a challenging course will help achieve goals, and does not have confidence in friendly interactions. It was also found that the non-persistent student may have a high grade point average, be under the age of 27 years, have completed greater than nine courses, and be enrolled in a BSN completion program. This study was conducted as a preliminary assessment of the ability of the PSOE to accurately discriminate between those students who are persistent and those who are at risk of dropping from an online course. Findings indicate the need for a larger sample size to increase generalizability and accurately conduct factor analysis.Introduction -- Literature and theoretical framework -- Instrument development/psychometric analysis -- Results -- Discussion -- Appendix A. The persistence scale for Online Education -- Appendix B. Study invitation -- Appendix C. UMKC IRB approva

Improving student engagement and behavioural outcomes via persistence among distance learners

Student engagement assists distance learners gain specific skills and to realise the worth of their rewarding educational experience. However, if persistence is not adequately present, the distance learners might quit an online course. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between online student engagement towards student satisfaction and learning outcomes and to examine the moderating effect of persistence between online student engagement towards student satisfaction and learning outcomes. The research model was tested upon engagement theory as an underlying theory to support the research framework. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect data via online survey questionnaires for three weeks. The research hypotheses are examined through correlation and path analysis of 321 distance learners from one of the public universities in Malaysia using Partial Least Square (PLS) 3.0. Results of analysis demonstrated that persistence was found to moderate the relationship between online student engagement towards student satisfaction and learning outcomes. This finding implies that distance learners who commit themselves to a goal will highly likely persist, and the more courses a student finishes, the closer he or she will be to graduating. Based on the results, this research suggests the management of Malaysian distance education institutions to create rapport between online programme staff and distance learners at an early stage. Additionally, online programmes must promote and establish support networks for distance learners to resolve personal or professional difficulties in improving retention and preventing them from dropping out of online programmes

Improving Online Student Engagement in the Online Classroom

This Organizational Improvement Plan seeks to address inadequate online student engagement within online classrooms at University X. Inadequate student engagement risks students’ learning, persistence, performance, and academic achievement (Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzi, & Gonyea, 2008; Meyer, 2014; Pardo, Han, & Ellis, 2016; Phan, McNeil, & Robin, 2016), demonstrating the pressing need to improve online student engagement. This work is undertaken in the context of substantial growth in online education, accelerated in the short term by a movement to online delivery of face-to-face post-secondary education necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. The author considers this problem from a non-traditional leadership role of an adjunct online instructor, and so employs distributed leadership, as enacted through teacher leadership, from the vantage point of constructivism. The assumptions of emergent and continuous change which underpin this result in the selection of Weick and Quinn’s (1999) freeze, rebalance, unfreeze framework for leading change and sensemaking as a tool to conduct a critical organizational analysis, in alignment with the author’s constructivist perspective. The author recommends engaging in a period of individual modifications to her instructional practice, followed by the development of a Community of Practice. This Community of Practice will collaboratively build a definition of online student engagement and develop relevant changes to practice designed to improve online student engagement in the online classrooms of the Community of Practice. Communication is a critical element of this plan as the author must engage colleagues and build momentum with limited resources

Supervisors Matter for College Students: Relationships between Employment Type and Student Outcomes

Although student persistence is an important metric for higher education administrators and working while attending school is pervasive among those who attend college, the extent to which work supervisors may impact students while attending college through interactions is underexplored. This study examines the relationship between supervisor interactions and student outcomes in relation to type of employment, academic persistence, and competencies. The literature review indicates the relationship between type of employment and academic persistence is important and interactions may provide useful benefits. However, interactions within the type of employment experience is lesser known. The study site for this research is Alpha University (Alpha) (pseudonym). Alpha is a large, public, research university in the western United States. This study draws from a pre-existing dataset that uses two data sources: responses from the 2016 Alpha Student Employment Survey (ASES), and student records. Type of employment data come from the survey, and student records provide demographic and academic persistence data. The sample is limited to degree-seeking, non-online undergraduates enrolled at Alpha in fall 2016 who were employed, whose primary institution affiliation is not employee, are not post-baccalaureate students, and have one job (n=1,434). Data are analyzed using logistic regression with interaction effect for the first research question, dominance analysis for the second research question, and logistic regression for the third research question

Exploring Faculty Insights Into Why Undergraduate College Students Leave STEM Fields of Study- A Three-Part Organizational Self-Study

An institutional self-study at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) explored factors thought to impact students’ decisions to persist in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields of study. This self-study is presented as a model first step for Institutions of Higher Education interested in launching efforts to improve STEM education and STEM student success and persistence. A methodology combining qualitative and quantitative analysis approaches was used to examine different aspects of the overarching research question, “Why do undergraduate students leave college STEM fields of study?” A quantitative review of institutional data was used to identify four particular gaps in student persistence and success in STEM fields of study at Texas State University. An online survey and a focus group guide were developed based on existing but more broadly focused instruments and used to collect faculty insights regarding faculty and student experiences and possible reasons for student attrition in STEM. A review of retention theories was undertaken to better inform the process of generating remedies to the STEM persistence issue. Data were collected and analyzed separately for each component to produce two sets of findings. Findings indicated that there were retention issues in regard to STEM majors in general and underrepresented student groups in particular. Underrepresented students do not pursue STEM degrees percentage wise in comparison to other degrees. The self-study and retention theories suggest the following remedial measures: supporting faculty to transform their teaching, providing supplemental instruction in math and science and including discipline specific introductory courses and early internship experiences.

Higher Education Pricing: Effects of Tuition Pricing on Nontraditional Student Persistence Moderated by Demographics.

Higher education pricing models have focused heavily on traditional student population analysis, net earnings, financial aid, and enrollment projections or unduplicated headcount. As the population of students shifts to a nontraditional majority, research of the effect of tuition price on nontraditional population segments is needed with a focus on persistence (the likelihood of re-enrollment in the next semester for a given student) rather than overall enrollment levels. It becomes prudent to re-evaluate pricing models and the associated coefficients from tuition pricing changes on persistence to more effectively serve the nontraditional population as nontraditional students rely less on financial aid and progress through their curriculum at individualized pace consistent with their needs. The nontraditional population is, on average, older, with more professional experience, often with military affiliations (active duty, veteran, reservist, or family member), and education in progress. Using a quantitative longitudinal empirical case study, the researcher utilized student level data from a private, nonprofit university in the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools regional accreditation territory to determine the effect of a tuition increase on nontraditional student (age 25+) persistence. The data was analyzed using a linear regression interaction model in STATA. The researcher found statistical significance, with the counterintuitive finding that the effect of a 1 percent tuition increase for all students was an increase in persistence by 2.01 percent with a clear explanation for this finding of the overall tuition effect on persistence. Consistent with theory, this research finds that nontraditional students only increased their persistence by 0.62 percent, persisting less than traditional students. For every 1 percent increase in tuition, nontraditional online students are decreasing their persistence by 0.9 percent, persisting less than face-to-face students. These findings are important, as they provide contributions to Elasticity Theory, Tuition Elasticity Theory, and practice including application for higher education institutions, administrators and advisors in higher education, and customer relationship management software as service companies targeting students utilizing variations of predictive analytics to estimate persistence of different populations, estimate and understand tuition price increase effects on different populations, set recruiting and enrollment goals based upon expected attrition, and design customized communication plans to facilitate more in-depth relationships with those less likely to persist in an effort to overcome this statistic. These findings are also the first portion of exploring elasticities as they apply toward developing a pricing model for nontraditional student populations using the framework established by the TENEP model (Bryan & Whipple, 1995)