Enjoyment and Not Competence Predicts Academic Persistence for Distance Education Students

Michael R Brubacher,Fortunate T Silinda

doi:10.19173/irrodl.v20i4.4325

Abstract

Dropout rates of distance education students is a serious problem for many distance education institutions as well as their students. A psychological factor that is related to dropout is the academic persistence of students, or their intent to finish their degrees. One factor that could predict academic persistence, which is often used to identify and help at-risk students, is the academic competencies of students. However, another factor that could predict persistence is the intrinsic motivation of students, or whether they enjoy their academic work and find it interesting. In the present study, 350 distance education undergraduates in South Africa completed a survey that measured their persistence, perceived academic competence, and intrinsic motivation. The survey also measured experienced workload, help-seeking attitudes, and general stress. Results show that intrinsic motivation was a significant predictor of persistence while competence was not. Further, help-seeking attitudes and general stress had indirect effects on persistence through intrinsic motivation. The study highlights the need for educators to be aware of the intrinsic motivation of distance education students, and the factors that could impact it, in order to increase the academic persistence of students.

Highlights

Distance education has been described as a modern way of providing education that can serve a more diverse and traditionally underrepresented population of students (e.g., Thistoll & Yates, 2016)
The study looked at how workload, help-seeking attitudes, and general stress predicted intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, as well as persistence
Compared to high school and non-distance education undergraduate students, distance education students are more likely to be returning to academics, they tend to have other aspects of life competing for their time and attention in terms of employment and family, and they tend to go through their degrees being more isolated from fellow students and from university staff (Jaggars, 2014; Thistoll & Yates, 2016)

Summary

Introduction

Distance education has been described as a modern way of providing education that can serve a more diverse and traditionally underrepresented population of students (e.g., Thistoll & Yates, 2016). Dropout rates among distance education institutions can be problematically high (de Hart & Venter, 2013; Simpson, 2013). One factor that contributes to dropout is whether students want to persist with their degrees and the academic tasks that are involved (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1980). One factor found to predict academic persistence, in research with non-distance education students, is the perceived competence that students have regarding their own academic skills (Hardre & Reeve, 2003; Lavigne, Vallerand, & Miquelon, 2007). Perceived competence refers to the view of oneself as being efficacious in meeting the challenges of the academic environment, completing and keeping up to date with readings and assignments, and being satisfied with one’s academic performance (Hardre & Reeve, 2003)

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