Browsing by Author "Nakibuuka, Dorothy"

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    Determinants of Student Dropout from Two External Degree Programmes of Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
    (Malaysian Journal of Distance Education, 2009) Aguti, Jessica Norah; Nakibuuka, Dorothy; Kajumbula, Richard
    This paper reports on the results of an analytical, cross-sectional, comparative study adopting tracer methodologies to establish the determinants of student dropout from two external degree programmes of Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. Distance education (DE) has the capacity to increase access to education as an alternative to face-to-face instruction. Using stratified sampling, continuing students and students who dropped out of the Bachelor of Education (External) degree and the Commonwealth diploma in Youth in Development Work were selected as samples while purposive sampling was used to select lecturers and administrators. Findings showed that socio-cultural and financial factors mainly contributed to the student dropout. Other factors included environmental factors like the teaching and learning environment, transfers from one working place to another, loss of jobs, demanding jobs, sickness and feelings of isolation. It is recommended that there should be advocacy for the decentralisation of support activities so that services are moved nearer to students, hence reducing their expenses; materials should be printed and made available while funds should also be solicited by the Department of DE to construct a building that can accommodate the unique activities required by DE students. Employers of students should also be sensitised about the advantages of studying by distance so that they support the students and give them soft loans to enable them to meet the requirements for university study.