This study investigates community college skills builders--students who enroll for a short time, take courses concentrated in career and technical education (CTE), are highly successful in their coursework, but typically leave college without a postsecondary credential. Drawing on administrative data from Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, and California,…

Student dropout is a frequent phenomenon in higher education institutions that entails high costs for individuals, institutions, and society as a whole. Thus, it is crucial to identify protective factors regarding dropout in cases in which it could have been prevented. In line with Person-Environment Fit Theory, we assume that intrinsic motivation…

MOOC attrition rates have become a research hotspot in open and online education, requiring researchers to pinpoint psychological, technological, pedagogical, and technical factors that could mitigate this problem. For this aim, the current study applied a tri-phenomenon approach to explore language learners' perceptions of support coupled with…

High dropout rates in online courses, caused by potential factors such as financial issues, low motivation and poor self-regulation among learners, pose a significant challenge to the sustainable development of online education. Therefore, continuance of online courses has become a critical topic in both the academic and practical fields. By…

The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons for low retention rates among students in the Chinese classes in upper secondary education in the Czech Republic. The principal research question was whether Chinese characters were the main reason why many students decided to stop attending their Chinese classes. Semi-structured interviews with…

This study explored Chinese heritage language learners' prior Mandarin experiences and their current Mandarin-learning experiences to reveal factors that influence their motivation and intention to continue or discontinue their Mandarin coursework. Using a Grounded Theory approach, we conducted demographic surveys and semi-structured interviews…

The success of MOOC (massive open online courses) is rapidly increasing. Most educational institutions are highly interested in these online platforms, which embrace intellectual and educational objectives and provide various opportunities for lifelong learning. However, many limitations, such as learners' diversity, lack of motivation, affected…

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are considered learning environments that eliminate many learning barriers. Online courses in MOOCs have become an opportunity for everyone during the lockdown of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, usability issues may cause problems such as high dropout rates and lack of learner's motivation. Therefore, in this…

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) are a form of online learning that has become increasingly popular across the globe, yet they often suffer from low completion rates. This study aims to advance understanding of the Dropout Phenomenon in MOOCs through a qualitative case study conducted in Pakistan. The purpose of this research is to understand…

Student Engagement (SE) refers to the extent to which a student participates in academic and non-academic activities, invests in and commits to learning, belonging and identification with the educational institution. Despite the relevance of SE for students' success, a few valid and reliable instruments have been developed. This study presents the…

This study examines the dispositions and experiences of support of college students associated with unexpected pathways toward college graduation. The final sample was drawn from a national sample of 3,998 youths who participated in a longitudinal project. Using the k-nearest neighbors' algorithm, we created four groups based on the Québec High…

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) require registered learners to be autonomous in their learning. Nevertheless, prior research studies showed that many learners lack the necessary self-regulated learning (SRL) skills to succeed in MOOCs. This research study aimed to gain insights into the relationships that exist between SRL and background…

Nowadays, the virtual learning environment has become an ideal tool for professional self-development and bringing courses for various learner audiences across the world. There is currently an increasing interest in researching the topic of learner dropout and low completion in distance learning, with one of the main concerns being elevated rates…

Purpose: Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have received wide publicity and many institutions have invested considerable effort in developing, promoting and delivering such courses. However, there are still many unresolved questions relating to MOOCs and their effectiveness in a blended-learning context. One of the major recurring issues raised…

Focusing on five initially committed learners of Chinese who decide to quit the language during their college freshman year, this study is a critique of the institutional structure that disengages foreign language education in American postsecondary schools. The findings reveal three structural issues that may contribute to the declining…