Effects of student interaction on dropout intention in online learning degree programs at higher education institutions

The Covid-19 pandemic led to the rapid development and provision of online learning degree programs by higher education institutions. However, online learning is typified by high dropout rates, which results in a loss of reputation and financial resources. One of the major reasons for high dropout rates is that online interaction, which is computer-mediated between students and others, such as peers, teachers, or administrative staff, separated physically by time and space, is widely criticized for displaying less social-emotional quality compared to face-to-face interaction in traditional campus-based learning. Existing studies primarily focus on describing students’ online learning activities and provide limited information about the direct and indirect effects of student interaction on satisfaction, perceived learning, and dropout decisions. Apart from three main types of student interaction in online learning: student-teacher, student-content, and student-student interaction, existing studies also overlook the role of student-administrative staff interaction in online students’ satisfaction, perceived learning, and dropout decisions. Administrative activities are auxiliary yet essential for courses and programs to be delivered quickly and effectively to students.  Strengthening all forms of student interaction sounds ideal; however, it may exceed the availability of the human and technical resources required for cost-effectiveness and decrease the convenience and flexibility of online learning. Therefore, there is a need to investigate which type of interaction is regarded as the most significant to online students’ satisfaction, perceived learning, and dropout. Studies on the effects of student interaction in online learning on self-regulated learning skills are also still limited. Previous studies mostly focused on how self-regulated learning skills influence student interaction instead of vice versa. Therefore, more research on how student interaction affects self-regulated learning should be expanded to prevent students from being ill-equipped to succeed in online learning environments. From the research gaps above, this study aims to understand and examine the effects of the significant types of student interaction, including student-student, student-teacher, student-content, and student-administrative-staff interactions on student satisfaction, perceived learning, self-regulated learning, and dropout intention within online learning degree programs at Vietnamese higher education institutions. This aim leads to the following research questions: (1) How do students interact with peers, teachers, content, and administrative staff within online learning degree programs in Vietnamese higher education institutions? And (2) How do the significant types of student interaction impact their satisfaction, perceived learning, self-regulated learning, and dropout intention within online learning degree programs in Vietnamese higher education institutions? To address these two research questions, the thesis offers a theory-based conceptual research model informed by an understanding of theoretical knowledge from Social Constructivism, Industrialization Theory of Distance Education, Theory of Transactional Distance, and Community of Inquiry Framework. The thesis uses a two-step mixed method approach starting with a qualitative interview followed by a quantitative survey to test the hypothesis and answer the research questions. The study also evidences a systematic ethical approach to ensure that the research met a high standard of research integrity. Utilizing qualitative semi-structured interviews with 12 students, 6 teachers, and 5 administrative managers, the research sheds light on students’ online interaction in an online learning context in a country with a high-power distance, a high context, and a Confucian culture. The results also demonstrate that text-based communication is the primary interaction method, despite the availability of tools for synchronous video conferences and calls. The text-based communication and physical separation between students and teachers significantly reduces the context and power distance (e.g., the barriers of age, appearance, social position, and accent) and assists a shift in the teaching and learning environment from teacher-centered to student-centered. Utilizing a quantitative survey of 403 students, the research reveals that student-student and student-administrative-staff interaction have the largest effects on satisfaction, perceived learning, and dropout intention; while student-teacher and student-content interaction have the largest effects on self-regulated learning skills. These results emphasize the need for online learning to move beyond independent study to mutual interaction and collaboration and the need for various administrative services for online learning to be effective. In addition, these results imply that although self-regulated learning may seem like an innate or personality trait, it can be developed and enhanced through interaction with teachers and content. This research also provides recommendations to improve student interaction in order to increase student satisfaction, perceived learning, and self-regulated learning and reduce dropout rates in online learning degree programs.