An Investigation of Learners’ Satisfaction Level of Distance Education Teaching Material Preparation, Tutors’ Effectiveness and Student Support and their Predictive Power of Students’ Academic Achievement: The Case of Addis Ababa Center of Distance Division

Abstract

F or a country like Ethiopia where higher learning enrollment is very low, distance education offers an ideal opportunity of access for the country in general and for the students in particular since it avoids time and place constraints. In spite of these merits, distance education requires care with regard to the quality of student support, tutoring and material preparation. Higher education institution needs to evaluate the status of the three determining factors time and again to alleviate factors which affect the quality of distance education and students achievement. If the quality of student support, tutoring and material preparation is high, it is assumed that students’ achievement would possibly be high. This research is conducted to investigate the satisfaction level of students about the quality of student support, tutoring and material preparation of Saint Mary’s Addis Ababa Center of distance division and the prediction power of the three factors on students’ achievement. It also tries to see if there is any difference in terms o f perception of quality from gender, department and year of study regarding tutors’, material preparation and student support effectiveness. The study employs a quantitative method, using questionnaire and document analysis. The findings reveal that students have high satisfaction regarding tutors effectiveness, quality of material preparation and student support. And tutors effectiveness, quality of material preparation and student support predict learners’ achievement. There is no a statistically significant difference regarding the three factors when it comes to department, but the study shows a statistically significant difference to year of study. Females appear more satisfied compared to males about tutors’ effectiveness, quality of material preparation and student support.