Distance Learners’ Perceptions of and Attitudes towards Distance Education in Ethiopia

Abstract

The main aim of this study was investigating distance learners’ perceptions of and attitudes towards distance education. For this descriptive survey, a total of 120 students were selected from two governmental Universities (Bahir Dar University and Haramaya University) that have distance education systems. The respondents were selected using simple random sampling technique; on the other hand, the institutions were selected purposefully since the researcher believed that they were prestigious for their distance education programs and the period of their tutorial programs was parallel to the data collection period of the research. A Likert scale questionnaire was employed to collect the data needed. Then the data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, particularly percentage. The results of the study showed that students had negative perceptions of and attitudes towards the various aspects of distance education institutions. Thus, the government, distance education institutions and curriculum designers should take their respective measures in maintaining students’ perceptions of and attitudes towards distance education. Furthermore, these bodies should design strict policies and procedures for distance education systems so as to modernize and up-grade the system in general.