Factors influencing student enrolment in the bachelor of education science degree by distance mode at the university of Nairobi

Abstract

Distance Education is not a new concept. In the late 1800s, at the University of Chicago, the first major correspondence program in the United States was established in which the teacher and learner were at different locations. Before that time, particularly in preindustrial Europe, education had been available primarily to males in higher levels of society. The most effective form of instruction in those days was to bring students together in one place and one time to learn from one of the masters. That form of traditional education remains the main model today. The early efforts of educators like William Rainey Harper in 1890 to establish alternatives were laughed at. The field of distance education has changed dramatically in the last decade. Distance education, structured learning in which the student and instructor are separated by place, and sometimes by time, is currently the fastest growing form of domestic and international education. What was once considered a special form of education using nontraditional delivery systems is now becoming an important concept in mainstream education. The purpose of this study was to establish the factors that influence enrolment into distance education program at the University of Nairobi’s Bachelor of Science Education degree. The study focused on how cost of the program, quality of the program, flexibility of the program and learners expectations influence the decision of students to enroll in distance learning education undergraduate program at the University of Nairobi. The study employed descriptive research design and used questionnaires. Data was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The study established that the fees charged for the B.Ed (Science) program, coupled with the flexible mode of payment and inclusion of learning materials in the overall fees have made the cost affordable. The quality of the program, its flexibility that made it possible for the students to combine study and work, and the availability of various learner support services have all influenced the students to choose this particular program among many that are available in the country. The students’ expectations after the acquisition of the degree that included promotion, higher pay and the prestige associated with such an achievement also influenced the decision to enroll into the Bachelor of Education (Science) degree by distance mode at the University of Nairobi. The students are certain on the quality of programs they aspire for as the study found and this expectation should be sustained by the university management. The TSC and The Ministry of Higher education should encourage their employees to benefit from the program by offering incentives such as the limited study leave that the students may require and also recognition of the achievement through promotion, higher pay among others. The current study focused on The University of Nairobi, further research is needed in other universities in the country. Furthermore other programs apart from B. Ed science could also be investigated. A study to investigate how the students finance their studies is also necessary. x