Discussion and Conclusion

Based on the above quantitative and qualitative data and related analysis, we can produce a rough sketch of the student dropouts of RTVU ODL English programmes as follows:

A group of young people, employed, some of whom have families and children, chose to study English in an RTVU because of interest, work, momentary impulse or just to get a diploma. In fact, quite a lot of them quit without any study, and those who were not fully prepared psychologically and academically gradually lost confidence in their study after experiencing the hardships of study or failing some courses. Among them, the positive learners changed programmes to remedy the situation, while some of them directly chose to give up the programme or chose to change their enrollment status and discontinue further study. Of course, there were also some young people who did well in their lessons originally but could not continue with their study for the time being because of misfortunes in health, family or work. In fact, these young learners faced not only the special difficulties of the English programme but also the difficulty of striking a balance among work, study and life. They had to be wise in finding time for study from their tight work schedule and busy life. They had to learn to study by themselves utilizing various online learning resources, tutor-student interaction, and student-student interaction in case of absence from face-to-face tutorials. If they could not overcome their difficulties in study or master the appropriate skills and methods for study, they too became dropouts.

This study was based on data and interviews for students who entered 14 provincial radio and TV universities in the spring semester in 2010 and dropped out of school after the first semester of study. It is an empirical analysis of ODL English programme dropouts and the factors affecting dropout behavior. The results show that factors affecting dropouts involve both general causes and problems of ODL and specific characteristics of the English programme. The general causes for dropout are common to all ODL learners, and they included work-study conflict, improper choice of programme, lack of effective study methods for ODL, emergencies in life and work, and lack of motivation for study. The cause for dropout related to the characteristics of the English programme itself was great difficulty in studying the programme relative to the students’ existing knowledge.

The research results above verified certain conclusions of foreign studies on school dropouts described earlier. For example, students will give up their studies if they find that their own study abilities and personal motives do not match the academic requirements of the educational institution; adult students do not always choose their programmes correctly; even academically competent students may need to quit their studies due to emergencies in work and life. At the same time, the study also provides the English teaching staff of RTVUs and distance education institutions with the following points for consideration:

On special considerations for the English programme

1. Are there any covert thresholds for the ODL English programme? When guiding students in their choice of programme, should the programme characteristics and possible difficulties in study be spelled out for them so that they can get fully prepare mentally and academically?
2. How can the English programme design more conversion subjects to help equip non-English majors with the necessary English competence?
3. How can the English teaching materials be reformed to suit the students’ actual work and life needs and knowledge base so as to make the programme appealing to the students?

On common considerations for distance education

1. In arranging times for face-to-face tutorial and examinations, what can distance education institutions do to help students effectively resolve work-study conflicts?
2. Whether and how to provide a "fast lane" for students who choose improper programmes to change their programmes?
3. What is the proper mix of ODL teaching models to meet the needs of on-the-job adults? Could there be multiple combinations designed?
4. How much importance should be placed on developing the students’ independent study ability relative to ODL's other development objectives? To this end, what efforts should educational institutions make?
5. What help can educational institutions provide to needy students who have the academic ability to finish their studies?
6. What kind of ethics education should educational institutions give to those who only want to get a diploma without putting effort into studying?
7. For students who remain marginally registered but have stopped studying, how can educational institutions encourage them to continue their studies?

This study is designed to do follow-up investigation for three consecutive semesters on English programme dropouts in RTVUs who entered school in the spring semester in 2010. This paper documents the research results after the conclusion of the first semester. Follow-up studies for the second and third semesters are underway.

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[Author Profile] LI Ying, Ph.D., Associate Researcher of Research Institute of Open and Distance Education, Open University of China; NIU Jian, Ph.D., Professor of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Open University of China.