Promoting Distance Education Scholarships by Fostering a Sense of Community Belonging

• Published in: The international journal of adult, community, and professional learning Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 41 - 63
• Main Authors: Agyekum, Boadi, Asamoah, Moses Kumi, Kissi, Dr. Evelyn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Champaign Common Ground Research Networks 2023
• Subjects: Access to Education; Community; Community Relations; Distance Education; Distance learning; Educational psychology; Educational Resources; Learning Centers (Classroom); Nontraditional Education; Scholarships & fellowships; Sense of Community; University students
• ISSN: 2328-6318; 2328-6296
• DOI: 10.18848/2328-6318/CGP/v30i02/41-63

The study’s main goals are to investigate a sense of community belonging among distance education (DE) students from the perspective of an institutionalized learning center, as well as its impact on their satisfaction and well-being. This is one of the first studies to look at the perceived sense of community belonging among DE students in Ghana. The article presents the findings of thirty in-depth interviews with DE students at the University of Ghana’s Greater Accra Learning Centers. The findings suggest that low satisfaction and well-being owing to insufficient teaching and learning resources are more important in explaining DE students’ lower sense of community. While some participants reported improved access to higher education through DE, opinions on how beneficial the access was or could be for satisfaction were mixed. The findings highlight the need for research to incorporate a sense of community belonging into studies on enhancing DE image and reputation while focusing on the factors contributing to high levels of stress, discontentment, and incomplete studies among DE students, as well as on how to alleviate or reduce them. These findings are consistent with the need for policy intervention in developing countries to increase DE participation rates.