Sense of Belonging as a Predictor of Intentions to Drop Out Among Black and White Distance Learning Students at a South African University

Abstract

Sense of belonging plays an essential role in the retention and success of distance learning students. This study investigated the influence of a sense of belonging on the intentions to drop out among black and white distance learning students at a university in South Africa. A total of 831 participants were surveyed and constituted the sample of this study. The study was conducted using a quantitative research approach. The independent samples t-test results showed that there are racial differences in students’ perceived sense of belonging towards the university, with black students (M = 3.26, SD = 0.84) scoring significantly higher on the sense of belonging compared to white students (M = 2.88, SD = 0.79). Additionally, multiple linear regression analysis results showed that a sense of belonging significantly predicts intentions to drop out of university among black and white students. The results suggest that minority students in distance learning institutions should be supported to enhance their sense of belonging towards their learning environment. Furthermore, the results indicate that distance learning institutions should consider multiple strategies to foster a sense of belonging among students and improve the rates of retention.

Keywords

• academic success
• belongingness
• distance learning
• dropout
• retention