doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.7.2350
Attrition Factors and Retention Strategies in Distance Higher Education
Tania Morales Molina1,*
,
Marcos Antonio Ríos1 ,
Aracelly Fernanda Núñez-Naranjo2 ,
Alejandro Chaviano Quesada2
- 1Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Administrativas y de Negocios, Carrera de Administración de Empresas Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ambato EC 180103, Ecuador
- 2Centro de Investigación de Ciencias Humanas y de la Educación-CICHE, Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ambato 180103, Ecuador
- Manuscript receivedMarch 15, 2025
- revisedApril 11, 2025
- acceptedMay 6, 2025
- publishedJuly 18, 2025
Abstract
Distance higher education faces significant challenges in student retention, affected by economic, academic, personal and technological factors. This study aims to identify the main causes of attrition and propose strategies to improve retention in this modality. Using a mixed approach, quantitative data from 3,835 students enrolled in a higher education institution in Ecuador were analyzed, complemented by qualitative interviews with administrative and teaching staff. The results revealed that economic (34.09%) and academic (27.79%) factors are the main barriers to retention, followed by family and personal problems (13.75%). In addition, limitations related to access and use of information technologies were identified, such as the lack of technological resources and the digital divide, which affect student performance. In conclusion, a comprehensive strategic plan is proposed that includes personalized tutoring, financial support, improvement of technological infrastructure and student welfare services. These strategies seek to reduce dropout, strengthen the educational experience and promote academic success in the distance learning modality.
Keywords
- permanence
- personalized tutoring
- student wellbeing
- family factors
How to Cite
Tania Morales Molina, Marcos Antonio Ríos, Aracelly Fernanda Núñez-Naranjo, and Alejandro Chaviano Quesada, "Attrition Factors and Retention Strategies in Distance Higher Education," International Journal of Information and Education Technology, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 1487-1495, 2025. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.7.2350
Copyright & License
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).