Coping strategies to learning challenges faced by rural distance students at the university of Zambia.
| dc.contributor.author | Mwale-Mkandawire, Margaret | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-07-03T13:48:41Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-07-03T13:48:41Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020 | |
| dc.description | Thesis of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study has reported, in more detail the coping strategies to challenges experienced by students from the rural areas of Zambia who are studying by distance at the University of Zambia (UNZA). An initial literature review suggests that a number of studies completed in the past report that most of these studies had been carried out from the point of view and perspectives of the education providers and the management of the institutions providing distance education. However, this research is a case study which has looked at distance education as it was discussed and described by the learners themselves because this was their story, their experiences and their perspectives. In particular, this research looked at the coping strategies to experiences by the male and female distance education students, from rural areas of Zambia, at UNZA. Distance education had helped UNZA to reach a relatively larger pull of students with little additional cost by comparison to enrol in full-time study programs. It had also contributed positively towards the institution’s policy of increasing the participation of women and rural people in university education ( Siachiwena, 2005).This study topic aroused from the discussions with the students rather than being preordained by the research design or derived directly from my own initial interest as a researcher, full-time and distance educator at UNZA. The research mainly employed qualitative methods in the collection and analysis of data. This was because the respondents described their experiences about their learning by distance means. Triangulation was used to verify the information which was given during the study. In terms of theory, a comprehensive literature review was carried out to determine the works other researchers had done in the area of distance education, especially on experiences of distance education students in rural areas. The conclusion of this research has indicated that in designing the learning support, while looking at some good strategies to challenges rural distance learners experience, this paper wishes to encourage the distance education providers to choose appropriate combinations of methods for particular learning contexts. The findings of this study may be of assistance to policy makers and implementers at the Ministry of Education and other institutes of Distance Education in Zambia, to ensure quality, increased access to and participation by males and females in the distance learning programs. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://dspace.unza.zm/handle/123456789/9261 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | The University of Zambia | |
| dc.title | Coping strategies to learning challenges faced by rural distance students at the university of Zambia. | |
| dc.type | Thesis |