TRANSACTIONAL DISTANCE AND STUDENT SATISFACTION IN A POSTGRADUATE DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM
Abstract
The present study examines the three dimensions of the transactional distance theory of Moore and their correlation
with student satisfaction, through a quantitative survey with data collected from 115 postgraduate students of
the Hellenic Open University (H.O.U). The results indicate that students perceived low levels of teacher-student
transactional distance and slightly higher, but still low, levels of student-student and student-content transactional
distance. Moreover, they seem to be satisfied by their distant learning studies. Male students perceived lower levels
of teacher-student and student-content transactional distance than female ones, while students with previous
experience in distance learning perceived lower levels of student-student transactional distance than those without
such experience. Statistically significant correlations exist between the three dimensions of transactional distance
and satisfaction, with the strongest, negative correlation, observed between satisfaction and student-content
transactional distance. Finally, statistically significant and, moderate to low, positive correlations were observed
between the three types of transactional distance, indicating their interlinkages.
Keywords
Distance learning, transactional distance, interaction,, teacher,, student,
References
- Mbwesa, J. K. (2014). Transactional distance as a predictor of perceived learner satisfaction in distance learning courses: A case study of Bachelor of Education Arts Program, University of Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 2(2), 176-188. Doi:10.11114/jets.v2i2.291