Factors that lead to postgraduate students’ dropout of the Master of Education Degree program: A case of African Management and Development Institute, Namibia

Abstract

This study investigated the factors that lead to postgraduate students dropping out of the Master of Education Degree (MED) programme at African Management and Development Institute (AMADI), a branch of Midlands State University (MSU) in Namibia. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design applied in a qualitative research approach. The population of the study consisted of all postgraduate students, who were registered for the Master’s degree in Education at AMADI in Namibia from 2010 to 2017. A sample comprising twenty dropout postgraduate students who were registered for the Master degree in Education at AMADI were purposively selected for this study. Purposive Criterion sampling was used to select, twenty dropout postgraduate students who were registered for the Master’s degree in Education at AMADI. One research instrument which was an in-depth unstructured interview was used to collect data from dropout postgraduate students who were registered for the Master’s degree of Education program at AMADI. The data collected from the research participants through an unstructured interview was coded, transcribed and analyzed thematically, and then presented in themes and sub-themes. The findings of the study showed that, students dropped out of the Master of Education Degree programme at AMADI because of many factors or challenges that influenced their progress. Students indicated that they dropped out of the university because of the lack of learning materials, financial problems, difficulty of working and studying at the same time. Some participants also indicated that the distance to and from Windhoek was tiresome. Others felt that their lecturers were not qualified to teach at the Master’s level. The study recommends that MSU should have branches in different towns in Namibia and even offer distance courses. The university’s centre also needs to have a bookshop to help students to access study materials. The study also recommends that the university should consider the qualifications of the lecturers during their recruitment. The study proposes that students should be allowed to register with their payslips if the students do not have the full amount at the beginning of the semester, so that the fees can be deducted from their salaries every month. This would help reduce dropout and many students will be able to register.