Modelling Online Learning Retention Among University Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

The rapid expansion of online learning has created new educational opportunities while simultaneously exposing persistent barriers for university students with learning disabilities. Although previous studies have identified individual determinants of online learning retention, limited research has examined how social, technological, instructional, institutional, and motivational factors collectively influence students' persistence in online learning environments. This study investigated the factors influencing online learning retention among university students with learning disabilities and examined the mediating role of motivation in the relationships between social and family support, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, lecturer engagement, institutional support and learning resources, and online learning retention.

A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data were collected from 256 university students with learning disabilities using a structured questionnaire, with respondents selected through random sampling. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to assess the measurement model and test the hypothesised structural relationships among the study constructs.

The findings confirmed that the measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. The structural model indicated that online learning retention is influenced by an interconnected set of social, technological, instructional, institutional, and motivational factors. Furthermore, motivation emerged as a significant mediating mechanism through which supportive learning environments enhance students' persistence in online learning. The validated SEM model provides a comprehensive explanation of online learning retention by integrating multiple determinants within a single conceptual framework.

The study contributes to the literature by extending existing theoretical perspectives on online learning retention through the development and validation of an integrated SEM model for university students with learning disabilities. The findings further highlight the need for higher education institutions to adopt coordinated strategies that strengthen inclusive teaching practices, accessible educational technologies, institutional support services, and student motivation to improve retention in online learning environments.