Determinants of Student Satisfaction in Online Tutorials: A Study of an Online Education Academy

Abstract

Distance learning is gaining popularity as a competitive alternative to traditional classroom instruction. Educational institutions that offer formal classroom education also incorporate distance learning courses due to the benefits it provides, such as low cost, wider access, and shared resources. To investigate student satisfaction in e-learning, this study focused on final-year students of ABC Online Academy in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires to assess students’ satisfaction. The study adopted a cross-sectional approach, utilizing a single source of data. A random sampling method was employed, resulting in 145 valid questionnaires from the students of the online education academy. Hypotheses were tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis. The study findings indicated that students' satisfaction is determined by course structure, the flexibility of online tutorials, the quality of online tutorials, and technology quality. The implications of these results for theory and practice were also discussed. Consequently, the study suggests that management should prioritize attention to course structure, the flexibility of online tutorials, the quality of online tutorials, and technology quality, as these factors are linked to increased student satisfaction. So, this research contributes to the existing literature on student satisfaction and e-learning context by examining the determinants of student satisfaction in online tutorials.