| dc.description.abstract | This study sought to establish the relationship between cost-related
factors and student retention in part-time teacher education programs at
Kabarak University in Nakuru County, Kenya. Student retention in parttime teacher education programs has been a critical concern to most
universities in Kenya and beyond. This study used a close-ended
questionnaire, a focus group discussion and an interview schedule as the
data collection instruments. The study adopted a case study design. The
main sampling techniques that were used in this study were census and
purposive sampling techniques. Purposive sampling was used in the
selection of the part-time program, which is the main interest of the
researcher, part-time teacher-education programs, as well as the
university under study. The target population was a total of 261 students
enrolled in the Part-time Teacher Education Program with a sample size
of 155 students. The results displayed that there is a statistically
significant negative relationship between cost-related factors and
student retention (r= -0.434**; p<0.01). The study concludes that the
problem of low student retention in universities is exemplified by the
ever-increasing tuition in institutions, which could have a significant
impact on student retention. The study recommended that universities
should focus on financial aid programs from the start of student studies,
particularly those from low-income families, and find ways to meet their
tuition costs. This approach would lead to increased student retention at
the university. | en_US |
