A CORRELATIONAL STUDY BETWEEN LEARNING MOTIVATION AND SATISFACTION IN ONLINE COURSES

Purpose of the study: The current study was carried out to find out the correlation between Learning Motivation and Learning Satisfaction of graduate students enrolled in English online courses in Alama Iqbal Open University which is one of the oldest distance education institutes of Pakistan having 1.7 million enrolments every year. Methodology:  Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) measuring four types of motivation. The scale consists of 16 items. 150 students were selected through a convenient sampling method from the two-degree programs studying English Language as a compulsory offered online by the University. The data collected was quantitative in nature and it was analysed through Pearson correlation. Main Findings: Pearson correlation of the data reveals that there exists a strong positive correlation between different types of Learning Motivation and Learning Satisfaction. The data reveal a strong correlation between motivation and satisfaction and tutor and tutorial and weak correlation Course content and organization. Applications of this study: The study suggests that through the use of more advanced technology and more integrated technology these educational goals for distance learners can be achieved. Therefore, while preparing lessons teachers should keep in mind the maximum utility of resources, use of internet and multimedia in the most effective way to relate them to course contents for the attainment of objectives of the course. Novelty/Originality of this study: Online distance education is not a very common research area in Pakistan. Only a handful of studies have been conducted especially considering the motivation and satisfaction of these students. Hence it is a first-hand study of its kind, and the results will be useful for Higher Education Institutes