Motivation, learning strategies, and satisfaction of online students: A comparison of low and high achievers

This paper aims to analyse how low and high achievers differ in their motivation, learning strategies, and satisfaction with online learning. The empirical study was carried out among online students at DOBA Business School, and a total of 365 respondents were included in the study sample. The survey questionnaire was composed of five segments: motivational scales, learning strategies scales, satisfaction with study programme implementation, study success, and demographic variables. The data were collected in June and July 2019 using an online survey questionnaire. Based on three self-reported measures of study success, respondents were classified into two groups: low achievers and high achievers. The results revealed that high achievers scored significantly higher on all motivational scales. They also scored significantly higher on some learning strategy scales, such as elaboration, metacognition, and managing time and study environment. On the other hand, no significant difference between low and high achievers was found regarding satisfaction with online study programme implementation. Finally, the paper discusses the study limitations and the implications of the main findings for further improvements in the design and implementation of online learning.