The Factors in Learning Satisfaction of College’s Students and the Relationship with the Willingness of Retention

Abstract Both qualitative research and quantitative research are utilized for discussing the correlation between students’ learning satisfaction and student retention in this study. From the focus interview with students, six factors in students’ learning satisfaction contain out-of-class learning opportunity, teachers’ instruction, hardware quality, life function, economic aid, and climate & reputation, where out-of-class learning opportunity, life function, and economic aid are different from the dimensions in reference. From expert advice, the weights of the dimensions in learning satisfaction are sequenced teachers’ instruction, climate & reputation, equipment quality, life function, out-of-class learning opportunity, and economic aid. From student survey, the relationship with student retention is sequenced climate & reputation, life function, economic aid, out-of-class learning opportunity, teachers’ instruction, and equipment quality. The comprehension and expectation between experts and students present certain difference.

Keywords: college students, learning satisfaction, student retention, focus group interview, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).