| Summary: | This study aims to explore the determinants of undergraduate student retention
in Open Distance Learning (ODL). This study focused on the motivation and
goal commitment of students in ODL university. The high attrition rate at higher
education institutions has now become a serious issue. Undergraduate
retention refers to an institution’s ability to retain students from admission until
graduation. In order to achieve the goal, education service providers need to
know what motivates students to remain in the institution, especially during the
economic crisis caused by the pandemic, Covid-19. This paper will provide a
brief overview of undergraduate retention followed by factors commonly related
to undergraduate retention. In this study, the focus will be on motivation and
goal commitment that facilitate the students’ decision-making to continue their
studies in ODL. Data has been collected from active undergraduate students
in 2021. Six learning centres were chosen mainly from Open University
Malaysia. The results indicated that both factors, motivations and commitment,
are positively significant towards student retention. The management can use
the result in managing and understanding the retention issues.
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