Administrative Learner Support Services and Retention in Alternative Secondary Education: Evidence from ASEP Centres in Dodoma Region

Abstract

Learner retention remains a persistent challenge in Tanzania’s Alternative Secondary Education Pathway (ASEP) despite its success in expanding access to secondary education for out-of-school youth and adults. This study examined the availability of administrative learner support services and their support for perceived learner retention in ASEP centres. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, guided by a convergent parallel design, to enable the integration of quantitative and qualitative evidence. This study aimed to assess the availability of academic, psychosocial, and financial or material support services and determine their contribution to perceived learner retention. Data were collected from 120
participants across three ASEP centres in Dodoma Region, including learners, facilitators, and centre coordinators. Quantitative data from 60 questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings indicate that academic support services were relatively more available than psychosocial and financial or material support services, although the overall provision remained constrained by limited institutional resources. Financial or material support services emerged as the strongest predictors of perceived learner retention, followed by psychosocial and academic support services. The three support dimensions jointly explained 61% of the variation in perceived learner retention
(R² = .61, p < .001). The study concludes that effective perceived learner retention in ASEP centres requires integrated academic, psychosocial, and financial support systems, and recommends strengthening these services to enhance learner persistence and completion.