M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Student success rates in South African higher education institutions are unacceptable. There are many contextual challenges facing these institutions, some as a result of the legacy of the apartheid educational system and some related to the challenges surrounding increased access to higher education. The impact in terms of the costs associated with re-educating students and the added pressure of readmitting failed students into continually growing classes, are substantial. In addition, there is a growing contention that the level of preparedness of students is declining. All of these challenges place immense pressure on academics to support students and ensure acceptable pass rates. There are numerous factors, both academic and non-academic, which have an influence on academic success including prior academic achievement, the academic experience, institutional expectations and commitment, finances, family support and university support services. Many factors are beyond the control of higher education. Student engagement, however, appears to be one factor over which educators have some control. Student engagement may be defined as student involvement in educationally purposive activities. For the purposes of this study two main factors contributing to student engagement were explored. Firstly, the amount of time and effort that the student spends on academic and other activities that lead to experiences and outcomes that constitute academic success. This factor was termed “student behaviours”. Secondly, the ways in which the institution allocates resources and organises learning opportunities and services in such a way as to induce the student to participate in and benefit from these activities. This factor was termed “institutional conditions”. The main research problem of this study was to determine the influence of student engagement on the academic success of first-year Human Resource Management (HRM) students at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. The main research problem had five sub-problems which were addressed through the following actions: A literature study was conducted, highlighting the challenges faced in higher education, building a case for student engagement and identifying the factors that contribute towards student engagement, more specifically the student behaviours and institutional conditions. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with staff members lecturing first-year HRM diploma students at NMMU, with students registered as second- and third-year HRM diploma students, and with a staff member of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Media (CTLM) at NMMU, to obtain their views on the nature of student engagement and its impact on academic success, as well as the student behaviours and institutional conditions that contribute towards student engagement. The insights gained from the literature survey and the interviews were incorporated into a survey questionnaire which was developed for use in the empirical study to identify the existence and levels of the student behaviours and perceived institutional conditions that contributed towards student engagement among HRM diploma students who were in their first year of study at NMMU in 2012. The final year marks achieved by these HRM diploma students in their first year of study were obtained and correlated with the levels of engagement identified as part of the empirical study. The results of the study revealed that the respondents demonstrated a fair range of the student behaviours which are conducive to promoting student engagement. Their perception of the existence of institutional conditions conducive to promoting student engagement was good. The results also revealed a significant positive correlation between the average final year mark and “student-staff interaction” for both student behaviours and institutional conditions. A significant relationship was revealed between student behaviours and institutional conditions related to “academic focus”, “student-staff interaction” and “social integration”. In exploring the relationship between selected demographic variables and academic success, living arrangements emerged as an important consideration in promoting academic success as all the respondents who failed, lived far from the university. First generation learners were found not to achieve the levels of success of their peers who have had exposure to family members and significant others with tertiary experience. Overall the importance of good relationships between students and staff in promoting engagement and ensuring academic success emerged as an important factor. The importance of improving student success rates should be of paramount importance to all educators. The factors contributing towards student success are numerous and vast. Educators who understand the nature of student engagement and are aware of the student behaviours and institutional conditions that can be promoted in the higher education setting to improve engagement could become more effective in improving student success rates. Their efforts could be further enhanced if students are made aware of how their behaviour, understanding and utilisation of the resources, learning opportunities and services provided by the institution, can positively influence their academic success.

M.Ed. (ICT in Education) / The purpose of this study has been to explore computer-illiterate first year students’ experiences of initial engagement with ICTs in their first weeks of study at the University of Johannesburg, by examining meanings they construct for themselves of these experiences. Pressure on universities to adopt ICTs in educational practice is intensified by South Africa’s legacy of un- and under-prepared first year students. Many factors impacting first year students’ transition to university have a direct bearing on their learning. Students who are able to engage with ICTs during first year orientation seem rapidly to become more confident and motivated to experiment further with these technologies, while students who struggle to engage show signs that may be interpreted as fear or lack of confidence to do so. I have argued that current interventions do not sufficiently support new students in their initial engagement with ICTs. In some modules, academic tasks are due within the first few weeks of study, suggesting possible implications for later academic performance. Eight students without prior experience of ICTs who attended basic computer orientation sessions during 2011 were interviewed immediately after their sessions, in a basic generic qualitative study. Interviews were transcribed and analysed. Elements from the taxonomies of Bloom, Krathwohl, Masia, Anderson and Shulman have been combined into a heuristic to examine to what extent learning and engagement took place during the sessions. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and Engeström’s extended mediational triangle have been employed as analytical tools to guide me as researcher in an understanding of student activity, and to help me to interpret students’ stories as they struggled to engage with ICTs. Tensions that were exposed between the students and different components of the activity systems (the orientation sessions) have been exposed, and from this a joint account of students’ experiences has provided a framework for understanding their initial engagement with ICTs.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / There is a growing concern for the high drop-out and failure rate of university students in their first year. Numerous studies have been undertaken to determine the reasons for the high student failure. It appears as if there are academic and social factors which affect learning. One factor that has only recently been investigated is the learning strategies of the student. Learning strategies entail the way in which a student plans and executes his studies, and the processes that are involved in this activity. This study was undertaken to determine whether a difference exists between the learning strategies of a first year student who has supportive family relations versus a first year student who has unsupportive family relations. This study consists of two parts. A literature study constitutes the first part. in which the concepts family relations and learning strategies' are correlated. This is followed by an empirical study on the relationships of students with supportive family relations and students with unsupportive fami7y re7ations and their use of learning strategies. To determine the degree to which the student experiences family support, the PHSF-Relations Questionnaire was used. The Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) was used to determine the student's use of learning strategies. Two components of the PHSF-Relations Questionnaire namely Family Influences and Personal Freedom were studied to determine the degree of family support of the first year student. The empirical investigation made use of the first year students registered at the Rand Afrikaans University in 1990. These students were divided into groups according to sex, and language preference. The resultant groups were: Afrikaans speaking males and females and males and females speaking other languages. The- statistical analysis was done by the Statistics Computer Service. It was empirically shown that: There are significant differences between the use of learning strategies by first year students with supportive family relations versus first year students with unsupportive family relations in most of the cases. Concerning the component Family Influences, no significant difference was found between first year males speaking languages other than Afrikaans with supportive family influences and those with unsupportive family influences. Concerning the component Personal Freedom, no significant difference was found between first year Afrikaans speaking malestudents and first year female students with home languages other than Afrikaans. Motivation, Selection of main ideas and Test strategies are the components of the use of learning strategies that are most dependent on supportive family relations. Certain components of learning strategies are not significantly dependent on the degree of family support of the student, for example : Study Aids and Information Processing.

Submitted in compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Durban University of Technology, 2017. / Technology, student diversity, socio-economic factors, student attrition and retention has significantly affected the teaching and learning environment at university. A first-year student’s life is significantly affected by this changing environment and many first-year students at universities experience difficulties adapting to the new environment and being successful in their academic tasks. The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting the motivation of first-year students in the Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying. The study used the quantitative method approach where questionnaires were given to the first-year students and the first-year lecturers (lecturing the first-year students). Questionnaires were administered to 126 first-year students comprising the target population but only 121 completed questionnaires were received. Findings from this study emphasise the need for lecturers to engage in alternate study methods, such as the use of the blackboard and visual aids to assist students. Students need to be adequately informed about the support systems available to them so that they can have a satisfying cultural, social and academic life. There was also a need for better equipped lecturing facilities. The absenteeism of students had a negative impact on the morale of lecturers. Absenteeism has a two-fold effect, in that it disrupts the morale of the lecturer as well as that of the students who attend class. The marketing strategy of both the Department as well as the university needs to be re-visited in terms of recruiting students and in particular the misunderstanding that exists amongst students regarding the different programme offerings. The above issues are critical to ensure a transformative higher education agenda and DUT’s strategic goals of engagement and student centredness. The study recommends that a greater extent of student centredness, student-lecturer engagement and innovative teaching and learning approaches could increase the motivational level of first-year students in the Department. / M

The aim of the research reported in this document was to explore the ways in which first year Journalism students at a South African University construct themselves as learners. The research adopted a case study approach of purposively selected first year journalism students. In exploring this area, focus group and individual in-depth interviewing were employed which illuminated important aspects of learner identity construction. In order to make sense of these self-constructions, the research was located in the larger debates on discourse as espoused by Michel Foucault who argues that discourse constructs subjectivities. The research demonstrated that there were various discourses at play which influenced how these learners spoke and behaved. The influence of these discourses on learners' experiences varied at different times of the year. For example, the awarding of the Duly Performed (DP) certificate for students who met the minimum attendance and work requirements of a particular course, the giving of tests, exercises and examinations were some of the technologies that 'forced' students into compliance. In terms of identity formation, the heterogeneous nature of 'being' a journalism 'student' revealed that the different discourses at play influenced learner behaviour and that their identities continued to change over the year. Doing additional subjects such as Sociology, Drama, Art History and others at the same time as Journalism and Media Studies also meant that the learners had to negotiate the differing role requirements.

Thesis (M. A. (English Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study aimed to explore contextual factors affecting first entering students' motivation to learn English at the University of Limpopo (UL). It has utilised a qualitative approach and also adopted an exploratory design to explore the contextual factors, which affect students' motivation to learn the English language. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data from a selected sample of respondents. Moreover, Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was employed to analyse and thematise the collected data in line with the objectives of the study, which are aligned with the literature review in the study. The following themes were generated: students' motivations to learn the English language, the students' approaches to learning the English language, the role of context in relation to students' motivation to learn English, the lecture hall control and climate, the effect of lecture hall control and climate on students' motivation, and the lecturers' perceptions about motivation to learn. In addition, the study found that first entering students' motivation to learn the English language was influenced by contextual factors such as lecture hall setting, lecturers' teaching approaches as well as the perceptions of friends and classmates. Therefore, the study recommended that the UL Department of Languages, the lecturers, as well as the Academic Development Centre (ADC) should come up with possible strategies to suggest contextual factors that could motivate the UL first entering students to learn English. Key concepts: Motivation, contextual factors, English L2, first entering students, Self Determination Theory

This study provides a consumer profile of first year Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Marketing students. To determine influences on students' tertiary education choices, a literature study was undertaken on consumer behaviour, influencing factors and consumer decision-making. An empirical study established consumer behaviour variables impacting on tertiary students, and revealed students' future perspective. A structured questionnaire was distributed. The main findings are: preferred media are E-TV, Metro FM, Drum magazine and The Sunday Times; Internet access is low; most prefer TUT for tertiary education; parents and academic standards predominantly impact tertiary institution choice; the majority will continue their studies and apply for a marketing job in South Africa; their future perspective is predominantly optimistic. In conclusion, the students are impacted by reference groups and institutional marketing efforts. Primary concerns include: successful communication with this group; the effectiveness of the Open Day; and the lack of using reference groups in marketing. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The cost of education at institutions of higher education is very high and is exacerbated by the failure rate among first-year students, in particular. Their inability to cope with academic demands is largely due to their lack of preparation as a result of poor schooling in previously disadvantaged secondary schools. In the light of this, this study was undertaken to determine the academic needs of and strategies for remedial academic support to first-year dental therapy students at Medunsa. A literature review provided a theoretical foundation and highlighted various factors which impede effective study. An empirical investigation used a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore the needs of first-year dental therapy students at Medunsa. The results corroborated the issues addressed by the literature as constraints to students' success. Diverse strategies for providing academic remedial support for first-year students were discussed based on the literature review and empirical investigation. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This study provides a consumer profile of first year Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Marketing students. To determine influences on students' tertiary education choices, a literature study was undertaken on consumer behaviour, influencing factors and consumer decision-making. An empirical study established consumer behaviour variables impacting on tertiary students, and revealed students' future perspective. A structured questionnaire was distributed. The main findings are: preferred media are E-TV, Metro FM, Drum magazine and The Sunday Times; Internet access is low; most prefer TUT for tertiary education; parents and academic standards predominantly impact tertiary institution choice; the majority will continue their studies and apply for a marketing job in South Africa; their future perspective is predominantly optimistic. In conclusion, the students are impacted by reference groups and institutional marketing efforts. Primary concerns include: successful communication with this group; the effectiveness of the Open Day; and the lack of using reference groups in marketing. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)