Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Student dropout at higher education institutions in South Africa is an aspect that is
receiving increasing attention from the various role-players who have an interest in
this aspect due to the negative influence it has on students, higher education
institutions, and the economy of the country. Higher education institutions that offer
agriculture as a course of study also have to deal with this problem. Approximately
one quarter of the students who are admitted at most agricultural training institutions
are forced to discontinue their studies or do so voluntarily. Most of these cessations
of study occur during or near the end of the first year of study. The cessation of
studies is not the only negative aspect. The low pass rate of students at higher
education institutions in South Africa is also alarming.
The main object of this study was to ascertain why students discontinued their
studies and why they took longer than the minimum time allowed to complete their
studies. In order to substantiate this theory, an attempt was made to obtain both an
international and a national perspective of the student dropout rate in general, as
well as to determine what factors were responsible or contributed to successful
completion of their studies by students. A background perspective of agricultural
education in South Africa was included. The literature reviews are supplemented by
a qualitative investigation of students who discontinued their studies specifically at
agricultural higher education institutions. A case study approach was employed, in
which an in-depth interview strategy was utilised to obtain descriptive and illustrative
data.
The study demonstrated that dropout rates can be attributed mainly to academic
and/or social factors. These factors prevented adequate integration, which is
essential to successful studies, from occurring. Various academic factors may be
the reason for inadequate academic integration, of which the most important were
unclear objectives, a lack of motivation, wrong academic expectations, a
misconception of hard work, as well as a lack of the necessary explanatory
knowledge in the agricultural study field. New students’ academic adjustment
appeared to be the most problematic factor. It appeared that new students were
insufficiently prepared to make the adjustment, and in fact, less prepared for this
step than was generally the case in the past. Ineffective social integration was the result of too little student participation in social
activities or the absence of adequate opportunities for social activities at agricultural
training institutions. Unbalanced and unhealthy social activities were often the major
factors that contributed to student dropout. Furthermore, the study demonstrated
that non-academic factors such as inadequate accommodation or financial problems
were not significant causative factors for student dropout, but rather non-academic
factors such as unbalanced or unhealthy social activities and poor time
management.
After the probable causes for student dropout had been established, a theoretical
framework was created that could offer possible explanation for the student dropout
rates at agricultural training institutions. The framework was created to establish
student dropout from a longitudinal perspective, and not only to explain the
phenomenon as a result of what had occurred during the time that the student was
at the institution. The framework was therefore designed to explain student dropout
against the background of the student, together with various factors that were
related to students or the institution and which were responsible for inadequate
integration. From this framework it was possible to develop individual models for
specific agricultural training institutions or for one specific institution in respect of the
dropout phenomenon.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/1309 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Louw, A. J. N. |
| Contributors | Bitzer, E. M., Troskie-de Bruin, C., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | Afrikaans |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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