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Research Publications (Management Sciences)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/217

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    Adjustment experiences of first-year students in South Africa
    (2020) Dlamini, Bongani Innocent; Tom, Reyagalaletsa Felicity; Nel, Kathryn Anne; Zogli, Luther-King Junior
    Background and Objective: For most students, adjusting to both social and academic life entails engenders a modicum of stress and emotional challenges for most students, resulting in risks of students drop-out. The current study sought insight and understanding into the adjustment experiences of first-year students at a previously disadvantaged tertiary institution of Higher learning in South Africa. Materials and Method: Qualitative research was conducted to establish the lived experiences of the participants. Four focus with eighteen first-year participants from different departments were utilised for data collection. Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews, which allowed probing. Thematic Content Analysis was employed to gather themes from the data. Results: The main results indicated that first-year students found life was different, many old familiar and predictable relationships disintegrating. However, they also found independence and the resilience to adapt to change. Positive adjustment experiences and coping mechanisms included working hard, interacting with lecturing staff and attending religious events, while negative ones included drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. Conclusions: The study recommended that orientation for first-year students is imperative and should incorporate a programme that helped first-year students understand the challenges they are likely to face in this new phase of their academic and social development.
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    Reflection on students drop-out against the backdrop of COVID-19 in the South African educational context amongst marginalized group of students
    (CODESRIA, 2021-08) Mthalane, Peggy Pinky; Agbenyegah, Albert Tchey; Dlamini, Bongani Innocent
    This paper aims to engage the issue of student drop-out in light of COVID-19 which has disrupted schooling at all levels and impacts heavily on students from deprived background who do not have access to technology that have become the dominant means of teaching. In engaging the issue, the paper reviews the literature on student drop-out generally to highlight the factors that have been shown to be significant in student dropping out of school at primary, secondary and university levels
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    Addressing student dropout rates at South African universities
    (DHET, 2015) Moodley, Padhma; Singh, Rachael Jesika
    The excitement of a South African University acceptance is shortlived, for many students, as the challenges faced is often overwhelming, resulting in many dropping out in their first year of study. This has negatively impacted on the desired national norm of an 80% success rate targeted by the Department of Higher Education and Training. This study aims to explore ways in which the dropout rates can be reduced thereby increasing the throughput levels of universities in South Africa. A qualitative study was conducted to identify the challenges students encounter that lead to the high dropout rates. Students who had previously dropped out from universities in South Africa were interviewed in order to examine their perceptions of how dropping out of university could have been avoided. Snowball sampling, a type of purposive sampling was used in this study. The findings indicate incorrect career choice, inadequate academic support and insufficient funding as being primary factors that led to the drop out of students. One of the recommendations this study makes is that university departments must align their support programmes with modules that have a high failure rate to help students cope.