A study investigating the role of psychosocial factors in the progression of learners in an Applied Health Sciences Master's Programme : a higher education perspective

Abstract

Learner progression is a key marker in charting the success of learners within an educational institution. This marker is however limited in that it is not able to identify the factors related to the learner, which are categorised into issues of identity, economics, politics and educational paradigms within which the learner develops and the learners supporting psychosocial paradigm is moulded.

Thus for the purposes of this research the focus was on the psychosocial paradigm, as the associated factors are informally structured and therefore presented the most variance in their influence on the learner in their progression through higher education. In addition the psychosocial paradigm is discussed as being intrinsically or extrinsically related to the individual learner. Furthermore within the context of the psychosocial paradigm there are factors relating to identity (encompassing both academic and social literacy) which were discussed.

Thus the aim of this research was to investigate the impact or role of psychosocial factors in the academic progression of M.Tech chiropractic learner’s at DUT.