School of Higher Education Studies

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Browsing School of Higher Education Studies by Author "Beylefeld, A. A."

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    Designing an academic support and development programme to combat attrition among non-traditional medical undergraduates
    (University of the Free State, 2009-05) Moagi-Jama, Mpho Priscilla; Monnapula-Mapesela, M. L. E.; Beylefeld, A. A.
    English: The overall aim of this study was to design an integrated and holistic programme for the academic support and development of non-traditional undergraduate medical students. The study was motivated by the need to increase the retention rate of these students. The conceptual framework of this study is based on the theories of Spady, Bean and Tinto. These theories were used to design a retention theory called “Circles of Progression” for non-traditional students in the South African context. As a framework, this theory has guided the empirical investigation and the outcome of this study. The study adopted a case study design to gain an in-depth understanding of the non-traditional undergraduate medical students in the medical school at the University of the Free State. A mixed methods approach was used to conduct the study. Data was collected by means of are a questionnaire and extensive engagement. These methods allowed triangulation and improved the reliability and validity of data and findings. From this study, it became clear that student retention is not due to an isolated factor, but it is a result of a whole range of interrelated factors and therefore there is no one single explanation and solution to student attrition. Based on the literature, generalisations about student retention can be misleading because each country, each institution and each student is unique. South Africa, for instance, cannot be compared to other countries because of its previous political history, its uneven schooling system and the different social backgrounds of the various population xixgroups. Moreover, issues related to retention in the different higher education institutions will not be precisely the same because of different educational systems that existed before political transformation started in 1994. Unfortunately, there is a tendency among both academics and non-academics to provide a single bold answer when asked why students do not perform well. One example of a common answer is that “students do not study”. This answer is often provided without even considering other interrelated factors. The question is “do institutions understand the nature of the problem?” If institutions and the key stakeholders in these institutions could understand the nature of problems faced by non-traditional students, especially undergraduate medical students, they could collaborate, communicate and work together as a team to provide an integrated and holistic programme of action to support and develop these students and therefore, increase their retention rate. The programme of action as proposed in this study could start even before the students enter the university and continue up to their clinical years where they begin to specialise and become professionalised in the medical field.
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    The perceptions of various role players on the training and instructional behaviour of tutors in a Faculty of Education at a Higher Education Institution
    (University of the Free State, 2016-07) Botes, Wiets; Beylefeld, A. A.; Bezuidenhoud, L.
    English: At the University of the Free State tutoring is one of the mechanisms that are used to enhance students’ throughput rate. A literature study, followed by extensive empirical investigations among lecturers, tutors, tutees and teaching and learning coordinators has confirmed that unless tutors are equipped with the principles of student-centred learning and peer facilitation, obtained through adequate training and development, tutoring might not be effective at all. At institutional level the CTL provides generic tutor training by means of the A_STEP. In the Faculty of Education, various initiatives have been launched over the past two years to supplement and enrich the generic training programme. Despite these Faculty-specific initiatives the researcher, in his capacity as teaching and learning coordinator, identified a serious shortfall in the quality of tutoring in the sense that tutors revert to re-lecturing instead of learning facilitation. This study consulted a variety of data sources in order to explore, gather evidence and consider perceptions in order to understand how the quality of tutor training and development in the Faculty of Education could be enhanced. Faculty-specific tutor training features that demand modification were highlighted, and suggestions were made on how to create a conducive environment to hone and maintain tutor skills, thus putting greater emphasis on their professional development as aspiring academics. Afrikaans: Aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat is tutoriale een van die meganismes wat gebruik word om studente se deurvloei te verbeter. ‘n Literatuurstudie, gevolg deur ‘n uitgebreide empiriese ondersoek onder dosente, tutors, tutees en onderrig-en-leer koördineerders het bevestig dat tensy tutors deur middel van voldoende opleiding en ontwikkeling toegerus word met die beginsels van student-gesentreerde leer en eweknie-fasilitering, tutorsessies as onderrigbenadering geheel en al kan faal. . Institusioneel voorsien die Sentrum vir Onderrig en Leer (SOL) generiese tutoropleiding deur middel van die sogenaamde “A_STEP”. In die Fakulteit Opvoedkunde is daar gedurende die afgelope twee jaar verskeie inisiatiewe geloods om dié generiese program aan te vul en te verryk. Ten spyte hiervan het die navorser, in sy hoedanigheid as onderrig-en-leer koördineerder ‘n ernstige tekortkoming in die gehalte van tutoriale geïdentifiseer in dié sin dat tutors geneig is om mini-lesings te gee in plaas daarvan om leer te fasiliteer. Hierdie studie het ‘n wye verskeidenheid van databronne geraadpleeg om die terrein te verken en persepsies te oorweeg met die oog daarop om te verstaan hoe die gehalte van tutoriale in die Fakulteit Opvoedkunde verbeter kan word. Fasette van fakulteitspesifieke tutoropleiding wat verandering noodsaak is uitgelig en voorstelle is gemaak vir die daarstel van ‘n omgewing wat bevorderlik is vir die opskerp en instandhouding van tutorvaardighede, om sodoende groter klem te plaas op die professionele ontwikkeling van tutors as aspirant-akademici.