School of Higher Education Studies

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Open Access
Enhancing English academic literacy programmes for first year university students
(University of the Free State, 2015-06) Mathobela, Moodiela Victor; Hlalele, D. J.; Tsotetsi, C. T.; Papashane, M.
This study aims at enhancing English academic literacy programmes for first year university students at the Qwaqwa Campus of the UFS. In order to achieve this, the following specific objectives were formulated to direct the study: 1. To identify challenges justifying the need to enhance EALPs for first year university students, 2. To identify and discuss the components and aspects necessary for such enhancement to occur, 3. To determine the conditions under which such enhancement can be successfully achieved, 4. To anticipate plausible threats that may hinder the enhancement operationalization and the strategies that could be put in place to circumvent them, 5. To identify monitoring strategies as well as indicators of successful enhancement, and 6. To propose strategies for enhancing EALPs for first year university students. Critical Emancipatory Research (CER) as the theoretical framework was chosen to couch this study towards the operationalisation of the above mentioned objectives. CER's agenda of equity, social justice, freedom, peace and hope made it suitable for the enhancement of EALPs for first year university students that would include facilitators and students. These stakeholders are included in this study on the basis that their direct participation would likely enhance and promote their sense of ownership, legitimacy and also democratise and legitimise the process of enhancing EALPs for first year university students. Guided by CER as the lens anchoring th is study, I reviewed the literature on EALPs for first year university students who learn through English as a second, third, fourth or foreign language in South Africa, Australia, Canada, UK and the USA because these countries represent the best practices with regard to academic literacy teaching at first year university level given their socio-economic contexts which are more or less similar to the kind of students we teach at this campus of the UFS. Literature revealed a number of challenges and mechanisms which were put in place to solve them. Informed by theory and guided by the objectives of the study, I also looked at the components and aspects necessary for enhancement of EALPs, the conditions that made these solutions to be operational, as well as the threats that scampered their effectiveness in some instances and strategies put in place to circumvent them. The intent was to finally identify monitoring strategies and indicators of successful enhancement so that strategies can be proposed and replicated in our context. To complement the conceptualisation above, we generated empirical data through Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a research methodology and design which enabled the study to operationalise CER in action and to problematize issues of unequal power relations between the facilitators and the students. These power disparities seemed to be the most important factors that caused problems in the implementation of EALPs on the said campus. Through this the PAR approach, the voices of the marginalised and excluded stakeholders who were directly affected by the implementation of EALPs were given the opportunity to be expressed and heard. The empirical data confirmed that there were challenges in the implementation of EALPs at the Qwaqwa Campus as revealed in the literature elsewhere. These challenges included the exclusion of facilitators as EAL practitioners, as well as other beneficiaries in the implementation of these EALPs like students. There were also problems in formulating a commonly acceptable vision, hence no coordinated plan in implementation as well as lack of proper monitoring procedures to name a few. In order to overcome these challenges, seven components and aspects necessary for enhancing EALPs for first year university students emerged to counteract the challenges. Thereafter, eight conditions conducive for EALPs enhancement to occur were identified. Threats to enhancement and strategies to circumvent them were also highlighted. Based on the above, monitoring strategies and indicators of successful enhancement of EALPs were also explored and examined. The study concludes by proposing strategies to effectively enhance EALPs for first year university students using data from the literature and from the empirical data emanating from this study.
Open Access
Enhancing the functionality of supplemental instruction for first-year mathematics students at a higher education institution
(University of the Free State, 2014-12) Moleko, Mirriam Matshidiso; Letsie, L. E.; Hlalele, D. J.
English: The study sought to formulate a framework to enhance the functionality of Supplemental Instruction (SI) for first-year Mathematics students at an institution of higher education. Generally, many students find mathematics challenging, not only at high school level but also when they are enrolled for modules at higher education institutions. Most first-year Mathematics students usually withdraw from taking it and opt to pursue other fields of studies, whilst others drop out. It was on this basis and in trying to retain these students in Mathematics as one high-risk course that a programme such as SI was conceptualized then developed to enhance students’ understanding of course content. Although SI proved to be a good intervention strategy which led to significant improvements in other high risk modules which were targeted it was not the case with Mathematics. The study therefore sought to establish the challenges pertaining to the implementation of SI for Mathematics students and to provide solutions to the identified challenges. The conditions conducive to the solutions to work, as well as the threats that could evade the successful implementation of the strategies, were reflected by the study. It further demonstrated the evidence of the successful SI framework’s implementation. Critical Emancipatory Research (CER) was the paradigm underpinning the study, and Participatory Action Research (PAR) was adopted as the methodology for generating data. The generated data was analysed and interpreted through the use of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), which subsequently made it possible for data to be interpreted at textual, social and discursive levels. The study recommended the following in terms of enhancing the functionality of SI for first-year Mathematics students at an institution of higher education: formation of the SI team; the establishment of a common vision; performing a SWOT analysis; determining priorities; and strategic planning.
Open Access
The influence of compulsory class attendance on module success rates: The University of the Free State case
(University of the Free State, 2014-07) Gadinger, Beate; Brüssow, S. M.
Abstract not available
Open Access
Investigating the effect of the extended programme on the LLB students’ success
(University of the Free State, 2015-10-14) Van Niekerk, Leani; Marais, Nalize; Horn, Marda
No abstract available.
Open Access
A learning facilitation framework to enhance academic skills development among underprepared learners in South African higher education
(University of the Free State, 2009-01-25) Brüssow, Saretha; Wilkinson, A. C.; Nel, M. M.
The research presented in this thesis is concerned with understanding underpreparedness, a phenomenon which is inextricably intertwined with the current South African higher education dilemma of poor throughput and high attrition rates. Considering the increased access to higher education institutions, a continuous need exists for ways to scaffold the underprepared student to succeed. For this reason a learning facilitation framework based on empirical research and current understanding about the potential benefits of engaged learning is presented. Based on descriptive-exploratory research, perspectives on underpreparedness experienced by higher education institutions in South Africa and in other countries are disclosed. The thesis focuses on what is meant by underpreparedness; factors contributing to underpreparedness; the domains of underpreparedness; and the typical circumstances underprepared students find themselves in. These four focus areas were in the first place investigated by means of a literature review to capture existing knowledge and research and, in the second place, by a questionnaire survey and structured interviews. These different interpretations and dimensions provided an opportunity for diverse perspectives on underpreparedness to be encompassed and enveloped, thereby becoming a basis not only for the framework recommended, but also for future research or initiatives to improve teaching and learning. In a search for educational approaches considered effective in dealing with underprepared students, research mainly focuses on three key concepts, namely general perspectives on the existing constraints of facilitating the learning of the underprepared; the perceived educational effectiveness of different educational approaches; and the significance that is coupled to interactive engagement. The overarching aim of this investigation was the identification of educational approaches that lessen the impact of underpreparedness on student learning. The thesis also discusses some of the findings identified by an action inquiry into reflective teaching. Reflective practices have the potential to improve teaching competence, a gain that will ultimately lead to improved student learning. In addition, the benefits of concept mapping were investigated through both quantitative and qualitative observation techniques. The quantitative and descriptive data presented indicate that concept mapping contributed not only to achieving efficiency, but also to conceptual development. The researcher sees these positive outcomes as effects of both the active generation of knowledge through the act of mapping and the social interaction during the collaborative concept map task. The findings of this investigation confirm works by others that indicate that the use of concept mapping as a teaching/learning tool can lead to achievement gain, meaningful learning and, ultimately, conceptual change. Moreover, there may also be an increase in self-regulation, selfefficacy, a deep learning orientation, and motivation traits that are highly sought after to assure academic success in the underprepared student. The framework presented centres around learning facilitation strategies deemed effective in scaffolding the underprepared students ability to learn in mainstream courses. These learning facilitation strategies seek to delineate teaching approaches that advance learners' ability to learn more effectively. These learning principles, theories or practices are divided into several elements clustered into six domains of learning facilitation strategies, namely cooperative, generative or constructive, reflective, experienced, interactive and conceptual learning. Although the domains are unique, they are also interrelated: Reflection (reflective learning) stimulated by a learning event (experience-based learning) in a social context (cooperative learning) which leads to the construction (constructive learning) of knowledge. The framework intends to act as a guide or source for higher education educators and practitioners who want to improve their teaching effectiveness in dealing with the underprepared.
Open Access
Profiles of successful B.Com. (Finance) students entering a South African university before and after the introduction of the National Senior Certificate
(University of the Free State, 2014-07) Oosthuizen, Annelie; Viljoen, M. C.; Eiselen, R. J.
English: Since 1994, the South African national school curriculum, from the foundation phase through to the further education and training phase, has been and still is in the process of being redesigned for the post-apartheid era. One of the major events in the national process of curriculum reform was the replacement of the Senior Certificate (NATED 550) with the National Senior Certificate, awarded for the first time in 2008. The Grade 12s of 2008 were variously described as ‘guinea pigs’ or ‘pioneers’. Questions have arisen as to whether the National Senior Certificate curriculum adequately equips learners to achieve academic success at university, and whether the higher education institutions have adapted to the ‘products’ of the National Senior Certificate, who entered their academic programmes for the first time in 2009. Some of the challenges related to the changes in the national school curriculum, that the South African higher education sector is faced with include poor academic performance and high drop-out rates. These occurrences are of concern to South African higher education in general, and also particularly to the institution where this investigation was conducted. From an institutional perspective, it is important to be aware of the biographical factors and academic achievement characteristics included in the profiles of successful students. Moreover, skills form part of a holistic approach to curriculum construction. The main purpose of this research study was to determine the profiles of successful B.Com. (Finance) students entering a South African university before and after the introduction of the National Senior Certificate. In order to do so, factors associated with the students’ transition from secondary school to higher education and factors contributing to undergraduate student success at university were identified through a literature study. An empirical study was conducted on two cohorts of students entering the B.Com. (Finance) programme at a South African university. The first group entered the university in the year immediately before the introduction of the National Senior Certificate and the second group entered the same university in the year immediately after the introduction of the National Senior Certificate. This research study xxvii investigated the differences and similarities between successful and unsuccessful students in both of the cohorts. Biographic variables (age, gender, ethnicity) and academic variables (secondary school leaving results and subject choices as well as undergraduate academic performance at university) were investigated. For the purposes of this study, the operational definition of a successful student is a student who has succeeded in meeting all of the graduation requirements for the B.Com. (Finance) degree within the minimum time, namely three consecutive years. Descriptive statistics revealed that the success rates of students included in this investigation have decreased from 29.0% in the 2008 cohort to 15.8% in the 2009 cohort. The study also investigated the opinions and perceptions of the first cohort of students who entered higher education with the National Senior Certificate as a school-leaving qualification, regarding the skills that they required for the successful completion of the B.Com. (Finance) programme and the skills that they acquired during their secondary school education. To this effect, participants completed the B.Com. (Finance) first-year opinion survey and participated in focus-group discussions. The results of this investigation indicate that these students felt that they lacked some of the critical skills required for academic success at university. The skills most frequently considered being required for university success in commerce- and finance-related studies, which were reportedly not acquired by the target population at secondary school, are economic reasoning ability, the ability to practically implement learning content, critical thinking skills, analytical thinking skills, the ability to interpret financial information and time management skills. These findings have implications on the way in which secondary school learners and university students are taught. The target population’s biographic and academic achievement data were obtained from the Integrated Tertiary System (ITS). The primary objective of the statistical analysis was to identify profiles of successful students in two cohorts of students. A further objective of the statistical analysis was to assess the association between student success as a binary dependent variable, and the following independent variables: age, gender, ethnicity, Grade 12 Mathematics mark, exposure in secondary school to Accounting, Business Economics and Economics, the average of the first semester university mark of five compulsory modules, the matriculation xxviii score (M-score) of the 2008 cohort and the admission point score (APS) of the 2009 cohort. The data for each cohort was analysed using descriptive, univariate and multivariate analyses. The logistic regression model for student success initially contained eight independent variables. The likelihood ratio chi-square statistics and associated p-values were calculated for each variable in the model. Stepwise model selection was applied by removing, one at a time, the variable among the independent variables which is found to be least significantly associated with student success. Logistic regression revealed that when success in B.Com. (Finance) is analysed by means of a multiple logistic regression, the most significant predictors of student success in the 2009 cohort were the Mathematics mark obtained in the National Senior Certificate and Business Economics taken at secondary school. The most significant predictors of student success in the 2008 cohort were the matriculation score (M-score), age and Accounting taken at secondary school. The findings of this study create a platform for continued debate on admission requirements and the importance of specific skills required for success in commerce and finance-related degrees at university. The findings culminated in recommendations for higher education institutions, educators and those embarking on future research relating to the theme in question.
Open Access
Psychological resources as predictors of academic performance of first-year students in higher education
(University of the Free State, 2013) Kotzé, Martina; Niemann, Rita
English: This article aims to determine whether psychological resources (hope, optimism and resilience) can be potential predictors of academic performance. A cross-sectional survey design was used and the sample consisted of 789 first-year students in Industrial Psychology. The measuring instruments included the State Hope Scale (SHS), the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and the Adult Resilience Indicator (ARI). The results of the simple multiple regression analysis showed that state hope, and specifically pathways, and three dimensions of resilience were statistically significantly related to academic performance, whereas optimism was not a statistically significant predictor of academic performance
Open Access
The relationship between learning motivation and academic achievement among second year physics students
(University of the Free State, 2017-07) Stofile, Caroline Letshego Keamogetswe; Teise, V. N.
English: The aim of the research study was to determine the relationship between learning motivation and academic achievement among 2nd year physics students at the University of the Free State. The population consisted of 2nd year students studying physics at the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State. The sample consisted of 55 2nd year students who were enrolled for various BSc degree programmes but had a physics module either as a major or as an elective. Probability sampling in the form of simple random sampling was used to select respondents. Relevant literature indicated that learning motivation is related to students’ academic achievement but very few has determined how learning motivation may influence the academic achievement of students in a particular subject such as physics. The data on student learning motivation was collected using a standardized questionnaire, namely the students' motivation towards physics learning (SMTPL) questionnaire. The students’ first year final examination marks in physics were used to determine the academic achievement of students. The empirical investigation established that learning motivation has no influence on the academic achievement of 2nd year physics students. The study however showed that self-efficacy may be the best construct of learning motivation to predict students’ academic achievement.
Open Access
Self-regulated learning and time perspective as predictors of academic performance in undergraduate economics studies
(University of the Free State, 2013-11) Keyser, J. N.; Viljoen, M. C.
English: The goal of this study was to research the hypotheses that self-regulated learning and a future time perspective separately and simultaneously predict academic performance in second year Economics studies. The study also investigated whether self-regulated learning and future time perspective are related. In the theoretical underpinning self-regulated learning as related to learning theories, future time perspective and the learning of Economics were explored. The effect of the confounding variables(age, gender, ethnicity and the psycho-social wellbeing of students), on the dependent variable (academic performance in second year Economics studies), were built into the design and analysed. Data was analysed using descriptive, correlation and regression analysis. The multiple regression analysis indicated that self-regulated learning and a future time perspective predict academic performance in second year Economics studies. A correlation matrix revealed that a relationship exists between self-regulated learning and a future time perspective. Regarding the confounding variables, the one with the most significant influence on the dependant variable was ethnicity. In conclusion the study recommended that teaching and assessment methods should be used to empower students to apply self-regulated learning strategies. This could greatly enhance their academic performance.
Open Access
A support programme for first-year chemistry students: a campus case study
(University of the Free State, 2012-12) Moji, Rantooa Goodchild; Holtzhausen, S. M.; Meintjes, R.
Chemistry is often regarded as a difficult subject, which is reflected in the high failure rates of university first-year students. These students are faced by diverse challenges such as the difficult and abstract nature of the subject, lack of interest in and motivation for this subject, irrelevant prior knowledge or misconceptions, large classes, and the application in the world of work. The success rate of first-year Chemistry students at the UFS (Qwaqwa campus) has also been unsatisfactory for some years and that adversely affected the through-put rates of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. This made it necessary to embark on a study to establish what could be the root causes of this problem and propose a possible way to remedy the situation. In order to address this problem, this study was designed to address the following main research question: What are first-year students’ and lecturers’ experiences of the teaching, learning and assessment employed in the Chemistry subject (i.e. CEM104) and how can possible shortcomings be addressed? This study used an adapted explanatory mixed methods design to address the main research question, using qualitative findings (from focus groups and semi-structured interviews) to explain the quantitative findings from the self-constructed questionnaire. Hundred and thirteen first-year Chemistry students (UFS, QwaQwa campus) participated in the questionnaire survey, while two focus groups were conducted and two lecturers were interviewed. In essence, the data revealed that both first-year Chemistry students and lecturers at the UFS (QwaQwa campus) perceived learning, teaching and assessment deficiencies, but the determinant factors/reasons for these were diverse. The participants, however, recognised the need for a support programme as well as various additional facilities (e.g. computers, e-mail, internet, library services and textbooks, academic support and a departmental manual) to improve the academic performance of first-year Chemistry students.

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