A first-year commuter student network framework for student success: a case study

Abstract

First-year commuter students face various challenges as they transition and adjust to the academic, social, and emotional environments of university life. These challenges highlight the crucial role of peer relationships and networks, as informed by Tinto's student integration theory. Building on these conclusions, this study's primary objective was to develop a framework for a supportive peer network that addresses the academic, emotional, and social needs of first-year commuter students.

To achieve this, I conducted an analysis of key documents, particularly annual reports, from seven South African universities to gain insights into their support systems for first-year commuter students. These analyses revealed that while several programmes catered to the needs of first-year commuter students (see 5.2 and 5.3), the primary focus was on academic support. The integration of social and emotional well-being for these students was notably underemphasised, with limited evidence on how these programmes influenced the adjustment of first-year commuter students.

Chapter 6 of this study serves as the focal point of analysis, exploring the success stories and best practices related to the academic, social and emotional transitions of first-year commuter students. It also examines the role of peer mentor programmes in supporting their adjustment. During the empirical research, eight focus-group discussions were conducted with first-year commuter students at the University of the Free State (UFS). These discussions were organised by gender and campus, following an appreciative inquiry framework that aims to highlight and build on positive experiences and strengths.

The findings underscore the critical role of peer relationships and support in addressing the challenges faced by first-year commuter students during their transition to university life. In the Discovery step of the AI 4D framework, participants highlighted various success stories and best practices that facilitated their adjustment (see 6.2). Conversely, in the Dreaming step, participants identified opportunities for growth to improve the adjustment experience for first-year commuter students (see 6.6). Building on these insights, the Designing (see 7.2) and Delivery steps (see 7.4) proposed a five-pillar mentoring framework and an implementation plan.

By proposing the five-pillar mentoring framework and the accompanying implementation plan (see 7.4.1), the study offers a practical solution to enhance the effectiveness of peer mentor programmes. This framework aims to create a supportive peer network that ensures first-year commuter students receive the necessary guidance, support, and resources to thrive throughout their university journey.

Eerstejaar-pendelaarstudente staar verskeie uitdagings in die gesig wanneer hulle oorgaan na en aanpas by die akademiese, sosiale en emosionele omgewings van die universiteitslewe. Hierdie uitdagings beklemtoon die belangrike rol van portuurnetwerke en -verhoudinge, soos uiteengesit in Tinto se studente-integrasieteorie. Die primêre doel van die studie was om vanuit hierdie uitgangspunt ’n raamwerk te ontwikkel vir ’n ondersteunende portuurnetwerk wat die akademiese, emosionele en sosiale behoeftes van eerstejaar-pendelaarstudente hanteer. Om dit te bereik, is ’n ontleding van sleuteldokumente gedoen, veral jaarverslae van sewe Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite, om insig te verkry in hul ondersteuningstelsels vir eerstejaar-pendelaarstudente. Hierdie ontleding het aan die lig gebring dat, hoewel verskeie programme gemik was op die behoeftes van hierdie studentegroep (kyk 5.2 en 5.3), die primêre fokus op akademiese ondersteuning was. Die integrasie van die sosiale en emosionele welstand van eerstejaar-pendelaarstudente is beduidend onderbeklemtoon, met beperkte bewyse oor hoe hierdie programme hul aanpassing beïnvloed het. Hoofstuk 6 dien as die kern van die ontleding en ondersoek suksesverhale en goeie praktyke rakende die akademiese, sosiale en emosionele aanpassing van eerstejaar-pendelaarstudente. Dit ondersoek ook die rol van portuurmentorprogramme in die fasilitering van hul aanpassing. Tydens die empiriese ondersoek is agt fokusgroeponderhoude met eerstejaar-pendelaarstudente aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) gevoer. Hierdie gesprekke is volgens geslag en kampus georganiseer en het die raamwerk gebruik van ’n waarderende ondersoek, wat daarop gemik is om positiewe ervarings en sterkpunte uit te lig en daarop voort te bou. Die bevindings beklemtoon die kritieke rol van portuurverhoudinge en -ondersteuning wanneer die uitdagings wat eerstejaar-pendelaarstudente tydens hul oorgang na universiteitslewe ervaar, aangepak word. In die Ontdekking-stap van die KI 4D-raamwerk het deelnemers verskeie suksesverhale en goeie praktyke uitgelig wat hul aanpassing vergemaklik het (kyk 6.2). Daarenteen is geleenthede vir groei in die Droom-stap geïdentifiseer om die aanpassingservaring vir eerstejaar-pendelaarstudente te verbeter (kyk 6.6). Met hierdie insigte as basis het die Ontwerp- (kyk 7.2) en Lewering-stappe (kyk 7.4) ’n vyf-pilaar-mentorraamwerk en ’n implementeringsplan voorgestel. Deur die vyf-pilaar-mentorraamwerk en die gepaardgaande implementeringsplan (kyk 7.4.1) voor te stel, bied die studie ’n praktiese oplossing om die doeltreffendheid van portuurmentorprogramme te verhoog. Hierdie raamwerk is daarop gemik om ’n ondersteunende portuurnetwerk te skep wat verseker dat eerstejaar-pendelaarstudente die nodige leiding, ondersteuning en hulpbronne ontvang om tydens hul universiteitsreis te floreer.

Baithuti ba selemo sa pele ba tobanang le mathata a sa tshwaneng ha ba ntse ba fetoha le ho ikamahanya le maemo a thuto, a setjhaba le a maikutlo a bophelo ba yunivesithi. Diphephetso tsena di totobatsa karolo ya bohlokwa ya dikamano ho bomphato le marangrang, jwalo ka ha ho boletswe ke kgopolo ya Tinto ya ho kopanya baithuti. Ho itshetlehile ka diqeto tsena, sepheo se ka sehloohong sa thuto ena e ne e le ho hlahisa moralo wa marangrang a bomphato o tshehetsang, o sebetsanang le ditlhoko tsa thuto, maikutlo le tsa setjhaba tsa baithuti ba selemo sa pele ba nyathelang la maoto. Ho fihlella sena, ke ile ka etsa tlhahlobo ya ditokomane tsa bohlokwa, haholoholo ditlaleho tsa selemo le selemo, tse tswang diyunivesithing tse supileng tsa Afrika Borwa ho fumana lesedi la mekgwa ya bona ya tshehetso bakeng sa baithuti ba selemo sa pele. Ditlhahlobo tsena di bontshitse hore le hoja mananeo a mmalwa a ne a hlokomela ditlhoko tsa baithuti ba selemo sa pele ba tsamayang ka maoto (sheba 5.2 le 5.3), a ne a shebane haholo le tshehetso ya thuto. Ho kenyeletsa boiketlo ba setjhaba le maikutlo bakeng sa baithuti bana ho ne ho sa hatiswe haholo, ka bopaki bo fokolang mabapi le hore na mananeo ana a ile a susumetsa phetoho ya baithuti ba selemo sa pele ba tsamayang ka maoto. Kgaolo ya 6 ya thuto ena ke ntlha e bohareng ya tlhahlobo, e lekola dipale tsa katleho le mekgwa e metle e amanang le diphetoho tsa thuto, tsa setjhaba le tsa maikutlo tsa baithuti ba selemo sa pele. E boetse e hlahloba karolo ya mananeo a baeletsi ba bomphato ho tshehetsa phetoho ya bona. Nakong ya diphuputso tsa diteko, ho ile ha tshwarwa dipuisano tse robedi tsa dihlopha tse tsepamisitseng maikutlo le baithuti ba selemo sa pele ba Yunivesithi ya Freistata (UFS). Dipuisano tsena di ne di arohantswe ho ya ka bong le ka khemphase, ka mora moralo wa dipatlisiso o nang le kananelo o ikemiseditseng ho totobatsa le ho haha diphihlelo tse ntle le matla. Diphuputso tsena di hatisa bohlokwa ba ho ba le dikamano le bomphato ba bona le ho ba tshehetsa ha ba sebetsana le diphephetso tseo baithuti ba selemo sa pele ba tsamayang ka maoto ba tobanang le tsona ha bay a yunivesithing. Mohatong wa ho sibolla wa moralo wa AI 4D, bankakarolo ba ile ba totobatsa dipale tse fapaneng tsa katleho le mekgwa e metle e ileng ya nolofalletsa phetoho ya bona (tadima 6.2). Ka lehlakoreng le leng, mohatong wa ho lora, bankakarolo ba ile ba bona menyetla ya ho hola ho ntlafatsa phihlelo ya ho ikamahanya le maemo bakeng sa baithuti ba selemo sa pele tse tsamayang ka maoto (tadima 6.6). Ho itshetlehile ka temohiso ena, mekgahlelo ya ho rala (tadima 7.2) le ho fana (tadima 7.4) e ile ya etsa tlhahiso ya moralo wa tataiso wa ditshiya tse hlano le moralo wa tshebetso. Ka ho etsa tlhahiso ya moralo wa tataiso wa ditshiya tse hlano le moralo o tsamayang le ona wa ho kenya tshebetsong (tadima 7.4.1), thuto e fana ka tharollo e sebetsang ya ho ntlafatsa katleho ya mananeo a tataiso ya dithaka. Moralo ona o reretswe ho theha marangrang a tla nnetefatsa hore baithuti ba selemo sa pele ba fumana tataiso e hlokahalang, tshehetso le disebediswa ho atleha leetong la bona la yunivesithi.

Abafundi abangabagibeli bonyaka wokuqala babhekene nezingqinamba ezahlukene njengoba bephokophelele futhi bezilungiselela empilweni yabo yasenyuvesi yokufunda, yempilo kanye neyesimo sengqondo. Lezi zingqinamba zigqamisa iqhaza elibalulekile lobudlelwane bontanga kanye nohlelo lokuxhumana, njengoba kuvezwe injulalwazi kaTinto yokuhlanganyela yabafundi. Ukwakhela kulezi ziphetho, inhloso enqala yalolu cwaningo kwakungukwakha uhlaka lohlelo lokuxhumana lokusekelwa kontanga olubhekana nezidingo zokufunda, nezesimo senqgondo kanye nezenhlalo zabafundi bonyaka wokuqala abangabagibeli. Ukufinyelela kulokhu, ngenza uhlaziyo lwamadokhumenti anqala, kakhulukazi imibiko yonyaka, emanyuvesi ayisikhombisa aseNingizimu Afrikha ukuthola ukuqonda ezinqubeni zawo zokwesekela abafundi bonyaka wokuqala abangabagibeli. Lolu hlaziyo lwaveza ukuthi yize izinhlelo ezenzelwe izidingo zabafundi bonyaka wokuqala abangabagibeli, inhlosongqangi yayisekusekweleni kokufunda. Ukuhlanganiswa kwenhlalo kanye nesimo sengqondo senhlalonhle kwalaba bafundi kwakuqapheleka kungagxiliwe kukho kakhulu, nobufakazi obungenele kahle ukuthi lezi zinhlelo zinomthelela ekuzilungiseleleni kwabafundi abangabagibeli bonyaka wokuqala. Isahluko sesi-6 salolu cwaningo sinikeza ukugxila okuqondile kohlaziyo, siphenya izindaba eziyimpumelelo kanye nemisebenzi emihle okuhlobene nokuguqukela eokufundeni, inhlalo kanye nesimo sengqondo kwabafundi abangabagibeli bonyaka wokuqala. Siphenya futhi iqhaza lezinhlelo ukuzilungiselela kwabo. Ngesikhathi socwaningo olubambekayo, izingxoxo zamaqoqo acwaningwayo ayisishiyagalombili zenziwa nabafundi bonyaka wokuqala abangabagibeli eNyuvesi yaseFree State (UFS). Lezi zingxoxo zazihlelwe ngokobulili kanye namakhempasi, okulandela uhlaka lophenyo oluncomayo oluhlose ukuveza kanye nokwakha ezimweni zempilo ezinhle kanye namandla. Imiphumela igcizelela iqhaza elinzulu lobudlelwano bontanga kanye nekwesekwa ukubhekana nezingqinamba ezibhekene nabafundi bonyaka wokuqala abangabagibeli ngesikhathi sokuguqukela empilweni yasenyuvesi. Esigabeni seDiscovery sohlaka lwe-AI 4D, ababambiqhaza baveza izindaba ezinhle ezahlukahlukene kanye nemisebenzi emihle kakhulu eyaqgugquzela ukuzilungiselela (buka u-6.2). Okuphikisana nalokho, esigabeni seDreaming, ababambiqhaza baveza amathuba okukhula ukuthuthukisa isimo sokuzilungiselela sabafundi bonyaka wokuqala abangabagibeli. Ukwakhela kule mibono, izigaba zeDesigning kanye neDelivery ziphakamisa uhlaka lokwelulekwa eluyizinsika ezinhlanu kanye nohlelo lokusebenza. Ngokuphakamisa uhlaka lokwelulekwa oluyizinsika ezinhlanu oluhambisana nohlelo lokusebenza, ucwaningo lunikeza isixazululo esisebenzekayo ukuqinisa ukuphumelela kwezinhlelo zokwelulekwa ngontanga. Lolu hlaka luhlose ukwakha uhlelo lokuxhumana kontanga olusekelayo oluqinisekisa ukuthi abafundi bonyaka wokuqala abangabagibeli bathola ukwelulekwa abakudingayo, ukwesekelwa, kanye nezinsisa ukuphokophelela endleleni yabo yonke yasenyuvesi.