Factors influencing academic success of first year occupational therapy students at the University of the Free State
| dc.contributor.advisor | Van Heerden, S. M. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Strydom, J. F. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Swanepoel, Azette | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-01-07T12:16:07Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-01-07T12:16:07Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2014-07 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014-07 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2014-07 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: The Occupational Therapy program at the University of the Free State is academically and emotionally challenging. Prospective students who wish to study occupational therapy are selected primarily on their academic abilities in high school or in other programs in higher education institutions. The selected first year students have provided evidence of their academic abilities. Thus, it is presumed that the students will be able to meet the demands set by the program and maintain their academic achievement levels. However, once entering higher education some students seem unable to meet the demands of the program while others deliver consistent academic achievements. The question arose as to which factors influence the first year occupational therapy students’ academic success. Literature points to various factors which influence academic success, but no study was found which included all possible factors influencing academic success. This study set out to investigate all the possible factors which influence academic success of first year occupational therapy students at the University of the Free State. A qualitative research approach was applied by making use of a Case study research design. Eighteen first year occupational therapy students, with no prior higher education experience, were randomly selected to take part in the study. Nine students from the Afrikaans and nine students from the English class were included in the study. Data was collected from documentation and Nominal Group Technique discussions. The documentation data included the students’ portfolio reflections by making use of the Kawa River model. Students reflected on all possible factors influencing their academic success by making use of the elements of the Kawa River model. In addition, students’ reflection on their test and examination writing skills was also included in the documentation data collection. The NGT discussions posed the following two questions to the participants: · Which factors influence your academic success positively in the first year of occupational therapy? · Which factors influence your academic success negatively in the first year of occupational therapy? Thematic analysis of the portfolios, a content analysis and qualitative interpretation of the factors identified in the NGT discussion groups were done after which data was categorized according to the domains of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF). Factors were placed in all six domains of the OTPF namely: · Areas of Occupation · Context and Environment · Client Factors · Activity Demands · Performance Skills · Performance Patterns The factors identified by the students were viewed holistically and were found to be interrelated thus, indicating the importance of acknowledging more than academic factors influence academic success in higher education. Academic-, social -, cultural-, physical -, cognitive - and psychological factors were identified as influencing academic success of first year occupational therapy students. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Die Arbeidsterapie program aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat stel akademiese en emosionele uitdagings aan die student. Voornemende studente wat beoog om arbeidsterapie te studeer word hoofsaaklik gekeur op grond van hul akademiese vermoëns op hoërskool of in ander programme van instellings van Hoër Onderwys. Die eerstejaar studente wat gekeur word het dus bewys gelewer van hul akademiese vermoëns. Daar word aangeneem dat die studente instaat sal wees om te voldoen aan die vereistes van die program en dat hul akademiese prestasie vlakke kan handhaaf. Desnieteenstaande blyk sommige studente nie instaat te wees om aan die vereistes van die program te voldoen nie, terwyl ander studente konstante prestasie lewer wanneer hulle toetrede maak tot opleiding in Hoër Onderwys. Die vraag ontstaan watter faktore het ‘n invloed op die akademiese sukses van die eerstejaar studente se akademiese sukses. Literatuur dui aan dat verskeie faktore ‘n invloed het op akademiese sukses, maar geen studie kon gevind word wat alle faktore insluit wat akademiese sukses beinvloed nie. Hierdie studie beoog om al die faktore te ondersoek wat moontlik die akademiese sukses van eerstejaar arbeidsterapie studente aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat kan beinvloed. ‘n Kwalitatiewe navorsing benadering is gevolg deur gebruik te maak van ‘n Gevallestudie navorsing ontwerp. Agtien eerstejaar arbeidsterapie studente, met geen vorige ondervinding van opleiding in Hoër Onderwys, is ewekansig gekies om deel te neem aan die studie. Nege studente uit die Afrikaanse, en nege studente uit die Engelse klas is ingesluit in die studie. Data was verkry vanuit dokumentasie en Nominale Groep Tegniek (NGT) besprekings. Die dokumentasie data is verkry uit die studente se portfolio refleksies waartydens gebruik gemaak is van die Kawa River model. Studente het gereflekteer op alle moontlike faktore wat akademiese sukses kon beinvloed het, deur gebruik te maak van die Kawa River model. Bykomend is studente se refleksies op toets- en eksamen skryfvaardighede ook ingesluit in die dokumentasie data. Tydens NGT besprekings is die volgende twee vrae aan die studiedeelnemers gestel: - Watter faktore beinvloed u akademiese sukses positief in die eerste jaar van arbeidsterapie? - Watter faktore beinvloed u akademiese sukses negatief in die eerste jaar van arbeidsterapie? Tematiese analise van die portfolios, naamlik ‘n inhouds analise en kwalitatiewe interpretasie van die faktore wat geindentifiseer is tydens die NGT besprekings is gedoen, waarna data gekategoriseer is ooreenkomstig die “domains of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework” (OTPF). Faktore is geplaas in al ses domeins van die OTPF naamlik: - Areas van Aktiwiteitverrigting - Konteks en Omgewing - Klient Faktore - Aktiwiteit Vereistes – Prestasievaardighede – PrestasiePatrone Die faktore wat studente geidentifiseer het is holisties beskou, en bevind om onderling met mekaar verband te hou. Hierdeur is die belang van die erkenning van meer as net akademiese faktore aangedui wat akademiese sukses beinvloed in Hoër Onderwys. Akademiese -, sosiale -, kulturele -, kognitiewe – en sielkundige faktore is geidintifiseer as faktore wat akademiese sukses beinvloed by eerstejaar arbeidsterapie studente. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/2056 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Adjustment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Academic success | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Occupational therapists -- Study and teaching | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Academic achievement | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertation (M. Occupational Therapy (Occupational Therapy))--University of the Free State, 2014 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Case study design | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Occupational therapy practice framework | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | First year occupational therapy students | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Factors influencing academic success of first year occupational therapy students at the University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en_ZA |