Factors and experiences related to the academic success of students in the Faculty of the Humanities

Abstract

English: This research study builds on the current body of research regarding the predictors of academic success among students enrolled in higher education (HE), as well as students’ perceptions of these factors. The aim of the study is to contribute to the understanding of the factors and experiences related to academic success in HE and to expand on the model of academic success within the South African (SA) context. The study focussed specifically on first- to fifth-year students enrolled in the Faculty of the Humanities at the University of the Free State. The roles of several pre-enrolment and post-enrolment factors on students’ academic success were explored by means of this mixed-methods study. Pre-enrolment factors that were examined during the study included students’ age, gender, race, language proficiency, Grade 12 performance, high school attended, and parental levels of education, while the post-enrolment factors that were scrutinised included students’ initial educational goals, initial commitment to the HE institution, physical energy devoted to HE activities, psychological energy devoted to HE activities, academic self-concept, participation in academic activities, academic contact with staff, academic contact with peers, participation in extracurricular activities, non-academic contact with staff, non-academic contact with peers, financial responsibilities, family responsibilities, and employment responsibilities. The quantitative analysis was based on the data collected from 229 students, while the qualitative data were collected from 26 students, all of whom were in their first to fifth years in the Faculty of the Humanities. Results of the quantitative section of the study showed that several differences existed in terms of students’ age, race, gender, language proficiency, high school attended, as well as parental levels of education and the various post-enrolment factors that were explored. Moreover, the total set of pre- and post-enrolment factors, as well as the separate sets of preenrolment factors and post-enrolment factors explained a significant amount of the variance in academic success for the entire sample, as well as for the different race groups (designated group and the white group). Next, different individual variables explained a significant amount of the variance in academic success in the designated group and white group. In terms of the qualitative section of the study, students’ perceptions of academic success included how they viewed academic success, how they would define an academically successful student and the behaviours that successful students would exhibit. Lastly, the individuals who played an important role in success and other aspects that they viewed as important in Factors and experiences related to academic success vi academic success were highlighted in the qualitative section. When results of the two sections of the study were integrated, it was clear that the prediction of academic success remains very complex and that several pre- and post-enrolment factors in combination, rather than factors in isolation, are more successful in the prediction of students’ academic success. This study contributed significantly to the body of research regarding academic success within the South African context, specifically with regards to the academic success of non-traditional students.

Afrikaans: Hierdie navorsingstudie bou op die bestaande kennis rakende die voorspellers van akademiese sukses onder studente in hoër onderwys, sowel as studente se persepsies van hierdie faktore. Die doel van die studie is om by te dra tot die kennis rakende die faktore en ervarings wat betrekking het tot die akademiese sukses van studente in hoër onderwys asook om uit te brei op die bestaande model van akademiese sukses binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Hierdie studie het spesifiek op eerste- tot vyfdejaarstudente in die Fakulteit Geesteswetenskappe aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat gefokus. Die rol van verskeie preregistrasiefaktore en postregistrasiefaktore is tydens hierdie studie ondersoek. Preregistrasiefaktore wat ondersoek is, sluit studente se ouderdom, geslag, ras, taalvaardigheid, Graad 12-prestasie, tipe hoërskool wat bygewoon is, sowel as ouers se vlakke van opleiding in, terwyl die post-registrasie faktore wat ondersoek is, studente se aanvanklike akademiese doelwitte, aanvanklike toewyding tot die hoëronderwysinstansie, fisiese energie wat aan akademiese aktiwiteite gewy word, sielkundige energie wat aan akademiese aktiwiteite gewy word, akademiese selfkonsep, deelname aan akademiese aktiwiteite, akademiese kontak met personeel, akademiese kontak met die portuurgroep, deelname aan buitemuurse aktiwiteite, nie-akademiese kontak met personeel, nie-akademiese kontak met die portuurgroep, finansiële verantwoordelikhede, familie verantwoordelikhede, en beroepsverantwoordelikhede insluit. Die kwantitatiewe analises is gebaseer op data wat van 229 studente ingesamel is, terwyl die kwalitatiewe data van 26 studente ingesamel is, waarvan almal in hul eerste tot vyfde jaar in die Fakulteit Geesteswetenskappe was. Resultate van die kwantitatiewe gedeelte van die studie het getoon dat verskeie verskille bestaan in terme van studente se ouderdom, geslag, ras, taalvaardigheid, tipe hoërskool wat bygewoon is, sowel as ouers se vlakke van opvoeding en die verskillende postregistrasiefaktore wat ondersoek is. Verder het die hele stel van pre- en postregistrasiefaktore sowel as die aparte stelle van preregistrasiefaktore en postregistrasiefaktore onderskeidelik ’n beduidende gedeelte van die variansie van die akademiese sukses van die hele steekproef, sowel as dié van die verskillende rassegroepe (aangewysde groep en wit groep), verduidelik. Laastens het verskillende individuele veranderlikes ʼn beduidende gedeelte van die variansie van die akademiese sukses van die hele groep en verskillende rassegroepe verduidelik. In terme van die kwalitatiewe gedeelte van die studie was studente se persepsies van akademiese sukses gefokus op hoe hulle akademiese sukses definieer, hoe hulle ʼn akademies suksesvolle Factors and experiences related to academic success viii student definieer, asook die gedrag wat ʼn suksesvolle student sal vertoon. Laastens is die individue wat ʼn rol in studente se sukses speel sowel as ander aspekte wat moontlik ʼn rol in akademiese sukses speel, deur die kwalitatiewe gedeelte van die studie aangetoon. Nadat die resultate van die twee gedeeltes van die studie geïntegreer is, was dit duidelik dat die voorspelling van akademiese sukses steeds baie kompleks is en dat verskeie pre- en postregistrasiefaktore in kombinasie, eerder as individuele faktore in isolasie, meer suksesvol in die voorspelling van akademiese sukses is. Hierdie studie dra by tot die bestaande kennis ten opsigte van akademiese sukses in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, met ‘n spesifieke fokus op nie-tradisionele studente.