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
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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
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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.