scholarly journals Crossing disciplinary boundaries: Students’ experiences of facilitating a learning support programme at a South African university

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sithabile S. Ntombela ◽  
Samukelisiwe Mngomezulu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning Support ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Peer Mentors ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Disciplinary Boundaries ◽  
Support Programme ◽  
Senior Students

Increased access to higher education has brought into focus the under-preparedness of students for higher education and vice versa. As such, various programmes have been developed to enhance students’ success in universities. In one institution, an administrator and a lecturer collaborated with senior university students to facilitate a learning support programme where the students acted as peer mentors. The study sought to document students’ experiences of facilitating a peer-mentorship programme that targets first year students as well as senior students who were regarded as at risk of academic exclusion. Using a qualitative case study and Bandura’s social learning theory, 30 peer mentors were purposively selected to generate data through a peer mentors’ reflection workshop. Findings of the study suggest that the mentors were more successful in working with first year students than with senior students. The article concludes that, because of the training provided, mentors were knowledgeable about the programme and the resources available to support mentees. Further studies should solicit mentees’ views and experiences of such a programme, especially those reluctant to take part, as that will highlight areas that require attention to raise the participation and academic success of all participants.

scholarly journals Introduction to academic traditions as psycho-pedagogic factor of adaptation of first year students

2019 ◽  
pp. 147-150
Author(s):  
Vladimir V. Iokhvidov ◽  
Marina Ye. Genadis ◽  
Eleonora G. Tszyu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
First Year ◽  
Higher Education Institution ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Situational Anxiety ◽  
Pedagogic Theory ◽  
Made In

The article is made in the framework of the study of psychological and pedagogic factors of adaptation of students who have started to attend a higher education institution. These include ceremony of initiation in the student life, that is still little considered in pedagogic theory and practice. In our research we realised identification implicitly of the academic traditions presented in activity of higher education institution.. On an experimental basis, it is proved that the organised introduction of students into academic traditions leads to an improvement, compared with students with whom such work is not carried out, adaptation to environment of a higher education institution, situational anxiety, subjective satisfaction with learning at a higher education institution, and academic success.

scholarly journals Academic preparedness of students – an exploratory study

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Du Plessis ◽  
Daleen Gerber
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
First Year ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Academic Preparedness ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
North West ◽  
Student Failure ◽  
High Level

The high level of student failure, accompanied by an increased drop-out rate, is problematic in higher education. It is especially a concern in programmes with the subjects of Mathematics, Accounting and Science. Over many years, models of student admission and selection have been widely researched both internationally and in South Africa. Research indicates that in the academic domain, underpreparedness results from a combination of a lack of English proficiency, mathematical ability and effective study skills. In view of the above, and government policy directives to broaden access in the scarce skills areas to increase student throughput, foundation provision was introduced for students of Commerce, Information Technology, Business, Mathematics and Informatics courses at the Vaal Triangle Campus (VTC) of North-West University (NWU) in 2010. The question at that time then arose as to what criteria should be used for placing students in the extended programme. The placement of first-year students in appropriate programmes should be done with sensitivity to enhance academic success but, at the same time, should not ‘label’ students as underprepared. This paper provides perspectives on the selection criteria available for predicting academic success/preparedness, and then reports on students’ own experiences. An action research study was conducted on the academic achievement of two cohorts of first-year students at the VTC of NWU. The quantitative results of the performance of first-year students in their core modules are compared to the results of predictive tests written after admission. The results provide valuable insight into the placement of students.Keywords: Academic preparedness, extended programmes, national senior certificate, national benchmark testDisciplines: Education management studies, higher education studies

scholarly journals "I haven't had the fun that is portrayed": First-year student expectations and experiences of starting at university

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Moeniera Moosa ◽  
Dale Langsford
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Academic Expectations ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Prospective Students ◽  
Student Expectations ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
University Life ◽  
University Experiences ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological

Prospective students have both expectations and anxieties about what their imminent university experiences might entail. In this study, we compare first-year students' expectations with their experiences of being included and excluded while settling into university life. Our participants in this qualitative phenomenological research study were 322 first-year students. We use insights from social and pedagogic inclusion to critique Tinto's (1983) model of the transition of students from schooling to higher education settings. The findings indicate that participants experienced mastery of knowledge, procedures, and structures of the institution as a point of exclusion almost 8% more than they expected. The participants also experienced personal disposition and relationships to be a point of exclusion 24% less than they expected. We recommend that university orientation programmes place more focus on the academic expectations of university since this was an aspect on which participants did not focus much. In addition, these findings also have implications for how universities conceptualise and implement the move to online learning which is often viewed as the solution to increasing access to higher education.

A FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS’ ADAPTATION TO DIFFICULTIES AT HIGH EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS

2021 ◽  
pp. 97-113
Author(s):  
Nailya R. Salikhova ◽  
◽  
Aida R. Fakhrutdinova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Social Community ◽  
Transition To Higher Education ◽  
Study Participants

Data from an empirical study aimed at identifying the difficulties faced by students in their transition to higher education, the overcoming of which is important for personal development, are presented in the article. The study participants (n=179) were asked to describe the difficulties of transition from school to University in the 1st year based on analysis of their autobiographical memory. The content analysis of texts allowed identifying the main themes and compiling a list of challenges, and then the frequency of occurrence of each of them was determined. According to the results, the most actual difficulties are the different aspects of integrating into the new social community due to sharp changes in the social environment during the transition from school to University. A big challenge is the need for self-organization in educational and everyday matters, planning and organizing your time. The third most frequently mentioned is learning difficulties, especially those related to mastering the material in the new educational environment. Problematic areas of adaptation to higher education that have not been previously reflected in the sources are the establishment of a common life in the dormitory, pressure from parents, the manifestation of their individuality, the increase in the length of classes and the pace of learning, romantic relationships and language barriers. The difficulties of the first examination session are much less frequently mentioned, and are more frequently mentioned when examining the current adaptation process. The results of the study can be used for the development and subsequent implementation of a system of practical measures aimed at helping students to adapt to the new environment and conditions. Such assistance to students in building a new way of life at a university, especially at an early stage of study, is necessary not only to improve the effectiveness of the educational process, but also to facilitate the processes of personal growth and development of students

Japan: The "Haves" are Gaining and the "Have-Nots" are Losing

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiaki Obara
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Prospective Students ◽  
Risk Of Falling ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Rural Colleges ◽  
Negative Cycle ◽  
Rural Institutions

Many Japanese private higher education institutions also face a risk of falling into the "losing group." It seems that small/rural colleges end up receiving less extra income from admissions over the tei-in (the quota for first-year students) level. This loss creates less scholarship money for capable students. The small/rural institutions are likely to lose prospective students as a negative cycle works against them. This tendency, in turn, augments the opportunities available to large, metropolitan higher education institutions. In Japan, a clear division is anticipated, with the larger institutions getting much larger and the smaller and rural ones getting much smaller. This is a hard fact that we will face in the foreseeable future.

scholarly journals Coping-Strategies and Pedagogical University Students’ Mental and Psychological Stability

2020 ◽  
pp. 123-133
Author(s):  
Е.А. Волгуснова ◽  
Е.А. Шерешкова
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Female Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Personality Questionnaire ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
State Pedagogical

В статье рассмотрена проблема нервно-психических перегрузок и способов совладания с ними у студентов первых курсов педагогического вуза в период их первой сессии. Актуальность ее решения связана с необходимостью повышения нервно-психической устойчивости студентов для успешного освоения ими выбранной профессии и снижения трудностей в учебно-воспитательном процессе вуза. Цель исследования заключалась в изучении корреляций копинг-стратегий и нервно-психической устойчивости у студентов-бакалавров Шадринского государственного педагогического университета с учетом полового диморфизма. В исследовании применялись стандартизированные опросники: «Решение трудных жизненных ситуаций» (Я. Боукал, модификация О. Ю. Михайловой), «Способы совладающего поведения» (R. Lazarus, S. Folkman, стандартизированный под руководством Л. И. Вассермана), многоуровневый личностный опросник «Адаптивность» (А. Г. Маклакова, С. В. Чермянина). Выдвинута гипотеза о том, что между показателями копинг-стратегий и нервно-психической устойчивостью студентов разного пола существуют прямые и обратные связи. В статье представлены обнаруженные авторами гендерные различия в копинг-стратегиях и уровнях нервно-психической устойчивости, а также прямые и обратные связи между ними. Эмпирически доказано предположение о том, что у юношей связи копинг-стратегий в нервно-психической устойчивости более вариативны, чем у девушек. Полученные в исследовании и описанные в статье эмпирические данные, сделанные на их основе выводы могут быть использованы при определении траектории психолого-педагогического сопровождения студентов-первокурсников в сессионный период при их психологической подготовке к другим стрессовым ситуациям. The article treats the issue of mental and psychological overstrain experienced by first year students of pedagogical universities during their first examination session and strategies that can be used to deal with it. The relevance of the research is accounted for by the necessity to improve students’ mental and psychological stability to ensure their academic success and to reduce challenges they face during the learning process. The aim of the research is to investigate the correlation between coping strategies and mental and psychological stability in students of Shadrin State Pedagogical University taking into consideration students’ gender differences. The research employed standardized questionnaires: “Overcoming Difficult Life Situations” (J. Boukal, O. Yu. Mikhaylova’s modification), “Coping Strategies” (R. Lazarus, S. Folkman, standardized under the supervision of L. I. Wassermann), multilevel personality questionnaire “Adaptability” (A. G. Maklakova, S. V. Chermyanina). The authors put forward a hypothesis that there is a direct and response-based correlation between the indices of coping strategies and mental and psychological stability of male and female students. The article presents some gender-related differences of coping strategies and mental and psychological stability discovered by the authors of the article and some direct and response-based correlation between them. It has been empirically proved that trying to achieve mental and psychological stability, boys employ more variable coping strategies than girls. The empirical data acquired in the research are described in the present article. The conclusion made on their basis can be used to define some trajectories of psychological and pedagogical support for first-year students during their first examination session, provided they are psychologically ready to cope with other stressful situations.

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