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School of Social Sciences

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Browsing School of Social Sciences by Subject "Academic achievement."

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    The effects of tertiary students' financial problems on academic performance: the case of Motheo Technical Vocational Education and Training in Bloemfontein.
    (2016) Mofoka, Khabane Grace.; Marschall, Sabine.; Olatokun, Wole Michael.
    Students from disadvantaged backgrounds experience difficulties when making a transition from their backgrounds into a challenging and diverse multi-cultural education institutions environment. Due to their disadvantaged backgrounds these students are faced with enormous financial challenges that have adverse impacts on their academic performance. They therefore need solid support structures to help them make adjustments to meet the demands of higher education. This study investigated financial problems faced by students at Motheo Technical Vocational Education and Training and aims to come up with support interventions to enhance academic performance in order to positively contribute to the overall student experience and throughput rates. Using a qualitative approach in collecting data, the study tried to find out the experiences of students and effects of financial problems on academic performance. Social capital theory and social justice framework provided the theoretical underpinning for the study. Social capital theory helped the researcher to find out students’ experiences and how they cope. Social justice focuses on policy, national and institutional efforts in eliminating the identified financial problems faced by disadvantaged students at tertiary institutions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 10 students and the head of the department of business studies. A further sample of 36 purposively selected students was drawn for a questionnaire survey to triangulate findings from the personal interviews. Results of the study show that due to financial problems, the students encounter problems such as inability to cope with the high standards of studying as well as difficulty in paying fees and accessing basic needs. Data gathered from the interviews and surveys insinuates that financial problems have adverse effects on students’ academic performance, but contrary to the study’s assumptions, and review of secondary data, no correlation could be found between financial need and poor academic performance or outright failure. In conclusion, it is recommended that, more policy research is needed to come-up with alternative policy solutions and to make adjustments to existing measures intended to cater for the needs of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
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    Perceptions of final year undergraduate education students about the influence of a reading culture on their academic achievement at selected universities in Tanzania.
    (2017) Mwageni, Rhodes Elias.; Mutula, Stephen M.
    The study investigated the perceptions of final year undergraduate education students about the influence of a reading culture on their academic achievement at selected universities in Tanzania. Four universities were involved in the study namely: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Mzumbe University, Teofilo Kisanji University and University of Iringa. Social Cognitive Theory informed the study. Pragmatism paradigm underpinned this study, while mixed methods using survey questionnaire and interviews were used for the data collection. Questionnaire was used to collect data from 312 students and 62 lecturers while interview was administered to 50 subject librarians. Quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 20.0 to generate tables, charts, percentages and frequencies, while Chi-square was generated to determine relationships between variables. Finally, qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Reliability and validity were ensured by adopting instruments from studies with acceptable Cronbach’s Alpha value of >0.7. The study adhered to the ethical protocol of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The findings showed that there was a high level of awareness among students, lecturers, and librarians regarding influence of reading culture on students’ academic achievements. The students perceived their reading self-efficacies as enabler to promoting reading culture. The findings revealed students rarely spent time reading for leisure, for information or for entertainment. The results also showed students rarely visited the library. The results further showed that factors which motivated students to read include reading to gain knowledge, reading for entertainment purposes, reading for examinations, tests, assignments and research projects. The study concluded that students in universities lacked reading culture but were motivated to read for the purpose of passing examinations, tests, assignments and research projects. There was absence of policy on reading culture and this impacted negatively on students’ academic achievement. The study consequently advanced recommendations among them strategies, policy, curricular transformation, programmes and guidelines in order to improve academic achievement of students.