CHAPTER ONE: ORIENTATION AND OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
7.2 Discussion of results
7.2.2 Non-academic factors that compromise students’ performance
7.2.2.1 Environmental factors as challenges
169
170
170
registration forms for correctness, rather than advising the student on what would be the most appropriate career for the student. Literature suggests that student success is promoted by significant and progressive contact with curriculum advisors (Kuh, 2001). I am in agreement with the statement because when students receive academic advice, they monitor and keep track of their progress which ultimately gives them a clear direction regarding their career and degree completion rules.
Module registration hurdles
Correct registration and the administrative aspect of modules is one of the important factors that contribute towards student performance and degree completion. The study found that some first year students had incorrectly registered for modules, due either to confusion about the technical details of modules or the registration process was incomplete. First year students are challenged by new module names, codes, timetable and completion of registration forms and other registration processes. Failure to follow correct registration procedures results in students enrolling for the wrong modules and /or having insufficient credits which ultimately will result in student being categorised as ‘at risk’ of not completing a degree within minimum period. This finding is in line with literature in that first year students experience challenges sorting out the administrative part of academic life which contributes negatively towards their performance (Terenzini et al., 1996). “Massification” is here to stay therefore institutions could respond to this concern by training registration teams to ensure that students have inserted the correct codes when completing registration forms and that a computer system be developed to pick up errors (wrong codes); for example, the system can be developed in such a way that students do not register less or more modules per semester or the system should identify module that belongs to each semester. One could suggest that, to eliminate administration hurdles, institutions should train a team of senior students in such a way that they understand the first-year curriculum and are able to assist junior students during the registration period. Mentors could assist first years during registration; this was done by the Academic Monitoring and Support mentorship programme so that new students have a peer support and someone to walk them to the relevant offices.
171
Financial constraints
A financial difficulty is another sub -factor that impacts negatively on student’s success within the university environment. As much as access increased the number of students in higher education, finance remains a challenge within the university environment. Access has brought students from different socio-economic backgrounds, some of whom depend on social grants for survival. In some cases, this study noted that students who received scholarships in higher education ended up using funds to support their families. In South Africa some learners receive free education at a school level in public schools and some receive free lunch at school. When students enter university they are expected to provide themselves with the basic means of living yet their economic status remains the same. As a result, self-funded students who aspire to study further are faced with the challenge of balancing part-time work and full- time study. The time factor and physical strength become a challenge when students are expected to attend lectures, meet assessment deadlines and accommodate work schedules (Heirdsfield, Walker,Walsh and Wilss,2008). Due to lack of financial resources students end suffer anxiety and stress which is an emotional matter noted in Chickering’s theory of Identity Development (Chickering & Reisser, 1993). Chickering theory of Identity Development helps in understanding that when students fail to manage their emotions it impacts negatively on their performance. This suggests that lack of funding contributes negatively to students’ well-being in higher education and what is noted in this study is that while students struggle to get registration fees, lack of funding continues to be a barrier in degree completion. This means that their poor performance may not be as a result of their cognitive ability but environmental factors such as financial constraints. This finding is similar to findings in literature which state that students’ financial problems can lead to academic challenges once they take on employment (James, Baldwin, Coates, Krause, & McInnis, 2004).
Students often end up not attending all classes, come home tired and this negatively affect their performance once they are employed.
Living conditions
In relation to this issue, the study found that living conditions were related to academic progress;
for example, the data suggest, and this is well documented in the literature, that noisy on-campus residences and living far away from campus are the two extremes that have a major impact on students’ academic progress. There are several implications of non-conducive living conditions
172
172
which negatively affect students’ academic progress. Firstly a noisy environment which in this case refers to noisy residences makes the learning environment unsuitable.
This results in students having difficulty studying in their rooms; this ultimately affects students’
performance. Secondly, living far from campus refers to living at home or in private accommodation that is a long distance from campus. Living away from campus compromises students’ attendance at late group sessions; limits access to university resources such as the library, other university activities and of course lectures. Thirdly, the transport issue in this case refers to buses leaving campus at inconvenient times to off-campus residence; this limits access to the use of university resources because of a lack of convenient public transport. This means that poor performance is not necessarily compromised by individual ability but by external factors in this case (living environment). Kinzie, Gonyea, Shoup, Kuh (2008 ) suggest that for students a conducive living environment is one of the keys to academic success.
Adjustment to a university environment and poor sense of prioritising
Environmental adjustment and a poor sense of prioritising (time management) being one of the sub-factors, was a challenge faced by several of the participants suggesting that it was a major concern for students’ transition from school education settings to higher education. Students were accustomed to respond to a bell and teachers giving many reminders at school level, while at university, students were expected to keep time and manage their responsibilities within the time available to them, thereby shifting the responsibility of time and task management from an external element to an internal control system within the student. The participants in this study found it a challenge to plan and manage their time independently and this challenge manifested itself in their poor academic performance.
The longer one takes to get accustomed to the way of doing things in a new environment the more marginalised one becomes. The build-up affects other settings and ultimately students disengage from university (Lowe & Cook, 2003; Pitkethly & Prosser, 2001); for example, when a student registers late she/he doesn’t only miss academic guidance but is also too late to secure convenient accommodation and too late to apply for funding. This has a snow-balling effect;
administrative mistakes, result in the build-up of cumulative effects.
173
Institutional support
Institutional support is one of the challenges that were experienced by participants in this study.
The study found that institutional support was one of the key elements that impacted on students’
success. Some students in this study experienced the use of computers for the first time at university, some ended up with heavy workloads and some did not understand Duly Performance (course mark) rules and how to use Moodle (the module management system which is software based). In the case of using computers for the first time, students experiencing difficulty to engage with their studies because they lacked computer literacy skills. These development issues in preparing students for operating within a higher-education learning environment can result in poor performance as students struggled to master basic computer skills. In the case of heavy load, students sometimes register for more modules than the norm (usually the modules that they failed in the previous year and which are taken simultaneously with the current module load for the year). Heavy module load results in a challenge of trying to master all tasks and assessment schedule. The use of Moodle by lecturers and tutors without support contributes to poor academic progress; for example, lecturers may post documents on Moodle but if students do not know how to access Moodle then teaching and learning is compromised. Yorke and Longden (2008) claim that students who lack basic skills, fail to adjust to the unfamiliar approaches to learning and this may result in poor academic standing. This suggests that institutional support, such as effective strategies at the point of entry which encourage participative learning, may elicit academic success. Considering the transition period that students go through the at the point of entry, institutions should have strategies in place and be prepared to assist students through the developmental stage. Early introduction of basic computer skills and technical concepts may ease the transition period, and academic engagement may be enhanced.
ii) Challenges from the home environment
Family support
Family support is a crucial factor indicated by participants in this study and one which contributes to poor academic performance. The study revealed that family support develops
174
174
persistence in students. This persistence has two possible outcomes. The first outcome, as suggested by the data, is that students continue to struggle in their academic programme, because they have been encouraged to continue with their studies despite the difficulties the student is experiencing. In this instance, the family support is damaging to the student’s academic progress, largely because of the problems that the student is experiencing and which have not been resolved; however, the student feels compelled to continue. The second possible outcome of this persistence to continue is that of encouragement to overcome hurdles. In this scenario, students persist, with positive results, due to this encouragement, despite the obstacles that the student may experience. This finding is in line with the literature which suggests that the family has a great influence on one’s psychological, emotional, social and economic state since the parents are the first socializing agents in an individual's life (Ajila & Olutola, 2000). Schwanz et al. (2014) maintain that that parental support is considerably and positively interrelated with a variety of academic consequences such as academic adjustment, persistence, and achievement.
Family support usually keeps students motivated, eager to do well and they become resilient despite all odds.