Browsing by Author "Hopson, Kenneth"

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    Perceived influences on collegiate success in the context of social adversity
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-12) Hopson, Kenneth; Naidoo, Anthony V.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Non-traditional students or students entering tertiary education at an older age represent a growing portion of South African students in higher education. These are students who for any number of reasons have disengaged with the typical educational path. The future of postapartheid South Africa is deeply dependent on expanding access to the economy, and securing this access is largely dependent on opening the doors of learning and education to this marginalized group. As such, supporting academic re-engagement for non-traditional students is essential to the growth of South Africa. In order to better understand how to support non-traditional students, this study sought to identify the challenges facing South African students, and to understand the elements that foster resilience in them, specifically as it relates to their academic pursuits. A case study of nontraditional students pursuing higher education was undertaken based on qualitative inquiry that focused on student experiences preceding and during collegiate study at the Tertiary School for Business Administration (TSiBA), a community college catering for students from low-income backgrounds. During semi-structured interviews, students detailed the elements of their experiences that they perceived as impacting their respective academic careers. These elements were determined to be supports or challenges, based on existing literature focused on youth development, education, and resilience. Data was collected from 10 TSiBA students, all having completed at least one year of study at the institution. This study found that, while there was clear evidence of deep levels of adversity and trauma in their lives, students mostly benefitted from supports and programming aimed at providing financial relief, promoting mental and emotional health, and fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility among students. With these elements being core functions of the TSiBA model, the institution’s comparatively high student throughput (success) rate indicates that the provision of such supports is effective in mitigating adverse conditions and allowing students that might have been thwarted by such adversity to maintain their educational pursuits. The essential finding of this study is that students can thrive when adequately resourced and provided with the right supports. Financial backing and people-based supports- such as counselling and development services and mentorship- may yield profound positive impacts on a student’s ability to reach academic achievement and may even be the difference between educational pursuit and unreached potential.