Browsing by Author "Vergottini, Danielle"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An investigation into factors impacting first-generation students’ intention to terminate their undergraduate studies
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Vergottini, Danielle; Bailey, Lisa; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: In South Africa, the abilities of educated professionals are highly sought after because they provide organisations with a competitive edge and foster knowledge that is receptive to a variety of social objectives. University graduates who are well-educated play a significant part in the national system because they possess the information and abilities that support worldwide expansion and progress. When students finish their degrees, they can benefit from things like improved income, personal growth, better job possibilities, worldwide opportunities, more credibility, self-differentiation, and professional progress. The fact that South Africa is not meeting its graduation objectives, which can be linked to dropout or discontinuation of studies, means that the country's citizens are now only receiving a very small portion of these advantages. South African tertiary institutions are investing considerably in enhancing higher education by decreasing the alarmingly high dropout rate. Nevertheless, their efforts appear to be futile due to ineffective or misdirected measures. The retention of students, particularly first-generation students, is jeopardized owing to a variety of specific challenges. Various studies have focused on student dropout rates at undergraduate level, but few have focused on first-generation student dropout. Moreover, there is a gap in extant literature regarding the factors that impact first-generation students’ intention to leave university. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the impact of person-environment fit among first-generation students in a South African tertiary institution (i.e. Stellenbosch University) and to understand and address the most salient factors that contribute to first-generation students’ intention to terminate their undergraduate studies (i.e. intention to quit). The study therefore investigated a structural model outlining various factors influencing intention to quit among first-generation students, with a specific focus on person-environment fit and the importance thereof. The study further investigated the inclusion of additional variables, i.e. access to career counselling, socio-economic status, and academic preparedness, that may potentially explain additional variance in intention to quit among first generation students. Through understanding how these variables influence first-generation students’ perceptions of higher education initiatives and how these student perceptions are causally related to intention to quit, higher education institutions will be in the prime position to effectively address the issue regarding the high dropout rate. A quantitative research approach, more specifically, an ex post facto correlation research design, was followed in order to find support for a structural model of first-generation students’ intention to quit, which was developed through a thorough review of the literature. Data was collected using a self-administered online questionnaire from 188 undergraduate firstgeneration students from the Economic and Management Sciences Faculty at Stellenbosch University. The collected data was analysed using a variety of techniques, including item analysis, correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and partial least squares structural equation modelling. Ten hypotheses were tested and support was found for one of the ten hypotheses. The results of the study indicated that there is a statistically significant relationship between academic preparedness and intention to quit, meaning that as first-generation students’ academic preparedness increases, their intention to quit will decrease. However, the results further showed that person-environment fit, access to career counselling, and socio-economic status have no influence on first-generation students’ intention to quit. Furthermore, no support was found for the relationships between access to career counselling and person-environment fit, socio-economic status and access to career counselling and socio-economic status and academic preparedness. Contrary to what literature indicated, no support was found for the three mediating relationships in the study: (1) Person-environment fit mediates the relationship between access to career counselling and intention to quit; (2) Access to career counselling mediates the relationship between (low) socio-economic status and person-environment fit; (3) Academic preparedness mediates the relationship between (low) socio-economic status and intention to quit. However, these findings still allow for interventions to be tailored to firstgeneration students to assist and support not only first-generation students themselves, but South African tertiary institutions at large, to ultimately lower the alarmingly high dropout rate. The information can therefore be used to understand and influence student retention, specifically pertaining to academic preparedness.