Department of Industrial Psychology

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Browsing Department of Industrial Psychology by Subject "Academic performance -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa"

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    Development and evaluation of an Academic Performance Structural Model for a sample of tertiary students in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Swanepoel, Kayla; Boonzaier, Billy; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Given the low socio-economic status of a large percentage of South African citizens, the alleviation of poverty, unemployment and income inequality poses a core concern which could partly be addressed by the increased attainment of tertiary academic qualifications by a larger number of citizens. Far-reaching repercussions that have persisted for years following the abolishment of the Apartheid regime, have resulted in income inequalities, high levels of poverty and continued disadvantage (Statistics South Africa, 2017a). The COVID-19 pandemic placed further strain on an already struggling economy (Council on Higher Education, 2020). Research shows that educational attainment is closely correlated with poverty and inequality in populations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africans with lower educational levels were more likely to receive reduced salaries than those with higher levels of education (Statistics South Africa, 2020). Therefore, educating a larger number of South African citizens at a tertiary level presents a sustainable, long-term solution for the creation of more skilled and semi-skilled individuals in the country over time. The current study therefore sought to identify the most salient antecedents of variance in the tertiary academic performance of South African students. From the literature, the variables of mental toughness, imposing student ‘job’ demands, stress surplus, and engagement were identified as possible antecedents to academic performance outcomes. The job demands-resources model (JD-R model) was identified as the most suitable theoretical framework to guide the study. A structural model was developed and empirically tested to explain the complex interactions between the variables and to determine whether/to what degree the variables cause variance in the tertiary academic performance in the sample of undergraduate students at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. After obtaining ethical clearance, institutional permission, and informed consent from the respective parties, quantitative data were collected electronically (via email) from a sample of 600+ undergraduate tertiary students. The human rights of the participants were respected throughout the research process by strictly adhering to research ethics. Participants were asked to complete a voluntary, self-administered, online questionnaire consisting of six sections, namely biographical information, academic performance information, job demands items, mental toughness items, stress overload items, and engagement items. The items were combined to form a composite questionnaire. To empirically test the data, an exploratory ex post facto correlational research design was followed. The statistical techniques of Item Analysis (IA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Partial Least Squares (PLS) Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were utilised to analyse the data, after which the various hypotheses were tested. Seven path-specific hypotheses with five main interaction effects and two moderating interaction effects were formulated. From the results, the five main hypotheses were found to be statistically significant with one hypothesis not moving in the direction proposed by the literature. Neither of the hypothesised moderating effects were found to be statistically significant. The objectives of the study were reflected on, limitations of the study and recommendations for future researchers were provided, followed by the provision of various practical implications and suggestions from the research findings.