Die rol van nie-akademiese mentorskap om studente uit gemarginaliseerde groepe by 'n universiteit te laat inskakel – 'n gevallestudie
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
LitNet
Abstract
Die protesoptrede van universiteitstudente wêreldwyd en veral in Suid-Afrika het die afgelope
tyd die soeklig op toegang tot die hoër onderwys gewerp. Die gewysigde kriteria vir programakkreditasie
van die Hoëronderwysgehaltekomitee moedig universiteite egter nou aan om hulle
toelatingsbeleide met die Nasionale Plan vir Hoër Onderwys te versoen en toegang tot hoër
onderwys te verbreed deur vir “buigsame toegangsroetes” voorsiening te maak (RHO 2004:9).
Een so ’n buigsame toegangsroete aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) is SciMathUS, ’n jaar
lange oorbruggingsprogram vir wetenskap en wiskunde, wat benadeelde studente ’n tweede
geleentheid bied om hulle prestasie in dié vakke te verbeter om universiteitstoelating te bekom.
As gevolg van historiese maatskaplike en onderwysongelykhede betree baie swart SciMathUSstudente
dikwels die universiteit met “gebrekkige” vakkennis en leervaardighede – kennis en
vaardighede wat strydig is met dít waaraan die universiteit waarde heg. Dit dra dikwels by tot
’n hoër uitsaksyfer onder swart studente (Van der Berg en Gustafsson 2019). Daarteenoor
verkry die meeste SciMathUS-studente nie net universiteitstoelating nie – hulle hou ook koers
en gradueer. Hierdie studente ontvang ’n jaar se gratis verblyf in universiteitshuisvesting, waar
hulle ook nie-akademiese mentorskap ontvang. In teenstelling met vorige navorsing oor die
SciMathUS-program, wat hoofsaaklik om die akademiesesteunkomponent sentreer (Malan
2008; Lourens 2013), ondersoek ek in hierdie artikel die impak van nie-akademiese mentorskap
op die SciMathUS-student se inskakeling by die universiteit. Na aanleiding van ’n studie van
beleid vir en literatuur oor studentementorskap, sowel as onderhoude met mentors, is die
gevolgtrekking dat nie-akademiese mentorskap produktiewe interaksies met die kapitaalvorme
van studente uit gemarginaliseerde omstandighede fasiliteer, ook dat dit die suksesvolle
navigasie van sodanige studente in hoëronderwysinstellings ondersteun.
The recent protest action of university students worldwide, and especially in South Africa, has shed light on access to higher education. The amended criteria for the Higher Education Quality Committee’s programme accreditation now encourage universities to reconcile their admission policies with the National Plan for Higher Education and broaden access to higher education by providing “flexible access routes” (RHO 2004:9). One such flexible access route to Stellenbosch University (US) is SciMathUS, a year-long bridging programme in science and mathematics, which offers disadvantaged students a second opportunity to improve their performance in these subjects to gain university admission. Many black SciMathUS students, due to historical social and educational inequalities, often enter the university with subject knowledge and learning skills that conflict with what the university values, which are then deemed deficient. This often contributes to a higher dropout rate among black students (Van der Berg and Gustafsson 2019). However, most SciMathUS students do not only gain university admission, they also stay on course and graduate. While previous research on the application of learning strategies in SciMathUS lecture halls (Malan 2008) and the SciMathUS student’s academic struggle (Lourens 2013) are dealt with in this study, it enters the hitherto unexplored non-academic field of the SciMathUS programme. The aim is to understand how informal mentoring in this “second-chance programme” helps students from marginalised circumstances to access the university in a way that promotes successful holistic integration into, and navigation through, university life.
The recent protest action of university students worldwide, and especially in South Africa, has shed light on access to higher education. The amended criteria for the Higher Education Quality Committee’s programme accreditation now encourage universities to reconcile their admission policies with the National Plan for Higher Education and broaden access to higher education by providing “flexible access routes” (RHO 2004:9). One such flexible access route to Stellenbosch University (US) is SciMathUS, a year-long bridging programme in science and mathematics, which offers disadvantaged students a second opportunity to improve their performance in these subjects to gain university admission. Many black SciMathUS students, due to historical social and educational inequalities, often enter the university with subject knowledge and learning skills that conflict with what the university values, which are then deemed deficient. This often contributes to a higher dropout rate among black students (Van der Berg and Gustafsson 2019). However, most SciMathUS students do not only gain university admission, they also stay on course and graduate. While previous research on the application of learning strategies in SciMathUS lecture halls (Malan 2008) and the SciMathUS student’s academic struggle (Lourens 2013) are dealt with in this study, it enters the hitherto unexplored non-academic field of the SciMathUS programme. The aim is to understand how informal mentoring in this “second-chance programme” helps students from marginalised circumstances to access the university in a way that promotes successful holistic integration into, and navigation through, university life.
Description
CITATION: Joorst, J. 2021. Die rol van nie-akademiese mentorskap om studente uit gemarginaliseerde groepe by 'n universiteit te laat inskakel – 'n gevallestudie. LitNet Akademies, 18(1):423-449.
The original publication is available at https://www.litnet.co.za
The original publication is available at https://www.litnet.co.za
Keywords
Universities and colleges -- South Africa, Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Case studies, Mentoring in education -- South Africa -- Case studies, Students with social disabilities -- Education -- South Africa -- Case studies, Compensatory education -- Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Case studies, Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Study and teaching -- Case studies
Citation
Joorst, J. 2021. Die rol van nie-akademiese mentorskap om studente uit gemarginaliseerde groepe by 'n universiteit te laat inskakel – 'n gevallestudie. LitNet Akademies, 18(1):423-449.