Kritiese suksesfaktore vir werkende studente in 'n aanlyn leeromgewing
Date
2023-03
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die volwasse werkende student is kenmerkend van die hedendaagse hoëronderwysbestel en word toenemend as die norm beskou. Volwassenes wat deur hoëronderwysstudies kennis wil ontwikkel, kundigheid wil versterk, vaardighede wil aanleer en lewenslange leer toepas, moet hul studies balanseer met vele ander verpligtinge soos gesins- en gemeenskapsverantwoordelikhede en ʼn loop-baan. Weens werkende studente se uiteenlopende verpligtinge en die uitdagings wat daarmee gepaard gaan, word hulle genoop om voortdurend ʼn balans tussen werk, gesin en studies te probeer bewerkstellig. Wanneer dit nie meer moontlik is om hierdie balans te handhaaf nie en die werkende student sekere verpligtinge moet prioritiseer, bly hulle studies meestal in die slag.
Die fokus van hierdie navorsing is gerig op die kritiese suksesfaktore wat werkende studente in staat stel om hulle studies te slaag. Suksesfaktore in drie subkategorieë, naamlik persoonlike, institusionele en werksplekfaktore, is uit vakwetenskaplike literatuur geïdentifiseer. Die teikengroep van die studie was afgestudeerde werkende studente, wat reeds hul kwalifikasies in ʼn aanlyn leeromgewing suksesvol voltooi het aan ʼn privaat hoëronderwysinstelling (HOI) met Afrikaans as onderrigtaal.
Die verduidelikende gemengde navorsingsmetode is gevolg, wat beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data in twee opeenvolgende fases ingesamel, ontleed en vermeng het om suksesfaktore vir die werkende student te bepaal. Die eerste fase het bestaan uit ʼn kwantitatiewe studie wat ʼn self-gegenereerde vraelys as data-insamelingsinstrument gebruik het. In fase twee is kwalitatiewe data ingesamel deur middel van individuele aanlyn onderhoude met afgestudeerde werkende studente wat ook aan die vraelysopname deelgeneem het. Alhoewel Bean en Metzner (1985) se model vir onkonvensionele voorgraadse studenteverlies as ʼn konsepsuele raamwerk vir hierdie studie voorgehou is, het die bevindinge van hierdie studie verskille getoon met die Bean en Metzner model. Die resultate van hierdie studie het dus gelei tot die ontwikkeling van ʼn konsepsuele raamwerk wat veranderlikes (kritiese suksesfaktore) identifiseer wat relevant is tot die bevindinge in hierdie studie en die privaat HOI waarop die studie gebaseer is.
Die bevindinge het getoon dat toewyding, tydsbestuur, motivering en gesinsomstandighede deur deelnemers aan die studie as die belangrikste persoonlike faktore geag is. Die belangrikste institusionele faktore was gehalte onderrig, kurrikulumgehalte, die moontlikheid van ʼn beter werk na voltooiing van kwalifikasies, beskikbaarheid van nauurse studies, en studiekoste. Werksure, studieverlof, die invloed van werkslading op akademiese prestasie en verdeelde fokus tussen werk en studies is as die belangrikste werksplekfaktore bevind wat ʼn rol speel in die suksesvolle voltooiing van HO studies. Die deelnemers aan die onderhoude het almal tydsbestuur as uiters belangrik geag en dit was ook hul grootste uitdaging tydens hul studies.
Die bevindinge van hierdie studie dra by tot die bestaande kennis en literatuur oor die suksesfaktore wat ʼn positiewe effek kan hê op die akademiese sukses van werkende studente. Wanneer werkende studente die belangrikheid van hierdie suksesfaktore beter verstaan, stel dit hulle in staat om ingeligte besluite te neem en die nodige stappe te neem om akademies suksesvol te wees. Die studie se bevindinge bied ook insigte vir HOI’s en werkgewers ten opsigte van die behoeftes en uitdagings van werkende studente.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Working adults who are engaged in higher education studies are no longer uncommon in the current higher education scenario and these students are increasingly becoming the norm. Working adults who enter higher education in order to develop knowledge and expertise, acquire skills and engage in lifelong learning, have to balance their studies with numerous other obligations such as family and community responsibilities and a career. Due to working students’ diverse obligations and their concomitant challenges, they have to continuously try to keep work, family and studies in balance. When this balance becomes impossible and working students by necessity have to prioritise some obligations, their studies usually bear the brunt. The focus of this research was identifying the critical success factors that enable working students to be successful in their studies. Success factors in three sub-categories, namely personal, institutional and workplace factors were identified from scholarly literature. The target group of the study was graduated working students, who had completed their qualifications in an online learning environment at a private higher education institution with Afrikaans as medium of instruction. An explanatory mixed method study was used, which collected, analysed and amalgamated both quantitative and qualitative data in two successive phases in order to determine what the critical success factors for working students are. In the first phase, quantitative data were collected through a survey that employed a self-generated questionnaire. In phase two qualitative data were gathered by means of individual online interviews with working graduates who had also participated in the survey. Although Bean and Metzner’s model (1985) for nontraditional undergraduate student attrition was chosen as an appropriate conceptual framework for the study, the findings of the study uncovered several differences to the Bean and Metzner framework. The results of my study thus gave rise to the development of a more appropriate conceptual framework that identifies the variables (critical success factors) that are relevant to the findings of this study and the private higher education institution where this study was done. The findings demonstrate that commitment, time management, motivation and family circumstances were regarded as the most important personal factors by participants in the study, whereas the most important institutional factors included quality teaching, the quality of the curriculum, the possibility of a better position after graduation, availability of after hours study, and study costs. Working hours, study leave, the influence of workload on academic performance, and split focus between work and studies were found to be the most important workplace factors that play a role in the successful completion of higher education studies. The interview participants all regarded time management as extremely important and the biggest challenge during their studies. The findings of this study contribute to the existing knowledge and literature on success factors that can have a positive effect on the academic success of working students. When working students have a better understanding of these success factors, they will be enabled to take informed decisions and to implement the necessary measures to be academically successful. The study’s findings also provide insights for higher education institutions and for employers regarding the needs and challenges of working students.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Working adults who are engaged in higher education studies are no longer uncommon in the current higher education scenario and these students are increasingly becoming the norm. Working adults who enter higher education in order to develop knowledge and expertise, acquire skills and engage in lifelong learning, have to balance their studies with numerous other obligations such as family and community responsibilities and a career. Due to working students’ diverse obligations and their concomitant challenges, they have to continuously try to keep work, family and studies in balance. When this balance becomes impossible and working students by necessity have to prioritise some obligations, their studies usually bear the brunt. The focus of this research was identifying the critical success factors that enable working students to be successful in their studies. Success factors in three sub-categories, namely personal, institutional and workplace factors were identified from scholarly literature. The target group of the study was graduated working students, who had completed their qualifications in an online learning environment at a private higher education institution with Afrikaans as medium of instruction. An explanatory mixed method study was used, which collected, analysed and amalgamated both quantitative and qualitative data in two successive phases in order to determine what the critical success factors for working students are. In the first phase, quantitative data were collected through a survey that employed a self-generated questionnaire. In phase two qualitative data were gathered by means of individual online interviews with working graduates who had also participated in the survey. Although Bean and Metzner’s model (1985) for nontraditional undergraduate student attrition was chosen as an appropriate conceptual framework for the study, the findings of the study uncovered several differences to the Bean and Metzner framework. The results of my study thus gave rise to the development of a more appropriate conceptual framework that identifies the variables (critical success factors) that are relevant to the findings of this study and the private higher education institution where this study was done. The findings demonstrate that commitment, time management, motivation and family circumstances were regarded as the most important personal factors by participants in the study, whereas the most important institutional factors included quality teaching, the quality of the curriculum, the possibility of a better position after graduation, availability of after hours study, and study costs. Working hours, study leave, the influence of workload on academic performance, and split focus between work and studies were found to be the most important workplace factors that play a role in the successful completion of higher education studies. The interview participants all regarded time management as extremely important and the biggest challenge during their studies. The findings of this study contribute to the existing knowledge and literature on success factors that can have a positive effect on the academic success of working students. When working students have a better understanding of these success factors, they will be enabled to take informed decisions and to implement the necessary measures to be academically successful. The study’s findings also provide insights for higher education institutions and for employers regarding the needs and challenges of working students.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.