An investigation into factors impacting first-generation students’ intention to terminate their undergraduate studies
| dc.contributor.advisor | Bailey, Lisa | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Vergottini, Danielle | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-03-06T12:50:31Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-05-18T07:19:49Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-03-06T12:50:31Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-05-18T07:19:49Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | 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. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid-Afrika is die vermoens van opgeleide professionele persone baie gesog omdat dit organisasies 'n mededingende voordeel bied en kennis bevorder wat ontvanklik is vir 'n verskeidenheid sosiale doelwitte. Universiteitsgegradueerdes wat goed opgevoed is, speel 'n beduidende rol in die nasionale stelsel omdat hulle die inligting en vermoens besit wat wereldwye uitbreiding en vooruitgang ondersteun. Wanneer studente hul grade voltooi, kan hulle baat vind by dinge soos verbeterde inkomste, persoonlike groei, beter werksmoontlikhede, wereldwye geleenthede, meer geloofwaardigheid, selfdifferensiasie en professionele vordering. Die feit dat Suid-Afrika nie sy gradueringsdoelwitte bereik nie, wat aan uitval of staking van studies gekoppel kan word, beteken dat die land se burgers nou net 'n baie klein gedeelte van hierdie voordele ontvang. Suid-Afrikaanse tersiere instellings bele aansienlik in die verbetering van hoer onderwys deur die kommerwekkende hoe uitvalkoers te verlaag; nietemin blyk hul pogings nutteloos te wees weens ondoeltreffende of verkeerde maatreels. Die behoud van studente, veral eerstegenerasiestudente, word in die gedrang gebring weens 'n verskeidenheid spesifieke uitdagings. Verskeie studies het gefokus op studente-uitvalsyfers op voorgraadse vlak, min het egter gefokus op die uitval van eerstegenerasie studente. Boonop is daar 'n leemte in bestaande literatuur betreffende die faktore wat eerstegenerasiestudente se voorneme beinvloed om die universiteit te verlaat. Die oorkoepelende doel van die studie was dus om die impak van persoon-omgewing inpassing onder eerstegenerasiestudente in 'n Suid-Afrikaanse tersiere instelling te ondersoek (m.a.w. Stellenbosch Universiteit) en die mees opvallende faktore wat bydra tot eerstegenerasiestudente se voorneme om hul voorgraadse studie te beeindig (m.a.w. voorneme om op te hou), te verstaan en aan te spreek. Die studie het dus 'n strukturele model ondersoek wat verskeie faktore uiteensit wat die voorneme om op te hou onder eerstegenerasie studente beinvloed, met 'n spesifieke fokus op persoon-omgewing-passing en die belangrikheid daarvan. Die studie het verder die insluiting van bykomende veranderlikes ondersoek, m.a.w. toegang tot beroepsvoorligting, sosio-ekonomiese status en akademiese paraatheid, wat moontlik addisionele afwykings in voorneme om op te hou onder eerstegenerasiestudente kan verklaar. Deur begrip van hoe die veranderlikes wat genoem word eerstegenerasiestudente se persepsies van hoeronderwysinisiatiewe beinvloed en hoe hierdie studentepersepsies oorsaaklik verband hou met die voorneme om op te hou, sal hoeronderwysinstellings in die beste posisie plaas om die kwessie rakende die hoe uitvalsyfer doeltreffend aan te spreek. 'n Kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenadering, meer spesifiek, 'n ex post facto korrelasie navorsingsontwerp is gevolg om ondersteuning te vind vir 'n strukturele model van eerstegenerasie studente se voorneme om op te hou, wat ontwikkel is deur 'n deeglike oorsig van die literatuur. Data is ingesamel met behulp van 'n self-geadministreerde aanlyn vraelys van N=188 voorgraadse eerstegenerasie studente van die Fakulteit Ekonomie en Bestuurswetenskappe by die Universiteit Stellenbosch. Die data wat ingesamel is, is ontleed deur gebruik te maak van 'n verskeidenheid tegnieke, insluitend item-analise, korrelasieanalise, verkennende faktor-analise en gedeeltelike kleinste-kwadrate-strukturele vergelykingsmodellering. Tien hipoteses in voorgestel en ondersteuning is gevind vir een van die tien hipoteses. Die resultate van die studie het aangedui dat daar 'n statisties beduidende verhouding is tussen akademiese paraatheid en voorneme om op te hou, wat beteken dat namate eerstegenerasiestudente se akademiese paraatheid toeneem, hul voorneme om op te hou sal afneem. Die resultate het egter verder getoon dat persoon-omgewingpassing, toegang tot beroepsvoorligting en sosio-ekonomiese status geen invloed het op eerstegenerasiestudente se voorneme om op te hou nie. Verder is geen ondersteuning gevind vir die verwantskappe tussen toegang tot beroepsberading en persoon-omgewingpassing, sosio-ekonomiese status en toegang tot beroepsvoorligting en sosio-ekonomiese status en akademiese paraatheid nie. Anders as wat literatuur aangedui het, is geen ondersteuning vir die drie bemiddelende verhoudings in die studie gevind nie: (1) Persoon-omgewingpassing bemiddel die verhouding tussen toegang tot beroepsberading en voorneme om op te hou; (2) Toegang tot beroepsvoorligting bemiddel die verhouding tussen (lae) sosio-ekonomiese status en persoon-omgewing-passing; (3) Akademiese paraatheid bemiddel die verhouding tussen (lae) sosio-ekonomiese status en voorneme om op te hou. Hierdie bevindinge laat egter steeds toe dat intervensies op eerstegenerasiestudente aangepas kan word om nie net eerstegenerasiestudente self nie, maar Suid-Afrikaanse tersiere instellings in die bree by te staan en te ondersteun om uiteindelik die kommerwekkend hoe uitvalsyfer te verlaag. Die inligting kan dus gebruik word om studentebehoud, spesifiek met betrekking tot akademiese paraatheid, te verstaan en te beinvloed. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Masters | |
| dc.format.extent | xv, 195 pages : illustrations, includes annexures | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127392 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | College dropouts -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.lcsh | College students -- Attitudes | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.lcsh | First-generation college students | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.name | UCTD | |
| dc.title | An investigation into factors impacting first-generation students’ intention to terminate their undergraduate studies | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |
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