Equity in changing patterns of enrolment, in learner retentionand success at the Cape Technikon1

Favish, Judy

doi:10.4314/sajhe.v19i2.25651

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Letseka and Maile (2008) point out that 70% of the students dropping out of university are from very poor families. Adjustment to the university environment and the fit between the background of students and the demands of the university are also identified as critical to academic success (Favish 2005 (Van Heerden 1995) and there is a mismatch between the expectations of lecturers and students (Fraser and Killen 2005;Ngidi 2007). Poor class attendance further complicates the matter (Steenkamp et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One line of argumentation about language is that many learners are disadvantaged by the fact that they have to learn through a second language rather than their home language. In most discussions of language in education policy, there is an underlying assumption that poor English language proficiency is a barrier to educational achievement (Favish 2005;Ncgobo 2009). Poor writing skills make it difficult for learners to demonstrate their learning achievement (Huysamen 2000;Downs 2005;De Beer 2006; Barnes et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The language issue and academic performance at a South African University

Rooy

2015

Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies

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Academic performance at universities in South Africa is a cause of concern. It is widely acknowledged that there are a variety of factors that contribute to poor academic performance, but language is regarded as one of the most important issues in this discussion. In this article, the relationship between language and academic performance at a South African university for the first-year group in 2010 (n = 900) is investigated, taking their performance in their second (2011) and third (2012) year into account. The authors review: (a) the relationships between measures of language ability (matric scores, and scores on university placement tests like the NBT and TALL/TAG); and (b) the relationship between these language measures, performance in courses offered by universities to support students and general academic success indicators to investigate the language issue and academic performance at university. The main findings of the study are: (a) matric average results above 65% are useful to predict academic success at university; matric average results below 65% cannot be used with confidence to predict success at university; (b) language measures (e.g. matric language marks, and scores on academic literacy tests used by some universities) are not good predictors of academic success at university; (c) there are strong positive relationships between the academic literacy components in the NBT and TALL/TAG; and (d) scores achieved in academic literacy modules are good predictors of academic success. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of strategic decisions that academic managers should consider when they reflect on the language issue and its impact on academic performance at South African universities.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The language issue and academic performance at a South African University

Rooy

2015

Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies

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“…The relationship between the language of instruction and academic performance has been a subject of debate in the South African decolonization discourse, with scholars such as Favish (2005) and Van Rooy and Coetzee-Van Rooy (2015) highlighting the negative impact that English, as a language of instruction has on the academic performance of Black students at South African tertiary institutions. Cross and Carpentier (2009) also affirm that learners attending schools in poor communities are faced with the challenge of less qualified and inexperienced teachers who do not prepare them adequately for university; hence, learners come to university with learning deficits which in turn contributes to them failing.…”

Section: Use Of English As a Language Of Instructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived factors that contribute to Black social work students’ failure of courses at university level: A case study of 3rd year social work students at a South African university

Munyoro

Dube

2020

Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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In a democratic South Africa, a significant number of Black students have gained entry and access to higher education, which is a remarkable improvement. However, as much as the access rate has improved, the success rate of Black students remains low in different universities because of perceived inequalities amongst racial groups. This has resulted in debates about the urgent need for decolonization of South African universities to address the low throughput rates of Black students. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand the reasons for failing among Black social work students at a university in Johannesburg. The study was qualitative in nature, and it used an exploratory-descriptive case study design. Utilizing a semi-structured interview schedule as a research tool, the study employed one-on-one in-depth interviews as a method of data collection with 15 Black third year social work students who were recruited into the study using purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected. The main findings from the study showed that failure of Black social work students at a university in Johannesburg was exacerbated by the language used as a medium of instruction, inability to use technology, lack of adequate social and institutional support, and socioeconomic factors. Recommendations are made in terms of programmatic interventions.

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“…She warns that if one pursues only one of these issues to the exclusion of others, one tends to reinforce 'differences constructed along lines of gender, race and ability' (Ng 2003, 27). Favish (2005) identifies language of tuition, happiness with social environment, support levels to address problems and difficulties, accommodation of different levels of cultural experiences, acceptance into programmes of choice and organisation of the curriculum including lecture structures as factors relevant to the achievement and measuring of equity.…”

Section: Terminologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Aspects of student equity and higher education in South Africa

Beckmann¹

2009

South African Journal of Higher Education

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Badat (2004, 4) refers to the triple challenge facing higher education: to promote equity and growth within a democratic framework and to consolidate a fledgling democracy. In higher education there is inherent tension between growth (access to education) and equity. The article argues that the vagueness in which the term "equity" is generally used as a synonym for "equality" contributes to an oversimplification of relevant issues. It also argues that the common practice of describing equity almost exclusively in quantitative terms (such as enrolment figures) detracts from important issues like the quality of the educational process, accountability and even outcomes. It explores other possibilities of conceptualising and reporting on equity.

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Equity in changing patterns of enrolment, in learner retentionand success at the Cape Technikon1

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

The language issue and academic performance at a South African University

The language issue and academic performance at a South African University

Perceived factors that contribute to Black social work students’ failure of courses at university level: A case study of 3rd year social work students at a South African university

Aspects of student equity and higher education in South Africa

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