Factors Contributing to the Academic Challenges Faced by South African Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Biokinetics Students

Abstract

Students of the Health Science professions of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Biokinetics share mutual subjects detailing human bodily functions, as well as their pathology and subsequent rehabilitation, as such sharing similarly factors influencing academic success. Factors influencing students’ academic success include matriculation scores, pedagogic techniques, successful integration into the university environment, self-efficacy, finances, and the language of instruction/teaching. While the three professions share similar prerequisite matriculation subjects, their university admission point scores vary, generating a degree of concern within a number of higher education institutions (HEIs). The global need to provide liberal access to HEIs has encouraged many tertiary institutions to adopt a policy of affirmative action that encompasses two fundamental strategies; the provision of financial support for deserving undergraduate students from previously disadvantaged communities, and the lowering of prerequisite admission scores. Despite these attempts at the creation of higher education equity, many students’ academic performance is poor. The primary objective of this chapter is to review the factors, which influence the academic success rate of students engaged in a course of study geared at entry into the Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, or Biokinetics professions at a South African HEI. This paper chapter seeks to recommend potential strategies to improve student academic performance.