- Title
- Eastern Cape students’ barriers to well-being and academic success in higher education: A photovoice study
- Creator
- Dilley, Jessica
- Subject
- Education, Higher
- Subject
- Educational change -- South Africa
- Date Issued
- 2020-02
- Date
- 2020-02
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20949
- Identifier
- vital:46862
- Description
- The contemporary educational landscape in South Africa is characterised by prevailing inequities and disparities within higher education institutions and poor academic achievement. Although participation in higher education has increased over time, many students do not complete their courses within the required time and a high proportion of students continue to drop out, with few students progressing to postgraduate level. Majority of students who do not complete their courses are poor. Many students are faced with a number of barriers that stand in the way of academic success and, ultimately, graduation. However, through agency students often draw from a range of supports to promote their well-being and academic success. This study aims to balance the literature by investigating not only the barriers, but also the supports to success in university. This study addresses the notion that students from historically black universities are underrepresented in the literature. The current study explored Eastern Cape students’ barriers and supports to success within higher education. Five undergraduate female students participated in focus groups, which incorporated photovoice, adding to the participative nature of the research methodology. Focus group data were subjected to thematic analysis, informed by social constructionist theory. Three themes were prevalent: barriers within higher education, coping strategies positioned on a continuum and supports in higher education. Descriptions revealed that barriers and supports are reinforced by prevailing discourses, which are critiqued and/or used for the benefit of the students’ well-being. Barriers were limiting, yet also sites for personal growth and agency, whilst the engagement with supports was mediated predominantly by the intersection of social categories (race, gender, socio-economic status) occupied by students.
- Description
- Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2020
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (151 leaves)
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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UFH Department of Psychology
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | DILLEY JESSICA THESIS.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |