Rethinking teaching in higher Rethinking teaching in higher educationeducation

Who are our students? Who are our students? What are their needs? What are their needs?

Dr Melvyn NovemberDr Melvyn November

The Student Retention and Graduate The Student Retention and Graduate Destination StudyDestination Study: :

Dropout or stop outDropout or stop out at the

University of the Western Cape

Mignonne BreierMignonne Breier

Chief Research Specialist in the Education, Science and Skills Chief Research Specialist in the Education, Science and Skills

Development Research Programme of the HSRCDevelopment Research Programme of the HSRC

Background

•Problem of student attrition acute in SA

• In 2000, – 30% dropped out in first-year of study– Further 20% dropped out in 2nd & 3rd years– Of the remaining 50%, fewer than half (22%)

graduated with generic BA with specified three-year period (DoE, 2001)

Rationale of study

•To provide a clearer understanding of the factors that shape the trajectory of students into, through and out of HE institutions and into the labour market.

Scope of the studyScope of the study

• Study - Study - moment in history of institutions: moment in history of institutions: 20022002

• Seven institutions Seven institutions 1. 1. Cape Peninsula Technikon Cape Peninsula Technikon

2. Fort Hare2. Fort Hare

3. Pretoria Technikon 3. Pretoria Technikon

4. Stellenbosch4. Stellenbosch

5. U. of the North5. U. of the North

6. Western Cape6. Western Cape

7. Witswatersrand7. Witswatersrand

Three phases of project

• Institutional profiles – graduates and non-completers

•Profiles of individual students – Surveys of graduates and non-completers

without achieving a qualification, and those

with a notional three- or four-year qualifications

•Case studies of the seven institutions

82% 82%79%

53%50%

25% 25%

6% 6% 6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

UFH UNorth UWC SU Wits

Socio-Economic Status of Non-Completers

Low-SES

High-SES

32

18 17

24

9

65

18

85 4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Humanities Combined programmes

Science Education BSC

Completers vs Non-Completers:UWC Faculty Enrolment

Completers

Non-Completers

68%

32%

47%53%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Excluded Voluntarily

Reasons for non-completers leaving

UWC

SU

40%

27%

33%

17%

52%

31%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Finance Academic Finance & Academic

Reasons for students being excluded

UWC

SU

• Zivana Jenkinson, General Marketing Manager of Zivana Jenkinson, General Marketing Manager of Edu-Loan, South Africa's dedicated education Edu-Loan, South Africa's dedicated education financial services provider, says: financial services provider, says:

"Some students apply for partial bursaries and "Some students apply for partial bursaries and then find themselves stuck with additional costs then find themselves stuck with additional costs they can't afford … Aside from the tuition, there they can't afford … Aside from the tuition, there are textbooks, transport, food, accommodation are textbooks, transport, food, accommodation and other living costs that can financially cripple and other living costs that can financially cripple the student - and that's when they drop out” the student - and that's when they drop out” ((www.eduloan.co.za. 12-1-11).. 12-1-11).

13

41

13

53

25

11

39

1310

6

2124

53

63

1

13

28

44

10

6

1

11

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

No Income Under R3,200 R3,200-R6,400 R6,401-R12,000

R12,001 + above

Don't know

Income of fathers, mothers or guardians

Father/male guardian % Non-completers

Father/male guardian % Graduate

Mother/female guardian % Non-completers

Mother/female guardian % Graduate

Conclusions - UWC case study

• Many students leave prematurely – cannot afford to stay at university

• Student under-performance and dropout: Not be seen in isolation from

– personal and – parental financial resources

• Vicious cycle: – financial disadvantage and – academic underperformance

Factors affecting student learning at Factors affecting student learning at UWCUWC

Study conducted by Study conducted by

Prof. Vivienne BozalekProf. Vivienne Bozalek

20082008

Motivation of study

•To investigate students’ learning needs and experiences, and

•To use findings to improve learning environment & culture of learning at UWC

Methodology - Workshop

• Workshop on Participatory Learning and Action – 20 students from EMS, ARTS, NS, and CHS

• Individual and group exercises on factors impacting on students’ learning at UWC– Visioning Exercise, Mapping, Matrix ranking, Tree

Exercise

Methodology – Survey

• Questionnaire administered to 696 students • Included all 7 faculties:

EMS, CHS, Arts, Dentistry, Education, Law and Science

• Currently 2nd year students

• Data collection: September-October 2008

Experiences with lecturers and in the classroom

•What do you think students said about our teaching and learning practices?

Attendance: The Lecturer/lectures 1

0.72%3.17%

41.21%

54.90%

0.87%

17.15%

54.24%

17.73%

2.31%

20.66%

61.99%

15.03%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

Alm

ost

neve

rat

tend

Irreg

ular

ly

Fairl

yre

gula

rly

Alw

ays

atte

nd

Not

at a

ll

Not

ver

yw

ell

Qui

tew

ell

Very

wel

l

Very

uncl

ear

Ofte

nun

clea

rU

sual

lyqu

iteun

clea

rVe

rycl

ear

How often attend Explain objectives Clarity

Consultation with lecturers

9.87%

90.13%

6.05%

34.37%

45.87%

13.72%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%N

o

Yes

Har

dly

at a

ll

Som

etim

es

Mos

t of t

hetim

e

All

the

time

Consultation Availability

Dialogue

4.53%

26.32%

56.43%

12.72%17.51%

82.49%

44.79%

55.21%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%V

irtua

llyno

ne o

fit

A li

ttle

of it

A f

air

amou

nt

A lo

t of

it

No

Yes No

Yes

Learning activity in class Group Work Enjoy group work

Use of Digital Media

2.75%

19.36%

30.64%

47.25%

21.17%

78.83%

2.92%

20.12%

34.99%41.98%

0.00%10.00%

20.00%30.00%40.00%

50.00%60.00%70.00%

80.00%90.00%

Neve

r

Occa

siona

lly

Quite

ofte

n

Very

ofte

n No Yes

Less

Enou

gh Mor

e

Muc

h M

ore

Use PC Attended course Use of technology

Use of Writing Centre

57.79%

42.21%

21.83%28.17%

37.68%

12.32%

80%

20%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

No Yes Not really A little bit A fairamount

A lot No Yes

Using the centre Usefulness Help in faculty w ithw riting

Feedback from Lecturers

26.92%

39.94%

26.05%

7.09%

53.97%

36.03%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

No Sometimes Usually AlmosAlw ays

No Yes

Useful Constructive

Inclusivity in higher education

• ‘Access without support is not opportunity. That institutions do not intentionally exclude students from college does not mean that they are including them as fully valued members of the institution andproviding them with support that enables them to translate access into success’ (Engstrom & Tinto, 2008:50).

• Promotion of inclusivity in an attempt to redress apartheid legacies such as the skewed distribution of resources & divisions on the basis of race in this sector.

• Key factors seen to be within the higher education sector’s control are affective factors arising from institutional culture and teaching and learning processes followed in HEIs.

Conclusions and recommendations1. Need to be accessible and available to students

2. Need to Convey clear expectations to students

3. Feedback – why students get marks; improve performance

4. Scaffolding the reading and writing processes

5. Infusion of technology with teaching

6. Use student evaluations - Improve teaching and learning

7. Ways of motivating student learning