Relationship between student preparedness, learning experiences and agency: Perspectives from a South African university

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorRoman, Nicolette V.
dc.contributor.authorTitus, Simone
dc.contributor.authorDison, Arona
dc.date.accessioned2016-05-14T20:35:58Z
dc.date.available2016-05-14T20:35:58Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractOne of the more discernible needs that challenges universities is addressing the level of preparedness of students entering the higher education environment. Students expect to participate in active learning, while at the same time adopting a certain level of agency to successfully pass through higher education. To determine the relationship between student preparedness, learning experiences and agency of students in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (FCHS), University of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town, South Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 266 (N=578) convenience sampled 3rd-year students in the FCHS. Data were collected with an instrument constructed from items of evaluation from the departments in the FCHS and other validated instruments. Findings suggest that 3rd-year students perceive themselves as moderately prepared on enrolling at UWC (mean (SD) 13.74 (1.86)); current learning experiences are favourably indicated (94.04 (15.32)). On average, students perceive themselves to be agents of their own learning (51.56 (8.79)). Furthermore, a significantly positive relationship was found between learning experiences and agency. This study broadens our understanding of the Vygotskian perspective of the zone of proximal development, where students bring their own knowledge, interact with lecturers who scaffold their learning, and then become agents in their own learning.en_US
dc.identifier.citationRoman, N.V. et al. (2016). Relationship between student preparedness, learning experiences and agency: Perspectives from a South African university. African Journal of Health Professions Education, 8(1): 30-32en_US
dc.identifier.issn2078-5127
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10566/2194
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.privacy.showsubmitterFALSE
dc.publisherHealth and Medical Publishing Groupen_US
dc.source.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2016.v8i1.490
dc.status.ispeerreviewedTRUE
dc.subjectStudent learning
dc.subjectUniversity of the Western Cape
dc.subjectStudent preparedness
dc.subjectAgency
dc.subjectHealth science professionals
dc.subjectVygotsky
dc.subjectZone of proximal development (ZPD)
dc.titleRelationship between student preparedness, learning experiences and agency: Perspectives from a South African university
dc.typeArticleen_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Roman_Relationship_2016.pdf
Size:
72.75 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download

Collections

Research Articles (Social Work)
Prof. Nicolette Roman (Social Work)
Research Aricles (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science)
Research Articles (Scholarship of Teaching & Learning)