The mismatch between first-year students’ expectations and experience alongside university access and success: A South African university case study
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Date
2018
Authors
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Publisher
African Sun Media
Abstract
The widening of access into higher education institutions in South Africa has rapidly transformed the
student population to become more diverse. Students vary in age, race, culture, backgrounds, educational
experiences, academic potential and university expectations. Widening university access with the
commensurate need for success requires intervention mechanisms to ensure university management
addresses student challenges, especially at first-year undergraduate level. Access and success cannot be
achieved without understanding students’ university expectations and experiences, as these are critical
factors that are integrated with retention and success. This paper examines the gap between students’
expectation and experience and argues that the intensity of such a gap can negatively impact the goal of
achieving access and success amongst students from diverse backgrounds. The study utilised a pre- and
post-survey to collect quantitative data from 95 first-year teacher education students at a university
of technology in South Africa. The results indicate that there is a significant gap between students’
expectations and their actual university experience with regard to the following indicators: social
engagement, academic engagement and seeking academic support. It is posited that such a mismatch
between students’ university expectations and experience can result in students feeling disconnected to
the institution, which could lead to academic failure and high drop-out rates. This study recommends
that an intentionally planned first-year experience programme is required to entrench a more inclusive
and sustainable first-year experience for ‘all students’ which could close the gap between students’
expectation and experience and access and success.
Description
Keywords
South Africa, Higher education, Students, First year experience (FYE), First year students, Well-being, Student experience
Citation
Pather, S., & Dorasamy, N. (2018). The mismatch between first-year students’ expectations and experience alongside university access and success: a South African university case study. Journal of Student Affairs in Africa, 6(1), 49–64. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24085/jsaa.v6i1.3065