On the Teaching of Economics in Africa

The past two years, 1968–9, have seen the publication of a significant handful of economic textbooks, designed for first-year university students in Africa. Their specific aims, their precise range, and their technical quality naturally vary widely; but the important thing is that they have been published at all. This marks the culmination of a long, slow revolution, since the time when the then University College of the Gold Coast began to teach economics in 1949–50, following unmodified London syllabuses. There seemed to be no anxiety to work out any appropriate local substitute for papers in such topics as British industrial history, although this was possible under the regulations; and one of the lecturers told me, ‘There is no need for an African textbook— economic principles are the same all over the world.’

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Career maturity of black, coloured and white university students

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology ◽

10.4102/sajip.v16i1.497 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

H. H. Reid-Van Niekerk ◽

E. C. Van Niekerk

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Cultural Differences ◽

Career Maturity ◽

Black Population ◽

Educational Background ◽

First Year ◽

Development Interventions ◽

The World ◽

Differential Exposure ◽

First Year University

Career maturity attitudes of black, coloured and white first year university students were compared. Black students were found to have lower maturity scores than both their coloured and white counterparts. The result could be attributed to cultural differences, differential exposure to the world of work and differences in educational background. The findings suggest a need for career development interventions to be directed at both the coloured and black population groups. Opsomming Die mate van volwassenheid van loopbaangesindhede onder swart, blanke en kleurlingstudente is met mekaar vergelyk. Daar is bevind dat swart studente laer volwassenheidpunte-tellings as hulle kleuriing- en blanke ewekniee behaal. Die resultaat kan toegeskryf word aan kulturele verskille, 'n andersoortige blootstelling aan die arbeidswereld en verskille in opvoedkundige agtergrond. Die bevindings dui op 'n behoefte aan ingryping in die loopbaanontwikkeling van kleurling- en swart bevolkingsgroepe.

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SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, RELIGIOSITY, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG FIRST-YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.91.5.105-113 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 91 (5) ◽

pp. 105 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

KARL PELTZER

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Substance Use ◽

Academic Performance ◽

University Students ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

First Year ◽

First Year University

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Health related physical activity behaviour of first year university students

International Sports Studies ◽

10.30819/iss.38-1.03 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 ◽

pp. 25-35

Author(s):

Peter Le Rossignol ◽

Myrna Boertien ◽

Eng Hoe Wee

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

University Students ◽

Physical Activity Behaviour ◽

First Year ◽

Health Related ◽

First Year University ◽

Activity Behaviour

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First year university students’ perception of autonomy: an individualistic approach

Journal of Further and Higher Education ◽

10.1080/0309877x.2021.1905154 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Feng Ding ◽

Baohua Yu

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

First Year ◽

First Year University

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Factors associated with depressive episode among first year University students in Serbia

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.1037 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

S Čanković ◽

D Čanković ◽

I Radić ◽

D Rakić ◽

S Ukropina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

University Students ◽

Depressive Episode ◽

Social Health ◽

Support Network ◽

First Year ◽

Behavioral Factors ◽

First Year University

Abstract Background Some findings indicate that university students are at higher risk of depression despite being a socially advantaged population, showing that 15 to 25% of them develop some type of mental disorder during graduation, and depression is one of the most prevalent. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with gender, material status, social health, and behavioral factors among university students. Methods The research represents a cross-sectional study conducted at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia. The research involved 455 first-year students. The average age of participants was 19.3 years (72.1% girls and 27.9% boys). Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure depressive symptoms (cut point for depressive episode ≥10). Additional questions were focused on self-assessed material status, social health, and behavioral factors (smoking and alcohol use). The binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between depression and observed independent variables. Results The prevalence of moderate to severe depressive episode among students was 18.0%, with no gender differences. Out of the total, 11.0% of students had suicidal thoughts or thoughts of hurting themselves. Multivariable logistic regression showed that self-assessed poor material status (OR = 2.04; 95%CI: 1.06-3.89), self-assessed poor social health (OR = 8.9; 95%CI:4.87-16.42) and smoking (OR = 2.18; 95%CI: 1.09-4.39) were significant predictors of depression among first-year university students. Conclusions High prevalence of depressive episode among university students call for the action for the promotion of mental health, particularly among those of lower socioeconomic status, and points out the importance of social health and social network in the prevention of mental disorders. Key messages Students on the first year of University should be screened for depressive symptoms. It is important to educate students on how to create a strong support network and to implement intervention programs for improving mental health through fostering healthy lifestyles change.

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