Insights gained from a comparison of South African and Canadian first-generation students: the impact of resilience and resourcefulness on higher education success

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 964-982
Author(s):  
Maureen Reed ◽  
Mandivavarira Maodzwa – Taruvinga ◽  
Elizabeth S. Ndofirepi ◽  
Raazia Moosa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Shape-shifting and pushing against the odds: staff perceptions of the experiences of first generation students in South Africa and the UK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Forsyth ◽  
Claire Hamshire ◽  
Danny Fontaine-Rainen ◽  
Leza Soldaat
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Staff Perceptions ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
University Life ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThe principles of diversity and inclusion are valued across the higher education sector, but the ways in which these principles are translated into pedagogic practice are not always evident. Students who are first in their family to attend university continue to report barriers to full participation in university life. They are more likely to leave their studies early, and to achieve lower grades in their final qualifications, than students whose families have previous experience of higher education. The purpose of this study was to explore whether a mismatch between staff perceptions and students’ experiences might be a possible contributor to these disparities. The study explored and compared staff discourses about the experiences of first generation students at two universities, one in the United Kingdom (UK), and the other in South Africa (SA). One-to-one interviews were carried out with 40 staff members (20 at each institution) to explore their views about first generation students. The results showed that staff were well aware of challenges faced by first generation students; however, they were unsure of their roles in relation to shaping an inclusive environment, and tended not to consider how to use the assets that they believed first generation students bring with them to higher education. This paper explores these staff discourses; and considers proposals for challenging commonly-voiced assumptions about students and university life in a broader context of diversity and inclusive teaching practice.

Covid-19: Interdisciplinary Explorations of Impacts on Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
African Higher Education ◽  
Production Knowledge ◽  
South African Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Premised on the disruption and lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic, and in meticulous response to the impact of the pandemic on higher education – especially in South Africa – this collection of chapters spotlights the effects, consequences, and ramifications of an unprecedented pandemic in the areas of knowledge production, knowledge transfer and innovation. With the pandemic, the traditional way of teaching and learning was completely upended. It is within this context that this book presents interdisciplinary perspectives that focus on what the impact of Covid-19 implies for higher education institutions. Contributors have critically reflected from within their specific academic disciplines in their attempt to proffer solutions to the disruptions brought to the South African higher education space. Academics and education leaders have particularly responded to the objective of this book by focusing on how the academia could tackle the Covid-19 motivated disruption and resuscitate teaching, research, and innovation activities in South African higher education, and the whole of Africa by extension.

scholarly journals First-generation students’ information literacy in everyday contexts

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Darren Ilett
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Funds Of Knowledge ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Deficit Thinking ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
The Us

Historically, much of the Library and Information Science (LIS) literature on first-generation students (FGS) framed them using deficit thinking, emphasising what they lacked to be successful in higher education. In contrast, recent scholarship has turned to asset-based pedagogies, shifting the focus onto the strengths that FGS bring to college. Further, LIS research on FGS has examined how students engage with information solely in academic contexts, such as completing research papers or navigating higher education procedures. The current study contributes to the discussion of asset-based pedagogies by using a funds of knowledge approach to explore the ways in which FGS at a mid-sized university in the US engage with information, and it expands the scope of inquiry to several everyday contexts, including students’ households, workplaces, and communities. The findings reveal a variety of funds of knowledge concerning participants’ information literacy (IL) and lay the foundation for IL instruction that meets FGS where they are, thus serving them more equitably.

The Impact of Family and Friends Social Support on Latino/a First-Generation College Students’ Perceived Stress, Depression, and Social Isolation

2020 ◽  
pp. 153819272096492
Author(s):  
Tara Suwinyattichaiporn ◽  
Zac D. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Family Social Support ◽  
Study Results ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
The Impact

This study highlights Latino/a first-generation students by investigating the associations of stress, depression, and social isolation with family and friend social support in their college experiences. Using random sampling, nine-hundred and seven ( N = 907) Latino/a first-generation students participated in this study. Results indicated family social support is negatively associated with stress and depression, social support from friends is negatively associated with social isolation, and family social support is a moderator of stress and depression.

scholarly journals The Big Read Collaboration between Kingston University, the University of Wolverhampton, Edge Hill University, and the University of the West of Scotland, 2018–2019

LOGOS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 34-65
Author(s):  
Alison Baverstock ◽  
Jackie Steinitz ◽  
Tanuja Shelar ◽  
Kelly Squires ◽  
Nazira Karodia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Shared Reading ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
The West ◽  
Selling Point ◽  
The University

This paper outlines the experience of four universities that collaborated on a pre-arrival shared reading project, the Big Read, in 2018/2019. They did so primarily to promote student engagement and retention and also to ease the transition into higher education, particularly for first-generation students, to promote staff connectedness, and to provide a USP (unique selling point) for their institution. The paper covers all the associated processes, from isolating the respective aims of the collaborators to the choosing and sharing of a single agreed title. In analysing the outcomes, recommendations are made for future cross-institutional projects of this kind.

Promoting career awareness among IT students in a South African context

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-565
Author(s):  
J.T. Janse van Rensburg ◽  
Roelien Goede
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Career Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
African Context ◽  
Capstone Projects ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an intervention strategy for promoting career awareness among IT students in a South African context, followed by a reflection thereof based on qualitative data collected from students. Career awareness during study has shown to be a factor in the work-readiness of IT graduates.Design/methodology/approachThe paper suggests an intervention strategy aimed at promoting IT students' career awareness. It provides context of the exit-level higher education (HE) module used to implement the intervention. Career awareness is achieved by industry talks, projects and events. Interpretive data collection and content analysis are used to understand the impact of the intervention from the students' perspective.FindingsRecommendations are made towards productive interventions for raising career awareness among IT students using industry participation in higher education. The proposed intervention comprises of a combination of industry talks, capstone projects and specific events. Students had largely positive reactions and made suggestions for additional interventions they would find beneficial. A hackathon attended proved the most influential where seven out of eight involved students received job offers from one company. Other students became aware of their own employability, limitations and preferred career paths.Originality/valueFindings provide confirmation on existing feasible approaches and also introduces new interventions that may be generalised to other fields of study. The paper not only provides an instructional design for a module to raise career awareness but also reflects on the feedback of the students. The reflection provided by students acts as a point of reference to ensure that the process followed for the intervention is practical within a South African context. The paper highlights the perceived benefits of involving industry in higher education to raise career awareness, factors that may prevent career awareness among IT students and valuable suggestions made by students to further enhance the intervention strategy. An implication of the research is a set of guidelines identified towards bridging the IT theory–practice gap. These guidelines can be used by many educators in similar environments to justify their interventions.

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