Expansion of Higher Education in South Africa: Problems and Possibilities

The objective of this paper is to examine the expansion of higher education in South Africa, problems associated with it and how it will inform future trends in higher education in the country. To accomplish the objectives of this paper, a qualitative research approach was adopted which allowed for the review of literature that spoke to the title. It was observed that South Africa has been struggling to respond effectively to the expansion of higher education. The expansion of higher education has no doubt affected the quality of education offered, more so, courses offered by higher education institutions seem not to align with market demands, thus increasing the unemployment of graduates. This paper concluded that while greater participation in higher education is welcomed, the country ought to invest in higher education development by constructing new universities and colleges, ensuring more favourable student to staff ratio, and increasing the involvement of the private sector to mitigate the effects of the expansion.

The stages of students’ behaviour change functioning as predictors of dropout

Due to the expansion of higher education, the number of students attending universities has significantly grown for the last few decades. However, many students drop out of higher education due to several reasons, such as lack of motivation, inadequate learning techniques, or teachers’ requirements. One of the main reasons is motivation, which is closely connected to behaviour change. The concept is taken from the medicine discipline but can properly be applied in education as well. The stage of behaviour change can predict the possible risk of dropout. The current research was conducted among the freshmen IT students in two countries (Hungary, Israel) at the beginning of their second university semester in order to measure and identify at which stage of the behaviour change cycle they are situated. The results could draw university management’s attention whether they need to introduce and implement any prevention programs to avoid students’ dropout.