The Academic Persistence of First-Year First-Generation African Students (FYFGAS): A Framework for Higher Education in South Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24085/jsaa.v8i2.4449Keywords:
first year, first-generation African students, first-generation students, higher education, persistence, resilience, social supportAbstract
Since the dawn of democracy, South African universities have seen increased access to higher education from African students, the majority being first-generation students (FGS). This increase to access came with challenges of retention and throughput amongst first-year first-generation African students (FYFGAS). Despite these challenges, there have also been FYFGAS who have successfully passed their first year and completed their qualifications. This article used a mixed method approach with a sample of 311 FYFGAS who were registered in a standard first-year course in three faculties at auniversity in Gauteng. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire and qualitative data were collected from individual semi-structured interviews. Analyses included the use of StructuralEquation Modelling which provided interesting insights into the inter-relations between various factors. Findings from the data analyses were used to create a framework of persistence for FYFGAS in higher education. The framework focuses on the resilience factors of first-year students and the role of the institution in ensuring that these students are successful. It also provides a guide for institutional interventions aimed at improving the persistence of FYFGAS.
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Copyright (c) 2021 Soraya Motsabi, Boitumelo Diale, André van Zyl
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