A psycho-educational programme for academically excluded higher education students

Full text

(1)COPYRIGHT AND CITATION CONSIDERATIONS FOR THIS THESIS/ DISSERTATION. o Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. o NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.. o ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.. How to cite this thesis Surname, Initial(s). (2012) Title of the thesis or dissertation. PhD. (Chemistry)/ M.Sc. (Physics)/ M.A. (Philosophy)/M.Com. (Finance) etc. [Unpublished]: University of Johannesburg. Retrieved from: https://ujcontent.uj.ac.za/vital/access/manager/Index?site_name=Research%20Output (Accessed: Date)..

(2) A PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR ACADEMICALLY EXCLUDED HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS. by. IAN JOHANNES VAN DEN BERG. THESIS. Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree. DOCTOR PHILOSOPHIAE. in. EDUCATION. in the. FACULTY OF EDUCATION. at the. UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG. SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR CPH MYBURGH CO-SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR M POGGENPOEL. NOVEMBER 2017.

(3) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to acknowledge and thank: • My supervisor, Professor Chris Myburgh, for his support and encouragement, his humour and insights, his ability to motivate me to persist, his guidance and wisdom, that continued to inspire me throughout this long journey; • My co-supervisor, Professor Marie Poggenpoel, for her skilled guidance and support, her continued interest and words of encouragement, her patience and inspiration, thank you; • My wife, Helga, for her continued support and belief in me, and my son, Johan, for his quiet support and encouragement; • My family, who continued to support and encourage me to pursue the completion of my study; • Rolf and Gerda Schlieben, for your encouragement and believing in me; • Doctor Douline Minnaar, for her thematic analysis of the phenomenological interviews of the participants. Your work contributed much to the programme; • Leatitia Romero, for her competent language editing and comments. • The participants who shared their experiences with me, may your journeys be blessed; and • My Heavenly Father, who enabled me to complete this study. Without His strength and support I would have faltered.. iv.

(4) SUMMARY Academic failure and exclusion from further study in higher education institutions are an unpleasant fact for many students in our current higher education climate in South Africa. Academically excluded students face the reality of impaired future expectations and perspectives, and for many the involuntary transitions go hand in hand with a range of negative emotions and trauma experiences. Excluded students face an uncertain future, and they need to identify alternative educational and career options, whilst dealing with negative experiences and feelings such as failure, disappointment, inferiority, depression, anxiety, and anger. These students also must deal with the burden of informing their parents and communities of their failures as well as deal with the financial consequences of their failed studies.. Academically excluded students are thus often left without support to adequately deal with their situations, to understand their situations and to reconsider their future options in a sensible manner. The result is that they might experience diminished future perspectives and difficulties in addressing their circumstances in a resilient manner. The researcher, as an educational psychologist previously practicing in a higher education institution, was therefore concerned about the individual students that were refused permission to continue their higher education studies and being excluded from the higher education institution for any other similar academic programme. The research questions that rose from this problem was: How do students experience being academically excluded at a higher education institution and what can be done to facilitate the mental health of academically excluded students during the time of transitioning out of their institution of study?. The main objective of this study was to understand academically excluded students’ experiences, to describe a conceptual framework, psycho-educational programme and guidelines to implement a psycho-educational programme to facilitate their mental health.. v.

(5) A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, contextual research design was followed to achieve the objectives of the study. The lived experiences of academically excluded students were explored and described by way of phenomenological, individual in-depth interviews. Purposive sampling was used for the sample selection of academically excluded students based on the selection criteria. The number of participants for the study was informed by data saturation; and nine participants were included in the study.. The specific objectives of the research study were to: • Explore and describe the experiences of academically excluded students at a higher education institution (Phase 1). • Describe a conceptual framework for the psycho-educational programme that can be used to facilitate the mental health of academically excluded students (Phase 2). • Develop a psycho-educational programme based on the outcomes of Phase 2 (Phase 3). • Describe guidelines to implement the psycho-educational programme to facilitate the mental health of academically higher education students (Phase 4).. During Phase 1, the phenomenological interviews with academically excluded persons are based on the original research question, namely: “How is it for you to be excluded from further study at this university?” Field notes were made after each interview to record the researcher’s own observations and experiences during the data collection process. Tesch’s eight steps method of data analysis (Tesch, 1990:142-145) were applied to analyse the data. The phenomenological interviews were recorded and transcribed. Lincoln. vi.

(6) and Guba’s (1985:290-327) model of ensuring trustworthiness of qualitative research were utilised in this research study, to support the rigor of qualitative research namely truth value, applicability, consistency, and neutrality.. The central storyline was that excluded students experienced: negative emotions and trauma associated with their exclusion, an inability to address challenges and difficulties perceived to contribute to their academic exclusion and gained insight during and subsequent to their period of exclusion, self-responsibility and development of a resilient and positive self-regard to address the future.. The themes and underlying categories of the lived experiences of academically excluded students that emanated from the collection of data, were the following:. Theme 1:. Academically excluded students experienced negative emotions and trauma associated with the exclusion.. Theme 2:. Academically excluded students experienced an inability to address challenges and difficulties perceived to contribute to academic exclusion.. Theme 3:. Academically excluded students gained insight, acceptance of selfresponsibility, and the development of a resilient and positive selfregard to address the future.. In Phase 2, the conceptual framework for the programme was developed from the outcomes of the data analysis. In Phase 3, the psycho-educational programme was developed based on the conceptual framework. Guidelines to implement the psycho-educational programme were described in Phase 4.. This research focused on the lived experiences of academically excluded persons in institutions of higher education within South Africa, facilitating resilience in a group context with these exclude persons. The intend and hope is that participation in the programme will assist academically excluded students with. vii.

(7) their adjustment to these involuntary transitions; enabling them to effectively deal with their exclusions and pursue other opportunities in a resilient manner.. viii.

(8) ABBREVIATIONS DHET. Department of Higher Education and Training. GAD. Generalised Anxiety Disorder. HEI. Higher Education Institution. HESA. Higher Education South Africa. HPCSA. Health Professions Council of South Africa. IAVEG. International Association for Vocational and Educational Guidance. NRF. National Research Foundation. PTE. Potentially traumatic event. PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. SCCD. Student Counselling and Career Development. TVET. Technical and Vocational Education and Training. ix.

(9) TABLE OF CONTENT. DECLARATION ...................................................................................................... i TURNITIN REPORT .............................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... iv SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. v ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................. ix. CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY. 1.1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1. 1.2. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................... 1. 1.3. RATIONALE ................................................................................................. 6. 1.4. PROBLEM STATEMENT ............................................................................. 8. 1.5. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE .......................................................................... 10. 1.6. PARADIGMATIC PERSPECTIVE .............................................................. 11. 1.6.1. Meta-theoretical assumptions .............................................................. 12. 1.6.1.1. Person......................................................................................... 13. 1.6.1.2. Mental health .............................................................................. 13. 1.6.1.3. Psycho-education ....................................................................... 14. 1.6.1.4. Environment ................................................................................ 14. 1.6.2. Theoretical assumptions ...................................................................... 15. 1.6.3. Clarification of concepts....................................................................... 16. 1.6.3.1. Academic exclusion .................................................................... 16. 1.6.3.2. Late-adolescence and young adulthood ..................................... 16. 1.6.3.3. Experience .................................................................................. 17. 1.6.3.4. Higher Education Institution ........................................................ 17. 1.6.3.5. Psycho-educational programme ................................................. 18. 1.6.4 1.7. Methodological assumptions ............................................................... 19. RESEARCH DESIGN................................................................................. 20. 1.7.1. Qualitative approach ............................................................................ 20 x.

(10) 1.7.2. Exploratory and descriptive approach.................................................. 21. 1.7.3. Contextual approach............................................................................ 21. 1.8. RESEARCH METHOD ............................................................................... 22. 1.8.1. Phase 1: Situation analysis of the academically excluded student ...... 22. 1.8.1.1. Population and sampling ............................................................. 22. 1.8.1.2. Data collection ............................................................................ 23. 1.8.1.3. Data analysis .............................................................................. 24. 1.8.1.4. Literature control ......................................................................... 24. 1.8.2. Phase 2: Development of a conceptual framework as basis for a psycho-educational programme for the academically excluded student ................................................................................................. 25. 1.8.3. Phase 3: The development of a psycho-educational programme for the academically excluded student ................................................. 25. 1.8.4. Phase 4: The description of guidelines for the implementation of the psycho-educational programme for academically excluded students .. 25. 1.9. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................... 26. 1.9.1. Autonomy (respect for persons) .......................................................... 28. 1.9.2. Non-Maleficence .................................................................................. 29. 1.9.3. Best interest or well-being (beneficence) ............................................. 29. 1.9.4. Justice (human rights) ......................................................................... 30. 1.10 TRUSTWORTHINESS .............................................................................. 30 1.11 DIVISION OF CHAPTERS ......................................................................... 31 1.12 SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 32. CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD. 2.1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 33. 2.2. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE .......................................................................... 33. 2.3. RESEARCH DESIGN................................................................................. 34. 2.3.1. Qualitative ............................................................................................ 36. 2.3.2. Exploratory .......................................................................................... 37. 2.3.3. Descriptive ........................................................................................... 38. xi.

(11) 2.3.4 2.4. Contextual ........................................................................................... 39. RESEARCH METHOD ............................................................................... 40. 2.4.1. Phase 1: Exploration and description of the lived experiences of academically excluded students .......................................................... 40. 2.4.1.1. Population and sampling ............................................................. 41. 2.4.1.2. Data collection ............................................................................ 42. 2.4.1.3. Data analysis .............................................................................. 48. 2.4.1.4. Literature control ......................................................................... 50. 2.4.2. Phase 2: Development of a conceptual framework as basis for the psycho-educational programme for academically excluded students .. 50. 2.4.3. Phase 3: Development of a Psycho-Educational Programme ............. 51. 2.4.4. Phase 4: Guidelines to implement the psycho-educational programme .......................................................................................... 52. 2.5. MEASURES TO ENSURE TRUSTWORTHINESS .................................... 52. 2.5.1. Strategy credibility - Truth value .......................................................... 53. 2.5.1.1. Prolonged engagement ............................................................... 53. 2.5.1.2. Reflexivity and persistent observation ......................................... 56. 2.5.1.3. Member checking ........................................................................ 56. 2.5.1.4. Triangulation ............................................................................... 56. 2.5.1.5. Peer examination ........................................................................ 57. 2.5.1.6. Structural coherence ................................................................... 58. 2.5.1.7. Authority of the researcher .......................................................... 58. 2.5.2. Applicability strategy - transferability.................................................... 58. 2.5.3. Consistency strategy - dependability ................................................... 59. 2.5.4. Confirmability – neutrality .................................................................... 59. 2.6. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES .............................................................................. 60. 2.7. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................... 61 CHAPTER 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF ACADEMICALLY EXCLUDED STUDENTS AND LITERATURE CONTROL. 3.1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 62. 3.2. DESCRIPTION OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE PARTICIPANTS ..... 63 xii.

(12) 3.3. DESCRIPTION OF THE FINDINGS........................................................... 67. 3.3.1 3.4. The central storyline ............................................................................ 68. THEME 1: ACADEMICALLY EXCLUDED STUDENTS EXPERIENCED NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND TRAUMA ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR EXCLUSION .............................................................................................. 68. 3.4.1. Experienced painful emotions prior and during the academic exclusion process ................................................................................ 70. 3.4.2. Experienced shame and hopelessness ............................................... 72. 3.4.3. Experienced feelings of failure, frustration, disappointment and discouragement, related to loneliness and isolation ............................ 75. 3.5. THEME 2: EXCLUDED PERSONS EXPERIENCED AN INABILITY TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES PERCEIVED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR ACADEMIC EXCLUSION ................................. 78. 3.5.1. Academically excluded students experienced challenges, stress and adversity of an academic nature .......................................................... 79. 3.5.2. Academically excluded students experienced antagonism towards the institution from which they were excluded ........................................... 82. 3.5.3. Academically excluded students experienced challenges in mobilising resources, jeopardising their future prospects .................... 87. 3.6. THEME 3: ACADEMICALLY EXCLUDED PERSONS GAINED INSIGHT DURING AND SUBSEQUENT TO THEIR PERIOD OF EXCLUSION, ACCEPTANCE OF SELF-RESPONSIBILITY, AND DEVELOPED A RESILIENT AND POSITIVE SELF-REGARD TO ADDRESS THE FUTURE..................................................................................................... 90. 3.6.1. Academically excluded students experienced that they went through a process of gaining self-knowledge and they accepted the finality of exclusion .............................................................................................. 90. 3.6.2. Academically excluded students realised the implications of their exclusion on their future careers and employment opportunities ......... 94. 3.6.3. Academically excluded students experienced that they gradually established and reaffirmed a renewed positive regard for their own futures.................................................................................................. 96. xiii.

(13) 3.6.4. Academically excluded students experienced that they reflected on their future plans and set goals based on their newly acquired insights .............................................................................................. 100. 3.6.5. Academically excluded students experienced that they activated and accessed support systems and structures, in pursuit of their future plans ........................................................................................ 101. 3.7. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 104. CHAPTER 4 THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AS BASIS FOR A PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR ACADEMICALLY EXCLUDED STUDENTS. 4.1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 105. 4.2. MOTIVATION ........................................................................................... 105. 4.3. BACKGROUND ....................................................................................... 106. 4.4. ASSUMPTIONS OF THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ....................... 107. 4.5. DISCUSSION OF THE CONCEPT RESILIENCE .................................... 109. 4.5.1. Definition of resilience........................................................................ 112. 4.5.1.1. Dictionary definition of the concept resilience ........................... 112. 4.5.1.2. Subject literature definitions of resilience .................................. 112. 4.5.1.3. Summary and application of the concept resilience within the conceptual framework as a basis for the psycho-educational programme................................................................................ 115. 4.6. DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ...................... 117. 4.7. DESCRIPTION OF THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK......................... 120. 4.7.1. Agent ................................................................................................. 121. 4.7.2. Recipient............................................................................................ 125. 4.7.3. Procedure .......................................................................................... 127. 4.7.4. Dynamics ........................................................................................... 134. 4.7.4.1. Terminology applicable to the Dynamics................................... 135. 4.7.5. Context .............................................................................................. 137. 4.7.6. Outcome ............................................................................................ 139. xiv.

(14) 4.8. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 139. CHAPTER 5 DESCRIPTION OF A PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR ACADEMICALLY EXCLUDED STUDENTS. 5.1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 141. 5.2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME ......................................................................................... 143. 5.2.1 5.3. Elements of a psycho-educational programme .................................. 145. DESCRIPTION AND EXPOSITION OF THE GROUP SESSIONS WITHIN THE PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME ......................... 152. 5.3.1. Phase 1: Relationship Phase - Setting the groundwork ..................... 153. 5.3.1.1 5.3.2. Phase 2: Working Phase - Process illumination and activation ......... 156. 5.3.2.1. Session 2: Personal and / or group vision ................................. 158. 5.3.2.2. Session 3: Resilient me............................................................. 159. 5.3.2.3. Session 4: Resilient surroundings ............................................. 160. 5.3.3. Phase 3: Termination Phase - Final session: Saying goodbye .......... 161. 5.3.3.1 5.4. Session 1: Getting to know each other...................................... 155. Session 5: Resilient success stories ......................................... 161. FACILITATOR SKILLS ............................................................................. 161. 5.4.1. Navigation skills ................................................................................. 164. 5.4.2. Negotiation skills ................................................................................ 165. 5.5. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 167. CHAPTER 6 GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR ACADEMICALLY EXCLUDED STUDENTS. 6.1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 169. 6.1.1. Describing the nature of group facilitation within the psychoeducational programme ..................................................................... 169. xv.

(15) 6.2. GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME ............................................................... 171. 6.2.1. Relationship phase ............................................................................ 172. 6.2.1.1 6.2.2. Implementation of session 1: Getting to know each other ......... 173. Working phase ................................................................................... 176. 6.2.2.1. Implementation of session 2: Personal and group vision .......... 176. 6.2.2.2. Implementation of session 3: Resilient me ................................ 178. 6.2.2.3. Implementation of session 4: Resilient surroundings ................ 180. 6.2.2.4. Implementation of session 5: My future success stories / Stories of hope .......................................................................... 183. 6.2.3. Termination phase ............................................................................. 184. 6.2.4. Follow-up sessions with individual participants .................................. 185. 6.3. 6.2.4.1. After a week .............................................................................. 186. 6.2.4.2. After three months: Shared networking and support group ....... 186. EVALUATION .......................................................................................... 187. 6.3.1 6.4. Programme outcomes ....................................................................... 188. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 189. CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSION, LIMITATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 7.1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 190. 7.2. SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 190. 7.2.1. Phase 1: Situation analysis of the academically excluded student .... 191. 7.2.2. Phase 2: The development of a conceptual framework as basis for a psycho-educational programme for academically excluded students ............................................................................................. 191. 7.2.3. Phase 3: The development of a psycho-educational programme for academically excluded students ........................................................ 191. 7.2.4. Phase 4: The description of guidelines for the implementation of the psycho-educational programme for the academically excluded student ............................................................................................... 192. 7.3. LIMITATIONS........................................................................................... 194. xvi.

(16) 7.4.. RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................... 196. 7.4.1.. Recommendations with regards to the practice of mental health practitioners working as facilitators ........................................... 196. 7.4.2. Recommendations with regards to the mental health professions................................................................................ 196. 7.4.3. Recommendations with regards to the research practice ......... 197. 7.4.4. Recommendation with regards to the community ..................... 197. 7.4.5. Recommendations regarding other possible applications ......... 198. 7.5. UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION OF THIS RESEARCH ................................... 198. 7.6. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 199. BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................ 200. TABLES. Table 2.1:. Measures taken to ensure trustworthiness in this specific qualitative research project……………………………………………54. Table 3.1:. Overview of the themes and underlying categories of the lived experiences of academically excluded students……………..69. Table 5.1:. Exposition of the psycho-educational programme sessions……..154. Table 5.2:. Navigation skills (Adapted from Allan & Ungar, 2014:456)………165. Table 5.3:. Negotiation skills (Adapted from Allan & Ungar, 2014:456)……...166. Table 6.1:. Process implementation……………………………………………...172. FIGURES. Figure 4.1:. “Thinking Map” to illustrate all the relevant concepts, procedures, and interactions within the conceptual framework…119. Figure 4.2:. Conceptual framework to facilitate the mental health of academically excluded students…………………………………….122. xvii.

(17) APPENDICES. APPENDIX A:. APPROVAL…………………………………………………….223. APPENDIX B:. ETHICAL CLEARANCE………………………………………225. APPENDIX C:. EXAMPLE OF TRANSCRIBED INTERVIEW………………226. APPENDIX D:. LETTER FROM THE EDITOR………………………….240. xviii.

(18) CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1.1. INTRODUCTION. An overview of the study is provided in Chapter 1, along with the background and rationale. From this introduction, the problem statement, the research objectives, research design and research method were formulated. The paradigmatic perspectives, as an important part of the conceptualisation of this study, are also introduced. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and the ethical considerations that guided this research study are also briefly discussed. This chapter ends with an outline of the remainder of the study to follow.. 1.2. BACKGROUND. Educational psychologists and student counsellors working in student counselling and career development centres (SCCDs) in higher education institutions in South Africa, have long been aware of cases of students being barred from the continuation and completion of their studies at higher education institutions due to poor academic progress. These students are subsequently excluded from their academic courses, resulting in many instances of complete exclusion from any further admission to any study course in the higher education institution they were enrolled in.. The increase in student enrolments since the abolishment of the apartheid era in 1994 has created many challenges, one of these being the high failure rates among university students, especially at first-year level (Mavunga, 2014:1749). Approximately half of all students who enrol for undergraduate programmes fail to complete their programmes despite entering university as the cream of the matric crop (McFarlane, 2012:12). Many of these academically excluded students failed to make satisfactory progress according to the minimum criteria set by academic faculties and departments regarding continued studies in their choice of degree or diploma qualification course. Many of these students have also spent at least one 1.

(19) academic year studying, and in many cases, these students have been enrolled at a higher education institution for multiple academic years with few or no academic credits obtained during their studies. After this exclusion, these students face the reality of their academic failures and being excluded from the higher education institution where they were enrolled. They need to consider identifying alternative educational and career options, whilst dealing with negative experiences and feelings such as failure, disappointment, inferiority, depression, anxiety, and anger – both unspecified as well as focused anger. These students must also deal with the burden of informing their parents of their failures, as well as dealing with the financial consequences of their failed studies.. Many terms are used in the literature to describe academically excluded students. A common term used within the literature to describe students without completing a qualification in their chosen initial qualification is “drop-out”, with other terminology frequently used including “attrition rate”, and “leaving without graduating” (Pocock, 2012:1). Hjorth, Bilgrav, Frandsen, Overgaard, TorpPedersen, Nielsen and Bøggild (2016:3) define ‘drop-out’ as the event of leaving an education programme before completing the final exam. According to Hagedorn (2009:4), one of the most widely used dichotomous measures in educational research and practice is retention and drop-out. Typically defined as two sides of the same coin, retention implies remaining at university or college until the completion of a degree, higher certificate, or diploma, and dropping out implies that the student leaves university or college prematurely. In this research study, the term “academic exclusion” is used as it refers specifically to students who were excluded from further studies based on their poor academic progress.. The attrition rate of students within South African universities remains a cause for concern. It is widely accepted that many students enter the university system illprepared for the academic demands of tertiary education. Scott, Yield and Henry (2007:2) found that in South Africa, approximately 25% of first-time-entering students exit before or by the start of their second year. From the remaining students, 30% pass less than half of their first-year subjects, and only 21% graduate in minimum time. Research conducted on this issue further highlights. 2.

(20) the fact that, of the black students who access higher education, 20% complete their respective degrees in the prescribed time, 30% take a further 2 to 3 years to finish, and 50% drop out before obtaining their qualifications (Council on Higher Education, 2013:42). A Higher Education South Africa (HESA) report that represents all 23 public universities and universities of technology, indicates that the drop-out rate has escalated alarmingly in recent years, and is reaching highs of up to 35% (South Africa’s high university dropout rates, 2009). In addition, the overall graduation rate of 15% across South African universities is among the lowest in the world (Letseka & Maile, 2008:12).. The White Paper (Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET), 2014) reiterates the findings of Letseka and Maile (2008), and states that South African universities are characterised by relatively low success rates: 74% in 2010, compared to a desired national norm of 80%. The resulting graduation rate of 15% is well below the national norm of 25% for students in three-year degree programmes in contact education. In contact universities, well under a third of students complete their courses in regulation time and one in three graduates within four years. This represents a distressing blow to the ambitions of tens of thousands of excluded students each year and is a waste of the resources of both parents and the state. Improvement of throughput rates must be the top strategic priority of university education.. The White Paper (2014:32-33) purports to gain an understanding of why undergraduate throughput remains so low. Inadequate student preparedness for university education is identified as probably the main factor contributing to low success rates. The White Paper (2014:32) further comments that various approaches have been attempted by different universities to address inadequate student preparedness. It finds that, unfortunately, there is no clear evidence of what the most successful routes are. Clearly, though, universities will have to continue to assist underprepared students to make the transition to a successful university career. This could involve foundation programmes, intensifying tutorialdriven models which enable small group interaction, or increasing the duration of degrees.. 3.

(21) The White Paper (2014:33-34) further reports that a detailed research study to verify these solutions, is yet to be undertaken. In addition, there are resource constraints in many of the historically black universities. Many of them do not have adequately resourced libraries and laboratories, and have oversized classes. Poor living conditions also negatively influence success rates due to the poor quality of residences both on and off campus. Student support services are often not wellintegrated across the academic and administrative function. The White Paper (2014:33-34) states the following problems that need to be addressed in order to improve undergraduate throughput rates as a key strategy for increasing graduate outputs. It also offers some suggestion on how this may be achieved: •. The expansion and improvement of student accommodation will become a priority for the DHET and will become a feature of the government’s infrastructure development programme in both universities and technical and vocational training (TVET) colleges.. •. Student support at undergraduate level must be taken seriously as a vital and strategic activity of all universities.. •. In order to ensure that quality education is an integral part of a drive to create high-quality. universities,. institutions. must. receive. essential. academic. infrastructure, including laboratories, information technology (IT) systems, accommodation, classrooms and lecture theatres, libraries, and other facilities. •. The DHET will develop standards for equitable infrastructure to ensure that teaching and learning environments are broadly equivalent across the country, with due regard to each university’s needs. Once such standards have been set and approved, the DHET will develop a plan to achieve this.. •. Priority at this stage will be given to upgrading infrastructure and facilities at poorer universities in order to get them up to agreed standards. In particular, there is a need to strengthen internet access and ensure that sufficient connectivity is available at previously disadvantaged institutions. 4.

(22) •. The DHET must work in close co-operation with the National Research Foundation (NRF) and universities to address the rising costs of provision of journals and other library material.. •. It is recognised that knowledge resources have to be acquired equitably for all universities and that a shared cost model will alleviate pressure on funds. The cost-saving potential of central procurement of electronic journals for all institutions will be investigated.. •. In addition, the DHET must explore ways and means for the establishment of a state-led publishing house in order to address the need for more affordable and efficient production of learning materials by DHET.. It is clear from the aforementioned that the South African society and economy are here dealing with a double-edged sword. In the first instance, higher education institutions are confronted with a low throughput rate, translating into a subsequent high dropout rate that needs to be addressed within the higher education context. Secondly, the dropout rate exerts socio-economic pressures on the jobless and uneducated South African youth. This is problematic as they add substantial numbers to the already large number of youths facing a very bleak future without any formal employment or post-school education and training. Youth unemployment amongst the South African youth stands at a high of 65%, for persons between 18 and 25 years (Statistics SA, 2015:1).. The transition that follows academic exclusion is forced. The individuals will have to change their personal circumstances, and be able to adjust to these changes caused by their academic exclusion. The ability to adapt then becomes vital for the academically excluded student, and supporting these persons to adapt optimally as individuals to their new life situations seems relevant.. 5.

(23) 1.3. RATIONALE. In South Africa, there is great concern both at local and national levels about the high failure rate amongst higher education students. The primary reason for this is low quality primary and secondary schooling (Higher Education in Context, 2011:16). Many students entering university do so from positions of extreme inequality, most obviously in schooling, but also in terms of financial and other resources. A lack of academic 'preparedness', in terms of social class and the high school curriculum is cited as one of the reasons why students fail or take longer to master degree requirements (Scott, et al. 2007:42). ‘First generation’ students from low income, less educated families are the most likely to drop out, according to a Student Pathways study by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC, 2005:90).. Concerns about dropout rates have become a worldwide phenomenon. Education policymakers, businesses, and employers the world over are working towards developing best practices for conceiving and implementing acceptable student retention policies, maintaining acceptable graduation and throughput rates, and reducing high dropout rates (Letseka, Cosser, Breier & Visser, 2010:12). In 2005, the then Department of Education’s (DoE) Directorate on Higher Education Planning reported that of the 120 000 students who enrolled in higher education in 2000, 36 000 (or 30%) dropped out in their first year of study. A further 24 000 (or 20%) dropped out during their second or third years of study. Of the remaining 60 000 (or 50%), less than half (22%) graduated with a generic bachelor’s degree within the specified three-year period (DoE, 2005:36).. Higher education students are confronted with the fact that they have been academically excluded and refused permission to continue their studies within the higher education institution where they were enrolled. They are confronted with the reality of being excluded, combined with bleak future outlooks. In many instances, they are left to deal with the situation in isolation, without a proper support system or network.. 6.

(24) Financial pressures force even ostensibly ‘full-time’ students to work while they study, or take breaks between years to earn an income, further delaying their progress. But to exclude students who have the potential to succeed because they cannot do so in the expected period, works against the goals of social inclusion. How long it takes to graduate and who leaves a university without completing a degree are issues which matter to students and their families, higher education institutions, and the government as the main funder of higher education (Council on Higher Education, 2010:143).. Jansen, Tabane and Sehlapelo (2010:104) contend that students from top schools, as well as rural schools, have to adjust quickly to the changing demands. Otherwise, academic achievement is greatly compromised, leading to anxiety and fear of failure. Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh and Whitt (2011:13) state that “…many students who are college-ready encounter campus cultures that feel foreign and unfriendly, making college challenging for them to navigate successfully”. When academic failure and exclusion becomes a reality these students, as nonachievers, experience their failure negatively and are likely to experience continued adjustment issues as well as difficulties adapting to their new situations. Academic success is therefore critical for South African society and its communities, and failure to achieve academic success places a burden on the continued development of these students. McGhie (2017:420) states that different role players (parents, families, friends, communities, schools, universities and authorities) encourage, guide and assist the students so that they are able to make smart choices, as making good decisions is vital for academic success.. A psycho-educational programme may well contribute to support these students with their continued adaptations to the harsh challenges they may be experiencing upon academic exclusion, especially in the face of the high unemployment rate in the country.. 7.

(25) 1.4. PROBLEM STATEMENT. Academically excluded higher education students need to face the realities that they have been excluded from the higher education institution where they were enrolled. They should come to terms with the reality of the situation, yet in many instances they are left to deal with the situation in isolation, without a proper support system or network.. They frequently return to their parental homes and face their parents with the finality that they have failed. In most cases they are financially disadvantaged and have to face the debt burden of educational fees to be paid back to financial institutions. All the while, without having received any return on the financial investments made by themselves or their parents. They also deal with psychosocial pressures and adjustment to the fact that they have failed academically.. Many factors may have contributed and culminated in their failures, and each of these students now needs to deal with the reality of their academic failure and the effect it exercises on their mental health and wellness. Many higher education institutions will have processes in place to allow for these students to be counselled by the professional staff at student counselling services before they are finally excluded. Yet, in many cases these individuals are left to deal with their realities by themselves, without any further formal interventions being offered by the institutions.. Academically excluded students are thus often left without support to adequately deal with their situations, to understand their situations, and to reconsider their future options sensibly. The result is that they might experience diminished future perspectives and difficulties in resiliently addressing their circumstances. They might experience adjustment difficulties in dealing with the psycho-social aspects of their failure, their relationships with their parents, families, and friends. They may also struggle to consider meaningful alternatives for their further academic and career development. Ultimately, they experience a deprived future perspective, leaving them to adapt unaided to the changes in their lives, with the. 8.

(26) risk of subsequently experiencing social, emotional, financial and employment problems. With effect, a gap might develop between the safe and supportive environment that they may have had access to in the higher education institution they studied at, and the environments they now need to return to.. These experiences can culminate in thoughts around the resiliency of the academically excluded students, against the background of the challenges experienced throughout the time of exclusion. Furthermore, in many cases these students were initially perceived by their school peers, parents, and their communities as being the carriers of hope. Often these stakeholders absorbed great financial hardships to finance the opportunity for these students to study. Many of these students now have the daunting and unpleasant task of informing their families and friends that they are unable to continue their studies; an anxietyprovoking experience that many would rather avoid.. The researcher, as an educational psychologist previously practicing in a higher education institution, was therefore concerned about the individual students who were refused permission to continue their higher education studies and excluded from the higher education institution for any other similar academic programme. It is concerning that many of these students are left to their own means and coping mechanisms, even though higher education institutions may offer some exit counselling intervention. No formal psycho-educational programme is available to assist these students throughout the transition period, and to assist them in developing realistic future alternatives.. The absence of an intervention strategy to assist academically excluded students leaves a gap, as no formal programme offering is known to be available to assist and support these students in adjusting to their changed circumstances in a manner that sustains their mental health during this period of transition. The researcher has thus asked himself how academically excluded students experience their life worlds, and which mechanisms they might utilise to address the challenges they now face adequately. In many instances, they may now view themselves as failures, and assume that others in their social environment. 9.

(27) consider them in the same light. These observations indicate the necessity for developing a psycho-educational programme for academically excluded students to facilitate their experiences of resilience as they make their transitions from being students to seeking viable future options.. The research questions that arose from this problem were: • How do students experience being academically excluded at a higher education institution? • What can be done to facilitate the mental health of academically excluded students during the time of transitioning out of their institution of study?. 1.5. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE. The main objective of this research study was to understand academically excluded students’ experiences, to describe a conceptual framework, a psychoeducational programme, and guidelines to implement a psycho-educational programme to facilitate their mental health.. The specific objectives of the research study were to: •. Explore and describe the lived experiences of academically excluded students at a higher education institution (Phase 1).. •. Describe a conceptual framework for the psycho-educational programme that can be used to facilitate the mental health of academically excluded students at a higher education institution (Phase 2).. •. Develop a psycho-educational programme to facilitate the mental health of academically excluded students at a higher education institution based on the outcomes of Phase 2 (Phase 3).. 10.

(28) •. Describe guidelines to implement the psycho-educational programme to facilitate the mental health of academically excluded higher education students (Phase 4).. 1.6. PARADIGMATIC PERSPECTIVE. A paradigm is viewed as a set of basic beliefs that deals with a person’s worldview. It represents an interpretational framework that influences the research because it is guided by specific beliefs, perceptions and feelings (Guba & Lincoln, 1994:107). In Bothma, Greeff, Mulaudzi and Wright (2015:39-40), it is suggested that a paradigm describes a distinct concept or thought pattern, and it also breaks down the complexity of the real world. Babbie (2013:33) describes a paradigm as a model or framework for observation and understanding, which shapes both what is seen and understood; the researcher’s point of view or frame of reference for looking at life or understanding reality.. Paradigms are the fundamental models or frames of reference used to organise observations and reasoning. In addition, De Vos, Strydom, Fouché and Delport (2011:41) emphasise the point that all scientific research is conducted within a specific paradigm, or way of viewing one’s research material. Researchers must, therefore, decide within what paradigm they are working, know the nature of their selected paradigm very well, and spell this out in their research report to keep communication with the readers of their research clear and unambiguous.. Creswell (2013:69) holds the opinion that all qualitative researchers approach their studies with a certain paradigm or assumptions. These assumptions are shaped by the discipline area of the researcher, the beliefs of advisers and faculty in a researcher’s area, and past experiences. The type of views held by individual researchers will often lead to embracing a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods approach in their research.. 11.

(29) Myburgh and Poggenpoel (2000:150) recommend that the paradigmatic perspective is described on three levels, namely the researcher’s cognitive framework on a metatheoretical level (world and person view), the theories that they work with, as well as the research methodology and guidelines that inform their practice. The researcher explored and described the experiences of academically excluded students. This was done to develop and provide guidelines for the implementation of a psycho-educational programme directed at assisting academically excluded students. The programme should assist academically excluded students to develop meaningful alternatives and resiliently seek further opportunities, whilst they adjust optimally to their new circumstances. The perspectives used in this research study were therefore meta-theoretical assumptions, theoretical assumptions, and methodological assumptions.. 1.6.1. Meta-theoretical assumptions. Meta-theoretical. assumptions. refer. to. the. researcher’s. philosophical. understanding of the nature of the reality of human beings and their world. Myburgh and Strauss (2015:16-17) state that meta-theoretical assumptions refer to the researcher’s own view of concepts or the theory about theory. The researcher aimed to understand the reality of a specific situation, regarding the meanings attributed by participants in the situation.. The first aspect a researcher must outline is the paradigm that underpins the study – the researcher’ point of view, or framework of reference for looking at life or understanding reality; a basic set of beliefs or assumptions that guides their inquiries (De Vos, et al. 2011:297-298). Creswell (2014:6) has chosen the term ‘worldview’ as meaning a basic “set of beliefs that guides actions”. Having a worldview means a general orientation and set of beliefs about the world and the nature of research that the researcher holds.. According to the University of Johannesburg (2012:2), assumptions are not open to testing but serve as a framework within which theoretical statements are made and it deals with the researcher’s views on the person, the environment, and. 12.

(30) mental health. For the purpose of this study, the following meta-theoretical assumptions are defined as applicable within the context of this research study.. 1.6.1.1 Person. In this research study, the focus is on persons who, as late adolescents or young adults studying in higher education, experienced academic exclusion barring them from continuing their academic studies in a certain faculty at a university in South Africa. These students experienced a range of negative emotions, whilst they also had to acknowledge and communicate the news of their exclusions to other persons within their family and living environments. They also had to adjust to the changes in their living situations because of their academic exclusions.. Poggenpoel (1994:53) indicates that the psyche exercises a beneficial influence on the body and mind which completes the other two components of “wholeness”. If the spirit is compromised, body and mind are also influenced. Body, mind, and spirit may be defined as follows:. Body:. Biological and physiological processes of the human. Mind:. Cognitive, affective- and connotative processes of the human. Spirit:. The part of the human being able to stand in relationship with the Creator. The researcher shares the view that the human spirit forms the core of humanity, and it follows that this dimension of wholeness has a defining influence on the person’s physical, emotional, intellectual, and social disposition.. 1.6.1.2 Mental health. Mental health is defined by Segal (2011:113) as an expression of emotions which signifies successful adaptation to a range of demands. Heiberg (2004:17) refers to mental health as physical, psychological, and spiritual wholeness. In this research study, the focus was on the academically excluded students’ continued and. 13.

(31) persistent pursuit and aspiration towards wholeness. Academically excluded students may frequently not experience wholeness and content, because of their academic failure and subsequent exclusion. In Poggenpoel’s framework (1994:53), it is stated that mental health focuses on an individual’s mental processes that influence his or her patterns of interaction between his or her internal or external environment. Included in these mental processes are intellectual, volitional, and emotional processes, and because the person is a whole, his or her mind will influence his or her body and spirit.. 1.6.1.3 Psycho-education. Within the context of this research study, academically excluded students are viewed as persons who inherently possess the characteristics to attain certain outcomes despite their adversaries. This might take place despite the limitations imposed by their academic failures and exclusions within their environmental contexts, and enable them to reach their optimal potential with the support offered by an effective psycho-educational guidance programme.. Psycho-education emphasises learning skills and strategies to cope with life, while, at the same time, facilitating psychological well-being.. 1.6.1.4 Environment. The external environment consists of physical, social, and spiritual dimensions (University of Johannesburg, 2012:3-4). In the context of this research study, the external dimensions of academically excluded students who were unable to complete their studies, include their families, friends, and the communities they come from. The internal environments of these excluded students include their physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions, as reflected by the “holistic” components of body, mind and spirit. The academically excluded students are in continuous interaction with the elements of their internal and external environments.. 14.

(32) 1.6.2. Theoretical assumptions. Mouton (2010:123) holds the view that theoretical assumptions form the basis of the conceptual framework of the researcher. This assumption may be tested against the current and accepted theories relevant to the specific discipline. In this research study, it is the psycho-educational guidance of young adults. Creswell (2014:11) refers to strategies of inquiry as types of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods designs or models that provide specific direction for procedures in a research design, also called approaches to inquiry or research methodologies.. The researcher entered the research field without any pre-conceived ideas to explore and describe the experiences of students who had been academically unsuccessful and excluded from further studies within a specific higher education institution. Creswell (2014:13) describes phenomenological research as a strategy of inquiry in which the researcher identifies the essence of human experiences about a phenomenon as described by participants. Understanding the lived experiences of the participants marks phenomenological research as a philosophy as well as a method, and the procedure involves studying a small number of participants through extensive and prolonged engagement to develop patterns and relationships of meaning. In this process, Creswell (2014:13), quoting Nieswiadomy (1993), states that the researcher brackets or sets aside his or her own experiences to understand those of the participants in the study.. This study followed the theoretical assumption that every individual is unique with his or her own set of qualities and potential. Also, excluded students, as young adults, can overcome the effects of their academic exclusions and resiliently pursue new development opportunities. As such, this researcher’s own preconceived ideas are restricted, and the researcher was enabled to focus on the lived experiences of the students who have been academically unsuccessful and excluded from further study within the particular higher education institution.. 15.

(33) 1.6.3. Clarification of concepts. This research study explored the lived experiences of academically excluded students, to develop a psycho-educational programme. It was, however, deemed essential to investigate the background and context in which these students typically found themselves. It was also necessary to familiarise the reader with certain concepts or terminology that need to be defined and clarified for the research study to be understood and for the reader to comprehend the research topic and findings. These concepts are academic exclusion, late-adolescence and young adulthood, lived experience, higher education institution, and psychoeducational programme.. 1.6.3.1 Academic exclusion. In this research study, academic exclusion implies the final involuntary separation imposed by the higher education institution upon a student who failed to meet the minimum promotion requirements to continue with their academic studies within a specific academic programme. Typically, the prospectuses of higher education institutions will contain the student rules and regulations addressing academic exclusion. An example may read: “Academic exclusion means the termination of registration for a specific programme for a set period of time due to failing to accumulate the minimum credits, which makes it unlikely that a student will be able to complete the programme within the specified time. The exclusion may be in the form of exclusion from a specific academic programme, exclusion from a faculty, or exclusion from the university” (TUT Prospectus, 2016:106).. 1.6.3.2 Late-adolescence and young adulthood. Meanings attributed to the concepts late adolescence and young adulthood shows that the two often overlap. Late adolescence is often referred to as the late teen years, 18 to around 24 years. It is a period in life that begins with biological maturation, during which individuals are expected to accomplish certain developmental tasks. The period ends when they achieve a self-sufficient state of. 16.

(34) adulthood as defined by society (Cobb, 2010:205). Young adulthood is most often described in terms of the new roles and statuses adopted in this stage of life, and negotiating this transition successfully has positive consequences (Scales, Benson, Oesterle, Hill, Hawkins & Pashak, 2016:153).. Erikson (1995:235-237) describes adolescence as the period ranging between 13 to 19 years in which identity versus role confusion is established. Early or young adulthood commences around 20 years and is the period associated with the establishment of intimacy versus isolation. Young adults are still eager to blend their identities with friends, and they want to fit in. Erikson (1995:235-237) believes people are sometimes isolated due to intimacy, as they are afraid of rejections such as being turned down.. 1.6.3.3 Lived experience. Lived experience may be described as any event through which an individual has lived and gained knowledge through participation in that event and the sum he/she accumulated. Experience involves personal knowledge and first-hand knowledge and exposure (Johnson, 2014:21).. In this research study, the lived experiences of academically excluded students were explored to facilitate the development of a psycho-educational programme to assist students to address their mental health and identify further opportunities for development. Understanding the lived experiences of academically excluded students enabled the researcher to gain first-hand insight and valuable exposure to the psycho-educational programme development.. 1.6.3.4 Higher Education Institution. There are three categories of universities, namely traditional universities, comprehensive universities, and universities of technology (White Paper, 2014:29). Together they offer a full range of courses leading to internationally recognised qualifications. All public universities conduct research, which supports. 17.

(35) teaching and is frequently aimed at tackling the challenges that face South Africa and the developing world. There is world-class research generated in many fields, concentrated in the country’s top research universities (Higher Education in Context, 2011:12).. In this research study, the higher education institution refers to places of higher learning where students were excluded from a particular faculty within a specific university.. 1.6.3.5 Psycho-educational programme. This type of programme refers to the education and training of people in the psychological aspects that are relevant to facilitating their mental health. It is a helping strategy that provides psychological guidance to individuals and teaches them about their emotional and relationship functioning by means of didactic teaching. (Okun,. 2015:292).. The. participants. in. the. psycho-educational. programme shared similar lived experiences of being academically excluded, and where learning skills and strategies to cope with life and to facilitate mental health (Fitscher, 2009:19).. In this research study, the psycho-educational programme relates to lived experiences of being academically excluded, and refers to the conceptualisation, development, and the description of guidelines for the implementation of the psycho-educational programme to facilitate the mental health and opportunity exploration of academically excluded students. The goal of the programme is for academically excluded students to gain insight into their circumstances and reinforce their resilient self to cope with the forced transition and optimally address their circumstances, and manage their transitions in a constructive and resilient manner.. 18.

(36) 1.6.4. Methodological assumptions. The third major element in the framework for the paradigm design as described by Creswell (2014:15) is the specific research methods that involve the form of data collection, analysis, and interpretation that researchers propose for their studies. Methodological assumptions reflect the researcher’s assumption regarding the choice of research design and the selection of applicable methods for the specific research study (Mouton, 2010:124). Creswell (2012:8) states that a research study begins by identifying a topic to study – typically an issue or problem in education that needs to be resolved. Identifying a research problem consists of specifying an issue to study, developing a justification to study it, and suggesting the importance of the study.. A focused restatement of the research problem is the purpose statement, and this statement conveys the overall objective or intent of the research. As such, it introduces the entire study, signals the procedures that will be used to collect data, and indicates the kind of results that are desired. Before a research study can be conducted or even designed, a clear picture of the direction of the study, which can be refined in the form of a research problem, problem statement and / or research question, is necessary (De Vos, et al. 2011:79). Thus, the nature of the research problem and the research aims determine which research method is most applicable for the research process.. A qualitative research paradigm was pursued in this research study to enable the researcher, according to the post-modernistic principles of logic and justification, to meaningfully understand the lived experiences of academically excluded students. A functional approach was followed to improve the practice through the research process. A qualitative research process was followed and Guba’s model (Lincoln & Guba, 1986:290) ensured rigor and trustworthiness.. 19.

(37) 1.7. RESEARCH DESIGN. Creswell (2014:5-6) refers to the research design as the plan or proposal to conduct research, and it involves the intersection of philosophy, strategies or actions, and specific methods. Creswell (2014:6) further reiterates that researchers planning a study think through the following: •. the philosophical worldview assumptions that they bring to the study;. •. the strategy of inquiry that is related to this worldview; and. •. the specific methods or procedures of research that translate the approach into practice.. Creswell (2014:16) also indicates that the researchers’ worldview, the strategies or research methodologies, and the methods, all contribute to a research design that tends to be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed. The qualitative approach is viewed as representing a participatory worldview, narrative in design and openended interviewing. By example, the inquirer seeks to examine an issue related to individuals, collecting stories using a narrative approach through interviewing. This post-modern constructivist philosophy of science research study utilised a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual approach. Each of these approaches will be discussed in Chapter 2.. 1.7.1. Qualitative approach. Qualitative research is discovery orientated; it is exploratory and descriptive in nature. It uses words, as opposed to numbers, to explain a phenomenon. Qualitative research lets us see the world through the eyes of another, and makes the world of the individual visible to the rest of us. It involves broadly stated questions about human experiences and realities, studied through sustained contact with people in their natural environments, generating rich, descriptive data that help us to understand their experiences (LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2010:86). 20.

(38) Qualitative research focuses on the understanding of the social occurrence from the perspective of the participant. This is gained through the contextual analysis of the meanings attributed to the situations and experiences of the lives of the participants. In this research study, insight was gained through the analysis of the meanings attributed to the circumstances and experiences of the academically excluded students.. 1.7.2. Exploratory and descriptive approach. Mouton (2010:43) views research as the exploration and description of an occurrence. Through this process, the researcher gained new ideas from the participants. The techniques of bracketing and intuiting were used by the researcher to withhold him from preconceived ideation. De Vos, et al. (2011:95) state that exploratory research is conducted to gain insight into a situation, phenomenon, community or individual. The need for such a study could arise from a lack of basic information on a new area of interest, or in order to get acquainted with a situation to formulate a problem or develop a hypothesis. According to Mouton (2010:26), the answer to the “what” question would constitute an exploratory study. In descriptive research the researcher, according to De Vos, et al. (2011:96), begins with a well-defined subject and conducts research to describe it accurately. It is more likely to refer to a more intensive examination of phenomena and their deeper meanings, thus leading to thicker description.. In this research study, exploratory and descriptive research was used to describe the lived experiences of academically excluded students. This will be discussed in greater depth in Chapter 2.. 1.7.3. Contextual approach. Mouton (2010:43) describes a research strategy as contextual in nature, because the researcher endeavours to describe and explore a particular group, in this context, within the framework of the living world of the academically excluded student. This approach will be discussed in greater depth in Chapter 2.. 21.

(39) 1.8. RESEARCH METHOD. The research method pursued in this research study was divided into four phases. In Phase 1 academically excluded students’ lived experiences were explored and described.. In Phase 2 a description of a conceptual framework for the psycho-educational programme to facilitate the mental health of academically excluded students was done.. In Phase 3 the description of a developed psycho-educational programme to facilitate the mental health of academically excluded students, based on the findings of Phase 2, followed.. In Phase 4 the guidelines to implement the psycho-educational programme to facilitate the mental health of academically excluded students was described.. 1.8.1. Phase 1: Situation analysis of the academically excluded student. This phase consisted of the exploration and description of academically excluded students by way of phenomenological, individual in-depth interviews. The interviews aimed to explore the experiences of the student who has been academically excluded. A literature control was conducted after the completion of the data-analysis to verify the results gained through this research study.. 1.8.1.1 Population and sampling. The sample population consisted of academically unsuccessful and excluded students of a faculty at a university. The sample was purposefully selected from participants residing in the greater Gauteng-area, and accessed in cooperation with the office of the executive dean of the faculty, as well as the chairperson of the appeals committee within the faculty. Purposeful sampling, as a sampling. 22.

(40) method, is used in special situations where the sampling is done with a special purpose in mind (Maree, 2010:178). This researcher was employed within the student counselling and career development services of the university, and served in his professional capacity as an educational psychologist on the specific faculty’s appeals committee, as faculty liaison person.. The sample size was deemed to be sufficient upon experiencing data saturation, which constitutes repetitive themes in the description of the experiences of academically excluded students. The sample size principle is to gather data until a saturation point is reached (De Vos, et al. 2011:336). This required the researcher, in consultation with his supervisors, to continuously evaluate all the collected data in order to know when saturation was reached (Neuman, 2014:200).. 1.8.1.2 Data collection. Data were collected through multiple data collection methods, namely through the utilisation of phenomenological, individual in-depth interviews, field notes, and observation methods. Interviews on a one-to-one basis are the predominant mode of data collection in a qualitative research study. Information is obtained through direct interchange with an individual or a group that is known or expected to possess the knowledge a researcher seeks. The interview is designed to exchange information between the researcher and the participants (Lincoln, Lynham & Guba, 2011:99). By using such an approach, contrasting and comparative, as well as follow up questions to elicit further responses, may be offered to the participants. This approach was therefore also pursued during this research study. The central question in the interviews was: “How is it for you to be excluded from further study at this university?”. 23.

No results found