ERIC Number: EJ1108976
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1814-6627
EISSN: N/A
An Integrated Project Aimed at Improving Student Success
van Zyl, A.; Blaauw, P.
Africa Education Review, v9 n3 p466-484 2012
Student academic success is an important issue in South African (SA) higher education (HE). The transition from school to HE is a critical time that a student must successfully negotiate in order ultimately to succeed at university. Tinto (1993) identified the first phase of the transition process as the separation phase during which the student starts the move away from the originating environment toward becoming integrated into the institutional community. Orientation programmes have traditionally been one way in which institutions have tried to assist students in adapting to the new environment. Orientation sessions have however not always had the practical effect of improving student success. This article reports back on a newly designed "true to life" extended orientation programme that was implemented during January 2008. The success of the programme was evaluated using student feedback and by tracking the academic performance of the students. After tracking student academic performance the performance of the students who took part in the orientation programme was compared with the academic results of those who did not attend. The extended orientation programme seemed to have positively contributed towards student success.
Descriptors: Program Descriptions, Academic Achievement, Feedback (Response), Student Attitudes, Comparative Analysis, Program Design, Program Evaluation, Student Improvement, Orientation, College Students, School Holding Power, Intervention, Accounting, Economics Education, Statistical Analysis, Foreign Countries, Questionnaires
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A