Exploring the effectiveness of psychological support services provided to students at Majuba TVET College, Kwazulu-Natal Province

Students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVET) in South Africa face a number of challenges including psychological problems. These challenges have a strong bearing on the academic success of the students. The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of psychological support services rendered to students at Majuba TVET College. Interviews were recorded verbatim and transcribed. Thematic data analysis was used to analyse the data. The themes used were derived from the research objectives and these were further divided into categories and sub-categories. The study found that the institution does provide psychological support services to the learner. The forms of psychological support include career counselling, pre-counselling, referral system, on-going counselling and peer counselling and mentoring. Improved academic performance, improved student attendance student retention and improved college certification rate are some of the benefits that can be realised from the effective utilisation of psychological support by the students. Various challenges hinder the effective utilisation of these psychological support services including, lack of qualified personnel, being understaffed, poor referral system, conflicting roles of staff, inadequate on-site counselling, low-prioritisation of psychological support by college management and limited access time. The participants highlighted the need for the institution to establish linkages with key stakeholders such as other TVET Colleges so as to have a platform for sharing vital information on psychological support. The participants were of the view that more qualified and registered staff should be hired to bolster the provision of psychological support to students. The referral system should be improved and the participants advocated for the services to be accessible around the clock. College management should show commitment to students’ welfare by prioritising and recognising student psychological support as pivotal to students’ academic success.Educational StudiesM. Ed. (Adult Education

The Role of Student Support Systems in Student Integration and Persistence at a TVET College in South Africa

Technical Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVETs) accommodate students from different backgrounds. The diversified student populace encounters challenges that interfere with their integration process and persistence. TVET colleges need to establish a conducive environment that fosters student integration and persistence through student support systems. This qualitative case study comprised three focus groups (18 Students) and student support staff (11) at one TVET College in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. The obstacles to student integration and persistence are investigated in this case study. The study also explored the various strategies that can be implemented to improve student integration. It emerged from the study that it is necessary for the institution to establish student support services that seek to eliminate obstacles that inhibit student integration and persistence to ensure student success. It was further noted that the institution’s student support system could not sufficiently address the factors that inhibit student integration and persistence. The paper’s findings indicate that several strategies, such as improvement in infrastructure and recruiting more qualified staff, could improve student integration and persistence at the TVET College in question

The experiences of students of student support systems in two technical vocational and training colleges in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and ZuluThe South African Technical Vocational, Educational, and Training (TVET) sector has witnessed a surge in enrolment numbers over the years. The diverse student populace faces numerous challenges that interfere with their integration and academic success. In South Africa, the public TVET institutions provide support services to the enrolled student cohort. This qualitative study sought to explore the students’ experiences of student support systems on student integration and academic success. The interpretivist paradigm applied in the study allowed this researcher to derive a profound comprehension of student support systems at two selected colleges. The sample comprised 12 student support services staff and 48 students. The purposive sampling method was used to select student support services staff, and convenience sampling selected student participants. Semi-structured interviews and focus group sessions were used to collect data from student support staff and students. The thematic data analysis process used themes derived from the research questions and relevant literature. Using Tinto’s Student Integration Theory (STI) and Astin’s Student Involvement Theory, this study postulates that students encounter obstacles that interfere with their integration and academic success. The findings from this study suggest that the student support systems play a crucial role in mitigating the challenges experienced by students during their academic journey. Academic support and non-academic support emerged as the crux of student support. The findings suggest that students accessed limited student services at their respective campuses due to a lack of resources and expertise. The study recommends that the institutions establish student support systems that eliminate barriers to student integration and academic achievement. The findings further suggest that the selected institutions can improve student support systems by establishing partnerships with key stakeholders and recruitment of qualified professionals. The findings would make significant contribution to the existing literature on factors that determine student integration and academic success.Die Suid-Afrikaanse Tegniese Beroeps-, Onderwys- en Opleidingsektor (TVET) het oor die jare 'n toename in inskrywingsgetalle gesien. Die diverse student-populasie staar talle uitdagings in die gesig wat inmeng met hul integrasie en akademiese sukses. In Suid Afrika verskaf die openbare TVET-instellings ondersteuningsdienste aan die ingeskrewe studentekohort. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie het gepoog om die studente se ervarings van studente-ondersteuningstelsels oor studente-integrasie en akademiese sukses te ondersoek. Die interpretivistiese paradigma wat in die studie toegepas is, het hierdie navorser in staat gestel om 'n diepgaande begrip van student-ondersteuningstelsels by die geselekteerde kolleges te verkry. Die steekproef het uit 12 studente ondersteuningsdiens personeel en 48 studente bestaan. Die doelgerigte steekproefmetode is gebruik om student–ondersteuningsdiens personeel te selekteer, en gerief–steekproefneming van geselekteerde studente deelnemers. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en fokusgroepsessies is gebruik om data van student ondersteuningspersoneel en studente in te samel. Die tematiese data-ontledingsproses het temas gebruik wat uit die navorsingsvrae en relevante literatuur verkry is. Deur Tinto se Studente-Integrasie Teorie (STI) en Astin se Studente Betrokkenheids teorie te gebruik, postuleer hierdie studie dat studente struikelblokke teëkom wat met studente integrasie en akademiese sukses inmeng. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie dui daarop dat die studente-ondersteuningstelsels 'n deurslaggewende rol speel om die uitdagings wat studente tydens hul akademiese reis ervaar, te versag. Akademiese ondersteuning en nie-akademiese ondersteuning het na vore gekom as die kern van student ondersteuning. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat studente beperkte studentedienste by hul onderskeie kampusse verkry het weens 'n gebrek aan hulpbronne en kundigheid. Die studie beveel aan dat die instellings studente-ondersteuningstelsels daarstel wat daarop fokus om hindernisse tot studente-integrasie en akademiese prestasie uit te skakel. Die bevindinge dui verder daarop dat die geselekteerde instellings student ondersteuningstelsels kan verbeter deur vennootskappe met sleutel-belanghebbendes te vestig en gekwalifiseerde professionele persone te werf. Dit het ook geblyk dat die bevindinge aansienlik sal bydra tot die bestaande literatuur oor faktore wat studente integrasie en akademiese sukses bepaal.Umkhakha waseNingizimu Afrika Wemisebenzi Yezandla, Ezemfundo, Nokuqeqesha (i TVET) ube nokwenyuka kwezibalo zokubhalisa eminyakeni edlule. Umphakathi wabafundi ohlukene ubhekene nezinselelo eziningi eziphazamisa ukuhlanganiswa nempumelelo yabo ezifundweni. ENingizimu Afrika, izikhungo zomphakathi ze-TVET zihlinzeka ngezinsizakalo zokweseka iqoqo labafundi ababhalisile. Lolu cwaningo olusezingeni eliphezulu belufuna ukuhlola ulwazi lwabafundi lwezinhlelo zokusekela abafundi mayelana nokuhlanganiswa kwabafundi nempumelelo ezifundweni. Umqondo wokutolika osetshenziswe ocwaningweni uvumele lo mcwaningi ukuthi athole ukuqonda okujulile kwezinhlelo zokusekela abafundi emakolishi akhethiwe. Isampula ibihlanganisa izisebenzi zosizo lwabafundi eziyishumi nambili nabafundi amashumi amane nesishiyagalombili (48). Indlela yesampula ehlosiwe yasetshenziswa ukukhetha izisebenzi zosizo lwabafundi, kanye nokwenza isampula kube lula kwabahlanganyeli babafundi abakhethiwe. Izingxoxo ezihlelwe kancane kanye namaseshini okugxilwe kuwo asetshenziselwa ukuqoqa idatha kubasebenzi abasekela abafundi nabafundi. Inqubo yokuhlaziya idatha yetimu isebenzise izindikimba ezisuselwe emibuzweni yocwaningo kanye nemibhalo efanele. Kusetshenziswa iTheory ka-Tinto's Student Integration (STI) kanye Nethiyori Yokubandakanywa Komfundi ka-Astin, lolu cwaningo lubeka ukuthi abafundi bahlangabezana nezingqinamba eziphazamisa ukuhlanganiswa kwabafundi nempumelelo ezifundweni. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo iphakamisa ukuthi izinhlelo zokusekela abafundi zidlala indima ebalulekile ekwehliseni izinselelo abafundi ababhekana nazo ngesikhathi sohambo lwabo lokufunda. Ukwesekwa kwezemfundo nokwesekwa okungezona ezezemfundo kwavela njengengqikithi yokusekelwa kwabafundi. Imiphumela iphakamisa ukuthi abafundi bathole izinsiza ezilinganiselwe zabafundi emakhempasini abo ngenxa yokushoda kwezinsiza kanye nobuchwepheshe. Lolu cwaningo luncoma ukuthi izikhungo zisungule izinhlelo zokweseka abafundi ezigxile ekuqedeni izithiyo ezivimbela ukuhlanganiswa kwabafundi kanye nempumelelo ezifundweni. Okutholakele kuphinde kuphakamise ukuthi izikhungo ezikhethiwe zingathuthukisa izinhlelo zokuxhasa abafundi ngokusungula ubudlelwano nababambiqhaza ababalulekile kanye nokuqasha ochwepheshe abaqeqeshiwe. Kuphinde kwavela ukuthi okutholakele kuzoba nomthelela omkhulu ezincwadini ezikhona ezimayelana nezinto ezinquma ukuhlanganiswa kwabafundi nempumelelo ezifundweni.Educational StudiesD. Phil. (Education (Adult Education)