Bachelor of Education Honors Students’ Attrition in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education

Abstract

This paper represents a revolutionary advancement in our knowledge of postgraduate education which is of increasing significance to national knowledge systems. South African universities produce 26 doctoral graduates for every one million citizens. This means that the low doctoral graduates' throughput is a huge challenge in South Africa and needs to be addressed. The paper investigated the challenges experienced by postgraduate students (Honors) at an institution of higher education in Limpopo province of South Africa. The group studied consisted of postgraduate students (Honors) from the Department of Mathematics Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education. Using a qualitative approach, open-ended questionnaire and interview data were collected from eight participants. Data were analyzed thematically and the results revealed that students find it difficult to walk the landmine-infested postgraduate education road without means to shield themselves from the subsequent explosion. The study recommends aspects that improve postgraduate programs' performance in the