Factors inhibiting academic progress of postgraduate students at rural-based higher learning institutions

Iwara, Ishmael Obaeko; Mwale, Marizvikuru; Kativhu, Simbarashe

doi:10.31920/2516-5305/2018/sin1a11

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…As the number of students enrolled at post-graduate levels continues to increase, universities need academics qualified to supervise post-graduate research studies, producing graduates who can contribute to knowledge projection (Zewotir et al 2015). This is supported by the 2015 South Africa Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS), cited in Iwara et al (2018), which shows that only 1.7 per cent of PhD The above discussion speaks to the increasing demand for more academics with doctoral degrees and capacity for supervision. This is because PhD-holding academics are crucial in student development and broader academic progress.…”

Section: Post-graduate Success Crisismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…What is evident in this literature is that at the heart of this post-graduate success crisis lies the issue of inadequate support for postgraduate students, i.e., financial, academic and otherwise. Other factors identified in the literature include students' under-preparedness for postgraduate studies, poor academic writing skills, family responsibilities and emotional challenges (Iwara et al 2018;Massyn 2018).…”

Section: Factors That Contribute To the Success Crisismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Leaving no one behind: Leveraging support to promote access with success in post-graduate studies

Namakula,

Ndaba

2024

SAJHE

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Postgraduate student enrolment at South African universities has increased significantly. While this is commendable, it has raised concerns about low success rates. Various scholars have identified under-preparedness, supervision challenges, mental health issues and funding, among other factors, that contribute to the post-graduate success crisis. We believe that post-graduate support services have a significant role to play in dealing with this success crisis. Therefore, in this article, we present a two-fold argument about post-graduate support in South African universities. Firstly, we argue that universities have prioritised support services aimed primarily at undergraduate students, with insufficient support at the post-graduate level, and this has negative implications for post-graduate students’ well-being, success and, ultimately, the knowledge-creating project in the South African higher education context. In so doing, we also highlight some of the gaps as potential areas of improvement in existing postgraduate support services. Secondly, we argue that improved support for postgraduate students requires well-coordinated and collaborative efforts between multiple stakeholders: supervisors, students and university support services, among others. In this way, this article contributes to the body of knowledge on access with success, illuminating the value of support in, and the intricacies of, post-graduate studies.

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Section: Post-graduate Success Crisismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Factors That Contribute To the Success Crisismentioning

confidence: 99%