F Silinda & K B DumontUniversity of South Africa

F Silinda & K B DumontUniversity of South Africa

An exploration of the consequences of students’

identification with their university

BACKGROUND

• Predominant factors associated with students’ decisions to drop-out of their programmes are adjustment problems, help-seeking issues, perceived stress, perceived academic workload, motivational problems and lack of self-esteem (Karabenick & Knapp, 1988, 1991; Muller & Louw, 2004; Petersen, Louw & Dumont, 2009; Petersen, Louw, Dumont & Malope, 2010; Rosenberg, 1979; Sommer & Dumont, 2011).

BACKGROUND

• Several students are not prepared for university due to the legacy of apartheid and substandard schooling system (Subotzky & Prinsloo, 2011).

• Adjustment to university has been shown to be a good predictor of students’ academic progress.

BACKGROUND

• Research linking adjustment to university and psychosocial factors to student attrition has, however, neglected how a university’s image and a student’s identification with the university they are enrolling inform their decision to drop-out of or to continue with their programmes.

• Study seeks to understand how a student’s image of the university they are enrolling in shapes the strength of their identification with the institution.

Motivation

Help-Seeking

Stress

Work load

Adjustment

Image

ID - Depart.

ID - Unisa

Intention to continue studies

RESULTS

• The proposed model was tested with 388 students registered with the University of South Africa.

• Gender was well balanced with 165 male and 183 female students.

• The students were on average 33.08 years old (ranging from 22 to 70).

Motivation

Help-Seeking

Stress

Work load

Adjustment

Intention to continue studies

.21***ns

ns

ns

.29***18.5%

Motivation

Help-Seeking

Stress

Work load

Adjustment

Image

Intention to continue studies

.13*ns

ns

.14*

19.6%

.27***

Motivation

Help-Seeking

Stress

Work load

Adjustment

Image

ID - Depart.

ID - Unisa

Intention to continue studies

ns.10*

ns

ns

.19**

ns

.22***

ns

23.4%

ImageIntention to

continue studies

Identity

ImageIntention to

continue studies

Identity

.43*** .33***

.26***/ .12*

Sobel test statistic: z = 5.17104065p (two-tailed) < .001

25.4%

17.6%

SUMMARY

• Importance of socio-psychological factors• Importance of image and identification• Students’ identification with their academic

departments

REFERENCES

• Karabenick, S. A., & Knapp, J. R. (1991). Relationship of academic help seeking to the use of learning strategies and other instrumental achievement behavior in college students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83(2), 221.

• Karabenick, S. A., & Knapp, J. R. (1988). Help seeking and the need for academic assistance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(3), 406 - 408 .

REFERENCES

• Müller, F. H., & Louw, J. (2004). Learning environment, motivation and interest: Perspectives on self-determination theory. South African Journal of Psychology,34(2), 169-190.

• Petersen, I. H., Louw, J., & Dumont, K. (2009). Adjustment to university and academic performance among disadvantaged students in South Africa.Educational psychology, 29(1), 99-115.

REFERENCES

• Petersen, I. H., Louw, J., Dumont, K., & Malope, N. (2010). Adjustment to university and academic performance: brief report of a follow up ‐study.Educational Psychology, 30(4), 369-375.

• Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the self. New York: Basic Books.

REFERENCES

• Subotzky, G., & Prinsloo, P. (2011). Turning the tide: A Socio-critical model and framework for improving student success in open distance learning at the University of South Africa. Distance Education, 32(2), 177-193.

• Tajfel, H. (1978). Social categorisation, social identity and social comparison. Differentiation between social groups: Studies in the social psychology of intergroup relations, 61-76.

REFERENCES

• Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. The social psychology of intergroup relations, 33, 47.

Thank you