towards widening access to underrepresented groups in the biological sciences: a case study of a...

TOWARDS WIDENING ACCESS TO UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN THE BIOLOGICAL

SCIENCES: A CASE STUDY OF A SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITY

Abbey Mathekga* & Chaya Herman UK

24 -25 April 2012Widening Participation and Discourses of Inclusion in Higher

[email protected] [email protected]

* Presenter

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Presentation outlineLocating South AfricaHistorical background of HEDawn of democracyResearch contextResearch questionsData collection and analysisResearch findingsConcluding comments

Widening Participation and Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education 24 -25 April 2012


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Map of South Africa

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Historical background of HE and access in SA Historically access to HE was preserved for

whites only;In 1916 - Native College at Fort Hare was

established for Blacks;In 1946 Unisa was established – distance

education; Extension of University Act of 1959 led to

establishment of racially divided universities, i.e. Blacks, Coloureds & Indians;

White universities: language divide Afrikaans/English.



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Dawn of democracy - 1994Release of Nelson Mandela from prison

heralded new hope and drastic changes in education including HE;

Former Pres Mandela is passionate about education and committed to equity, redress and social justice;

Legislation and policy changes – HE Act of 1997 aimed at creating a single, national and integrated HE system;

36 universities and Technikons were merged into 23 universities: Traditional, Comprehensive and Universities of Technology.


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Case studyBiological Sciences at the University

of Pretoria (UP);UP was established in 1908 for white

Afrikaners (mainly Dutch descendents);

In 1989 UP registered its first black student;

In 2012 UP enrolled about 40 000 undergraduate students with more than 50% Blacks.


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Research questionsWhat are the possibilities and

limitations of widening access to underrepresented groups in the Biological Sciences at the University of Pretoria?


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Sub-questionsHow access policy to the Biological

Sciences is understood and implemented at institutional and departmental levels?

What are challenges that students from underrepresented groups are faced with regards to access into Biological Sciences at the University of Pretoria?

How do students from underrepresented groups negotiate access with success within Biological Sciences at the University of Pretoria?


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Data collectionPurposive sampling;Interviews with policymakers, first

year lecturers in Biological Sciences;

First year second semester students in Biological Sciences;

Document analysis.


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‘Getting in’ and ‘Getting through’(Osborne & Gallacher 2004)

· Student recruitment

·Student readiness

·Admission process

·Funding

· Student recruitment

·Student readiness

·Admission process

·Funding

· World of works

· World of works

· Orientation period

· Student support

· Epistemological access

· Institutional culture

· Orientation period

· Student support

· Epistemological access

· Institutional culture

Getting throughGetting through Getting

onGetting

onGetting in Getting in


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Findings

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Access policyGovernment managed:

◦Diverse student demography;◦Enrolment planning;◦Minimum admission requirement - NSC;

Institutionally managed – Admission criteria:◦Subject mix;◦Admission Point Score (APS);◦‘Sociotechnic tools’ - NBT;Widening Participation and Discourses

of Inclusion in Higher Education 24 -25 April 2012


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Race and gender distribution in one module in the Biological Sciences (2011)Female

s% Males % Total %

Blacks 217 28.4 97 12.3 314 41.1

Whites

272 35.6 178 23.3 450 58.9

489 64 275 36 764


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Student recruitmentOut /in-reach programmes; Partnerships between secondary

schools and university;Open days;Career days, etc.


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Friend Internet Newspaper Relative/family

Teacher/school

Open Day0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

15.5%16.7%

3.6%

20.2%

44.0%

1.0%

22.8%

24.9%

8.3%

34.2%

37.3%

1.0%

Students'medium of knowing about the unversity

1st Year Blacks% of total respondents


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Ur-ban; 65.3

%

Township;

15.5%

Ru-ral; 16.1

%

Not Provided; 3.1%

Respondents' livelihood /home area


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Rural

Township

Urban

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4

25.0% (21)

38.1% (32)

36.9% (31)

76.2% (16)

53.1%(17)

58.1%(18)

23.8% (5)

46.9% (15)

41.9% (13)

Black students' livelihood area and schooling

Lifelihood % Local Schooling % Outside Schooling % N=84


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Student readiness for HEPractical work sessions;Workload;Language;High failure in first year.


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Student readiness for HE ...Poor schooling system;Wrong career choice; Structural breaks – introduction of

NSC – fluctuation and unreliability of grade 12 marks;

NSC create expectations that could not be fulfilled.


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Not prepared Prepared Not Provided0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

59.5%

28.6%

11.9%

56.0%

42.0%

2.1%

Students’ perceptions of their level of preparedness for university studies

1st Year Blacks% of total re-spondents


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Student FundingNSFAS (promulgated by former

Pres. Mandela in 1996);Policymakers – satisfied with the

model;Students access NSFAS funds once

registered; Barrier to widening participation –

lack of funds, e.g. administration & registration fees;

NSFAS mainly caters for tuition fees - insufficient funds.


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Student supportAcademic

◦Tutors & mentors, extended programmes, foundation year;

◦Shift in university mandate: research & knowledge production;

Psychosocial ◦Counselling;◦Policymakers – less popular – stigma.


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Academic Financial No support Psychosocial0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

50.0%48.8%

36.9%

21.4%

23.8%

35.2%

31.6% 32.1%

17.6%

Student support received from the university

1st Year Blacks

% of total number of respondents


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Other emerging themesAdmission process – Definition of

disadvantage; Orientation period – 2 weeks

induction to new students;Epistemological access – access to

knowledge, language used as medium of instruction;

Institutional culture: students’ experiences ◦Do you ‘feel at home’? “It was a cultural

shock for me”.


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Concluding commentsData suggest that:a) The best way to improve widening

participation is through better cooperation with schools;

b) It is necessary to facilitate career guidance at school level;

c) Majority of students come from urban area;

d) Lack of preparedness at school level affect retention at university level.