The 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.