Entering University during Times of Disruption: Experiences of First-Year Students from a Historically Disadvantaged University in South Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Entering University during Times of Disruption: Experiences of First-Year Students from a Historically Disadvantaged University in South Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Clever Ndebele and Dagogo William Legg-Jack

Issue: Vol.4 No.13 Article 19 pp.1615-1629
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202341319 | Published online 15th January, 2024
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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ABSTRACT

The study, premised on the interpretive paradigm explored the experiences of First Year students from a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was underpinned by one research question namely, what are the experiences of first-year students from a historically disadvantaged university during the COVID-19 pandemic? Convenience sampling was used to select 52 students from one diploma programme. Data was generated through open-ended online questionnaires designed using Google Forms and was analysed thematically. The Technology Acceptance Model was employed as a theoretical lens to frame the study. Findings highlighted the following themes namely, challenges with device ownership and Learning Management System Use, Student Access to the Learning Management System due to connectivity challenges in rural areas, interaction experience with other students online and challenges associated with interacting with Lecturers online. From the findings, the study recommended that deliberate efforts at the national level be undertaken to bridge the digital divide between students from historically disadvantaged universities and historically advantaged universities through the provision of requisite technology infrastructure. Further, the study recommended thorough capacity building in the use of information communication technologies for students from historically disadvantaged communities who may not be privy to the technologies.

Keywords: Covid19, Historically Disadvantaged University, Learning Management System, WiSeUp

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ABOUT AUTHOR(S)

Clever Ndebele is currently the Senior Director: Learning and Teaching at the Walter Sisulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa. He has extensive experience in higher education studies with more than 10 years’ of experience at senior management level in the area of teaching and learning at several universities in South Africa. Has participated in several (NRF) research projects on academic staff development in collaboration with other universities and has also been involved in Teaching Development Grant National collaborative projects (namely PGDHE for educational development practitioners and PGDHE for academics). He is also a member of the CHE National Standards and Reviews Committee and the CHE Peer Advisory Group on Reconceptualising Teaching and Learning (RELATE). Prof Ndebele currently oversees academic staff development and student academic support and coordinates the University Capacity Development Programme, the New Generation of Academics Programme, National.

Dagogo William Legg-Jack is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Walter Sisulu University, Nelson Mandela Drive, Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. He obtained his PhD in Technology Education, and has served as a teacher in high schools in Nigeria, where he taught technology-based subjects. He has also functioned as a lecturer in the Department of Metal Work Technology, School of Secondary Education (Technical), Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria, for several years. In South Africa, he has also served as a lecturer in the Department of Technology Education,at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Dr. Legg-Jack’s research project supervision experience spans across different levels of higher education institutions, namely the Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE) in the Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, and Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.) of the same in affiliation with the University of Nigeria, Nssuka. Moreover, he has participated in seminars and conferences both within and outside South Africa and has published articles in peer-reviewed journals that focus on skills development in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), technology education teacher development, student success in higher education, internet-based learning, fourth industrial revolution, and poverty reduction, among others.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Ndebele Clever & Legg-Jack, Dagogo William. “Entering University during Times of Disruption: Experiences of First-Year Students from a Historically Disadvantaged University in South Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.13 (2023): 1615-1629. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202341319