Assessing Students` Experiences of Psychosocial Support for Sustainable Learning at a South African TVET College
Michael Mbongiseni Buthelezi 
& Dipane Joseph Hlalele
Issue: Vol.5 No.5 Issue Article 13 pp.735-750
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245513 | Published online 21st May, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
A positive psychosocial environment is necessary to create a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning. Thus, this study assessed students` experiences of psychosocial support for sustainable learning at a South African TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) College. This study followed a qualitative phenomenological research technique, which provides participants with a voice to share their psychosocial experiences. Data was collected from twenty individuals through face-to-face interviews and a focus group discussion. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The results of the study revealed that majority of students at this college experience low self-esteem, stressful situations, lack of peer tutoring, peer counselling, counselling skills from a Student Development Practitioner (SDP), and inadequate provision of social and emotional needs. This was attributed to a lack of psychosocial support to students from lecturers and SDPs, who ought to work collaboratively to provide such support to students at South African TVET colleges. It became evident from this study that lecturers and college personnel need to assist students in improving their self-esteem by doing the following: reducing students` stressful situations, promoting peer tutoring, providing peer counselling, providing counselling skills and catering for students` social and emotional needs at a college in order to promote sustainable learning. This study will empower lecturers and SDPs with psychosocial support skills to be able to respond to the psychosocial challenges of student development.
Keywords: Academic support, emotional support, psychosocial support, sustainable learning, TVET college.
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Michael Mbongiseni Buthelezi, PhD in Educational Psychology has worked as a Senior Lecturer at a South African TVET college for 13 years. He is currently working as a Lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities, School of Education, University of Limpopo in Limpopo Province in South Africa. His research interests include student development, sustainable learning, psychosocial support, and inclusive education. He has published two articles and presented papers both nationally and internationally.
Joseph Dipane Hlalele, PhD in Educational Psychology is a full professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. His research interests include sustainable learning, community engagement, inclusive education and rural education. He has published more than fifty academic research papers, four book chapters, and graduated more than twenty-six doctoral students.
Buthelezi, Michael Mbongiseni & Dipane Joseph Hlalele. “Assessing Students` Experiences of Psychosocial Support for Sustainable Learning at a South African TVET College,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.5 (2024): 735-750. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245513
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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