Assessing the impact of orientation programs for first-time entering undergraduate students on student learning: The case of a selected university in South Africa

Ntando Elliot Mpahla ORCID iD, Sinazo Majola ORCID iD & Ntombozuko Memani ORCID iD 

Issue: Vol. 7 No.1  2026 Article 19 pp.261 – 271
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267119| Published online 27th February 2026
© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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This study examined the role of orientation programs for first-time entering undergraduate students on student learning at a higher education institution. It is a common practice that South African universities offer orientation sessions for first-time entering students. These orientation programs encompass a rigorous effort to improve student retention and academic performance. Drawing data through a qualitative approach was aimed at emphasizing that making sense of action and meaning always involves understanding the other. Such a qualitative research methodology allowed to better understanding of the experiences of both students and lecturers who are involved in the processes of orientation programs and student learning. Semi-structured interviews were used to interview 12 participants.  The interviews gave the most direct and straightforward approach to gathering detailed and rich data regarding the phenomenon of interest. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The study findings revealed that students who take part in this program tend to have a better level of academic performance compared to those who do not take part in the orientation program. The study concludes that new strategies must be organised in implementing an orientation program for better student academic performance. The study recommended the enhancement of the role orientation programs that play in facilitating new students’ integration into academic environments, fostering not only academic success but also personal development and retention. This study contributed to the broader scholarship in higher education by highlighting the intricate relationship between orientation programs and student outcomes.

Keywords: Orientation, First-Time Entering Students, Student Learning, Academic Performance

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Dr. Ntando Elliot Mpahla is a PhD holder and Senior lecturer in the Department of Adult & Education Foundations at the Faculty of Education at Walter Sisulu University. He has 10 years of working experience at a tertiary institution. He has supervised Honours, Masters and PhD students. He lectures both undergraduate and postgraduate students who aspire to be educators in South Africa. With the undergraduate students, he has the task of introducing research to them because when they are already employed as educators in schools, they will come across sections dealing with research in their syllabus. With the postgraduate students, supervision is the order of the day. Mpahla has already graduated 18 B Ed Honours students in the faculty of Education. He also graduated two Master of Education students. He is currently supervising four (04) Master’s students and one (01) PhD student. Generally, he describes himself as a novice researcher who is very eager to become an experienced researcher. To fulfil such ambitions, he has undergone numerous research seminars and research writing retreats. Up to now, he has published 15 papers through conference proceedings and 05 journal articles. He is a Senior lecturer and Deputy Head of Department who monitors the functioning of his department. His research interest is in the disciplines of professional teacher development and education policy imperatives.

Ms.Sinazo Majola holds a Bachelor of Education Honours degree, and is currently pursuing a Master of Education at WSU and working as an Administrator in the department of Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) at Walter Sisulu University. She provides comprehensive secretarial support, manages departmental operations, and assists with student recruitment and academic processes. She is an aspiring researcher with a strong passion for learning and growth in the field of research. As a novice researcher, she is highly motivated and eager to develop expertise and make meaningful contributions to her area of interest. To achieve these ambitions, she has actively engaged in numerous research seminars, participated in research writing retreats, and attended various research conferences. She has published 2 papers through conference proceedings and 01 journal article.

Mpahla, Ntando Elliot, Sinazo Majola, and Ntombozuko Memani. “Assessing the impact of orientation programs for first-time entering undergraduate students on student learning: The case of a selected university in South Africa.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.1 (2026): 261 – 271. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267119

© 2026 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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