Department of Curriculum Studies

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Browsing Department of Curriculum Studies by browse.metadata.advisor "Botha, Ludolph"

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    Exploring the optimal role of residence heads in promoting student success: an institutional case study
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Groenewald, Johan; Fourie-Malherbe, Magda; Botha, Ludolph; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Attempts to improve student success in higher education are becoming more holistic and integrated in nature, while also acknowledging that informal out-of-class learning environments can significantly contribute to promoting student success. Such out-ofclass environments include student residences. In South African higher education too there is a growing awareness of the role that residences could play in promoting student success. This study focuses on exploring the optimal role of residence heads in promoting student success, with Stellenbosch University (SU) as the institutional case. The complexity of the South African higher education context within which SU finds itself and the transformation that the institution itself is undergoing make envisaging the optimal role of the residence head in the future SU challenging. The research question this study seeks to answer is: What is the optimal role of residence heads in promoting student success at a higher education institution? As this research problem is vague, broad, complex and systemic, it firstly necessitated an overview of international and national developments in student success and the role of residences in this regard, culminating in a student success level conceptual framework. This study adopted an interpretivist research paradigm. The research design was an explorative revelatory single case of the residence environment at SU. The research method for data gathering and data analysis was Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA). Purposive and convenient sampling from four population groups within the residence environment of SU identified participants for the focus group discussions and personal interviews. These focus group discussions and personal interviews enabled the construction of systems influence diagrams (SID). SIDs are mindmaps representing participants’ interpretation of the phenomenon being investigated. The most significant finding of the study is that the optimal role of the future residence head is a blended role of being a leader and playing an intentional educational role. The main purpose of this blended role is promoting student success. Furthermore, the residence head should not see student success simply as academic achievement, but should have a holistic understanding of promoting student success. The conceptualised student success level (SSL) framework can significantly contribute towards promoting such a holistic understanding of student success, and therefore, also influence the understanding of student success in higher education environments and institutions. This study makes contributions at the theoretical and practical level as far as the framework for student success is concerned. It also makes theoretical, policy and practical contributions as far as the role of the residence head is concerned. The conceptualised student success framework would allow higher education institutions the option of assessing their student success approach towards residences and the residence head role. The outcome of the research in terms of the blendedness of the residence head role is significant as this gives higher education institutions a better understanding of what the residence head role should or could be to promote student success. The findings of the study are also significant in that they suggest practical educational skills sets for residence heads to contribute to achieving student success at the different levels of the framework.