Version 1
: Received: 14 December 2023 / Approved: 15 December 2023 / Online: 15 December 2023 (11:11:20 CET)
How to cite:
Zitha, I.; Mokganya, G.M.; Tshililo, T.Y. Demystifying the Factors Contributing to Alienation and Fostering Social Justice in Higher Education: A Case of First-Year University Students. Preprints2023, 2023121180. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.1180.v1
Zitha, I.; Mokganya, G.M.; Tshililo, T.Y. Demystifying the Factors Contributing to Alienation and Fostering Social Justice in Higher Education: A Case of First-Year University Students. Preprints 2023, 2023121180. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.1180.v1
Zitha, I.; Mokganya, G.M.; Tshililo, T.Y. Demystifying the Factors Contributing to Alienation and Fostering Social Justice in Higher Education: A Case of First-Year University Students. Preprints2023, 2023121180. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.1180.v1
APA Style
Zitha, I., Mokganya, G.M., & Tshililo, T.Y. (2023). Demystifying the Factors Contributing to Alienation and Fostering Social Justice in Higher Education: A Case of First-Year University Students. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.1180.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Zitha, I., Georgina Mokgaetji Mokganya and Takalani Yolanda Tshililo. 2023 "Demystifying the Factors Contributing to Alienation and Fostering Social Justice in Higher Education: A Case of First-Year University Students" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.1180.v1
Abstract
On entering higher education, students from disadvantaged schools seem unable to cope with new academic demands and all too often the need for adjustment is attributed to under-preparedness. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors contributing to and mitigating the alienation of students in institutions of higher learning. The narrative inquiry with a qualitative method was employed to obtain the perceptions of 51 selected first-level science university students on their experiences. This is a case of the University of Venda first-year level students registered in the 2023 academic year. The findings of this paper build on and contribute to the literature on understanding alienation in higher education. In particular, the key findings of this paper reveal that the students failed to quickly adapt to a different culture of teaching and learning; the academic workload was overwhelming, and lecturers were unapproachable Students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds especially struggled to assimilate into the new university culture of teaching and learning. This paper concludes by recommending that there is a serious need to take cognisance of the influx of previously disadvantaged students into institutions that were not created with them in mind. Universities and their teaching staff should recognise the culturally diverse nature of the student body and thereby restructure teaching and assessment to foster social justice to promote student success.
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
