Willie T. Chinyamurindi

Using narrative analysis to understand factors influencing career choice in a sample of distance learning students in South Africa

The making of career choice is seen as an important decision in an individual’s life. Research in South Africa suggests there is little yet growing empirical focus on the career development processes of individuals termed as ‘previously disadvantaged’ by the apartheid policy of racial separation. The goal of this study was to investigate the factors that influence distance learning students’ career choices among a sample of previously disadvantaged distance learners in South Africa. Data were collected from 40 participants using unstructured interviews. Upon analysis, five themes emerged as influencing career choice: the influence of (a) significant others, (b) academic performance, (c) personal circumstances, (d) environmental forces, and (e) career interventions. Furthermore, each of these factors influencing the making of career choice was accompanied by difficulty en route to the enactment of choice. Based on the findings of this study, career counsellors can come up with interventions targeted at previously disadvantaged individuals. This can not only help in empowering career counsellors to understand their clients but also help in understanding the career development processes of such clients.

A study on students’ acceptance of mobile phone use to seek health information in South Africa

Background: In South Africa, inequitable access to healthcare information has made many young people with limited resources more vulnerable to health risks. Mobile phones present a unique opportunity to address this problem due to the high penetration of mobile phones in South Africa and the popularity of these devices among young adults. Objective: This research sought to examine the adoption of mobile phones to access health information among students at a traditional university in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Method: A cross-sectional survey approach was used to collect information from a convenience sample of 202 university students (58 males; 104 females), the majority (71.3%) of whom were aged between 18 and 27 years and of Black African ethnicity (75.2%). The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) framework formed the theoretical foundation for the questionnaire. A research model was developed to test the hypotheses that behavioural intention to use a mobile phone to access health information would be influenced by: perceived usefulness (PU), perceived effort, social influence (SI), attitude towards technology (AT) and mobile phone experience. Results: Factor analyses indicated that the research model explained 36% of the variance in behavioural intention to use mobile devices to search for health-related queries, with PU being the largest predictor, followed by mobile experience, SI, and AT. Perceived effort did not make a statistically significant contribution. Conclusion: Using mobile phones to disseminate health information to students is a useful, convenient, and cost-effective health-promotion strategy. This research has contributed to the body of knowledge concerning the applicability of the UTAUT framework to study the adoption of technology and provided useful information to guide future research and implementation of mHealth initiatives.

distance learning; experiences; narrative analysis; previously disadvantaged; study mode

Distance learning is a popular mode of study in South Africa, especially among previously disadvantaged individuals. In a post-democratic South Africa, such individuals have become a priority in efforts of redress and social justice initiatives. An investigation into the experiences of enrolment can be a useful precursor to current and ongoing career counselling support, especially among population cohorts such as previously disadvantaged individuals. The study drew on a narrative inquiry that investigated a sample of 40 previously disadvantaged individuals’ experiences of studying via distance learning. Based on the narrative analysis, three main themes emerged as informing the aims of the study mainly to investigate students’ experiences of studying via distance learning. First, distance learning, as a mode of study, was not the first choice, with preference being given to non-distance learning institutions. Second, distance learning was chosen due to pragmatic reasons. Finally, being a distance learner was framed as a difficult yet opportunity-yielding experience. Based on these findings, strategies for improving the distance learning experience from a career counselling, teaching, administrative and policy point of view were suggested.

Assessing ICT Access Disparities Between the Institutional and Home Front: A Case of University Students in South Africa’s Eastern Cape

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been used to promote equality and inclusivity, foster human development, enhance opportunity and fight poverty in developing countries. In spite of this effort, inequality to ICT access persists in developing countries like post-apartheid South Africa. This paper contributes to the ICT4D discourse by investigating ICT access disparities between various actors within a country. The theoretical foundation adopts elements of Engestrom’s [1] activity theory as a conceptual lens for examining the access disparities experienced by users at home and within a formal institutional activity system, such as a university. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted with university students at two campuses of a previously disadvantaged university in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The study shows that the reason for different access, limited access on the home front and unlimited access on the institutional front, was due to access cost, lack of devices, inadequate skills and lack of awareness of the value of internet access. We conclude that these factors worsen poverty by limiting access to opportunities for the majority of the population that lacks institutional access.

Emotional intelligence influences on the work performance of early career academics: An exploratory study

We aimed to investigate emotional intelligence (EI) influences on the work performance of early career academic (ECA) staff. Participants were 220 early career academic staff at a rural South African university (female = 56.8%, 77.7% aged between 20 and 40 years, black = 89.1%). They completed an emotional intelligence scale as well as a measure of work performance. Results, following structural equation modelling, indicated that perception and regulation of emotion aspects of EI to significantly, positively influence the ECA’s job, interpersonal, non-organisational and hierarchical success. ECA staff high on EI perceived to relate better with others, and to be proactive in their adaptive behaviours when change manifests. The ways in which ECA staff appraise and respond to emotionally charged workplace communication appear to influence their likelihood to succeed in the work adjustment.

Factors influencing student usage of an online learning community: the case of a rural South African university

Technology adoption within higher education is becoming popular. This has often resulted in hubs of learning referred to as an online learning community. The success of such platforms is dependent on full system utilisation. The study draws on a quantitative empirical investigation into the factors that influence the adoption of an online learning community amongst 252 first year students at a rural university in South Africa. The results of the study show that a positive relationship exists between online course design and student ratings of perceived usefulness and perceived interaction (PI) concerning the utilisation and usage of an online learning community. Furthermore, the online learning communitys interface design was found to be positively related to ratings of perceived ease of use but not with PI. Based on these findings, interventions are proposed, which have ramifications in working within online learning communities to benefit both the student and the lecturer.