Intrapersonal factors that support higher education students’ achievement during academic probation

Abstract

Access to higher education institutions and success rates of students are high on the agenda of all higher education institutions in South Africa following the #FeesMustFall campaign that began in mid-October 2015 followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This descriptive case study reports on the intrapersonal factors that supported three university students during their academic probation. Bean and Eaton’s psychological model of college retention was used as the guiding theory in this research. The participants were purposively selected on the basis that they were academically excluded from their study programme, that they successfully appealed their exclusion and were subsequently placed on academic probation, and managed to complete their probation period. A qualitative research approach, anchored in interpretivism was used. Data were generated through a mini focus group interview that was guided by the strength-based principles of appreciative inquiry. The findings of this study indicated that intrapersonal factors such as coping behaviours, internal locus of control and high self-efficacy beliefs played an important role in the success the participants experienced. This study has implications for how student support services in future could utilise these psychological processes to support students.