Factors influencing the academic performance in Biological Science of students in a nursing education institution in the Eastern Cape Province

Abstract

The four year nursing programme is offered at the NEI in the EC province where this study was conducted. As early as 2009 the majority of first and second year nursing students of the NEI were academically unsuccessful in the subject biological science. This prompted the researcher to conduct a qualitative, contextual, exploratory and descriptive study to explore and describe the factors influencing the academic performance of students in the subject biological science at the NEI. Following an explanation of the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) process as the framework of the study and the purpose of the study, the consecutive sample of second year nursing students who consented to participate completed a written appreciative interview schedule. The findings of the content analysis process revealed factors influencing performance in the subject biological science as biological science content, nurse educator characteristics, study strategies, resources and biological science assessments. The recommendation was for all the stakeholders to play their various active roles towards influencing biological science performance positively.