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Universities in South Africa, experience challenges related to throughput rates, especially in the first year of study. Student dropout in the School of Health Sciences (SHS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) negatively affects the enrolment targets with the concomitant loss of student subsidy and fees. It also reduces the number of prospective healthcare professionals who are required to address the shortage of skilled healthcare workers in the country. Thus, this emphasises the need to determine secondary school factors that relate to success and throughput in the first year of study, namely: area and type of schooling; matriculation point scores (also referred to as admission point scores [APS}); and matriculation subject choices. A retrospective design with a quantitative approach was used to collect data from a total of 713 student records over the period 2009-2011. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho) and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to determine differences between variables related to academic success. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The data was analysed and presented as annual composite results as well as stratified by disciplines. Overall the area of secondary schooling did not correlate statistically significantly with academic success. In contrast, the type of secondary schooling (p = .012), matriculation points (p = .000) and all matriculation subjects investigated (p < .005) were statistically significant variables that correlated with academic success. At discipline-level, Physiotherapy was shown to have the most consistent correlations among variables, with a moderate correlation with matriculation subjects as well as the APS. The results of this study yielded evidencebased admissions criteria for students into the SHS at UKZN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiology has an anecdotal track record of having lower pass rates than other professional modules in the Health Sciences (HS). The aim of this study was to compare the performance and associated contributory factors of students in physiology modules with professional modules at the same level of study. This was done by way of overall pass rates and average, maximum, and minimum marks for the period 2008-2010 stratified by programme/qualification, matriculation/National Senior Certificate achievement and language. The latter two served as proxies for alternative access and previously disadvantaged students, respectively. There was a notable difference in the mean 2008-2010 pass rates of students from the different professional qualifications and students generally performed considerably better in their professional modules as compared with their performance in the physiology modules. The performance in physiology modules of English first language (EFL) students was not significantly different from that of English second language students (ESL). The implications of these findings require further discourse on, inter alia, issues around physiology teaching; student learning modes; admission criteria; student preparedness for university; and student monitoring and support mechanisms. There also needs to be a greater interaction between physiologists and health professionals involved in the curriculum design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality teaching and learning is critical to producing high calibre university graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills and values to contribute to the knowledge economy and the economic growth and development of countries while ensuring self-efficacy and personal success. Teaching quality measures and indicators have, however, not enjoyed adequate debate and discourse within the higher education sector, and, as such are largely quantitative and measured by proxy in university ranking systems. Proxy teaching indicators used by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings were correlated with U-Multirank indicators applicable to the Faculty of Health Sciences for the period 2007-2011, with the faculty considered as a microcosm of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. There were no statistically significant differences in the indicators between years. There were just two significant correlations, viz., the ratio of PhD to Bachelors degrees awarded significantly correlated with throughput from cohort at 95 percent and 99 per cent while the number of PhDs significantly correlated with graduate employment at 90 per cent. Teaching quality measurement by proxy is thus justifiably contested in university rankings. The challenge for university ranking systems is thus: (1) identifying suitable quantitative and qualitative indicators for quality teaching; (2) striking the correct balance between quantitative and qualitative teaching quality indicators; and (3) ensuring that the quantitative/qualitative indicators address both teaching inputs and teaching impact/learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality teaching is a central tenet to the retention and success of students in higher education but teaching quality measures and indicators have not enjoyed sufficient debate and discourse within the higher education sector. The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal investigated the use of various programme and module statistics as well as student and peer evaluations of teaching to inform quality improvements in teaching and learning. Quantitative data allowed benchmarking in relation to internal University targets and national norms and pointed to the student cohorts who collectively required teaching and learning interventions but was found to have limited use in improving individual teaching practice. Qualitative data from students and peers was best able to highlight strengths and weaknesses and provided the most useful data to inform changes in teaching practice as it engendered and enhanced reflective practice. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report on quality teaching in higher education found that most evaluation instruments were related to teaching input indicators and that there was a dearth of instruments to evaluate the impact of teaching, i.e. there was no explicit evaluation criteria linking teaching input to learning outcome. The challenge for the second cycle of institutional reviews/audits will thus be (1) identifying suitable qualitative indicators measures for quality teaching, (2) striking the correct balance between quantitative and qualitative teaching quality indicators/measures, and (3) ensuring that such indicators, both quantitative/qualitative address teaching impact/learning outcomes in addition to teaching inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge of translating equity of access into equity of outcome with students from a differentially resourced secondary education system which may have advantaged or disadvantaged them in demonstrating their academic ability in the conventional matriculation/national senior certificate (NSC) examinations necessitated that Universities undertake a review of selection and admissions criteria within the 'achievement vs. aptitude' as well as the 'NATED vs. National Curriculum Statement (NCS)' discourses. The Faculty of Health Sciences conducted a longitudinal cohort study correlating matriculation/NSC scores, composite and component Alternative Admissions Research Project (AARP) scores and Standardized Assessment Test for Access and Placement (SATAP) English for Academic Purposes scores with average first year performance of all first entry students admitted into programmes offered in the Faculty of Health Sciences in 2008 (matriculants of the NATED curriculum) and 2009 (NSC holders of the outcomes-based education (OBE) curriculum). Results allow the Faculty to confidently use NSC scores as the primary selection tool for students who have received quality secondary education and students whose first language is English. The reasoning test (RT) and placement test in English for educational purposes (PTEEP) as well as composite AARP scores may be used to inform a selection of students whose second language is English and students admitted via alternative access routes respectively, noting that the AARP has since been replaced by the National Benchmark Test (NBT) which consists of commensurate components; thereby addressing equity and redress imperatives while ensuring throughput and success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Plan for Higher Education (2001) mooted funding as a lever to engender equitable student access, quality teaching and research, improved student retention and throughput and the production of graduates responsive to the country's social and economic needs. Maximizing income via the teaching input and output grants, the research output grant and the institutional factor grants necessitates innovative strategies pre- and post student admission. Recruitment drives targeting schools with largely disadvantaged student populations, student selection using tools predictive of student success, comprehensive and holistic student support, and, curriculum and pedagogical interventions address both access and success within the equity and transformation paradigms, while also assuring financial viability of higher education institutions. This article describes the context and rationale behind the 'selection tools project', the 'academic development and student support prolect', the 'web-based/online Masters programme' and Faculty-specific rules for postgraduate degrees initiated in the Faculty of Health Sciences, delineating impact where possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]