A guideline to improve the success rate of current M Tech students in completing their studies: A case of the Department of Tourism Management
Tshipala, Ndivhuwo (2021)
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021082117072
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021082117072
Tiivistelmä
This case study developed guidelines to improve the success rate of current Magister Technologiae (M-Tech) students after exploring the challenges confronting students who are studying M-Tech: Tourism and Hospitality Management and M-Tech: Adventure Tourism Management. Each of these postgraduate degrees is a two year qualification within a department of Tourism Management at a university of technology in South Africa. Using a qualitative approach, the study aimed to determine why the students took longer than two years to complete their National Accredited Technical Education Diploma qualifications. The research questions focused on the challenges faced by the university students in completing their magister degrees.
The sample of the study comprised 17 students who had registered for the M Tech qualifications. Both the M-Tech qualifications are being phased out since the university has now aligned their qualifications with the Higher Education Qualification Sub Framework as required by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training. The instrument of the study was a semi-structured questionnaire. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic analysis method through an exploratory research. Six dimensional challenges emerged as major themes: a) Mental and emotional challenges; b) Resources challenges; c) Supervisory challenges; d) Academic challenges; e) Support challenges; and f) Procedure/System challenges.
These challenges were further categorised into sub-themes. The findings of the study showed that these challenges are related to performance. Recommendations will be forwarded to the relevant authorities for them to address these challenges and facilitate the students’ completion of their phasing out qualifications. The students themselves also presented suggestions that could assist the relevant authorities in managing master’s students better in the new qualification structure.
The sample of the study comprised 17 students who had registered for the M Tech qualifications. Both the M-Tech qualifications are being phased out since the university has now aligned their qualifications with the Higher Education Qualification Sub Framework as required by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training. The instrument of the study was a semi-structured questionnaire. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic analysis method through an exploratory research. Six dimensional challenges emerged as major themes: a) Mental and emotional challenges; b) Resources challenges; c) Supervisory challenges; d) Academic challenges; e) Support challenges; and f) Procedure/System challenges.
These challenges were further categorised into sub-themes. The findings of the study showed that these challenges are related to performance. Recommendations will be forwarded to the relevant authorities for them to address these challenges and facilitate the students’ completion of their phasing out qualifications. The students themselves also presented suggestions that could assist the relevant authorities in managing master’s students better in the new qualification structure.