Tackling Low Enrolment and High Attrition Rates in Postgraduate Diploma Programmes at a UoT

Abstract

The academic environment in South Africa has witnessed substantial recalibrations, prominently marked by the Council of Higher Education (CHE)'s 2009 endeavour to harmonise academic curricula across tertiary institutions. This pivotal transformation within this new academic fabric, the Advanced and Postgraduate Chemistry Programmes has emerged as instrumental to the national labour market, addressing a skill shortage in South Africa. This study underscores the urgency of higher educational institutions fulfilling enrolment quotas, especially for HEQSF-aligned programs like the Postgraduate Diploma in Chemistry and Laboratory Management. Achieving these quotas is not just a metric of success; However, a concerning trajectory has been observed from 2020–2023, where enrolment rates for these flagship programmes at a selected UoT plummeted to below 10%. This decline is not merely an institutional concern; it reverberates through the industry, hampering skill availability and jeopardizing subsequent master's and doctoral-level educational pathways. This dissertation embarks on a multi-faceted exploration to unearth the factors contributing to this trend. By examining the existing pedagogical paradigms at the UoT, scrutinizing enrolment and performance matrices, and capturing the perceptions of both students and academic staff, a holistic understanding emerges. This study employs a mixed-methods approach to investigate the declining enrollment and high attrition rates in postgraduate chemistry programs at a South African UoT. It combines quantitative data analysis, including a detailed examination of enrolment, performance, and attrition trends from 2020 to 2023, with qualitative research methods. These qualitative methods encompass structured questionnaires and thematic analyses of interviews with students and faculty, providing in-depth insights into the experiences and perceptions influencing these trends. The results from the student survey demonstrated the challenges attributed to the low attrition and low success rate for working students. These challenges were found in industry-run businesses that operate on strict schedules, including Monday to Friday shifts and night shifts, which negatively impact student performance. The rigid schedule does not allow the student to attend contact classes even online classes. It was notable that work comes first and studies secondary. The mode of teaching for recorded classes seemed viable for students who cannot attend any classes to access the Learning Management System to study on their own time, however, this approach does not allow student collaboration and real-time class engagement with students. Programmes A, B and C all have practical comments, the staff survey noted that students seemingly do attend practicals which is essential skills in the laboratory through requests for leave or arrangements. It was noted that leave is not enough for students to attend classes, practicals, and tests. The continuous assessment showed the highest preference by both students and staff as it has offered flexibility, and staff to schedule assessments based on students. This approach was daunting for the Advanced Diploma since the number is higher and 60 % working and 40 % full-time contact students. There was a slightly significant success rate increase between 2020 - 2023The recommendation that Programme A, and B be taught in the evenings as per the student response survey and this was recommendation by student, however, staff has suggested that not all modules can be presented that way since concepts are different from module to module, as they require calculation, techniques. In the staff survey and interviews, it was noted staff empathised with the student's struggles for working class. The Department lacks the digital tools such as virtual laboratories to assist the students in conducting experiments

In conclusion, the results showed that blended learning and continuous assessment can be beneficial for working students who need to balance their work and study responsibilities. These approaches can provide students with flexibility, personalization, support, and continuous assessment, which can help them to succeed in their studies.