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Student Governance and the Academic Minefield During COVID-19 Lockdown in South Africa

Student Governance and the Academic Minefield During COVID-19 Lockdown in South Africa

Vuyo Mthethwa (Durban University of Technology, South Africa)
Copyright: © 2022 |Pages: 22
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-8279-4.ch015
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Abstract

Since 1997, the ordinary students at South African universities have depended on the SRC to be at the forefront of student advocacy in relation to resources to support their academic experiences. The onset of the lockdown on the eve of 26th March 2020 had an unprecedented effect on student life, with a change of student governance from cohesion to isolation. Adopting a snowball sampling methodology, 15 students registered at various South African universities were interviewed via WhatsApp about the support they received from their SRC during the COVID-19 lockdown. The impact of the lockdown on student governance is examined through the lens of ordinary students. Findings suggest that the surge to technology-based modes of interaction and self-regulated learning had a resultant effect of a highly compromised academic experience, even though some were able to adapt to online learning. Adjusted approaches to student governance are inevitable as the coronavirus continues to manifest.
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Purpose Of Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived student governance value to students’ academic experiences. The role of student leaders in enhancing the experience and ultimately the academic success is examined through the lens of the ordinary student. Questions posed in the study were deliberately open-ended to allow participants to share their lived experiences (Lewis & Ritchie, 2003) in online learning and their perceptions about the support they received from the SRC in relation to their academic progress during the lockdown restrictions. Specifically, the primary research questions were:

  • Q1: How does the SRC’s participation in governance benefit your academic aspirations?

  • Q2: How were your studies and general student life affected by the forced relocation from

  • campus to home during Covid-19?

  • Q3: How did you cope whilst studying online from home?

  • Q4: How did the SRC assist you with the challenges you faced during the lockdown?

  • Q5: How would you see the role of the SRC post Covid-19 in assisting your studies?

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