Assessing students' needs in terms of the skills they wish to acquire (2000)

This research was conducted with second-year Psychology students who attended the Student Self-empowerment and Enrichment Programme at the various Unisa regional centres during 1999. It formed part of a battery of tests given to students at the outset of the programme. The aim of this study was to discover what students would like to be able to do as a result of participating in the learning process at Unisa. A Skills Assessment Questionnaire was developed in order to assess do-able skills related to the following broad categories: Study Skills; Personal Skills; Interpersonal Skills; and Social Responsibility Skills. The categories were linked to the critical and developmental SAQA outcomes. A strengths model of student learning and skills is implicit in the research approach. 
A total of 374 students participated in the research. The greatest indicated need was for study skills (23.6% showed a poor average). These skills refer to understanding what they are reading, assessment (dealing with exams) and study management skills. Few students reported poor abilities regarding Personal Skills (4.6%), Interpersonal Skills (4%) or Social Responsibility Skills (2.5%). This shows that they either believe that they are already in possession of these skills, or that they do not need them. However, it should be kept in mind that these were the perceptions of the students at the outset of the programme. Based on the results of prior research with students attending the programme, and on the evaluations of the programme of students at the conclusion of the programme, a pronounced shift in student perceptions can be postulated as having occurred during the course of the programme. Students recognise that a complexity of skills is required to achieve the academic success they value so highly.
Hierdie navorsing is uitgevoer met tweedejaar Sielkunde-studente wat die Studente Selfbekragtigings en Verrykingsprogram gedurende 1999 in die verskillende UNISA streeksentra bygewoon het as deel van 'n toetsbattery wat aan studente gegee word aan die begin van die Program. Die studie was daarop gemik om uit te vind wat studente graag wil kan doen nadat hulle aan die leerproses by Unisa deelgeneem het. 'n Vaardigheidsevalueringsvraelys is ontwikkel ten einde doen-bare vaardighede te evalueer wat met die volgende bree kategoriee verband hou: Studievaardighede; Persoonlike Vaardighede; Interpersoonlike Vaardighede; en Sosiale Verantwoordelikheidsvaardighede. Die kategoriee is gekoppel aan die SAQA kritiese en ontwikkelingsvaardighede. Die navorsingsbenadering is een waarin daar op sterktes eerder as op tekortkominge in die leerproses gefokus word. 
'n Totaal van 374 studente het aan die navorsing deelgeneem. Die resultate het aangetoon dat die behoefte aan studievaardighede die grootste was (23.6% het 'n swak gemiddeld getoon). Hierdie vaardighede verwys na die behoefte by studente om te verstaan wat hulle lees, en om evalueringsvaardighede (eksamenvaardighede) en bestuursvaardighede rondom hulle studies te ontwikkel. Min studente het hulleself laag aangeslaan op persoonlike Vaardighede (4.6%), Interpersoonlike vaardighede (4%) en Sosiale Verantwoordelikheidsvaardighede (2.5%). Dit dui daarop dat hulle of glo dat hulle reeds oor die vaardighede beskik, of dat hulle die vaardighede nie nodig het nie. Dit moet egter in gedagte gehou word dat dit die persepsies van die studente aan die begin van die program was. Op grond van die resultate van 'n vorige studie met studente wat hierdie program bygewoon het, asook die evaluasies van die program van studente na die afloop daarvan, kan aangeneem word dat 'n opvallende verskuiwing plaasvind in die persepsies van studente gedurende die verloop van die program. Studente besef dat 'n kompleksiteit van vaardighede nodig is om die akademiese sukses te behaal wat hulle so hoog ag.