What is Right with the First Year Disadvantaged Students? Towards a Strength Based Perspective in Resolving Poor Academic Achievement in Science and Technology

Abstract

The challenge facing South Africa’s higher education is the poor academic performance of the disadvantaged university students. This leads to a low number of graduates. This is particularly prevalent in the field of science, engineering and technology. Research addressing this problem utilizes deficit models, which focus on what is lacking among students. This paper will argue for a strength based model in tackling the poor performance of first year students. The strength based model has its roots from positive psychology which seeks to focus on what is right, rather than what is wrong. Hence the paper will discuss the strengths the first year students possess. These are malleable self-identity and cognitive growth resulting from their developmental stage, their schoolhouse giftedness exhibited by their high school superior academic performance. And finally their positive coping styles from findings of research on coping styles of adolescents from different countries. The paper argues that these strengths can be utilised as the stepping stones to enhance achievement. The paper concludes by proposing for research that pays more attention and value the strengths the disadvantaged students have, as a strategy to resolve low academic achievement of the disadvantaged youth who enters university.