The transition from student to teacher can be a challenging journey. This article explores how perceived unpreparedness – experienced as a disorienting dilemma – influences final-year student teachers’ self-efficacy and overall well-being. Using an interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach, data were generated through questionnaires, visual representations, and focus group discussions with twelve student teachers at a South African higher education institution. A conceptual framework is developed by merging Mezirow’s transformative learning theory and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. The case study reveals that while most student teachers initially felt prepared to teach English, self-examination of their preparedness based on teaching practice experiences exposed feelings of anxiety, low self-confidence, and self-doubt, impacting their self-efficacy. The findings reveal that enhancing student teachers’ self-efficacy is essential for their well-being, as higher self-efficacy promotes resilience, confidence, and preparedness for teaching. Emotional health and psychological support are critical for fostering student teachers’ sense of hope, resilience and self-efficacy. Addressing these challenges can help higher education institutions foster self-efficacy development, ensuring that student teachers transition from uncertainty to confidence. This article advocates for a holistic approach to teacher preparation, highlighting the role of higher education institutions, student affairs, and counselling services in strengthening self-efficacy and reducing anxiety through targeted support.

Entrepreneurship education is more vital now than ever before, equipping individuals with the skills and mindset to navigate the complexities of today’s dynamic business landscape. Higher education institutions need to consider the current state of the labour market and restructure their entrepreneurial curriculums. Supporting entrepreneurship is a national priority. To foster this, higher education institutions must embrace their role and align their programs with the evolving demands of the labour market. The purpose of this study was to determine the desire for entrepreneurship education within institutions of higher education and to ascertain students’ opinions on the perceived characteristics of the existing entrepreneurship education curriculum. This study employed a quantitative methodology, administering an online questionnaire to 322 university students. Students at the chosen South African university showed significant interest in entrepreneurship education. By incorporating entrepreneurship education into the higher education curriculum, universities are poised to assume a critical role in shaping and developing future entrepreneurs in South Africa.

In South Africa, health sciences students who live in university residence must often remain on campus during university recess to fulfil work-integrated learning obligations. Some of the observed challenges during this time are relocating to a temporary residence, having limited access to supplies and services as well as concerns about safety. These challenges were further aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, literature on factors and dynamics that affect student well-being and learning during these periods is sparse. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore the experiences of health sciences students residing on campus during recess at a specific university. Participatory research utilising the photovoice method was conducted. Four health sciences students volunteered to participate in three workshops to complete the research process. Captioned photographs and narratives were used to document their on-campus experiences during university recess. During a public photo exhibit, which concluded the project, essential stakeholders wrote anonymous reviews in the visitors’ book. Collaborative thematic data analysis was performed, leading to the identification of four themes: (1) sharing personal space, (2) support services and structures, (3) security, and (4) personal development. The findings revealed a sense of lost belonging due to inadequate support during recess, which could affect student learning and well-being. Remaining on campus during recess can have adverse effects on students’ learning and well-being, due to experiences of extreme loneliness and feelings of being out of place. At the same time, this period can create opportunities for quiet self-reflection and personal growth. Using methods such as photovoice to document these experiences can empower students to advocate for necessary institutional changes. Future research should include more participants from various disciplines and extended recess periods to better inform policies and guidelines.

This qualitative study examined how first-year university students perceive the roles of psychological resources (resilience, hope, and optimism) in relation to student success (academic performance and well-being). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 first-year university students (7 female, 6 male, age range: 18-25). The analysis revealed that resilience played a crucial role in promoting well-being and managing emotional stressors. Students referred to the relevance of hope as a driving force for them to persist in pursuing long-term academic goals. Additionally, hope, especially in the form of critical hope, sustained motivation by combining realistic acknowledgement of systemic challenges with a forward-looking commitment to personal and collective transformation. Optimism helped students reframe setbacks positively and maintain confidence in their long-term goals. The data indicated that these psychological resources form an interdependent ecosystem that students draw on to navigate the complexity of university life. The study emphasises not only the individual importance of these constructs but also their integrative and justice-oriented role in promoting student success. Findings support the need for holistic, contextually responsive student development and support services.

The construct of resilience has received growing attention in the higher education literature over the past three decades. However, conceptualisations of resilience are widely varied. Since resilience has often been viewed as a fixed trait an individual either possesses or lacks, the influence of context on resilience is frequently underestimated. The purpose of this review is to gain a better understanding of how resilience is conceptualised in the broader context of higher education literature. A scoping review of the conceptualisation of resilience within higher education is provided based on the methodological framework for scoping reviews developed by Arksey and O’Malley. The scoping study method is guided by the need to identify all pertinent literature, irrespective of study design. The initial search via the EBSCO, ERIC and PsychINFO databases yielded 189 records. Altogether, 41 contributions were included in the scoping analysis. Each resource was evaluated thematically to identify key categorisations of resilience. Three overarching themes were identified, including (1) resilience as an internal construct, (2) resilience as an external or environmental construct, and (3) resilience as a malleable, growth construct. These categorisations can equip universities to design more comprehensive student support programs that do not focus on a singular interpretation of resilience. For educators, practitioners and policymakers this review highlights the need for a multifaceted approach to fostering resilience in higher education. Future research on how resilience is conceptualised specifically within an African context is recommended.

Design thinking is a human-centred approach that offers practical methods and tools that can be used by academic advisors to enhance innovation, develop meaningful problem-solving strategies, and drive change in student academic advising sessions. Academic advising can be regarded as a critical component of student success; however, many students and advisors struggle to engage deeply in the advising process in a shared and reciprocal manner. This study addresses this issue by adopting a design thinking approach to support students during the academic advising process. The study explored how the adapted design thinking process at a particular institution enhanced student– advisor agency, collaboration, and student-centred engagement. The study employed a qualitative research methodology, drawing on Schön’s (1991) reflective model. Qualitative data were collected from the three advisors’ reflective reports and one focus group interview. Thematic analyses were used to identify key patterns and themes. The design thinking approach gave rise to four key themes: (1) timely and focused advising, (2) knowledge building and information sharing, (3) reciprocal conversations, and (4) agency. The findings reveal that the application of design thinking in academic advising enabled advisors to shift their advising sessions from a prescriptive to a developmental approach, thereby fostering a deeper and more collaborative engagement with students.

Initial teacher education programs around the globe are aimed at equipping beginner teachers with competencies that will enable them to be successful practitioners in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. In this South African study, aimed at conceptualising the competencies needed by early-career English teachers who specialise in the Senior (Snr) and Further Education and Training (FET) phase (Grades 8-12), data were generated through a mixed-method approach involving qualitative in-depth interviews with heads of departments (HODs), document analysis and quantitative online surveys administered to early-career English language teachers who had completed their studies at a university, focusing on their training and development during initial teacher training. The overall findings of the study suggest that while traditional competencies such as content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) remain foundational, there is a pressing need to focus more on the development and support of affective domains such as social-emotional competencies and personality traits. These findings highlight the need for institutional practices that promote holistic student teacher development through accessing support services and acquiring the needed competencies to support their wellbeing during their studies and to ensure relevant competence when they start teaching.

The pressing issue of climate change has galvanized a global movement, with young people at the forefront as vocal advocates for environmental action. However, various structural and institutional factors often constrain the ability of university student environmentalists to translate their concerns into meaningful action. Using the concept of bounded agency within the capability approach, this qualitative study explored the perspectives of students from two universities, one in Malawi and one in Zambia, to better understand the challenges and opportunities they encounter in their efforts to translate their environmental concerns into tangible outcomes. The study reveals that while participants are deeply committed to environmental concerns, they encounter significant obstacles, including a lack of institutional support and resources, sociocultural norms, and university power structures that marginalize their voices. Despite these challenges, students employ strategies such as building cross-institutional collaborations with NGOs, leveraging social media, and engaging in grassroots advocacy to navigate their bounded agency. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics that shape the landscape for climate action efforts of student environmentalists in the Global South, highlighting the resilience and resourcefulness of student environmentalists in overcoming barriers to drive environmental sustainability.

Student achievement is a central objective for higher education institutions. To advance this goal, continuous enhancements in academic support services and interventions have been introduced within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Initiatives like academic advice, increasingly emphasize an interconnected approach, acknowledging the significant impact of out-of-class learning environments on student accomplishments. The out-of-class learning environment encompasses various components that include study spaces, recreational facilities, and student housing accommodation. However, limited research on the connectedness between student housing, academic advising and student success exists. Informed by the basic tenets of the validation theory, this study sought to explore the impact of student housing on academic advice and student success with a specific focus on the contributions of Residence Advisors (RAs). Thirteen [N=13], Residence Advisors [RAs] from Durban University of Technology responded to an online open-ended questionnaire administered through Google Forms. Data indicated that RAs functioned as a primary point of contact for students experiencing problems affecting their academic work. A vital role offering academic guidance and counselling significantly influencing the academic progress of students residing at respective facilities was performed by the advisors. However, the RAs had received minimal or no formal training on the provision academic advice. The study recommends that RAs get training on academic advising for improved efficacy of their critical role on student attainment.