Abstract:

Student under-preparedness for tertiary studies poses enormous challenges for higher education institutions in South Africa. Maximizing the academic experience of under-prepared students through the implementation of appropriate strategic interventions remains a key strategic imperative. In view of this key strategic imperative, the academic performance of a cohort of undergraduate engineering students in mathematics was tracked as part of a longitudinal study. The students were enrolled for a degree program in industrial engineering at a South African university. In addition, the students were placed in the mainstream and extended curriculum programs on the basis of their overall admission score. The duration of the extended curriculum program is longer than the normal duration of a mainstream curriculum program. By its very nature, the extended curriculum program was characterised by provision of additional academic support to ensure student academic success. Analysis of student academic performance in mathematics during the period under review revealed disparity in the performance of the two groups. A higher proportion of students in the extended curriculum program demonstrated substantially improved overall academic performance in mathematics. This improved academic performance can partly be attributed to the efficacy of the extended curriculum program itself. There is a crucial need to rethink the pedagogical affordances associated with the implementation of extended curriculum programs with a view to foster a coherent reconfiguration of such programs. The improved academic performance demonstrated by the cohort of students in the extended curriculum program has profound implications for meaningful enhancement of human capital development through coherent implementation of appropriate strategic interventions within the broader South African context.

Keywords:

Pedagogical affordances, strategic interventions, reconfiguration.