ENHANCING STUDENT KNOWLEDGE, THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF GENERAL EDUCATION IN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES

Being able to “hit the ground running” is every graduate’s dream that could be effortlessly converted into reality, with exposure to general inclusive education. The study surveyed the perceptions of students on the General Education modules at a South Africa University of Technology. General Education is a framework for programme design with a particular philosophy and graduate attributes and its goals are to help students think critically, develop values, understand traditions, respect cultures and opinions, and, most importantly, put that knowledge to use. It is a compulsory component that is introduced and offered to students in the undergraduate programmes, as a result of the curriculum renewal process and accounts for 30 % of the total programme credits. The new curriculum is linked with the University’s graduate attributes, which defines what the University believes its graduates should possess upon graduation. The introduction of General Education is expected to ensure that graduates are not only skilled professionals in their chosen area of study but also broadly educated and well-rounded local and global citizens. The aim of the study is to determine students experiences of the General Education modules and if it is perceived as a value-added component. A survey utilising the quantitative approach was employed in the study, and data was collected using a questionnaire that was administered to first year students. Analysis of data was prepared using Microsoft Excel.

The findings of the study indicate that General Education is relevant and beneficial to majority of the students. It is clear that General Education is a valuable component that will greatly enrich a student’s knowledge, bringing about fundamental transformation and revolution in education and beyond. Due to the compulsory nature of General Education, work experience will be significantly enhanced, providing further opportunities for students. The findings of the study will be utilised to further inform educators and module designers on the value and implementation of the modules in the current and subsequent years.