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Factors Contributing to Student Wellbeing: Student Perspectives

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Embracing Well-Being in Diverse African Contexts: Research Perspectives

Part of the book series: Cross-Cultural Advancements in Positive Psychology ((CAPP,volume 16))

Abstract

Globally, the wellbeing of students in tertiary environments is increasingly linked to long-term educational outcomes at the systemic level. In South Africa, the tertiary sector has seen wide-ranging changes at universities across the country in recent years. Universities have seen calls for decolonised curricula and increased access to higher education, and a strong emphasis is placed on throughput and graduation rates. Such an amplified emphasis on academic outcomes frequently disregards the holistic nature of university education and the importance of the subjective wellbeing experiences of university students. This chapter investigates the factors that students identified as important to their wellbeing at a large residential university in South Africa. Data was collected by means of an open-ended question asked and answered during face-to-face interviews with 2439 students from nine university faculties on five campuses, and the findings were analysed by means of thematic analysis. Students’ responses revolved around two major themes: the learning environment (relating to the physical environment as well as the facilities on and around campus) and support structures (including social support systems and facilities). The learning environment and support structures are interlinked and together ensure the fulfilment of student needs and their wellbeing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

    Irma Eloff

  2. Department of Human Resource Management, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

    Sumari O’Neil & Herbert Kanengoni

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  1. Irma Eloff
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  2. Sumari O’Neil
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  3. Herbert Kanengoni
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Correspondence to Irma Eloff .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    Lusilda Schutte

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

    Tharina Guse

  3. Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    Marié P. Wissing

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Eloff, I., O’Neil, S., Kanengoni, H. (2022). Factors Contributing to Student Wellbeing: Student Perspectives. In: Schutte, L., Guse, T., Wissing, M.P. (eds) Embracing Well-Being in Diverse African Contexts: Research Perspectives. Cross-Cultural Advancements in Positive Psychology, vol 16. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85924-4_10

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