School of Social Sciences (ETDs)

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Browsing School of Social Sciences (ETDs) by Author "Bonga, Bulelani"

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    The Impact of a Psychological Capital Micro-Intervention on Academic Burnout amongst First-year University Students
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-10-23) Bonga, Bulelani; Siemers, Ian
    Purpose – the aim of this study is to probe into whether psychological capital micro interventions impact upon burnout amongst first-year university students, in the psychology department, at the University of the Witwatersrand. Research Design and Methodology - This study used a quasi-experimental design, because it did not include random assignment, but did include a comparison group, and manipulation of the DV variables. The research was quantitative in nature, with a sample size of 319 first year students from Wits University.. Findings – There was an insignificant interaction effect between group and time on all the variables. Thus, the intervention was not successful. However, Psychological capital was significantly and negatively related to burnout, and it’s components. Research limitations/implications – The sampling approach may limit the generalizability of the study’s findings as the data was collected from just one South African university, where the primary focus was first-year students. Another limitation includes the 1% given to those who participated in the intervention. Although this is departmental policy, an allocation of this nature can be interpreted as an attempt to persuade or provide an incentive, which may have affected the way the students responded. The current study has highlighted the value and importance of administering psychological capital interventions, not only in universities, but South Africa at large.