Experiences of girl learners in accessing information about higher education prospects: rural and urban comparatives

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2015-08-21

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Matoane, Rebotile

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Abstract

Much effort has been invested in transforming the South African Higher Education landscape since the election of the democratic government in 1994. Although notable achievements have been made, a persisting sentiment is that this system remains largely unequal to the extent that less girl children are enrolling in historically male-dominated fields of study. It is acknowledged that in the South African context where poverty and unemployment are rampant, gender inequality in Higher Education poses a threat to the potential for increased socio-economic development. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of high school female learners in urban and rural settings concerning accessing information about their Higher Education prospects. The study was informed by the qualitative approach and a case study design was applied. Purposive sampling was used to obtain a sample of 25 participants which was spread between two schools, one in Gauteng and one in Mpumalanga. Two semi-structured interview schedules were used for individual and focus group interviews. Data was collected through audio-taped individual interviews and a focus group in each school; and data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Through their experiences, a better understanding of how access to information aids and informs girl learners’ decisions about their post-schooling careers was gained. The findings indicated that the experiences of girl learners in accessing information about their Higher Education prospects are different with a few similarities in rural and urban areas. The research is likely to encourage further research on access and gender inequality in Higher Education.

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A report on a study project presented to The Department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in the field of Social Development March 2015

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