Loadshedding, the scheduled power outage implemented in South Africa, has significantly affected various sectors, including higher education institutions. This article explores the impact of loadshedding on students in a South African university, focusing on the difficulties they face, and the coping strategies employed. The study adopts a mixed…

University students' mental health and wellbeing has been a global public health issue of increasing concern in recent years, with a growing body of empirical evidence suggesting university students are a 'very high-risk population' for mental disorders and psychological distress. Pre-existing mental health challenges among university students…

Poverty is one of the factors contributing to lower achievements and completion rates among black students in South African higher education institutions (HEIs). The approach in addressing student poverty in HEIs is predominantly financial through funding disadvantaged groups. While the multifacetedness of poverty is well documented, the nature of…

The research on students' sense of belonging in higher education has evolved into a prominent theme worldwide. Institutional research focuses on the institution understanding itself and helps leaders to rethink improvement initiatives. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has required of institutions to revise student support programmes and approaches…

The closure of universities as a response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affects all students and has a far-reaching economic and psychosocial impact, especially for those students who come from marginalized and impoverished contexts. International research reports that students have struggled to cope with learning under unprecedented…

The purpose of this meta-methods study was to examine challenges experienced by students that hinder their ability successfully to learn online during the emergency remote teaching of a South African University that began in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, 4,419 students completed an online questionnaire. Analyses of the…

This qualitative descriptive study explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown on the emotional and social well-being of students enrolled at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa. A sample of students was selected across all levels of study (first, second and third years and postgraduates), using…

Students including health sciences at universities that appear to subscribe to neoliberal logic are at risk for social injustices and inequalities, anxiety, depression, academic demands and unethical activities. There has been little discussion about students' self-care and well-being in and beyond the neoliberal universities. This article…

Despite the support structures offered at Open distance e-learning (ODeL) higher education institutions, slow completion and attrition attest to postgraduate students' challenging study experiences. This qualitative and interpretivist case study examines postgraduate students' experiences of counselling support at an ODeL institution in South…

A person's fear of not having a mobile phone on hand may inhibit certain aspects of a person's life. This study sought to investigate nomophobia (the irrational fear of not having access to mobile devices) as a possible mental disorder in the Gauteng education sector. To address nomophobia as a possible mental health disorder in Gauteng schools,…

Advances in school psychology and mental health highlight the role of collaborative teacher-parent engagement to ensure optimal psychoeducational support. The objective of this South African study was to explore the views of parents and learners regarding Adelman and Taylor's Initial Assessment and Consultation (IAC) shared problem-solving…

Confronted by the disruption of work-integrated learning (WIL) placements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology experienced multiple academic and mental health challenges. This study highlights the impact the pandemic had on students from the Departments of Homeopathy,…

University students were regarded as a vulnerable population as they not only had to endure significant levels of mental health problems and financial distress, but also academic challenges in the transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the tumultuous nature of the pandemic and consequent sheltering as well as other…

Measures that were put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19, such as lockdowns, movement restrictions, and social distancing, resulted in remarkable changes in the traditional educational systems. Online learning was implemented to replace face-to-face teaching and learning, albeit with several challenges and varying levels of unpreparedness.…

The research explored the relationships that exist between first-year students' sense of purpose and meaning in life, mental health and academic performance enrolled for courses with at-risk subjects at a higher education institution. Empirical data was obtained from 269 participants (18-22 years=60.97%, female=55.80%) who completed the Purpose in…