{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8382"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8382","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"An investigation into the performance and problems of first-year engineering students at the University of Cape Town","abstract":"The first- and second-year results of the 1989 engineering student intake were analysed and revealed that matriculants from Black Education Departments performed significantly worse in the first year than those from White Education Departments. Matric point scores were found to be good predictors for White Education Department matriculants, but less so for Black Education Department matriculants, with matric Physical Science a better predictor than matric Maths, for both first- and second- year courses. Using interviews and a survey of students, a set of academic and non-academic problems experienced by first-year engineering students were identified with black students found to have experienced a particular set of problems to a greater degree than white students. The data produced a portrait of the interaction between first-year engineering students and the academic and social systems of the university. The dominant feature that emerged was one of distance between the individual students and elements of the university environment, including staff, fellow students and the academic material. Factors from the student's personal and educational background that appeared to accentuate this experience of distance were identified. Recommendations to the Engineering Faculty were compiled on the basis of this analysis together with student suggestions for improving the first-year engineering programme.","abstract_html":"The first- and second-year results of the 1989 engineering student intake were analysed and revealed that matriculants from Black Education Departments performed significantly worse in the first year than those from White Education Departments. Matric point scores were found to be good predictors for White Education Department matriculants, but less so for Black Education Department matriculants, with matric Physical Science a better predictor than matric Maths, for both first- and second- year courses. Using interviews and a survey of students, a set of academic and non-academic problems experienced by first-year engineering students were identified with black students found to have experienced a particular set of problems to a greater degree than white students. The data produced a portrait of the interaction between first-year engineering students and the academic and social systems of the university. The dominant feature that emerged was one of distance between the individual students and elements of the university environment, including staff, fellow students and the academic material. Factors from the student's personal and educational background that appeared to accentuate this experience of distance were identified. Recommendations to the Engineering Faculty were compiled on the basis of this analysis together with student suggestions for improving the first-year engineering programme.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Jawitz, Jeff"],"institution":"Department of Mechanical Engineering","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Martin, JB","Cowan, Bill"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1992,"date_issued":"1992","date_published":"1992","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:47Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8382","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Martin, JB","Cowan, Bill"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Jawitz, Jeff"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-10-11T12:16:23Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-10-11T12:16:23Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1992"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MPhil"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8382"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Bibliography: leaves 203-208."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The first- and second-year results of the 1989 engineering student intake were analysed and revealed that matriculants from Black Education Departments performed significantly worse in the first year than those from White Education Departments. Matric point scores were found to be good predictors for White Education Department matriculants, but less so for Black Education Department matriculants, with matric Physical Science a better predictor than matric Maths, for both first- and second- year courses. Using interviews and a survey of students, a set of academic and non-academic problems experienced by first-year engineering students were identified with black students found to have experienced a particular set of problems to a greater degree than white students. The data produced a portrait of the interaction between first-year engineering students and the academic and social systems of the university. The dominant feature that emerged was one of distance between the individual students and elements of the university environment, including staff, fellow students and the academic material. Factors from the student's personal and educational background that appeared to accentuate this experience of distance were identified. Recommendations to the Engineering Faculty were compiled on the basis of this analysis together with student suggestions for improving the first-year engineering programme."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An investigation into the performance and problems of first-year engineering students at the University of Cape Town"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Martin, JB","Cowan, Bill"],"dc:creator":["Jawitz, Jeff"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-10-11T12:16:23Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-10-11T12:16:23Z"],"dc:date.issued":["1992"],"dc:description":["Bibliography: leaves 203-208."],"dc:description.abstract":["The first- and second-year results of the 1989 engineering student intake were analysed and revealed that matriculants from Black Education Departments performed significantly worse in the first year than those from White Education Departments. Matric point scores were found to be good predictors for White Education Department matriculants, but less so for Black Education Department matriculants, with matric Physical Science a better predictor than matric Maths, for both first- and second- year courses. Using interviews and a survey of students, a set of academic and non-academic problems experienced by first-year engineering students were identified with black students found to have experienced a particular set of problems to a greater degree than white students. The data produced a portrait of the interaction between first-year engineering students and the academic and social systems of the university. The dominant feature that emerged was one of distance between the individual students and elements of the university environment, including staff, fellow students and the academic material. Factors from the student's personal and educational background that appeared to accentuate this experience of distance were identified. Recommendations to the Engineering Faculty were compiled on the basis of this analysis together with student suggestions for improving the first-year engineering programme."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8382"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Mechanical Engineering"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["An investigation into the performance and problems of first-year engineering students at the University of Cape Town"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MPhil"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:47Z"}