Mason Henry D
Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa.
Front Psychol. 2024 Nov 21;15:1470943. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1470943. eCollection 2024.
In South Africa, access to higher education is viewed as a pathway to improved life chances. However, the transition from school to university is a stressful experience for students, marked by significant challenges. Although literature acknowledges these challenges, limited research has focused specifically on the role of hope during this period. Additionally, previous studies on hope have often utilized individualistic approaches, which may not fully capture the experience of students in collectivist cultures. This study addresses this gap by exploring hope from a culturally sensitive perspective within a collectivist context, aiming to understand how first-year South African university students experience hope during the transition to university.
This study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of hope among first-year South African university students during their transition to higher education. Twenty-two students participated in semi-structured interviews, allowing for an in-depth examination of their personal and cultural perspectives on hope and the challenges they faced. The data were analyzed iteratively, with strategies implemented to enhance trustworthiness and credibility, ensuring a thorough interpretation of students' experiences.
The analysis yielded three main themes: (1) Affective and Social Duality: Students described mixed emotions and social challenges as they entered university, highlighting the dual nature of their experiences in adapting to a new environment. (2) Hope as a Multifaceted Concept: Hope was portrayed as a guiding force that helped students navigate periods of uncertainty. Participants described hope not just as a single idea but as a complex, evolving concept crucial to their resilience. (3) Beyond Academic Aspirations: Hope extended beyond academic success and was closely tied to personal fulfilment and the desire to contribute positively to society. This broader perspective on hope suggests that students' aspirations were not confined to individual achievement but also included a sense of collective and societal impact.
The study reveals that hope is a multidimensional construct that significantly influences students' transitional experiences, extending beyond academic goals to include personal growth and societal contributions. This finding challenges the traditional, individualistic approaches to studying hope by highlighting the cultural relevance of collectivist values in shaping students' experiences. The study underscores the need for culturally sensitive research and suggests that student support services should consider cultural contexts to address students' unique challenges and aspirations better. Future research is recommended to explore hope across various cultural backgrounds to gain a more comprehensive understanding of its role in student development.
在南非，接受高等教育被视为增加人生机遇的途径。然而，从高中到大学的过渡对学生来说是一段压力重重的经历，充满了重大挑战。尽管文献承认这些挑战，但专门关注这一时期希望的作用的研究有限。此外，以往关于希望的研究往往采用个人主义方法，这可能无法充分捕捉集体主义文化中学生的经历。本研究通过在集体主义背景下从文化敏感的角度探索希望来弥补这一空白，旨在了解南非大学一年级学生在向大学过渡期间如何体验希望。
本研究采用解释现象学分析（IPA）来探索南非大学一年级学生在向高等教育过渡期间希望的生活经历。22名学生参与了半结构化访谈，以便深入考察他们对希望以及所面临挑战的个人和文化观点。对数据进行了反复分析，并实施了提高可信度和可靠性的策略，以确保对学生经历的全面解读。
分析得出三个主要主题：（1）情感与社会二元性：学生们描述了进入大学时复杂的情绪和社会挑战，突出了他们在适应新环境时经历的双重性质。（2）希望作为一个多面概念：希望被描绘成一种指导力量，帮助学生度过不确定时期。参与者将希望描述为不仅仅是一个单一的概念，而是一个对他们的复原力至关重要的复杂、不断演变的概念。（3）超越学业抱负：希望不仅限于学业成功，还与个人成就感以及为社会做出积极贡献的愿望紧密相连。这种对希望更广泛的看法表明，学生的抱负不仅限于个人成就，还包括集体和社会影响感。
该研究表明，希望是一个多维结构，对学生的过渡经历有重大影响，不仅限于学术目标，还包括个人成长和社会贡献。这一发现通过强调集体主义价值观在塑造学生经历方面的文化相关性，挑战了研究希望的传统个人主义方法。该研究强调了文化敏感研究的必要性，并建议学生支持服务应考虑文化背景，以更好地应对学生的独特挑战和抱负。建议未来的研究在各种文化背景下探索希望，以更全面地了解其在学生发展中的作用。
