Assessing the impact of a study skills workshop on the academic achievement of first-year nursing students at the University of Venda, South Africa

Abstract

Research has shown that first-year students in institutions of higher learning lack appropriate academic skills to cope with the demands of their studies, especially those students coming from historically disadvantaged environments. Most of the students who register at the University of Venda come from schools that do not effectively impart quality learning experiences prior to university entry, and as such the learners come to university being under-prepared for a higher level of academic learning. The Student Counselling and Career Development Unit at the University of Venda introduced a study skills training programme. The training is offered in the form of workshops and covers various topics such as motivation, time management, learning strategies, concentration and examination techniques, amongst others. Participants are given study materials for further reading after the workshop. This article presents a study which was conducted to assess the impact of a study skills workshop on learning strategies and academic achievement of first- year nursing students in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Venda, South Africa. The results indicated that the study skills workshop had a positive effect on students’ academic performances.