Rural and irrelevant: exploration of learning challenges among undergraduates’ rural universities

ABSTRACT

The study explored the relevance of rural university education based on the experiences of learning challenges among undergraduates in selected rural universities in South Africa and Nigeria. Quantitative research design was adopted for data collection. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 934 students who served as participants for the study. Data were collected through the use of questionnaire which was analysed using descriptive statistics and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The finding of the study reveals that undergraduates in the two selected rural universities experience common learning challenges amongst which include: cognitive, poor academic foundation, and lecturer-students’ relationship. These are caused by lack of facilities, students’ family socio-economic background, amongst others. The study recommends that rural university education should be improved upon in order to make it more relevant, otherwise, it remains irrelevant to both the students and nations.

KEYWORDS:

• Learning challenges
• undergraduate university students
• rural university
• South Africa
• Nigeria

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge that a part of this research has been published previously in a research paper titled: Comparative Learning Challenges Experienced amongst Rural University Students in South Africa and Nigeria. This was published in 2017 by the International Journal of Comparative Education and Development. It is available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCED-11-2017-0031

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the UNIZULU.

Notes on contributors

Chinaza Uleanya

Chinaza Uleanya is a postdoctoral fellow in the department of Educational Management and Leadership, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Bongani Thulani Gamede

Bongani Thulani Gamede is a senior lecturer and researcher in the department of Social Science Education, University of Zululand, South Africa.

Azwidohwi Philip Kutame

Azwidohwi Philip Kutameis a senior lecturer and researcher in the department of Social Science Education, University of Zululand, South Africa.