Disparity in the success rates of male and female undergraduate students in South Africa, Brazil, and Mozambique: A comparative study of first-generation black students' aspirations and transitions

Background

This project is inspired by my PhD study, entitled Love, Learning, and Identity at New Hope: A Critical Ethnographic Study of How Young Coloured Men Construct and Perform Race, Masculinity, and Sexuality at a Northern Cape High School (Makhetha, 2024). The findings of this study suggest that boys’ and young men’s poor academic performance, attrition, and involvement in school-based violence are often linked to their disengagement from teaching and learning processes. This disengagement is primarily due to their perception that teachers do not care about them, view them as ‘troublesome’, disregard their opinions on life and curriculum content, and exclude them from shaping educational interventions intended for their benefit (Makhetha, 2018; Makhetha, 2022; Makhetha, 2024).

This deeply concerned me and, during my fieldwork, prompted me to actively participate in teaching and learning activities, as well as to collaborate with teachers in workshopping strategies to enhance student engagement in educational outcomes. I also engaged in in-depth discussions with learners about how they could be more meaningfully included in school-based interventions (see, for example, Makhetha, 2015).

As a lecturer, I continued these conversations with my students and observed similar concerns. Many male students expressed that their limited participation in campus-based academic support interventions stemmed from the social stigma associated with these programmes and the way they were marketed. Broadly, male students did not want to be positioned as problems to be solved. Instead, they advocated for interventions that highlight their potential, celebrate their strengths, support their transition from school to university, and ultimately enrich their educational experience while improving throughput.

These insights inspired my interest in exploring the continuities and discontinuities in perceptions and experiences of education and learning between school and university contexts. This led to the conceptualisation of an earlier iteration of this proposal, which I submitted for funding through the competitive National Research Foundation’s Thuthuka Post-PhD Funding Instrument. The proposal was successful and awarded funding under grant number TTK240506217441.

Project Overview

This study explores the gendered disparities in academic success among male and female undergraduate students in South Africa, Brazil, and Mozambique. The transition to university is a pivotal phase in any student’s academic trajectory, often marked by significant challenges and opportunities. For first-generation Black students, however, this transition is further complicated by intersecting socio-cultural, economic, and institutional barriers that may profoundly shape their educational experiences.

Despite growing enrolment figures of first-generation Black students in higher education institutions across these three countries, there remains limited research that examines the gendered dynamics of their transition and success. This study seeks to address this gap by investigating why disparities persist in academic outcomes between male and female students.

Guided by Transition Theory, Aspirations Theory, and Social Capital Theory, the research aims to uncover the challenges faced, coping strategies employed, and support systems accessed by first-generation Black students during their university transition. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-methods approach, including self-administered questionnaires, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and photovoice activities. A purposive sample of students from six universities will be invited to participate in the photo-voice component, allowing them to visually document their transition experiences. In addition, semi-structured interviews with academic and support staff will provide insight into institutional perspectives and help assess the effectiveness of existing student support initiatives.

By triangulating data from multiple sources, the study aims to illuminate the root causes of gender-based disparities in student success. The findings will contribute to a nuanced understanding of first-generation students' transition into higher education and offer actionable insights for developing culturally responsive, gender-sensitive support strategies. Ultimately, this research aspires to inform institutional policies and practices that promote equitable academic outcomes and enhance the retention and success of first-generation Black students in South Africa, Brazil, and Mozambique.

The project collaborators and partners of this study include Prof Paulo Neves (Universidade Federal do ABC), Prof Laura Montinho (University of Sao Paulo), Prof Luiz Campos (Instituto de Estudos Sociais e Politicos da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (IESP-UERJ), and Prof Charles Klein (Portland State University).

Institutional Permission to Conduct Research at UWC

Ethical Clearance to Conduct Research