Parallel Session

Ensuring equity, quality and retention of students with disabilities (SWD) in science fields during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

The value and importance of retention monitoring have come under sharper focus for students with disabilities (SWD) in science fields during the Covid-19 pandemic. An enduringly vulnerable group has become more vulnerable as a result of the pandemic. Higher education institutions receive considerable state resources to retain and improve the number of science graduates. However, these investments do not appear to sufficiently benefit the retention and success of black female students and SWD in the science fields. The aggregated cost of losses through attrition remains an area of concern for all stakeholders concerned. For the institution, the cost is in terms of reputational risk as well as losses in terms of revenue. For SWD, the loss is in terms of lost opportunity, as well as emotional and financial loss. Prinsloo (2020), citing Butler (2012), states that institutions have a “duty of care that comes into being, because of sharing a space, a learning journey". In an earlier study, the author investigated the expectations of career possibilities of students with cerebral palsy in the science fields, with the aim of uncovering the various barriers to success. An analysis of the in-depth interviews highlighted that despite an early interest in and love for science, above-average performance in biology, mathematics and physical science, and a keen desire to pursue higher education studies related to those fields, black South African learners with disabilities involved in the study were not encouraged and supported, nor expected to pursue careers in these fields. This study will canvass first year undergraduate SWD at Unisa in an attempt to find out whether their lived experience and expectations of career possibilities in science fields have improved since the early study. In-depth interviews, together with learning analytics, will be employed to develop profiles of SWD with the aim to track progress, identify barriers to learning, and to provide unique customised support for each of the students on their learning journey. The specific focus will be on the impact of Covid-19 and how it has impacted upon the success and retention for these students. The findings are expected to improve our insights into the lived and learning experiences of SWD, the barriers that confront them, especially since the advent of the pandemic, and to propose ways of improving support, retention and success for SWD, located within debates on equity and quality.

Key words: Equity, Quality, Disability, Covid-19, Student success