Against a historical backdrop of apartheid and subsequent continuing coloniality, inequalities in access and participation continue to be major challenges for higher education in South Africa, with significant academic under-achievement and low completion rates for students from under-represented communities. The experiences of students from rural communities, in particular, have attracted little attention in widening participation research or policy yet such students experience distinct challenges in accessing and participating fully and successfully in higher education.The Southern African Rurality in Higher Education(SARiHE) project investigated the challenges encountered by students from rural areas - one of the groups most marginalised and affected by apartheid in South Africa - in accessing higher education. Additionally, the research focused onhow students negotiate the transition to university, thesupport that they need and how inclusiveteaching and learning practices can be developed.The research was conducted at three sites: theUniversity of Johannesburg, Rhodes University andthe University of Fort Hare.20 – 24 second year undergraduates from ruralbackgrounds were recruited as co-researchers ineach university, with a balance between STEM andHumanities programmes. From April – December2017, they collected accounts and representations of everyday practices in the form of digital diary entries, drawings, photographs, video and audio recordings and other artefacts using an iPad.During this period, they contributed to regular discussions and focus groups, facilitated by the co-investigators. Senior leaders and academics from each university were also interviewed, either individually or via a focus group.
The project was funded by UKRI, the Newton Fund and the national Research Foundation in South Africa.
• From an early age, students from rural contexts develop significant independence and a sense of responsibility. The skills acquired (for example, working collaboratively or being resourceful), need to be recognised by all academic staff for their contributions to the learning environment.
• There are few outreach programmes in rural communities, hence students’ knowledge and understanding about university choice and application processes is limited.
• Other than cell phones, many students from rural contexts have limited prior experience of technologies (for example fixed computers, internet and online forms), which are essential for applications and once at university, for learning activities. Their inexperience causes considerable challenges and anxieties.
• Curricula do not reflect lived experiences of students from rural contexts, exacerbating their sense of alienation. They want to be recognised as key contributors to knowledge production and to learning and teaching activities that are relevant for all students. Students from rural contexts have the potential to enrich higher education for everyone.
• As English is not the first language of the majority of students from rural contexts, they have difficulty participating in teaching and learning, for example, in understanding lectures.
• Students reported their experiences of the historical effects of colonialism, for example, through the ack of awareness or indifference of some staff and assumptions made about prior experience. These experiences have implications for university policies on education and student wellbeing in South Africa, UK and globally.