A transformative view on relevance of orientation counselling service to first year undergraduate students at a public university in Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

The study sought to investigate how students considered the orientation received in terms of its relevance to their social and academic adjustment at the selected public university. A sample size of 130 was used which comprised 128 students and two Deans from Schools of Education and Humanities and Social Sciences. The study was guided by the Student Departure Theory which focusses on three stages students pass through (separation, transition and incorporation) from home to a new learning institution. The cconcurrent transformative design was used. By using the concurrent transformative design, quantitative methods were embedded within a qualitative design. The qualitative and quantitative data were collected at the same time during one data collection phase and priority was placed on the qualitative methods and data. The quantitative data was embedded to support the qualitative data. Questionnaire, interview and focused group discussion guides were used to collect the data. Microsoft Word Excel was used to analyse quantitative data while thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. It was found that 57% of the students viewed the orientation received as relevant to their social adjustment while 43% had contrary views. Notably, 111 of the 128 students either missed or partially attended the orientation. From a transformative view point, it is therefore, recommended that all first year full time students must attend orientation programme.