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Exploring the perceived academic readiness in mature-aged military students returning to higher education institutions after hiatus: the case of the South African National Defence College
Thesis (MMil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614025380003840 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Motloung, Oratile Puseletso |
| author2 | Bester, P. C. |
| author_browse | Bester, P. C. Motloung, Oratile Puseletso |
| author_facet | Bester, P. C. Motloung, Oratile Puseletso |
| author_sort | Motloung, Oratile Puseletso |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MMil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132585 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:28.762Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132585 Exploring the perceived academic readiness in mature-aged military students returning to higher education institutions after hiatus: the case of the South African National Defence College Motloung, Oratile Puseletso Bester, P. C. Masole, A. C. L. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Military Science. Dept. of Industrial Psychology (Mil). Veterans -- Education -- South Africa Adult college students -- South Africa Readiness for school -- South Africa Nontraditional college students Military education -- South Africa UCTD South African National Defence Force Thesis (MMil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Motloung, O. P. 2025. Exploring the Perceived Academic Readiness in Mature-Aged Military Students Returning to Higher Education Institutions After Hiatus: The Case of the South African National Defence College. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/b92f220f-ebfc-4d6b-89c0-9dfff6455dcb ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explored the perceived academic readiness of mature-aged students at higher education institutions after an academic hiatus. The focus was on military students at the South African National Defence College (SANDC), a training institution focused on senior officers’ academic and military development in the South African National Defence Force. This was a qualitative research study, following a narrative approach to gain rich data on the experiences of mature-aged military students. An interpretivist approach was applied to interpret the perceptions of military mature-aged students’ experiences. The theoretical construct is based on the Adult Learning Theory (ALT), also known as Andragogy. The sample consisted of (N=9) Security and Defence Studies Programme (SDSP) alumni who are senior officers in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Purposive snowball sampling was utilised to recruit participants. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the experiences of mature-aged military students upon their return to academia. The interviews were transcribed verbatim. The data was analysed using Atlas.ti data analysis software with the deductive application of Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis steps. The findings revealed that mature-aged military students had varying perceptions of their academic readiness before enrolling for the SDSP. The students who reported a perceived academic readiness linked it to personal will and clear communication from the SANDC. Mature-aged military students who did not perceive themselves as academically ready linked it to unclear expectations from the SANDC and limited time to prepare before the SDSP began. In addition, the findings were related to the Adult Learning Theory as the guiding theoretical framework, asserting the importance of conducting research to suit the needs of adult learners. The findings further revealed that the mature-aged military students acknowledged the support structures offered by the SANDC and made additional recommendations. Lastly, the study provided insights into the experiences of a previously understudied student population with implications for the SANDC to engage in discourse on the experiences of mature-aged military students returning to academia. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het die waargenome akademiese gereedheid van hoë ouderdom studente by Hoër Onderwysinstellings na akademiese hiatus ondersoek. Die fokus was op militêre studente aan die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Verdedigingskollege (SANVK), ʼn opleidingsinstelling wat gefokus is op die akademiese en militêre ontwikkeling van senior offisiere in die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag. Dit was ʼn kwalitatiewe navorsingstudie wat ʼn narratiewe benadering gevolg het om ryk data te verkry oor die ervarings van volwasse bejaarde militêre studente. ʼn Interpretivistiese benadering is gevolg om die persepsies van militêre volwasse studente se ervarings te interpreteer. Die teoretiese konstruk is gebaseer op die Volwasse Leerteorie, ook bekend as Andragogie. Die steekproef het bestaan uit (N=9) alumni van die Sekuriteit- en Verdedigingstudieprogram vir senior offisiere in die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag. Doelgerigte sneeubalsteekproefneming is gebruik om deelnemers te werf. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gebruik om die ervarings van volwasse militêre studente met hul terugkeer na die akademie te verken. Die onderhoude is woordeliks getranskribeer. Atlas.ti data-analise sagteware is gebruik om die data te ontleed. Braun en Clarke se tematiese analise is deduktief toegepas. Die bevindinge het aan die lig gebring dat militêre studente van volwasse ouderdom verskillende persepsies van hul akademiese gereedheid gehad het voordat hulle vir die SVSP ingeskryf het. Die studente wat waargenome akademiese gereedheid gerapporteer het, het dit gekoppel aan persoonlike wil en duidelike kommunikasie van die SANVK. Volwasse militêre studente wat hulself nie as akademies gereed beskou het nie, het dit gekoppel aan onduidelike verwagtinge van die SANVK en beperkte tyd om voor te berei voordat die SVSP begin het. Daarbenewens het die bevindinge verband gehou met volwasse leerteorie as die leidende teoretiese raamwerk, wat die belangrikheid van navorsing om aan die behoeftes van volwasse leerders te voldoen, bevestig het. Die bevindinge het verder aan die lig gebring dat die volwasse-ouderdom militêre studente die ondersteuningstrukture wat deur die SANVK aangebied word erken en bykomende aanbevelings voorgestel het. Laastens het die studie insigte verskaf in die ervarings van 'n voorheen onderbestudeerde studentepopulasie met implikasies vir die SANVK om deel te neem aan diskoers oor die ervarings van volwasse militêre studente wat na die akademie terugkeer Masters 2025-06-11T10:14:35Z 2025-06-11T10:14:35Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132585 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 152 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Veterans -- Education -- South Africa Adult college students -- South Africa Readiness for school -- South Africa Nontraditional college students Military education -- South Africa UCTD South African National Defence Force Motloung, Oratile Puseletso Exploring the perceived academic readiness in mature-aged military students returning to higher education institutions after hiatus: the case of the South African National Defence College |
| title | Exploring the perceived academic readiness in mature-aged military students returning to higher education institutions after hiatus: the case of the South African National Defence College |
| title_full | Exploring the perceived academic readiness in mature-aged military students returning to higher education institutions after hiatus: the case of the South African National Defence College |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the perceived academic readiness in mature-aged military students returning to higher education institutions after hiatus: the case of the South African National Defence College |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the perceived academic readiness in mature-aged military students returning to higher education institutions after hiatus: the case of the South African National Defence College |
| title_short | Exploring the perceived academic readiness in mature-aged military students returning to higher education institutions after hiatus: the case of the South African National Defence College |
| title_sort | exploring the perceived academic readiness in mature aged military students returning to higher education institutions after hiatus the case of the south african national defence college |
| topic | Veterans -- Education -- South Africa Adult college students -- South Africa Readiness for school -- South Africa Nontraditional college students Military education -- South Africa UCTD South African National Defence Force |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132585 |
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