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Are Video Games Killing the Classroom Star? Adolescent Gaming, Wellbeing and Academic Performance in South Africa
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613910555688960 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Van Wyk, Francois Jaco |
| author2 | Le Roux, D. B. |
| author_browse | Le Roux, D. B. Van Wyk, Francois Jaco |
| author_facet | Le Roux, D. B. Van Wyk, Francois Jaco |
| author_sort | Van Wyk, Francois Jaco |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135639 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:39.397Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135639 Are Video Games Killing the Classroom Star? Adolescent Gaming, Wellbeing and Academic Performance in South Africa Van Wyk, Francois Jaco Le Roux, D. B. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Van Wyk, F. J. 2026. Are Video Games Killing the Classroom Star? Adolescent Gaming, Wellbeing and Academic Performance in South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/6b5d3460-c023-48a6-838c-ee783617a7c1 While global research has explored gaming addiction and wellbeing extensively, empirical evidence from African contexts remains limited despite gaming prevalence and smartphone access in the region increasing. This study investigates the relationship between gaming behaviour, problematic gaming, wellbeing and academic performance in a sample of South African adolescents. Using a cross-sectional survey, the study analysed responses from 658 adolescents across five Quintile 5 South African high schools in the Western Cape and Gauteng. Measures included the Game Addiction Scale (GAS-7), EPOCH Wellbeing framework, and self-reported academic performance. Associations between these measures were analysed through descriptive statistics, correlations, and hierarchical regression models. Mobile gaming emerged as the most prominent gaming platform amongst the sample, with relatively few participants satisfying the criteria for addiction. Perseverance emerged as the strongest predictor of academic performance, while problematic gaming contributed little variance once perseverance and exposure were controlled. Gaming behaviour showed minimal associations with overall wellbeing scores, although perseverance remained strongly associated to academic outcomes. These findings suggest that academic performance is not strongly influenced by gaming behaviour and problematic gaming but is instead most prominently associated with individual self-regulation. Despite this, literature suggests that severely problematic gaming may interact with perseverance, highlighting the need for encouraging balanced engagement and self-regulatory support among adolescent gamers. Masters 2026-04-07T06:42:08Z 2026-04-07T06:42:08Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135639 en Stellenbosch University 140 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Van Wyk, Francois Jaco Are Video Games Killing the Classroom Star? Adolescent Gaming, Wellbeing and Academic Performance in South Africa |
| title | Are Video Games Killing the Classroom Star? Adolescent Gaming, Wellbeing and Academic Performance in South Africa |
| title_full | Are Video Games Killing the Classroom Star? Adolescent Gaming, Wellbeing and Academic Performance in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Are Video Games Killing the Classroom Star? Adolescent Gaming, Wellbeing and Academic Performance in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are Video Games Killing the Classroom Star? Adolescent Gaming, Wellbeing and Academic Performance in South Africa |
| title_short | Are Video Games Killing the Classroom Star? Adolescent Gaming, Wellbeing and Academic Performance in South Africa |
| title_sort | are video games killing the classroom star adolescent gaming wellbeing and academic performance in south africa |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135639 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vanwykfrancoisjaco arevideogameskillingtheclassroomstaradolescentgamingwellbeingandacademicperformanceinsouthafrica |