Academic advising and ethic of care: Enabling belonging to enhance higher education students’ prospects of success

  • D. de Klerk University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Keywords: academic advising, belonging, care, caring, ethic of care, higher education, South Africa, student advising, student success

Abstract

The South African (SA) higher education sector continues to battle high attrition rates. Helping students gain a sense of belonging while at university and creating an environment where students feel cared for can enhance their prospects of success. Academic advising is a high-impact practice with the potential to enhance student belonging and success. This article proposes intentionally linking Tronto’s Ethic of Care (EoC) and academic advising for SA higher education contexts. The author argues that the dimensions of Tronto’s EoC (attentiveness, responsibility, competence, and responsiveness) are relevant to the work of SA advisors. These dimensions are used as a framework for analysing interview data collected from 15 academic advisors from one university. The findings suggest that elements of Tronto’s EoC are present in the advisors’ work, though not explicitly. The author argues that integrating EoC and advising more intentionally in SA higher education contexts, could enable a greater sense of belonging for students.

Author Biography

D. de Klerk, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

Assistant Dean: Teaching and Learning

Faculty of Commerce, Law, and Management

Danie de Klerk is a Lecturer and Coordinator for the Road to Success Programme in the Faculty of Commerce, Law, and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand.  His current research interests span Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, undergraduate student success and support, at-risk programmes, and data analytics.

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Published
2022-12-26
How to Cite
de Klerk, D. 2022. “Academic Advising and Ethic of Care: Enabling Belonging to Enhance Higher Education students’ Prospects of Success ”. South African Journal of Higher Education 36 (6), 152-68. https://doi.org/10.20853/36-6-5485.
Section
Part 1 : Special Section