Efficiency in Foundation Provisioning in a Selected University

Abstract

Foundation Provisioning is defined as the provisioning of modules, courses or other curricular elements that are intended to equip underprepared students with academic foundations that will enable them to successfully complete a higher education qualification. The models adopted for these subsidised programmes allow for more time, more teaching, learning and assessment opportunities for students, and expend more resources than their mainstream counterparts. This paper sought to measure the efficiency of programmes, Faculties, and the institution, and to determine the predictors of efficiency in Foundation Provisioning in a selected university. It also sought to establish whether foundation provisioning efficiency has a bearing on mainstream academic success. Framed in the positivist perspective and the ex post facto design, secondary data was obtained on a cohort of foundation students. This research looked into the mainstream achievement results for these foundation students at the end of the third year of study in four Faculties with foundation programmes. The input data included foundation training workshops for lecturers, Supplemental Instruction (SI) for foundation modules, average salaries for foundation lecturers, and the Faculties’ years of experience in running foundation programmes. The output data were the module pass and completion rates in the third year of study. The efficiencies of foundation programmes in the entire university were analysed using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models. Regression was used to determine factors that predict and impact on the efficiency levels, while linear prediction was used to determine whether efficiency explains success in the mainstream. The overall efficiency of Foundation Provisioning in a selected historically disadvantaged university is reported. The paper then proceeds to describe significant differences in the efficiencies of various programmes in the Faculties, and the predictor variables that explain the efficiencies of programmes within this selected university. Lastly, this paper reports on whether foundation provisioning efficiency has a bearing on academic success in the mainstream. The study concludes that there are variations in the efficiency levels of faculties and programmes and these are accounted for by the salary levels of foundation lecturers as well as the Faculty’s experiences of running foundation provisioning. At practice level, in the Faculties and programmes, the study recommends improvement of efficiency levels of programmes by altering the input variables.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n11p57