The Capabilities Approach and Measurement: The Influence of Human Capabilities on Student Academic Achievement - A Case Study in South Africa

Abstract

This research was conducted to examine the influence of human capabilities on the academic performance of students within a South African institution of higher education. A total of 1503 students participated in a questionnaire survey. The findings illustrate the influences of measures of various human capabilities on academic performance. The over-arching hypothesis that student performance is dependent the ‘real’ freedoms a student has was tested through a statistical method. Ordinal Least Squares Regression was used to identify model estimates and its pragmatism was examined. The academic achievement is used as a proxy for wellbeing which in turn is influenced by various human capabilities. In this population of University students, out of a total of 10 human capabilities consiredered, the following capabilities were found to be statistically significant and hence deemed critical for the wellbeing (academic achievement) of students, educational resilience, learning disposion, bodily health and practical reasoning.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p1139