An Exploration of Student-Student Connectedness and its Relationship to Learning in One Environmental Health Science Course, National University of Lesotho

Abstract:

Connectedness between students positively impacts the overall student experience and performance in higher education. This study aims to establish the perception of student-student connectedness and explore how connectedness relates to learning in a cohort of second year environmental health students at the National University of Lesotho. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used, applying the mixed methods approach to collect data through a self-administered questionnaire and semi-structured key informant interviews. The population (n=31) responded to the questionnaire while stratified random sampling was used to select a 13% interview sample. Bivariate analysis results show that connectedness increased at the end of the semester. Furthermore, at the beginning of the semester, weak positive and negative relationships existed between connectedness and teaching-learning activities while stronger positive relationships dominated at the end of the semester. Teaching and learning methods should be varied and collaborative to improve connectedness among students.