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The COVID-19 pandemic had a global impact and severely affected the well-being of students in higher education. This chapter illustrates how the application of the ethics of care approach helped identify first-year social work students’ threats to their well-being and achieving academic success and examines how this collaborative approach assisted students facing urgent needs. The purpose of higher education is to prepare graduates to respond to local realities. However, not all students who enroll in institutions of higher learning adjust easily to university life. Support structures to ease students’ challenges require an understanding of the unique circumstances of the students and a caring philosophy. We provided comprehensive support to students in overcoming socio-economic challenges, which helps cultivate a conducive learning environment. Using reflection and ethics of care, we examined the period before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic to describe our observations, actions, decisions, and processes in providing care and support for first-year students. In any specific context, understanding students’ unique circumstances at the start of the academic year is paramount to help students achieve success and thrive in higher education despite a global lockdown and a rapid pivot to emergency online learning.

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Implementing Approaches to Improve the Well-being of First-Year Students at the University of the Witwatersrand During the COVID-19 Lockdown: From Access to Success

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2025年

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  • Busisiwe Nkala-Dlamini,
  • Zintle Ntshongwana,
  • Roshini Pillay

摘要

The COVID-19 pandemic had a global impact and severely affected the well-being of students in higher education. This chapter illustrates how the application of the ethics of care approach helped identify first-year social work students’ threats to their well-being and achieving academic success and examines how this collaborative approach assisted students facing urgent needs. The purpose of higher education is to prepare graduates to respond to local realities. However, not all students who enroll in institutions of higher learning adjust easily to university life. Support structures to ease students’ challenges require an understanding of the unique circumstances of the students and a caring philosophy. We provided comprehensive support to students in overcoming socio-economic challenges, which helps cultivate a conducive learning environment. Using reflection and ethics of care, we examined the period before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic to describe our observations, actions, decisions, and processes in providing care and support for first-year students. In any specific context, understanding students’ unique circumstances at the start of the academic year is paramount to help students achieve success and thrive in higher education despite a global lockdown and a rapid pivot to emergency online learning.