| Summary: | Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. === ENGLISH ABSTRLiterature shows that exposure to community development projects is a way for people to realize, enhance and improve their own value. The Words open Worlds (WOW) project, part of Stellenbosch University’s community interaction projects, tries to uplift the lives of people through recruitment actions, retention programs, as well as well-structured partnerships with suitable role players.
The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions regarding the WOW project of undergraduate Stellenbosch University’s students within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences who come from schools that are actively involved with the WOW project. An interpretative research paradigm and a case study were utilized in order to collect qualitative data from focus groups. The data, which was analyzed through the process of content analysis, demonstrated that the support to prospective WOW students as well as the mentoring and retention programs for current WOW students, made life easier for the participants. Improvements mentioned, included more frequent meetings with current WOW students and the cultivation of a greater awareness of the possibilities which the WOW project offers to students. This can be achieved by improved collaboration with education departments, synergies with similar school outreach projects, extended mentorship programs and more social gatherings organized for WOW students. From the results of the data analysis it became apparent that the perceptions regarding the WOW project of the target focus groups were positive. Due to the restricted participation, however, the results cannot be generalized. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verskeie bronne wys daarop dat die blootstelling aan gemeenskapsontwikkelingsprojekte ’n manier is om mense hul eiewaarde te laat besef en uitbou. Die Woorde Open Wêrelde (WOW)-projek, ʼn Universiteit Stellenbosch gemeenskapsinteraksieprojek, streef daarna om met projek-aksies soos werwingsuitreike en retensieprogramme, asook deur gestruktureerde vennootskappe met geskikte rolspelers, ʼn positiewe verskil in mense se lewens te maak.
Die doel van dié studie is om die persepsies aangaande die Woorde Open Wêrelde-projek te bepaal van voorgraadse studente aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch wat afkomstig is van skole waar die WOW-projek werksaam is, en wat tans binne die Fakulteit Lettere en Sosiale Wetenskappe studeer. ʼn Interpretatiewe navorsingsparadigma en ʼn gevallestudie as navorsingsontwerp is gebruik om kwalitatiewe data met fokusgroepe te versamel. Die data, wat verwerk is deur die proses van inhoudsanalise, het getoon dat die deelnemers se lewens aansienlik vergemaklik is deur die ondersteuning wat verleen is aan die voornemende WOW-studente, asook deur die mentorskaps- en retensieprogramme vir huidige WOW-studente. Meer gereelde ontmoetings met studente en ’n groter bewusmaking van die moontlikhede wat die WOW-projek vir studente bied, was voorstelle vir verbetering van die WOW-projek. Dit kan teweeg gebring word deur groter samewerking met onderwysdepartemente, sinergieë met soortgelyke skoolprojekte, uitbreiding van die mentorskapprogram en deur meer sosiale ontmoetingsgeleenthede. Uit die resultate wat die analise van die data opgelewer het, het duidelik geblyk dat die persepsies van die betrokke teikengroep wat aan fokusgroepe deelgeneem het positief is jeens die WOW-projek. Weens die beperkte steekproef kan hierdie resultate egter nie noodwendig veralgemeen word nie.
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