Reconstructing the Engineering Student Culture by Promoting Student Wellness

Abstract

Poor success and high attrition rates among engineering students at South African UoTs (universities of technology) require urgent, systemic intervention. Traditional curriculum reforms have failed to address the underlying cultural and mental health challenges that normalise chronic stress and discourage help-seeking behaviours. This study investigates the impact of a faculty-led wellness intervention as a strategy for improving academic performance and student retention within engineering education. The intervention is grounded in Ubuntu philosophy, which promotes interconnectedness and community well-being, and bioecological systems theory, which highlights the influence of social and institutional environments on individual development. These frameworks guided the design of wellness strategies that addressed both interpersonal and systemic barriers to student success. We evaluated the intervention’s effectiveness at a South African UoT using a mixed-methods case study. Student attendance and performance trends were tracked between 2022 and 2024, focusing on a high-risk first-year module with approximately 70 students per cohort. At-risk students who were identified by assessment marks ≤45% or attendance ≤ 65% were offered structured academic and wellness support. Pre- and post-intervention data were compared using HEMIS (Higher Education Management Information System) records and statistical analysis of pass rates and attrition. Following the 2024 intervention, the module demonstrated a 35% increase in success rates and a 50% reduction in year-on-year deregistration. Among students who participated in the intervention, 27% passed the module, and 66% of those achieved distinctions. These findings suggest that culturally grounded faculty-led wellness programmes can meaningfully improve student outcomes while challenging traditional engineering education norms.