The Effect of Sense of Meaning in the First-year of Study on Throughput at an Institution of Higher Learning in South Africa

Abstract

The paper evaluates the relationship between sense of meaning and throughput rate with a random sample of alumnae (N=101) from a university of technology, in South Africa, (age range = 27 to 30 years, females = 73%). Data was gathered using the Purpose in Life Test (PIL), Life Stressors and Recourses Inventory (LISRESY), and Biographical Questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses were performed. The hierarchical F-test was used to determine whether the contribution by a specific variable to the R2 value is statistically significant. A significant correlation (p<0.01) was found between sense of meaning and throughput rate. On its own, the PIL scores explained 23.4 percent of the variance in throughput rate. As a result, the current research discovered that a high sense of meaning, in the first year of study, could be used to predict long-term achievement at institutions of higher learning.