Student Feedback in South African University Exposes Hidden Gaps in University Mentoring Programs

Ravhuhali, F., & Tshililo, T. Y. (2026). Harnessing survey insights from the mentoring and tutorship (MenTut) student support programme to advance student well-being and academic success. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 15(1), 248–259. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v15i1.4715

Introduction

Ravhuhali and Tshililo (2026) conducted a study from the University of Venda, South Africa, examining how systematic student feedback can strengthen mentoring and tutoring programs in higher education. Drawing on Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement and Appreciative Inquiry as dual theoretical anchors, the authors argue that ongoing, data-informed evaluation is essential for keeping student support initiatives responsive to actual student needs.

Methods

The authors distributed a mixed-format questionnaire via Microsoft Forms to 2,000 undergraduate mentees enrolled in the institution’s MenTut program. Of those, 1,446 provided informed consent and were included in the analysis. The instrument contained five closed-ended Likert-scale items and one open-ended question. Quantitative responses were analyzed descriptively; qualitative responses underwent thematic analysis.

Results

Most participants were first-year students (64.5%). Ninety-five percent agreed or strongly agreed that tutors encouraged active participation, and 90.2% reported that tutorials strengthened their academic confidence. Weekly attendance was reported by 67.8% of respondents. However, qualitative themes pointed to persistent concerns: inadequate physical venues, insufficient tutorial frequency, poor tutor audibility, limited study materials, and unprofessional tutor conduct.

Discussion

While satisfaction levels were generally high, the gap between quantitative positivity and qualitative critique reveals that surface-level metrics can mask structural deficiencies. Students who attended inconsistently (22.8% sometimes; 0.6% never) may signal scheduling barriers rather than disengagement. The authors note that over-reliance on positive narratives risks obscuring legitimate programmatic weaknesses.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

The authors propose the Academic and Reflective Enhancement Theoretical Lens (ARETL), a cyclical framework emphasizing data collection, reflective analysis, stakeholder engagement, and iterative evaluation. Programs that adopt this model can move from static service delivery toward genuinely adaptive support.

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