Evaluating the Effectiveness of Student Instructors (SI) at a South African University

Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in this study to evaluate the role played by Student Instructors (SIs) in enhancing learning at a South African university. Four quarterly in-depth interviews were conducted with SI supervisors and 4 quarterly reports on the students' academic performance made. Two different samples were selected and used thoughout the year. These groups were made up of 58 randomly selected first year Information Technology teacher (IT) education students and 30 purposefully selected SIs. Each group was given a set of questionnaires made up of closed and open ended questions to respond to during every quarter of the year. Results of the study indicated that students attending SI sessions performed better than those who did not attend. This was supported by the quality and quantity of course grades, low re-enrolment and lower withdrawal rates.