Balancing dual roles as mothers and students like a walk on a tight rope? Reflections and experiences of student mothers at a South African higher education institution

Abstract

While opportunities for women to study at institutions of higher learning have increased compared to past generations, student mothers, specifically, are confronted with the extra burden of parenting, in combination with their academic work. Using an exploratory design within exploratory research, this study aimed to explore perceptions and experiences of student mothers enrolled at University of the Western Cape. We used a purposive sampling strategy to recruit female student mothers, who had at least one child and were registered for a full-time undergraduate degree at the institution. A total of 25 female students constituted four semi-structured focus groups, with five to seven participants in each. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, and Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time model was adopted, which allowed for a nuanced understanding of the student mother within various contexts. The study received ethics approval and institutional permission from the universities registrar and also adhered to good research ethical principles. Key themes relating to the challenges experienced by student mothers that we identified, included financial difficulties and the stress of balancing their dual responsibilities of being a student and a mother. Proximity to their children complicated their