Research & Evidence
Our programs are built on years of research into the wellbeing factors that predict academic and life success — across five faculties at Stellenbosch University.
Five Faculties
Across five faculties, the research set out to identify the wellbeing and psychological factors that predict first-year academic success and retention — so that support could be directed where it makes the greatest difference.
The study identified the wellbeing and psychological factors that predict first-year academic success and retention among engineering students.
Read the research →The study identified the wellbeing and psychological factors that predict first-year academic success and retention among science students.
Read the research →The study identified the wellbeing and psychological factors that predict first-year academic success and retention among economic and management sciences students.
Read the research →The study identified the wellbeing and psychological factors that predict first-year academic success and retention among arts and social sciences students.
Read the research →The study identified the wellbeing and psychological factors that predict first-year academic success and retention among agrisciences students.
Read the research →Flagship Programme Evaluation
A multi-year evaluation of a programme built on the HERO framework — Hope, Efficacy, Resilience and Optimism — together with Grit and Growth Mindset. Across successive cohorts, it produced validated improvements in growth mindset, optimism, happiness, connectedness and perseverance.
Feel at Home at Stellenbosch
A research-validated belonging intervention improved pass rates, retention and sense of belonging for first-year students — measured against a comparison group.
Prediction & Methodology
A data-analytics approach makes it possible to predict student success from the very first day — using a hybrid framework that combines psychological and academic predictors.
Continuous measurement then refines the picture over time, so that interventions can be targeted, tested and improved with evidence rather than assumption.
Recognition
This work has been presented internationally, including at the 2024 European Conference on Positive Psychology and the World Engineering Education Forum.
The Evidence in Numbers
The research is only the beginning. See how it becomes courses people can use — and how universities can partner with the Institute to take it further.