Paper Title
The Impact of the Social Context on Student Attitudes and Performance: A Case Study in a South African University

Abstract
An implicit theme underlying academic research is that student attitudes play a significant part in student learning and performance yet remains a relatively under-researched topic. Acknowledging the theoretical notion offered by Fontana (1995) that there is a strong correlation between attitudes and academic performance, this article explores such a relationship in a Communication Skills module offered in 2024 within an Engineering Degree programme at a South African University. The aim of the article is to highlight psycho-social factors which show a higher correlation between students’ attitudes and their performance. Using a qualitative approach, data were gathered using focus group interviews with a set of 20 students enrolled in the Communication Skills course. Thematic analysis was used to identify salient themes from these discussions. The discussions revealed that the psycho-social factors with higher correlations include group work and mutual support. Findings also showed that self-image and self-confidence were the two most clearly valued attitudes. The paper argues that the psycho-social context has an important influence on students’ attitudes. The paper argues that the positive impact of social interaction on students’ attitudes may have potential for academics in transforming their practices and decision-making within the classroom. Keywords - Academic Performance, Higher Education, Foucault, Governmentality, Subjectivity.