Abstract—This article reports on the exploration of the impact of socioeconomic status on academic achievements promoting environmentally friendly education at a South African public Technical and Vocational Education Training College. This approach was founded on the idea that improving students’ socioeconomic situation for sustainable learning has a big impact on their academic performance as well as their personal lives. Participatory Action Research was the research design used in this qualitative study. Two hundred and fifty students (18–21 years old), four lecturers, one member of each of the following, namely social worker, Student Representative Council, educational psychologist, student development practitioner, and assistant director for student support services made up the study’s population. Students were selected through advertisement which invited them to participate voluntarily. Other participants were purposively and conveniently selected. Data were generated through participant observation, focus group discussions, and workshops conducted by social workers on psychosocial challenges and support in 2020. Data analysis was done using Critical Discourse Analysis. The study made use of Chickering and Resseir’s Student Development Theory, which was centered on helping students build their identities. The findings showed that students at the surveyed college, mainly from low socioeconomic backgrounds, did not perform academically well enough for sustainable learning. Based on the findings of this study, we suggested that all co-researchers at this institution be cognizant of the implications of the variables that have a detrimental influence on students’ socioeconomic position. 
 

Keywords—academic achievements, public TVET college, socioeconomic status, South Africa, sustainable learning

Cite: Michael M. Buthelezi, "Impacts of Socioeconomic Status on Academic  Achievements for Sustainable Learning," International Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 398-404, 2024.

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