Abstract
The dissertation sought to document University of Johannesburg (UJ) students’ views on their fields of study in relation to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This aim is due to the echoed sentiment that the world has moved to the 4IR, or the transition is taking place, at least for developing countries such as South Africa. The 4IR has a far-reaching impact for people, such as altering the way people live and relate to each other. Thereby, it is imperative to ensure that educational institutions effectively prepare students to adapt and survive in the 4IR. This study sought to understand the UJ students’ take on how their fields of study and learning conditions prepares them for the 4IR. Husserl’s descriptive phenomenology was employed as a theoretical framework and as a method. The role played by the tool that is descriptive phenomenology in this study was to learn about students’ descriptions of the 4IR, and the description of the impact that the 4IR has on their fields of study. This study was conducted using a descriptive qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews with seven (7) UJ undergraduate students, to record the students’ in-depth accounts in relation to the topic. The data was analysed using Hursserl’s descriptive phenomenological analysis, three (3) themes emerged. The first theme was students’ understanding of the 4IR. This theme highlighted the essence of the 4IR from the UJ students’ point of view, and the sources which shaped their experiences with the phenomena were noted. Secondly, the students described what learning in the 4IR meant to them. This theme indicated how the 4IR introduced learning approaches such as hybrid learning, the advantages and disadvantages of this type of learning, and how learning in the 4IR can be enhanced. Thirdly, the relationship between students’ fields of study and the 4IR was described. This relationship has been noted to have changed the workplace, in both positive and negative ways. The impact includes the 4IR introducing job losses and on the other hand enhancing jobs. From these themes, the study recommends that Higher Educations Institutions (HEIs) support students in ensuring that they are well prepared to survive in the 4IR. Such preparations should include introducing 4IR technologies to students at the earliest stages of learning as possible.