Beyond the classroom: investigating the ‘unseen curriculum’ and a proposed holistic student success framework for nursing education

Abstract

The academic performance of student nurses is often attributed to pedagogical quality and institutional support, a perspective that can overlook the profound impact of students’ personal lifestyles and environmental circumstances. This article aims to analyse the components of this ’unseen curriculum’ by investigating how non-academic factors including career motivation, socio-economic pressures, and lifestyle choices affect performance in the high-stakes Biological Nursing Science module. Drawing on data collected through a self-administered Likert-scale questionnaire distributed to participants during their free periods to avoid academic disruption, in a quantitative descriptive study of 114 (n = 114) second-year nursing students in South Africa, this analysis revealed a significant motivation deficit: 57% of students did not initially intend to study nursing, with 62% of this group citing financial challenges as their primary reason for enrolment. Furthermore, a majority acknowledged that personal problems impact their performance (51.8%) and perceived first-year alcohol consumption as high (57%). These findings suggest that an unseen curriculum, shaped by financial necessity, extrinsic motivation, and potential maladaptive coping, significantly hinders student success. The article concludes by proposing the Holistic Student Success Framework, a multi-level strategy for incorporating wellness support, structural reform, and motivational development to improve academic outcomes.