Rural and isolated school students and their higher education choices: a re-examination of student location, socio-economic background, and educational advantage and disadvantage

The purpose of this study is to re-investigate one of the persistent inequities in Australian higher education, that of the relatively low participation rate of people from rural or isolated backgrounds. Research has shown that socioeconomic effects are generally more pronounced and pervasive that any effects of location. The study focused on the attitudes, goals and plans of Australian school students in their senior school years, including their hopes for further education at either university, TAFE or by apprenticeship. It involved a quantitative comparison by survey of urban and...  [+] Show more

The purpose of this study is to re-investigate one of the persistent inequities in Australian higher education, that of the relatively low participation rate of people from rural or isolated backgrounds. Research has shown that socioeconomic effects are generally more pronounced and pervasive that any effects of location. The study focused on the attitudes, goals and plans of Australian school students in their senior school years, including their hopes for further education at either university, TAFE or by apprenticeship. It involved a quantitative comparison by survey of urban and rural school students, this dataset being complemented by substantial qualitative investigation of the factors that students in rural and isolated areas perceive to be central in their decisions regarding their future. The final chapter presents an analysis of the possibilities for reducing the inhibitory factors for rural and isolated students, and for strengthening the attractiveness and availability of higher education.