Data shows that Indigenous higher education students have lower access, participation and completion rates compared with non-Indigenous students. Indigenous students from regional and remote areas face additional challenges and barriers in accessing and participating in higher education and are further under-represented in the national Indigenous higher education student population. They are likely to belong to multiple equity groups, attracting significant educational disadvantage when the appropriate systems are not in place to support them. There have been numerous calls for an improved evi
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Data shows that Indigenous higher education students have lower access, participation and completion rates compared with non-Indigenous students. Indigenous students from regional and remote areas face additional challenges and barriers in accessing and participating in higher education and are further under-represented in the national Indigenous higher education student population. They are likely to belong to multiple equity groups, attracting significant educational disadvantage when the appropriate systems are not in place to support them. There have been numerous calls for an improved evidence base to inform better policy and practice to support increased Indigenous participation and success in higher education. This, coupled with statements from the Commonwealth Government asking for greater transparency and accountability around indicators of student success and student attrition, provides the impetus for more targeted research.
This report investigates the higher education outcomes of Indigenous students enrolled in two regionally based universities, the Charles Darwin University (CDU) and the Central Queensland University (CQUniversity), bringing together quantitative and qualitative analysis. The main findings show that when compared to the national Indigenous student population, Indigenous students from CDU/CQUniversity are less likely to complete a higher education award. However they have comparable levels of persistence and commitment, and around six per cent are still engaged with their study 10 years after enrolment. The report calls for further commitments to improved data, and quantitative methodologies for monitoring progress. When accompanied by targeted qualitative research (narratives and surveys) the analyses provide the depth of understanding required for targeted Indigenous higher education policy and practice appropriate to those students from regional and remote places.
Edited excerpts from publisher's website.
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