Search Results

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are underrepresented in vocational education and training. Access, bridging or enabling education courses and programs seek to address this underrepresentation and while it is generally accepted that they are important strategies in increasing Indigenous participation, there is little evidence on the success of such programs. Moreover, while the sector promotes the possible mobility between the vocational education and training sector and the higher education sector and vice versa from undertaking such courses, there is little evidence to support this. This presentation presents the results of a research project undertaken at three dual-sector universities which focused on Indigenous learning journeys via enabling programs. The research considered interpretations of 'success' from the perspectives of students and teachers participating in enabling courses. The research found enabling programs were an 'important' and 'exciting journey' for students that brought about transformation of the inner self through the building of 'resilience', 'strength', 'confidence', 'self-esteem', 'self-worth', 'cultural understanding' and 'identity'. Success was experienced across multiple dimensions of students' lived experience including 'cultural identity', 'voice', 'self-realisation', 'self-acceptance' and 'pride'. [The presenter] propose[s] that access, bridging and enabling courses and programs need to consider Indigenous understandings of 'success' to assist in affirming Indigenous cultural identity whilst simultaneously developing study skills in the vocational and educational sector.

Published abstract. Show less

In the health sector, cross-cultural awareness training has been seen as a way to improve knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to therefore improve service delivery and therapeutic care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Health personnel may have undertaken this type of training in their workplace or as part of their education in an undergraduate degree program. Other sectors additionally undertake cross-cultural awareness training for similar reasons and in similar educational settings. This paper includes the views of a selection of Aboriginal women and highlights the need to extend beyond knowledge gained through cross-cultural awareness training to anti-racism training. Furthermore, that anti-racism training and addressing white race privilege is required in order to address the inequities within the health system, and the marginalisation and disempowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This paper demonstrates how Indigenous studies is controlled in some Australian universities in ways that continue the marginalisation, denigration and exploitation of Indigenous peoples. Moreover, it shows how the engagement of white notions of ‘inclusion’ can result in the maintenance of racism, systemic marginalisation, white race privilege and radicalised subjectivity. A case study will be utilised which draws from the experience of two Indigenous scholars who were invited to be part of a panel to review one Australian university’s plan and courses in Indigenous studies. The case study offers the opportunity to destabilise the relationships between oppression and privilege and the epistemology that maintains them. The paper argues for the need to examine exactly what is being offered when universities provide opportunities for ‘inclusion’.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

The first recorded Aboriginal person to graduate with an undergraduate qualification from any Australian university was Aboriginal woman Margaret Williams-Weir in 1959 (Melbourne University, 2018). Williams-Weir graduated with a Diploma in Education. There have now been six decades of graduating Indigenous Australian women in the discipline of education, and many other disciplines. In this article, we explore Indigenous women's presence in higher education through the narratives of our lives as Aboriginal women within education and the lives of other Indigenous women, noting their achievements and challenges. We acknowledge that while the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women participating in university study and becoming engaged in education as a discipline at undergraduate and postgraduate levels has increased, we are still significantly underrepresented. Similarly, while we have seen increases in Indigenous university staff within the education discipline, the employment of Indigenous academics has not reached parity with non-Indigenous academics levels and too few are employed in the professoriate and in senior management positions. We will show how we would not have been able to develop our education careers within higher education without the bridges built by those like Dr Williams-Weir and others who went before us. We will share how we have worked to establish the footings for those Indigenous women who will follow us and others. In this way, we work within the context that is for the now and the future.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

The purpose of this project was to further develop the leadership capacity of Indigenous academic women in Australian universities. Indigenous academic women from each of the 41 Australian universities were invited to attend four three-day workshops conducted throughout 2007 and 2008. The workshops focused on the following themes: teaching and learning; scholarship; university administration and management; and community engagement. Other outcomes of the project were the establishment of a Tiddas website under Flinders University (one of the partner institutes) and a Tiddas academic network. Through participation in the workshops, the women received skills and knowledge to assist them in their personal and career development, encouragement and assistance to complete their postgraduate study and to engage in scholarly and leadership activities. This report details the Tiddas Writin' Up project undertaken in 2010.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

In Australia, regional and remote Indigenous students are under-represented in both higher education and vocational education and training. Access (or enabling) education programs are important in lifting participation rates and potentially in encouraging mobility between the sectors. However, there is a clear lack of evidence underpinning their development. This report summarises a 12-month research project which sought to explore current practices in Indigenous access courses, particularly in the context of regional, dual-sector universities. The project aimed to understand the practices and experiences of Indigenous access programs, with a view to designing a best-practice framework and implementation statement.

In support of this aim, the research sought to explore how Indigenous learning journeys can respect and grow cultural identity while simultaneously developing study skills, particularly in the context of studying at a regional university. It also aimed to investigate how interpretations of 'success' can be considered from the perspectives of the student, their community and the institution. This research particularly focuses on access education programs. In doing so, it acknowledges that, while access education is only a small slice of the lifelong education journey, it is a critically important one for many Indigenous peoples. In developing a best-practice conceptual framework for Indigenous access programs, the authors consider pedagogy, curriculum and mode of delivery, superimposed by the institutional ethos and drivers for implementation, and framed by local, regional and national Indigenous perspectives.

Edited excerpts from publisher's website. Show less

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. Show less

Indigenous student completion rates remain very low relative to non-Indigenous students. Some universities have higher Indigenous student completion rates than the national average but research-based evidence of these universities as 'success models' is limited. Drawing on findings from interviews with Indigenous university graduates and staff as part of a National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) funded research project, this paper discusses findings relating to one success factor that supports Indigenous student completions: Indigenous centres/units as key places to build a sense of connection and belonging for Indigenous students.

The paper discusses the importance of Indigenous centres/units in providing a space where Indigenous students can connect with each other, with staff, and with their own cultural identities. The paper then discusses the development of strategies that can be adopted by all universities across Australia to strengthen and improve the completion rates of Indigenous students.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

Forthcoming article first published online 28 September 2023 by Taylor and Francis. Show less

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students continue to experience racism in Australian university classrooms. The Reconciliation Australia Barometer report (2022, p. 5) recently noted that experiences of racial prejudice have increased for Indigenous people with 60 per cent of Indigenous people who responded to the survey experiencing at least one form of racial prejudice in the past six months. Many universities are attempting to implement action against racism and there have been concerted efforts to Indigenise curriculum across numerous universities. But there are many challenges and complexities to this process and more work is needed to increase cultural competency of university staff and students. This article explores findings from a National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) funded project that focused on 'what works' to support Indigenous students to complete their degrees. This article draws on data from interviews with graduates that highlight the perceived experiences of racism in the classroom from peers and staff and the need for further Indigenisation of the curriculum to improve Indigenous student completion rates. The article concludes by discussing recommendations for universities to create a safer environment for Indigenous students. These recommendations echo previous ones (e.g., Behrendt et al., 2012) yet they have not yet been adequately addressed by universities.

Published abstract. Show less

This research project has focused on success factors for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university completion rates. While the number of Indigenous students participating in Australian higher education continues to grow, Indigenous student completion rates remain very low relative to non-Indigenous students. The national data indicates that, while Indigenous students typically can take longer to graduate, the nine-year completion rates for Indigenous students remain around 47 per cent - significantly below the 74 per cent for non-Indigenous students. Some universities have higher Indigenous student completion rates than the national average. However, research-based evidence of these universities as 'success models' is limited. The project involved a mixed-methods approach (combining qualitative and quantitative methods) to identify and analyse the multifaceted dimensions and range of strategies used at four [Group of Eight] Go8 (universities A, B, C, D) and one non-Go8 university (university E) to support Indigenous student completions. In compliance with ethical clearance, the universities are not identified within this report. The five universities were chosen because of their high completion rates compared to the national average.

Key findings from the project were: (1) Indigenous centres/units at universities are key for building a sense of community and belonging for Indigenous students; (2) the physical space of Indigenous centres/units is particularly significant to provide a space where Indigenous students can connect with each other, with staff and with their own cultural identities; (3) ITAS (Indigenous Tutoring Assistance Scheme) is an important strategy to assist Indigenous students to complete their degrees; (4) faculties need to collaborate further with Indigenous centres to support Indigenous students to complete their degrees; (5) more Indigenous perspectives in the classroom are needed to support Indigenous students' learning outcomes and to provide examples of engaging with Indigenous knowledges and cultural contexts in teaching and learning; (6) Indigenous students experience racism in the classroom and more work needs to be done to address this; (7) more cultural competency training of staff and students is needed to ensure faculties and classrooms are culturally safe spaces for Indigenous students; (8) non-completed students reported a range of factors influencing their decisions to leave university, including negative experiences living at college, mental health concerns and 'burnout', poor fit of the degree with their interests and a lack of a cohort of Indigenous students; and (9) compared to national Indigenous enrolments, the selected institutions enrolled higher percentages of Indigenous students who were younger, studying internally, studying full-time, from metropolitan postcodes, from high [socioeconomic status] SES postcodes, admitted on the basis of their secondary education, and/or studying in the Society and Culture or Natural and Physical Sciences broad fields of education. They were more likely to disclose their [Australian Tertiary Admission Rank] ATAR and, when they did, their ATAR was likely to be higher. The findings of this project inform eight high-level recommendations under the following two broad categories: key stakeholder recommendations; and Australian Government recommendations.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less