Arresting the decline in Australian indigenous representation at university

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to reveal the success factors for retention of first year special entry Aboriginal students at an Australian metropolitan university. A retention model is proposed for minority students.Design/methodology/approachA grounded theory approach was taken to a longitudinal study of the first year experience of 12 indigenous tertiary students, the majority being second generation undergraduates. A qualitative methodology features in‐depth interviews conducted three times over one year to ascertain impacts of schooling, teaching and learning, life experience, career aspirations, relationships and racial identity on academic success.FindingsPositive or negative prior life experience had little impact on first year academic performance. Indigenous students as an equity group were found to have similar learning and life issues to non‐indigenous students such as studying to improve job prospects and needing part‐time employment to survive. They did not see themselves as different, and had no close relationship to indigenous knowledge or culture. Yet factors influencing academic success were related to indigeneity. Such as close friendships and dependence on each other, mentoring care of staff, and rewards of giving back through mentoring local indigenous school students. Private schools provided a dominant pipeline to university. Participants had a very early career focus but little career support. Students adopted both indigenous and non‐indigenous world perspectives and displayed robust resilience in the face of challenging family and educational experiences. In‐depth interviews across the year well demonstrated student evolutions. Further longitudinal study of student progress will extend this first Australian study.Originality/valueThis is the first in‐depth analysis and benchmark model for development of success factors for retaining special entry indigenous Australian students in higher education. It provides a one‐year baseline for a unique longitudinal assessment of student success. The paper newly explores the role of career and indigeneity as well as life and academic support systems in student retention. Findings apply to minority retention programs.

Māori University success: what helps and hinders qualification completion

“…Universities should support these aspirations by helping Māori students to retain strong tribal identities and whānau or community relationships rather than forcing assimilation into mainstream university culture. Moreover, subjects taught within universities should enable Māori students to build their capabilities to "give back" through their future work (Day & Nolde, 2009). Tertiary providers should also continue to build stronger relationships with whānau, hapū, and iwi to successfully engage Māori communities and support Māori student success (Ministry of Education, 2013).…”

“…There are also similar facilitators of higher education success internationally, including appropriate cultural and family support; a connection to culture, community, and homeland; and the importance of giving back to tribal community, being role models, and helping others (Craven et al, 2005;Day & Nolde, 2009;DiGregorio, Farrington, & Page, 2000;Jensen, 2011;O'Rourke, 2008).…”

“…His critics have argued, however, that this theory largely ignores the role of the institution, and structural and systemic barriers (e.g. funding inequities); overemphasises individual responsibility, and fails to adequately capture the experiences of indigenous students trying to fit into Western educational environments that do not necessarily reflect their lived realities (Day & Nolde, 2009;Gorinski & Abernathy, 2007;Nikora, Levy, Henry, & Whangapirita, 2002;Wilson et al, 2011).…”

Determinants of Attraction, Retention and Completion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Degree Research Students: A Systematic Review to Inform Future Research Directions

“…Other important enablers include cultural safety (Kippen, Ward and Warren, 2006); and recognition of Indigenous knowledges (Barney, 2016b;Miller, 2005). In regards to individual and cultural issues, family support (Cameron and Robinson, 2014;Kippen, Ward and Warren, 2006), group identity and resilience (see Toombs and Gorman, 2010) and feelings of self-determination, positive expectations, friends, involvement and belonging (Day and Nolde, 2009) have also been identified as enablers of success.…”

Indigenous students' persistence in higher education in Australia: contextualising models of change from psychology to understand and aid students' practices at a cultural interface

“…Thus, despite the various efforts that have been made to tackle low education participation rates in Australian universities, the state of Indigenous education is still characterised as being 'in crisis' (Pechenkina & Anderson, 2011). This state of affairs exists despite the fact that the range of factors that affect the performance of Indigenous students in tertiary education have been reasonably well documented across different institutions, disciplines, and programme levels (e.g., Bourke, Burden, & Moore, 1996;Burden, Bourke, Bourke, & Rigby, 1998;Day & Nolde, 2009;Ellender et al, 2008;Hellsten, 2011;Jordan, 1985;Morgan, 2001;Page, DiGregorio, & Farrington, 1997;Penfold, 1996;Walker, 2000;Young, Stupans, Scutter, & Smith, 2007). These include both personal and environmental factors (such as finances, family issues, health, accommodation, distance from home, the effects of racism, alienation and isolation within the university, and pressures on time), as well as academic factors such as course content, teaching and learning approaches, and academic skills (see Nakata, Nakata, & Chin, 2008).…”