Āwhina Revolution: A Bayesian Analysis of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Completion Rates from a Program for Māori and Pacific Success in STEM Disciplines

Abstract

Te Rōpū Āwhina (Āwhina), an equity initiative in a New Zealand university, aimed to produce Māori and Pacific science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professionals who contribute to Māori and Pacific community development and leadership. Standardized completion rates for 3-year undergraduate and 2-year postgraduate degree students were consistent with a positive Āwhina effect.

Success for All? A Call to Re-examine How Student Success Is Defined in Higher Education

“…1"Collective success underpinned the Āwhina kaupapa (goal) of producing STEM professionals who would become leaders in Māori, Pacific, and other minority communities. "(Richardson et al, 2018) CBE-Life Sciences Education • 20:es3, Spring 2021 20:es3, 5…”

Research and development absorptive capacity: a Māori perspective

“…As the desk-top analysis shows, there have been or are initiatives that aim to increase Māori participation and success, to reach out to Māori communities and to fund Māori students. Unfortunately, there is very little evaluation of the success of these specifically STEM initiatives, apart from the now discontinued VUW programme (Richardson et al 2018). This does not mean that such initiatives have not been evaluated, only that such evaluations were not easily accessible using the search criteria.…”