Pegs or Holes as the Focus of Change: Indigenous Students and Institutions of Higher Education (original) (raw)

INSTITUTIONAL INFLUENCES ON THE PARTICIPATION OF ABORIGINAL STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Institutional influences on the participation of Aboriginal students in higher education in South Australia are examined in this study. While other influences are recognised, it is factors over which institutions could conceivably exercise some control which are the focus of the paper. The historical framework touches on traditional Aboriginal education, and gives an overview of post-invasion formal Aboriginal education provided by the colonising powers, Aboriginal higher education in the non-Aboriginal context, and equity initiatives. Literature referred to also includes works on indigenous higher education in other places, student diversity, learning/teaching styles and roles, alternatives in curriculum, pedagogy and administration. The methodology is phenomenological, relying on what participants have contributed and what can be learned from texts such as institutional mission statements and policy documents. Interviews were conducted, both structured and unstructured; other part...

Indigenous higher education student equity: focusing on what works

Australian journal of indigenous education, 2011

The rates of higher education access, participation and completion for Indigenous students are much lower than those for non-Indigenous students in Australia. This paper argues for a research-led focus on what works in terms of Indigenous student equity in higher education. Undertaking independent evaluation of existing initiatives and leveraging the experience of hundreds of successful Indigenous graduates, it may be possible to articulate some of the ways in which success has been, and can be, achieved, despite the challenges that face Indigenous students. In other words, it may be possible to articulate some aspects of what works for some Indigenous people in relation to higher education. A focus on articulating strategies that Indigenous individuals and communities might adopt in relation to higher education should be developed alongside the management of systemic problems through a range of means. The "successfocused" approach would provide one of a suite of approaches that may be helpful in addressing Indigenous student equity.

The participation of Australian Indigenous students in higher education: a scoping review of empirical research, 2000–2016

The Australian Educational Researcher, 2017

While access to higher education has increased for Indigenous Australians, participation and completion rates remain lower than those of non-Indigenous Australians. A sound evidence base is needed to ground equity initiatives if they are to address the specific needs of Indigenous students. This paper presents the results of a scoping review of empirical research focusing on the participation of Indigenous students in higher education. The purpose of the scoping review was to synthesise empirical research on aspirations for, and barriers and enablers to, higher education that were published between 2000 and 2016 (n = 57), and identify areas where further research is needed. Despite a recent increase in research on this topic, relatively little attention has been paid to Indigenous students' aspirations while they are at school. We argue that future research should take account of school students' aspirations for higher education, including primary school students; the similitude of barriers and enablers across the student life cycle; differences within Indigenous community and among Indigenous students; and, the insights emerging from Indigenous methodologies and scholarship.

The Impact of Enabling Programs on Indigenous Participation, Success and Retention in Australian Higher Education

Enabling programs are not-for-degree programs designed to provide the necessary academic and cultural scaffolding for students who do not meet the institution’s usual admissions criteria. This chapter focuses specifically on the findings relevant to Indigenous students, who represent one of six officially-recognised equity groups of students in Australian higher education policy. The evidence from the study indicates that Indigenous enabling pathways provide an important and effective environment in which the students develop a sense of belonging in higher education and develop the necessary resilience to persist in their subsequent studies. However, it is less clear whether Indigenous students are receiving the academic skills development necessary to succeed in their studies at rates similar to other students

Indigenous Higher Education: The Role of Universities in Releasing the Potential.

Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 2008

The participation rate of Indigenous people in higher education is comparatively disparately low across all sectors. In this article the authors examine the pivotal role of the university sector in addressing this inequity and releasing the potential for increased Indigenous enrolment, participation and completion in higher education. Indigenous higher education, they argue, is core university business, not an equity issue, and a unique opportunity currently exists for achieving significant progress. Using examples of best practice they show how universities can take positive practical steps to overcome the commonly identified barriers to Indigenous higher education success. These examples include Indigenous centres and units to assist and support Indigenous students. The authors also propose four specific strategies for increasing Indigenous higher education success across all facets. These are: the recruitment of highly dedicated staff; to optimise the degree of comfort, cultural and academic, of beginning students; the role and centrality of Indigenous centres in Indigenous higher education needs to be recognised and strengthened; and to keep the institutions' Indigenous support mechanisms constantly under review. The authors extend their analysis to the low Indigenous representation among university staff, arguing that a greater presence and nurturing of Indigenous staff, academic and general is a vital facet of improving Indigenous higher education access and success. Finally, they argue that a longitudinal study of Indigenous higher education participation is needed to provide an evidence base to inform and increase the efficacy of policy in this area.

Indigenous Australia: A profile of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander higher education student population

This paper brings together recent statistics relating to the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in higher education. A number of key statistical realities relating to their enrolment into, retention during, and completion of, their university courses are depicted. Foremost among these realities is that despite initiatives over recent years to redress their under-representation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ participation in higher education remains significantly below the population parity rate. This paper also warns about the need to exercise care about definitions, sources, measurement, collection, interpretation and analysis of data in the higher education field relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It concludes that successful transitions to university involve not just success in enrolling more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, but in improving their retention and completion rates, and moreover, th...