Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Participation in Higher Education at a Regional University Campus: Policy, People and Place

Abstract

<p>This action research project explores how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation is addressed in higher education and, in particular, at a regional university campus in Australia. As a non-Indigenous person, I structured the research to involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at every stage. This involved engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the data collection stage, framing the research questions and providing feedback on the data analysis. The research participants also made suggestions and provided the impetus for the action research aspect of the project. My aim was to work with local Indigenous people to develop, implement and evaluate strategies to increase the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in higher education opportunities at the campus.</p> <p>This research comprises a portfolio with three pillars: policy, people and place. One overarching research question was developed: What strategies can be effective for enhancing the experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at a regional higher education campus? The policy pillar explored how government policies over the last 50 years have affected individual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s involvement and participation in higher education, the practices that resulted from these policies and the effect of the practices on individual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ participation and success at the regional university campus. The people pillar focused on the influence of personal and interpersonal aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ lives on their learning experiences at the regional university campus. As part of examining students’ learning experiences, the place pillar explored local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s sense of belonging at the regional university campus.</p> <p>This research showed that policy approaches during the 1970s and 1980s effectively created greater participation by Indigenous people and a culturally safe and affirming higher education experience. This thesis discusses what can be learnt from the policy settings at that time to inform contemporary educational practices. Importantly, this research also identified and implemented changes to practices. In keeping with the participatory action research approach, the research participants highlighted opportunities to improve educational practices, implement new strategies and challenge existing university policies. The strategies generated from this research focused on educational pathways recruiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into mainstream courses, partnerships with Indigenous organisations to provide educational opportunities for their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, developing cultural understandings for university staff and students, incorporating Indigenous knowledge into mainstream curricula, the significance of upholding conciliation values and recognising Indigenous sovereignty and committing to Indigenous decision-making within the university campus. The actions implemented as part of the research positively affected the educational experiences of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students at the regional university campus. This research provides insights for policymakers and educational practitioners into strategies for enhancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ participation in university contexts.</p>