The Experiences of Indigenous Students on Placement: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT

It has been increasingly recognised that sociohistoric exclusion must be understood, and systemic barriers actively challenged in order for Indigenous students to safely access, participate, and succeed in tertiary education. This includes the field education experience, which is considered core to developing professional identity and competence across a number of professions. This scoping review gathered scarce research literature about Indigenous students’ experience of placement. A systematic search identified 12 sources from 11 studies that described these experiences across the disciplines of social work, education, and nursing. Findings revealed the motivating and challenging lived experiences of Indigenous students, including experiences of racism and discrimination on placement, misrecognition and misrepresentation, and the importance of relationships in facilitating positive placement experiences. Findings also indicated the relevance of implementing unique practice frameworks and offered recommendations for placement for Indigenous students.

IMPLICATIONS

• The placement experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students should be understood through student-led research and voice.

• Organisers of field education programs can increase their commitment to culturally safe placements by reviewing their processes in the light of this knowledge.

KEYWORDS:

• Social Work Education
• Field Education
• Placement
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students
• Indigenous Students
• Student-led Research
• Cultural Safety
• Cultural Awareness
• Mentoring
• Racism
• Discrimination
• Student Retention
• Student Wellbeing
• Indigenous Knowledge
• Indigenous Being

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the University of Newcastle Strategic Network and Pilot Project Grants Scheme for their invaluable contribution to this research.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by University of Newcastle Strategic Network and Pilot Project Grants Scheme.