Building capacity through action research curricula reviews

Abstract

In Australia, graduates of Master of Public Health (MPH) programmes are expected to achieve a set of core competencies, including a subset that is specifically related to Indigenous health. This paper reports on the methods utilised in a project which was designed using action research to strengthen Indigenous public health curricula within MPH programmes at Australian universities. This aim is achieved through the use of three interlinked ‘action–reflection’ cycles, involving individual Indigenous public health academics who, through their membership in a scholarly network, have undertaken a series of curriculum reviews, which have in turn influenced organisational change in universities. The project results demonstrated how action research can successfully strengthen Indigenous public health curricula.

Keywords:

• action–reflection research
• capacity building
• curriculum development
• Indigenous health education

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of members of the PHILE network to the review process, and to staff from the universities who participated in the reviews. The PHILE network is hosted by the Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit at the University of Melbourne, as part of the Indigenous Public Health Capacity Building Project which is co-managed by the Institute of Koorie Education at Deakin University. The project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.