The untold story of middle-class Indigenous Australian school students who aspire to university

ABSTRACT

While university participation rates among Indigenous Australians have been on the rise in recent years, parity targets remain elusive. In this context, surprisingly little attention has been paid to how aspirations for higher education are formed and nurtured. Studies tend to focus on barriers to access, often in ways that position Indigenous Australians as a homogeneous ‘Otherised’ group. This paper counter-balances hegemonic narratives of Indigeneity by analysing what Indigenous students from middle-class families say about their aspirations for university. Drawing on interview data collected in 2016 in government schools in New South Wales, Australia, it offers fresh understandings of school–to–university transitions, both empirically and conceptually. Using the lens of four–dimensional social space as conceived by Indigenous scholar Maggie Walter, we illustrate how race and class function in powerful but complex ways to shape the aspirations of two young Indigenous women. We argue that if we are to shift longstanding demographic patterns of university participation, then visible stories of Indigenous success, such as those told here, can help to redefine current discourses on Indigenous aspirations for higher education.

KEYWORDS:

• Indigeneity
• Indigenous education
• aspiration
• equity
• higher education
• university
• widening participation

Acknowledgement

The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of Treesa Heath for her role in data collection, and the support of Le Hoang Le in the preparation of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Refer to https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/guidelines-ethical-research-australian-indigenous-studies.

2. Refer to https://nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/national-statement-ethical-conduct-human-research-2007-updated-2018.

3. Ellin and Dahlia are pseudonyms.

4. Technical and Further Education (TAFE) is the main provider of vocational education in Australia.

5. The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is the credential awarded to students in NSW who complete Years 11–12.

6. In 2016, Indigenous Australians accounted for 27% of the total Australian prisoner population (refer to http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/4517.0).

Additional information

Funding

This analysis was undertaken as part of a study funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training under the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) National Priorities Pool scheme.

Notes on contributors

Sally Patfield

Dr Sally Patfield is an early career researcher working in the Teachers and Teaching Research Centre at the University of Newcastle. With an interest in equity research and practice, her PhD investigated the aspirations of school students who would be the first in their families to enter higher education.

Jennifer Gore

Laureate Professor Jennifer Gore is the Director of the Teachers and Teaching Research Centre at the University of Newcastle. In addition to a program of research on student aspirations, she is currently leading a suite of studies focused on improving student outcomes and supporting teacher professional development through an innovative approach called Quality Teaching Rounds.

Leanne Fray

Dr Leanne Fray is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Newcastle in the Teachers and Teaching Research Centre. She has extensive experience in qualitative research and has previously worked on research projects across such disciplines as health, education, and social science. Her research interests include improving student access and participation in higher education.

Maree Gruppetta

Dr Maree Gruppetta is Senior Lecturer Indigenous Knowledges at Deakin University. A Guyinbaraay woman, she has taught extensively in primary and secondary classrooms. Her research over the last decade has focused on Aboriginal Education and Health.