Investigation of the factors contributing to Indigenous students’ retention and attrition rates at the University of Adelaide

Abstract

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remain significantly under-represented in higher education systems. There are significant disparities in university completion rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students compared with their non-Indigenous counterparts. The poor-retention and high-attrition rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students come at significant financial and personal cost for the individual, families, community, universities and governments. Existing evidence in relation to attrition has identified complex and multifaceted reasons including ill health, family and community responsibilities, financial difficulties, lack of social support, academic disadvantage and issues surrounding personal well-being. The current study aimed to add to evidence of the academic, financial, social support and well-being factors affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student's decision to continue or withdraw from their university studies. Contrary to expectation, students' decision to withdraw was not related to academic and social factors. It was found that students between 22 and 25 years old strongly agreed they were likely to withdraw from studies. There was a significant association between withdrawal and type of enrolment. This study provided important insights into the factors that contribute to a students' decision to withdraw from their university studies, with implications for future educational interventions.

Relationship between Entry Grades and Attrition Trends in the Context of Higher Education: Implication for Open Innovation of Education Policy

“…Furthermore, a study carried out by Aljohani, reference [18] examined the low student retention among Saudi higher education students' and found that the low institutional factors and academic abilities are the most common reason for low student retention among Saudi higher education students across all of the studies. Moreover, a recent study performed by Bowrey and Clements, reference [19] investigated the Performance Efficiency among Student Success Rates against Attrition, Retention and Student to Staff Ratios in Australia, whereas another study was performed by Hearn et al [20], which examined the factors contributing to the retention and attrition rates of students at the selected Australian university. Thus, the significance of student retention and the steps taken to enhance their graduation outcomes in has been documented globally, i.e., in Europe, Australia and the USA [14,21].…”

Tema-tema Pengalaman Perjumpaan Antarbudaya Mahasiswa Perantauan sebagai Bahan Perancangan Psikoedukasi Keterampilan Budaya

“…Mereka juga mengalami perlakuan kurang sensitif budaya dari dosen dan mahasiswa berlatar belakang budaya dominan di daerah perantauan, yang cenderung kurang memahami atau peduli dengan budaya asli mahasiswa perantau. Akibatnya, banyak mahasiswa Aborigin yang tidak bertahan melanjutkan studi (Hearn et al, 2019). Beberapa pakar pendidikan tinggi di Australia mulai menyadari hal ini dan mengembangkan berbagai pendekatan untuk mengatasinya (Rochecouste et al, 2017).…”

Evaluation of the pilot phase of a Student Support Strategy to improve retention and completion rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

“…Poor retention and high student attrition come at significant cost for the individual, community, university and government (Hearn et al ., 2019). A further implication of high attrition includes the loss of opportunity resulting from a failure to provide successful pathways for capable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (Hearn et al ., 2019).…”

“…Poor retention and high student attrition come at significant cost for the individual, community, university and government (Hearn et al ., 2019). A further implication of high attrition includes the loss of opportunity resulting from a failure to provide successful pathways for capable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (Hearn et al ., 2019). To gain greater insight into reasons for the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student success in university and subsequently rectify it, it is essential to examine the contributing or impeding factors to success.…”

“…Thus, it has become increasingly evident that strategies designed to keep enrolled students in university are just as, if not more, important. The retention and success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in higher education can be positively influenced by the provision of adequate support and a quality student experience (Hearn et al ., 2019). Thus, reiterating that while it is important to increase accessibility to university for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, it is critical that they are provided with appropriate support strategies to enhance their chance of success (Hearn et al ., 2019).…”