Pacific university graduates in New Zealand: what helps and hinders completion

Abstract

Increasing the numbers of Pacific Island students who graduate from New Zealand universities is important for the students' futures, their families, communities, and society in general. In the present study, Pacific graduates (N=365) who are participants in the Graduate Longitudinal Study New Zealand were asked to describe what factors helped or hindered their qualification completion. Graduates from all eight New Zealand universities were surveyed between July and December 2011. Pacific graduates identified external (for example, family), institutional (for example, university staff), and student/personal (for example, motivation) factors that both helped and hindered the successful completion of their studies. Understanding the hindrance factors faced by Pacific students and the factors that have contributed to their educational success can help to inform policy and practice to achieve national priorities of equity and successful outcomes for Pacific learners.

Fakalukuluku: Conceptualising a Tongan learning approach in tertiary education

“…Regardless of tuakana-teina, whanaungatanga, Pasifika practices and other Māori health philosophies instigated as affirming learning approaches, the research by Theodore et al (2018), Equity in New Zealand university graduate outcomes: Māori and Pacific graduates, highlights that Māori and Pacific peoples are under-represented amongst New Zealand universities and their labour market outcomes are often associated with lower wages and under-representation in skilled professions. Boosting the success of Pasifika graduates has been, and continues to be, a priority and challenge for the New Zealand tertiary education sector.…”

“…Similarly, family is perceived as a source of love and encouragement and expectations from family members help motivate students to be successful. Conversely, family responsibilities or commitments and issues were noted as having impacting students' completion (Theodore et al, 2018). However, Toumu'a and Laban's (2014) study found family to be a prominent influence because it is a key source of motivation for Pasifika students.…”

“…Fakalukuluku is a Tongan concept associated with gathering-up or drawing-together (Churchward, 1959) and is linked to the theme in the special issue, talanoa vā and reimagining research and learning engagement in tertiary education. Within tertiary education, research undertaken by Theodore et al, (2018) examined the key factors that helped and hindered Pasifika (a term utilised by the Ministry of Education in Aotearoa to group students from Pacific ethnicities) university graduates with the completion of their studies. Pasifika graduates identified family as a key factor that contributed to the completion of their qualifications.…”

Why isn’t my professor Pasifika? A snapshot of the academic workforce in New Zealand universities

“…Education systems in New Zealand have consistently and historically underserved Pasifika peoples (Boon-Nanai, Ponton, Haxella, & Rasheeda, 2017;Chu, Glasgow, Rimoni, Hodis, & Meyer, 2013;McDonald & Lipine, 2012;Porter-Samuels, 2013;Reynolds, 2016;Teevale & Teu, 2018;Theodore et al, 2018). This underserving is an important issue for Pasifika people because we connect our community wellness with educational outcomes (Pasefika Proud, 2017;Samu, 2010).…”

The Pacific Research Paradigm: Opportunities and challenges

“…These challenges included increases in Pasifika youth delinquency (Borrero, Yeh, Tito, & Luavasa, 2010;Yeh, Borrero, Tito, & Petaia, 2014) and incarceration (Shepherd & Ilalio, 2016), disproportionate representation of Pasifika with serious health issues (Hawley & McGarvey, 2015), and concerns about the academic achievements of Pasifika students (Coxon, Anae, Mara, Wendt-Samu, & Finau, 2002;Ferguson, Gorinski, Samu, & Mara, 2008). In New Zealand, more authorities and academic institutions installed guidelines for Pasifika-related services, engagement and research (i.e., Airini et al, 2010;Anae, Coxon, Mara, Wendt-Samu, & Finau, 2001; Health Research Council of New Zealand, 2014; University of Otago, 2011), and the numbers of Pasifika students enrolled in postgraduate research gradually increased (Tertiary Education Commission, 2017; Theodore et al, 2018). In these circumstances, Pacificand Pasifika-specific approaches to academic inquiry emerged, some building on the work of the scholars mentioned above, and others completely new in conceptualisation.…”