Indigenous access education : a case study across three universities

In Australia, regional and remote Indigenous students are under-represented in both higher education and vocational education and training. Access education courses are important strategies for lifting participation rates and potentially encouraging mobility between the sectors, yet there is little evidence underpinning their development, composition and delivery. This paper presents the results of qualitative interviews with staff and students involved in access education programs. The research, which is underpinned by the strengths-based approach of conscientisation, explores how Indigenous learning journeys via access education can respect and grow cultural identity whilst simultaneously developing study skills. This research demonstrates that staff and students have opinions about what and how Indigenous knowledges should be developed and delivered within the curriculum. The researchers bring together the findings of their research and relevant literature to propose that access education can be strengthened by the inclusion of Indigenous content and Indigenous pedagogies. The authors propose a model for strengthening, transforming and success in Indigenous access education and a conceptual model for best practice.