The positive impacts of AIME on Indigenous education outcomes: A case study of Indigenous student retention and transition in Central Queensland

This research project was funded by the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), and involved data collection focussed on examining the success of the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Program (AIME). We sought to develop a conceptual model of the impact and achievements of the AIME program in Central Queensland, and to explore the factors that influence the success of AIME and the impact it has on individuals’ lives. The research project needed to be designed to enable a multi-prismatic view of the data through the voices of AIME mentees, mentors and alumni as well as AIME school coordinators and mentees parents/carers. The research involved (a) a literature review, (b) a desktop data scan, (c) a comparative case study based on individual interviews, (d) data integration and analysis, and (e) research translation to develop a conceptual model. Individual interviews were conducted at three Central Queensland University campuses; Gladstone, Rockhampton and Mackay. The research focused on multiple perspectives, including mentees, mentors, parents/carers of mentees, AIME alumni and the AIME school coordinators. This approach enabled a complex, multi-dimensional view of the impact of AIME in individuals’ lives, in families, in schools and in communities. The results of this research underscore the importance of the AIME program in building positive futures for Indigenous students. The AIME program, through its mentors, presenters and the module content helps Indigenous students to aspire to higher education and employment, improves their understanding of the importance of education, builds self-confidence and increases their motivation to study. AIME is a motivating, successful program for mentees that can profoundly influence their engagement at school and their post-school pathways. The positive impacts of AIME continue long after the program is completed and extend out to mentees’ families and communities. At the same time, AIME has a positive impact on the lives of volunteer mentors, who report improved engagement with their own studies as a direct result of their participation in AIME.