Appendix 2: Human Research Ethics Committee Approval
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1. Purpose of Research
2. Research Methods and Design Considerations
3. Subject Considerations
4. Recording, Reporting, Storage and Access to the
Research Data and Results
5. Ownership of the Research and the Data Produced
6. Other Institutions Involved in the Research
Research Information Sheet
Project Consent Form
Factors Affecting Performance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students at Australian Universities: A Case Study
Project Director:
Prof. Colin J. Bourke, MBE
Dean, Faculty of Aboriginal & Islander Studies
University of South Australia
Holbrooks Road
Underdale SA 5032
Ph: (08) 302 6780
Fax: (08) 302 6789
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy has set a goal of enabling 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to attain the same graduation rates from award courses...in higher education, as for other Australians'.
The National Review of Education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students highlights that their completion rate is low compared to other Australians. Concern has also been expressed by DEETYA officers, and the senior management of some Australian universities regarding the low retention rates and levels of success being experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at tertiary education institutions. DEETYA officers have identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander attrition rates as a major issue in higher education as well as in senior secondary level at schools. The National Review of Education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (1994:23) notes that the current year 12 retention rate of 25 per cent for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is the same as it was for all Australian students more than twenty years ago.
An evaluation of the underlying factors of increased attrition rates experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tertiary students is overdue. The proposed research will begin with a case study to evaluate these factors at the University of South Australia. The results of this research can be generalised in identifying key issues of national importance in improving Aboriginal higher education. Identifying these factors will lead to recommendations regarding future policies for tertiary institutions.
The results of the research will provide information for decision making bodies within the higher education system in relation to improving graduation and retention rates for Aboriginal students. It will aim to isolate issues and make recommendations which will contribute to increasing the overall performance of universities in educating Indigenous Australians.
In the USA, studies of Native American students (Osborne 1985; Topper 1972) suggest that the barriers to success in education are rooted in cultural differences and perceptions of the world. The cultural differences of Native Americans may place them in conflict with the dominant culture. It is possible that Indigenous Australians face similar issues.
The aims of the research will be achieved through a variety of techniques. The levels of retention rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tertiary students at the University of South Australia will be investigated. These rates will be compared with non-Aboriginal students based on a number of variables, such as age, mode of study, educational background and time taken for completion. Comparisons will be drawn between success rates for Aboriginal and Islander students enrolled in specific courses and those Aboriginal students studying in mainstream courses. A profile of age, prior learning and formal educational attainment of Aboriginal and Islander students upon entry to university will be examined.
Factors that contribute to attrition as well as potential patterns will be looked for. Some considerations are:
The research will identify, in specific terms, the following outcomes.
When do students most often drop out?
What courses have the students dropped out of?
From which subjects have the students withdrawn?
Which subjects have the students completed?
What role do non-academic concerns play? These may include finance, accommodation, family issues as opposed to purely academic reasons;
What are the destinations of drop-out students?
Value of higher education experience gained?
The research will contribute to recommendations regarding future policy about:
2. Research Methods and Design Considerations
Ideally, this study will identify and interview all present and past Aboriginal tertiary students at the University of South Australia. Unfortunately it will not be possible to contact all former and present Aboriginal students; therefore the sample will consist of those students who are able to be contacted, and who, with consent, are interviewed. Using the Registry records at the University of South Australia, a list was compiled of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who have dropped out between 1991 and 1995. The sample will consist of as many students as can be contacted during the research period. In addition, a control group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are studying at second and third year levels will also be interviewed for comparison purposes. The sample will be stratified on variables such as age, level of education upon entry, completion/non-completion, mode of delivery, marital status and gender. These variables will be used to build a matrix upon which analysis can proceed.
The research methods of this project will include open ended questionnaires that will be supplemented with in depth open ended interviews, group discussions with a smaller cohort, and telephone interviews. Previous research and literature searches conducted with other minority populations have yielded a series of factors that seem to be common among drop-outs. The questionnaire is designed to address these issues and look for trends and possible patterns among those interviewed.
This project will seek qualitative information from open ended interviews of academic, support staff, successful and unsuccessful students. The qualitative data will consist of information as to why the students dropped out, what they liked about the university and what aspects they did not like. Through personal interviews, the researchers can glean important factors that contributed to attrition. The researchers will also be able to ask clarifying questions on certain topics the participant feels were important. In addition to closed questions, open ended questions will elicit a broader scope of issues which the student faced. Quantitative data will be gained through analysis of responses and the demographic information contained in them. The response format to the closed questions consists of a Likert scale in which the participants circle the number corresponding to the appropriate designation for each statement provided (e.g. = strongly agree, 2 = agree etc). The statements contained in the questionnaire will focus on identifying which factors created an enjoyable educational and cultural environment for the students, and which factors contributed to dissatisfaction with the university.
The data analysis will consist of reviewing the responses to the questions and compiling central tendency measures as to which factors were important in the decision to drop out and which were not. Patterns based on demographics (age, gender, level of education etc) will be examined, as well as common responses of degree (e.g. very important, not important etc) on the questionnaire.
Computer modelling will be used to process the data. Analysis of the open ended interview questions will be examined and summarised by the researcher on computer analysis programs using ethnographic techniques. For each question, categories of responses will be created for easier management of the data.
The results will be published through the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA) under the Evaluations and Investigations Program (EIP).
Former students will be contacted based on a list generated by the registry office at the University of South Australia consisting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have dropped out of courses at the university from 1991 to 1995.
The interviewer will initially contact as many former students as possible to attain consent for participation in the project. This initial contact will occur through telephone calls and written invitation (an information sheet will be forwarded) where telephone use is inappropriate. The research will be described and the objectives and use of the results will be explained (to recommend policy changes to faculty and administrators). Students will be informed that their name was attained through a list from the Registry Office at University of South Australia. All information will be confidential, and this will be stressed during initial consultation with former students. Potential participants will be informed of their right to withdraw from the research project at anytime without penalty.
Personal interviews will be conducted at the participant's home, office, or wherever is convenient for the participant. Telephone interviews will take place with those that are unable to make personal interviews due to distance, time, etc. Where telephone interviews are not possible, a copy of the questionnaire will be mailed to former students.
The selection criteria concerns those students who have dropped out of a course at the University of South Australia. A control group of current students will also be used. The students will be of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. A second control group of non-Aboriginal students who have dropped out of the Faculty of Aboriginal and Islander Studies courses will be interviewed.
The results of this research will contribute to the understanding as to why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students decide to drop out of university and provide a basis for prevention and policy recommendations.
4. Recording, Reporting, Storage and Access to the Research Data and Results
The research data will be recorded in written form as answers to the scale questions, and written summaries of interviews of the open ended questions by the interviewer. All information will be kept confidential, and no names will be included on any results of the project. The participant information will be kept separate from the study and the study data and codes will be secured in a locked cabinet. Passwords will be used for computer data storage. The research team will be the only ones with access to the data, and the results of the research will be reported through DEETYA.
The data will be stored on hardcopy and retained for seven years by the University of South Australia.
5. Ownership of the Research and the Data Produced
The University of South Australia has ownership of the data collected. A final report suitable for publication will be submitted to DEETYA as required for funds awarded. The decision to publish a report will be made by DEETYA.
6. Other Institutions Involved in the Research
The focus of the research project is on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students involved in tertiary education. The project is being funded by DEETYA through its Evaluations and Investigations Program under its normal contract conditions.
Prof. Colin J. Bourke
Dean, Faculty of Aboriginal & Islander Studies
University of South Australia
Faculty of Aboriginal & Islander Studies
Phone: (08) 302 6780
Factors Affecting Performance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students at Australian Universities: A Case Study
Human Research Ethics Committee Contact:
Mr J. Hepworth (chair)
The Levels
Phone: (08) 302 3965
A research project is being conducted to survey participants who have either enrolled in University of South Australia or have dropped out of courses at the University. The goal of this project is to discover why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students drop out of university. We are particularly interested in finding out why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders do not complete courses in their Faculty and others in the University. The results of this project will be strictly confidential and no names or identifying factors will be used when the results are published.
The results of the study will help to determine why students drop out of the university, and provide information that will contribute to recommendations for university policy changes to reduce attrition (dropping out). Your experiences are important and vital to help us find out what could be changed in the university system, what should remain the same, and what needs improvement.
You will be asked to take part in an interview with a trained interviewer, completing a questionnaire that contains 30 questions. The issues we are concerned with include demographic information (age, gender, where you live etc). Why you decided to go to university? What parts of the university and courses you liked and disliked? How helpful you found support staff and facilities at the university? You will also be asked to give some suggestions as to how we can reduce drop out rates. You are free to stop the interview at anytime, or refuse to participate with no penalty. Just inform the interviewer that you wish to stop or are feeling uncomfortable with the questions. All information will be kept confidential, and retained by the University of South Australia for seven years. If you have any questions concerning the research project, feel free to ask the interviewer, or contact Professor Colin Bourke at the above number, or if you have questions concerning the general aspects of this study you can contact Mr. John Hepworth at HREC at the above number.
University of South Australia
Factors Affecting Performance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students at Australian Universities: A Case Study
Prof. Colin J. Bourke
Dean, Faculty of Aboriginal & Islander Studies
University of South Australia
Faculty of Aboriginal & Islander Studies
Phone: (08) 302 6780
Name of Participant:
Signed:
Dated:
I certify that I have explained the study to the participant and consider that he/she understands what is involved.
Signed: