[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-594218-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-594218-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","first-peoples-perspectives-on-successful-engagement-at-university-what-keeps-students-coming-back-to-indigenous-education-units","First Peoples’ perspectives on successful engagement at university: What keeps students coming back to Indigenous education units?","","First Peoples’ engagement with the GUMURRII Student Success Unit at Griffith University is examined through a case study. The study responds to limited research on how Indigenous education units (IEUs) are utilised from students’ perspectives and how that contemporary engagement shapes ongoing participation and outcomes. Despite evidence that engagement supports progression, retention, and success, First Peoples remain under-represented. Findings clarify reasons for involvement that go beyond traditional tertiary support services.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/first-peoples-perspectives-on-successful-engagement-at-university-what-keeps-students-coming-back-to-indigenous-education-units/594218/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/first-peoples-perspectives-on-successful-engagement-at-university-what-keeps-students-coming-back-to-indigenous-education-units/594218.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Kurz","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-26","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":33},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What gap does the article address about Indigenous education units (IEUs)?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"It addresses how support services provided by IEUs are being contemporarily utilised from First Peoples students’ perspectives, including the impact on participation and outcomes in higher education.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"Why is higher education engagement critical for First Peoples communities?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"Higher education can improve socioeconomic outcomes, reduce disadvantage, and create positive social and economic impact; however, First Peoples face lower participation and higher attrition rates.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"What does the article say about why students engage with IEUs?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"Students engage with IEUs for reasons extending far beyond traditional tertiary support, reflecting broader motivations captured through their lived experiences.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},594218,1792210415,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":33,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":117,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":103},2336478945635,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","First Peoples’ perspectives on successful engagement at university: What keeps students coming back to Indigenous education units?  \nBecki Cook1, Susan Whatman2 and Alison Sammel3  \n1 Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, 4001, Australia, email: [r24.cook@qut.edu.au](r24.cook@qut.edu.au)  \n2 Health and Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, Gold Coast campus, Griffith University, Queensland, 4222, Australia  \n3 Science Education and Climate Action, Gold Coast campus, Griffith University, Queensland, 4222, Australia  \nIn this article, we present a case study of the nature of First Peoples’engagement with the GUMURRII Student Success Unit at Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. Higher education plays a critical role in improving socioeconomic outcomes in First Peoples communities. Recent reports indicate First Peoples are still under-represented at university, with lower participation and higher attrition rates than non-Indigenous students. Previous studies indicate that engagement with Indigenous education units (IEU) improves student progression, retention and success; however, the specific nature of engagement with IEUs from the students’ perspectives has not been widely examined. We address a gap within the literature, seeking to better understand how support services are being contemporarily utilised by First Peoples students. By utilising an Indigenist research design, we offer an interpretation of the lived experiences of First Peoples students to better understand their reasons for engagement with IEUs, and to explore the impact upon their ongoing participation and outcomesin higher education. The findings contribute to broader understandings of the role of IEUs in higher education and illustrate that students engage with them for reasons that extend far beyond traditional tertiary support.  \nKeywords: Indigenous higher education, Indigenous student success, student support, student  \nengagement  \nIntroduction  \nRecent studies continue to report an under-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (hereafter “First Peoples”) at university, and lower participation and higher attrition rates than non-Indigenous students (Benton et al., 2021; Coates et al., 2021; Hearn & Kenna, 2021) . Past research has established that this disparity stems from current and historical injustices towards First Peoples and exclusion from schooling (Bin-Sallik, 2003; K. Martin, 2003). The continued disparity is concerning, as not only is a country’s economic and social progress influenced by its higher education system; tertiary education can address the socioeconomic disadvantage experienced by First Peoples and make a positive social and economic impact upon communities (Bandias et al., 2014; Bradley et al., 2008) . To maintain  \ncompetitiveness and prosperity, higher numbers of suitably qualified and experienced First Peoples are needed to achieve this community impact (Bandias et al., 2014). As local and global needs change, tertiary education must adapt to remain competitive, which includes planning for greater numbers of First Peoples students.  \nThe Australian Government commissioned a review of higher education access and outcomes for First Peoples by Behrendt et al. (2012) (hereafter “Behrendt Report”). The tertiary education sector should be concerned that the Behrendt Report found only 1.4% of university students were First Peoples, despite comprising almost 3% of the Australian population. The sector should be even more concerned that in 2019 the participation rate had decreased to only 1.3%(Department of Education and Training, 2020) . Throughout many of the Behrendt Report’s 35 recommendations, support was identified as a key theme in student success. Culturally appropriate and academically comprehensive support at university is vital for First Peoples. The establishment of Indigenous education units (IEU) has improved access, retention and success of students. There ","cbCaibVrweyPHHu5","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaibVrweyPHHu5","pdf",466917,"English","# Introduction\n## Engagement disparities and historical drivers\n## The Behrendt Report and the role of IEUs\n## Reported access, satisfaction, and culturally appropriate support","[{\"question\":\"What gap does the article address about Indigenous education units (IEUs)?\",\"answer\":\"It addresses how support services provided by IEUs are being contemporarily utilised from First Peoples students’ perspectives, including the impact on participation and outcomes in higher education.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is higher education engagement critical for First Peoples communities?\",\"answer\":\"Higher education can improve socioeconomic outcomes, reduce disadvantage, and create positive social and economic impact; however, First Peoples face lower participation and higher attrition rates.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the article say about why students engage with IEUs?\",\"answer\":\"Students engage with IEUs for reasons extending far beyond traditional tertiary support, reflecting broader motivations captured through their lived experiences.\"}]","First Peoples’ perspectives on successful engagement at university: What keeps students coming back to Indigenous education units? | PDF",1792078744]