Higher Education and First Nations Students: The Charles Darwin University Story - Northern Institute, People Policy Place seminar - 4 December 2023

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Ezra

Seminar slides present a CDU research project investigating how undergraduate First Nations students engage with higher education at regional settings, and why this engagement matters for successful study completion. The work outlines project aims to document student experiences, improve lecturer and institutional cultural competency, and produce practical good-practice guidance. Stage 2 describes interviews with lecturers and professional staff, focus groups at Casuarina and Sydney campuses, NVivo-based qualitative coding, and drafting a student guide and staff handbook.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages37

Reading Time1 h 33 min

AccessFree to download

Why this study?

Aims

Stage 2 of 3

Focus on lecturers and support staff

Qualitative data collection

Interviews and focus group themes

Defining cultural competence

Strategies to support engagement and completion

Student support needs

CRICOS Provider No: 00300K (NT/VIC) 03286A (NSW) RTO Provider No: 0373 TEQSA Provider ID PRV12069 Higher Education and First Nations Students: The Charles Darwin University Story Northern Institute, People Policy Place seminar Dr Tracy Woodroffe, Dr Kate Golebiowska, Dr Guzyal Hill and Ms Alicia Boyle 4 December 2023 Charles Darwin University acknowledges all First Nations people across the lands on which we live and work, and we pay our respects to Elders both past and present. Our research team Dr Tracy Woodroffe-Senior Lecturer, CDU Dr Kate Golebiowska-Senior Research Fellow, CDU Dr Guzyal Hill– Senior Lecturer, CDU Mrs. Alicia Boyle – Research Fellow and PhD Candidate, CDU 3 Why this study? • This project is the first investigation of the engagement of undergraduate First Nations students in Higher Education(HE) at CDU • Appropriate and positive engagement of First Nations students in HE in regional settings is paramount to the completion of their studies • The project will deliver mutually informed lessons for CDU staff and First Nations students Aims • Provide evidence of First Nations student experiences that contribute to their ability to undertake and complete their undergraduate studies at CDU • Provide evidence to support ways to increase both lecturer and institutional cultural competency to support improved First Nations experiences with undergraduate studies at CDU • Produce a ‘good practice’ guide to assist lecturers and the institution to support First Nations students to undertake and complete their undergraduate studies at CDU Stage 2 of 3 6 | STAGE 2-2023 | FOCUS ON LECTURERS AND SUPPORT STAFF
• Complete interviews with lecturers and professional staff.
• Focus Groups – Casuarina and Sydney campuses
• Use of NVivo for coding and analysis .
• Collate Findings for output documents .
• Addition of 2022 data around enrolment and completion of undergraduate First Nations students to Findings.
• Begin drafts of the Student Guide and Staff Handbook
• Presentation to students and staff at CDU
• Acquittal of project funds
• Second-year HEPPP end-of-year report to secure 2024 funding | | --- | --- | Qualitative data collection • Interviews with CDU lecturers identified in the survey • Interviews with professional staff including Indigenous academic support staff • 2 focus groups with CDU lecturing and professional staff Interviews with CDU Academic and Professional Staff • Defining cultural competence • Strategies used by CDU lecturers to effectively engage First Nations Undergraduate students to stay until completion • Things that students need help with • Experience of First Nations Undergraduate students at CDU – Teaching • CDU Lecture CONTENT demonstrating cultural competence • Culturally appropriate resources useful to effectively engage First Nations Undergraduate students • CDU DELIVERY strategies demonstrating cultural competence • Experience of First Nations Undergraduate students at CDU-Pastoral care and support • Pastoral care and support best embracing, exhibiting, enacting cultural competence • Tell tale signs of student success Defining cultural competence • Respect for and understanding of: • Other people’s points of view • The diversity that exists across and within Indigenous communities • The challenges and sacrifices others have made ‘ that I have the capacity to interact and converse and work with First Nations people because I've got an understanding of my own bias and sort of any sort of power that I might bring into the into the relationship.’ ‘ it's cultural awareness and knowledge, but it's also humility, and basically, like not making the assumption that my culture is best. And I think also acknowledging my own limitations, biases.’ ‘Being by having those bicultural skills where you understand mainstream and understand our moband be now to be the median between that. Yeah, and

FAQs

What problem does the CDU project aim to address?

It investigates engagement of undergraduate First Nations students in higher education at CDU, especially in regional settings, where appropriate and positive engagement is crucial for completing studies.

What are the project’s main aims?

The project documents First Nations student experiences for undergraduate study completion, supports improvements to lecturer and institutional cultural competency, and produces a good-practice guide for CDU to assist students in undertaking and finishing their studies.

What activities are included in Stage 2 of the study?

Stage 2 completes interviews with lecturers and professional staff, runs focus groups at Casuarina and Sydney campuses, uses NVivo for coding and qualitative analysis, collates findings for output documents, and begins drafts of a Student Guide and Staff Handbook.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Ezra