Transformation at the cultural interface - exploring the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Kurz

Transformation at the cultural interface examines how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander undergraduate university students experience higher education through transformative learning and cultural interface theory. Research combining Mezirow’s framework and Nakata’s theory explores students’ journeys, showing that university can support positive personal transformation. Findings highlight change fostered by critical peer support, relationships with family and loved ones, and growing confidence and pride in cultural identities. Results inform how institutions should support and teach Indigenous students while addressing challenges at the cultural interface.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The cultural interface within the context of higher education

Transformation at the cultural interface: exploring the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students Braden Hill1, Caroline Nilson2, Bep Uink3 and Catherine Fetherston2 1 Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup WA 6027, email: [b.hill@ecu.edu.au](b.hill@ecu.edu.au) 2 School of Nursing, Murdoch University, Perth WA 6150 3 College of Law, Arts and Social Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth WA 6150 Research on transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991), particularly within the context of higher education, has demonstrated the significant impact university learning can have on a wide range of cohorts across diverse learning contexts. However, the extensive body of literature pertaining to transformative learning remains largely silent on the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students and the extent to which their engagement with academia can be transformative. Nevertheless, Nakata’s (2007b) cultural interface theory has shaped policy, practice and thought in Indigenous higher education, elucidating the nuances, complexities and challenges that confront Indigenous students in their journey through university. In bringing together these two critical theories, this study investigated the journeys of three undergraduate Indigenous university students finding that university can indeed be a site of positive personal transformation. Such changes were fostered through critical peer support relationships, relationships with family and loved ones as well as a growing confidence and pride in their cultural identities. These findings have important implications for the way institutions support and teach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and provides a nuanced insight into their university journeys at the cultural interface. Keywords: cultural interface, Indigenous education, student experience, transformative learning Introduction More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are enrolled at universities than ever before. While the first few Indigenous students entered higher education in the mid-1950s (Fredericks & White, 2018), there are now more than 22,000 undertaking studies at Australian universities (Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2022) . This growth, while significant, still sees Indigenous enrolments significantly below population parity (Australia Bureau of Statistics, 2019) . Furthermore, while access and participation rates are improving, retention, success and completion rates across the sector remain a key concern for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership within the higher education sector. Nationally, Indigenous undergraduate students are retained at a rate 10.3 percentage points lower than the overall domestic cohort, with the average success rate being lower still, at 13.6 percentage points (Universities Australia, 2022). Furthermore, while increasing gradually over time, less than half (49.4%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have completed their degrees after nine years of study (Universities Australia, 2022) . National data also shows that the average six-year completion rate for Indigenous students is 41% compared with 63% non-Indigenous and 56% relative to students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (Uink et al., 2021) . Given the need for significant improvement in Indigenous student outcomes, an important body of research has sought to explore the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students to inform national and institutional responses to addressing disparities in educational outcomes. This research can be broadly categorised into four areas of inquiry: the student experience (e.g., Barney, 2013; Rochecouste et al., 2014; White, 2009); enablers and obstacles to student success (e.g., Barney, 2016; Cameron & Robinson, 2014; Curtis et al., 2015; Herbert, 2005; Kinnane et al., 2014; Trudgett, 2014; West et al., 2014); student retention (Asmar

FAQs

What is the study’s main purpose?

To investigate how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander undergraduate university students experience university journeys at the cultural interface and whether these journeys can enable positive personal transformation.

Which theories guide the research?

The study integrates transformative learning theory and Nakata’s cultural interface theory to interpret Indigenous student experiences in higher education.

What factors help foster students’ transformation?

Transformation is fostered through critical peer support relationships, connections with family and loved ones, and increasing confidence and pride in cultural identities.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Kurz