DOCUMENT RESUME ED 419 985 CE 076 698 AUTHOR McIntyre, John; Ardler, William; Morley-Warner, Terri; Solomon, Nicky; Spindler, Laraine TITLE Culture Matters. Factors Affecting the Outcomes of Participation in Vocational Education and Training by Australian Indigenous Peoples. INSTITUTION Technology Univ.-Sydney, Broadway (Australia). Research Centre for Vocational Education and Training. SPONS AGENCY Australian National Training Authority, Brisbane. ISBN ISBN-1-86365-331-7 PUB DATE 1996-00-00 NOTE 212p.; For a related report, see CE 076 697. PUB TYPE Reports - Research (143) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adult Basic Education; Adult Literacy; *Cultural Differences; Cultural Pluralism; Delivery Systems; Educational Needs; English (Second Language); Enrollment; Foreign Countries; *Indigenous Populations; Individual Needs; Instructional Effectiveness; Literacy Education; *Outcomes of Education; *Performance Factors; Postsecondary Education; Questionnaires; Rural Areas; Rural Education; Secondary Education; Student Attitudes; Student Characteristics; Systems Approach; Teacher Attitudes; Urban Areas; Urban Education; *Vocational Education IDENTIFIERS Aboriginal Schools (Australia); *Australia (Torres Strait); *TAFE (Australia) ABSTRACT The factors affecting the outcomes of indigenous Australians' participation in vocational education and training (VET)were examined in a study in which 7 Aboriginal researchers in 5 Australianstates and territories interviewed 70 indigenous Australians enrolled in VET and48 coordinators and teachers in technical and further education (TAFE) colleges, independent Aboriginal providers, and universities with significantprograms for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 1994. The study focused on the following: pathways to VET; learners' issues and concerns; institutional issues and provider views; literacy, language, and learning; and effective course delivery in VET. Seven guiding principles for improved VET course delivery to indigenous Australians were identified. VET providers were encouraged to adopt the concept of course delivery as a cross-cultural activity as their rationale for planing, developing, and evaluatingprograms for indigenous Australians. (The bibliography contains 51 references. Appended are the following: educational indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander profile for local government areas in eastern Australia; learner interview schedule; summary of learner characteristics; institution interview schedule; list of TAFE institutions with the highest enrollments of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 1993; summary of institutions interviewed; and examples of data management layouts.) (MN) Culture Matters Factors affecting the outcomes of participation in vocational education and training by Australian Indigenous Peoples U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION °tic of Educational Research end Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDU ATIONAL CES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL CENTERESOUR (RERIC) HAS BEEN GRANTED BY reproduced as O.Tis document has been ()need from the person or organization originating 1. 0 Minor changes have been made toimprove reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- ment do not necessarily representofficial TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES OERI position or policy. INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) rs ausnuuistr NATIONAL Rumex Aunt° anv A national centre supported by the Research Advisory Council of the Australian National Training Authority Culture Matters Factors affecting the outcomes of participation in vocational education and training by Australian Indigenous Peoples John McIntyre William Ardler Terri Morley-Warner Nicky Solomon Laraine Spindler with the assistance of Wendy Brady Gwen Millar Barbara Mitchell Rod Ogilvie Angela Phillips Jill Scanlan Heather Soloman Iris White Loris Williams Nola Wood Research Centre for Vocational Education and Training Faculty of Education University of Technology, Sydney 3 Copies of this report are available from: The Research Manager Research Centre for Vocational Education and Training Faculty of Education University of Technology, Sydney PO Box 123 Broadway NSW 2007 Ph 612 9514 3700 Fax 612 9514 3737 email: [email protected] Culture Matters Main Report ISBN 1 86365 331 7 Culture Matters Community Report ISBN 1 86365 330 9 This project has been assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Research Advisory Council of the Australian National Training Authority 1111fr 11111In ''MM AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL TRAINING AUTHORITY 5 Contents Contents Acknowledgments Glossary of Terms vii Summary Report and Recommendations Objectives 1 Research process 2 Pathways to VET 3 Learners' issues and concerns 4 Institutional issues and provider views 5 Language, literacy and learning 7 Effective course delivery in VET 8 Recommendations 10 Chapter 1 The Focus of the Research The research question 15 Quality outcomes: cultural and institutional issues 16 A concept of culture and diversity 18 Factors affecting outcomes: a framework 20 Definition of terms 25 Overview of the report 25 Chapter 2 The Context of Participation The policy context of Aboriginal Education 27 The policy context 28 Aboriginal education strategy and training reform 31 Participation in TAFE 33 The outcomes of participation in Aboriginal education and training 35 Higher education as a destination for Aboriginal students 38 Summary 40 A demographic analysis of qualifications and participation 41 The regional distribution of qualifications and participation 42 Condusion 49 Chapter 3 The Research Process Key assumptions 51 An interpretive method 52 A collaborative approach 53 The learner interview 55 Selection of participants 57 The institution interview 59 The design of the interview 60 Language and literacy issues 61 Analysing the interview data 63 Conclusion 64 Chapter 4 Learners and Their Experiences Pathways 65 Older people 67 Younger people 71 Gender differences 74 Condusions 77 Learner issues and concerns 79 Choosing a course 80 Information and advice 82 Enrolment and orientation 83 Continuing with the course 85 Recognition of Aboriginality 87 Content and delivery 87 Staff attitudes 89 Assessment 90 Support for the student 91 Family and community support 92 Academic support 92 Outcomes 93 Conclusion 95 Chapter 5 Providers and Their Experiences Factors which lead to positive outcomes 98 Access, enrolment and orientation 98 Course design, delivery and assessment 100 Design of courses 101 Course delivery 102 Qualities of teachers 104 Assessment 106 Outcomes of Aboriginal and Tones Strait Islander courses 108 Promoting the course 110 Factors which mitigate against success 111 Issues and concerns related to access 112 Institutional and educational factors 112 Personal factors 113 Issues and concerns related to students' progression 113 Personal factors 114 Institutional factors 115 Provider concerns and issues 116 System pressures 116 Educational and student pressures 118 Stakeholder pressures 119 Conclusion. 120 Chapter 6 Language and Literacy Learner interviews: language and literacy issues 123 Talking, reading and writing in the course 124 Getting into the course 125 What happens in the classroom 126 How learning is assessed 127 What are you getting from the course? 129 Institution interviews 130 Entry criteria 130 Assessment 131 Conclusion 136 Chapter 7 Implications for Improving Course Delivery Understanding participation as a cultural process 137 Principles for effective VET provision 139 Issues for VET course delivery 144 Institution and community: effective models 147 Block intensive mode 147 Remote delivery 148 Full-time study by weekly attendance 149 Conclusion 150 Bibliography 151 Appendices 138 Acknowledgments This project has been a labour-intensive one over some eighteen months. It could not have been completed without the contributions of many people. The research team's greatest debt is to the Aboriginal researchers who were the mainstay of the research strategy, and they are acknowledged in the authorship. They carried out all of the field work and were the main way in which we consulted with Aboriginal communities throughout the project. The experience of collaborative research, where the team and its researchers learned from each other in a `two-way' process, has been a valuable aspect of the project. The advisory committee provided valuable advice in planning the fieldwork. The impetus to research the 'institutional issues' came from Michael McDaniel and he helped to shape the interpretive and collaborative direction of the work in its earlier stages and his critique of Aboriginal education has been a touchstone of the final report. Jenny Newman also contributed her ideas after joining the School as the co-ordinator of the School's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander program. Wendy Brady drafted the literature review in Chapter 2. Bob Morgan, Director, Jumbunna Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies, Education and Research at UTS was involved at the proposal and planning stages and ensured the research kept a focus on the cultural issues. Pam Gill and Joan Tranter of the Aboriginal Development Division, NSW TAFE Commission gave valuable advice on the policy and research issues. The support of the Research Centre for Vocational Education and Training, particularly the Director, Professor Rod McDonald, and the Research Manager, Delia Mazzina, is greatly appreciated. Maree Jou lian of the School of Adult Education again helped to bring another report into existence on the desk-top.