Islander Students Research Articles

Connections, community and context: The importance of post-boarding school pathways and re-engagement for remote Aboriginal students

For many remote Aboriginal Australian students, periods of time during their secondary education are spent living away from home at a boarding school. While financial, political and community support is burgeoning for boarding models that provide scholarships, sports programs or accommodation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, very little academic research or evidence exists that examines the experiences of students post-boarding. This paper forms part of a broader doctoral research study, but specifically focuses on how past students, families and communities from remote South Australia view the outcomes of boarding. Using a Grounded theory design, thematic analysis of 32 semi-structured interviews with past students, families and community members led to the identification of three main themes: connections (early exits), community (re-engaging in education), and context (employment in remote communities). Findings indicated that outcomes are not linear nor easily defined. Developing a theory of change was recommended as a future approach to help families, students and remote schools to clearly define goals and measures of success for each student, recognising a range of interpretations and conceptions of ‘success’, and adapting these goals as necessary.

States of Emergency

We are wrestling with so many heavy dilemmas in our country and world right now, and “lil' Rhody” as people fondly refer to our lovely Ocean State, is not exempt. The children's mental health crisis is one that impacts us all. Between 2009 and 2019, the rate of Rhode Island students reporting feeling “sad or hopeless” for a 2‐week period within the past year rose from 25% to almost 33%. And in 2019, 17% of middle schoolers and 13% of high schoolers “seriously considered suicide” within the past year (YRBS). In general, rates like these are disproportionally higher for those most at risk — people of color, LGBTQ, and those with disabilities. The inequality and injustice in our society is not only a barrier, but also a cause for those most at risk for physical and mental health issues, especially those of the BIPOC community. Much like lack of green spaces, housing, and adequate food options in marginalized communities, there are also fewer resources and many structural barriers to healthcare (including mental healthcare) for these children from communities of color.

The Experiences of Indigenous Students on Placement: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT It has been increasingly recognised that sociohistoric exclusion must be understood, and systemic barriers actively challenged in order for Indigenous students to safely access, participate, and succeed in tertiary education. This includes the field education experience, which is considered core to developing professional identity and competence across a number of professions. This scoping review gathered scarce research literature about Indigenous students’ experience of placement. A systematic search identified 12 sources from 11 studies that described these experiences across the disciplines of social work, education, and nursing. Findings revealed the motivating and challenging lived experiences of Indigenous students, including experiences of racism and discrimination on placement, misrecognition and misrepresentation, and the importance of relationships in facilitating positive placement experiences. Findings also indicated the relevance of implementing unique practice frameworks and offered recommendations for placement for Indigenous students. IMPLICATIONS The placement experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students should be understood through student-led research and voice. Organisers of field education programs can increase their commitment to culturally safe placements by reviewing their processes in the light of this knowledge.

Race-gender D/Discourses in Mathematics Education: (Re)-Producing Inequitable Participation Patterns Across a Diverse, Instructionally-Advanced Urban District

This paper uses quantitative analytics to study talk-based participation in 100 mathematics classrooms across one racially diverse urban school district in the USA. Using the EQUIP observation tool and hierarchical linear modeling, we characterize the quantity and quality of participation for students across 3025 coded turns, by race and gender. We found that in general, boys participated significantly more than girls. We also found that Latinx and Asian/Pacific Islander students had significantly fewer turns than Black and White students. To interpret these findings in context, we analyzed interviews from 29 district leaders using a poststructural framework organized around D/discourse.

Reading Trajectories in Elementary Grades: A Longitudinal Analysis

<p style="text-align:justify">Research shows that children's reading proficiency levels in the early grades positively correlate with students' future academic achievement. This study provides the first-ever analysis of reading achievement trajectories for a cohort of students in grades 3 to 5 in 2014–17 in Hawaii schools. Hawaii serves a diverse student population whose characteristics differ in ways often overlooked by standard US racial and ethnic classifications. Our analysis shows that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students not only start at a lower reading proficiency than their peers in Grade 3, but the achievement gap widens as they move from Grade 3 to Grade 5. Moreover, we find a strong association between students' third-grade performance and reading achievement growth rate above and beyond all other factors in our longitudinal model. The difference in performance patterns between student subgroups across the elementary grades can serve as an accurate baseline for yearly monitoring. In light of our findings, we discuss implications for policy and practice.</p>

International student mobility: Pacific Islander experiences of higher education in Australia

AbstractTertiary education scholarships for individual students from developing countries, including those in the Pacific Islands, are a key pillar of Australia's development policy. Understanding students' experiences of these scholarships are important in identifying both positives and challenges, which can help foster improved future opportunities. This is especially the case for Pacific Islander students engaging in the Australia Awards Scholarship programme for which there is limited understanding of experiences. As such, this paper identifies that although educational mobility programmes can offer a wealth of opportunities for students, the COVID‐19 pandemic has highlighted the challenges of such programmes which can inhibit students from reaching their full potential. Educational mobility programmes that effectively address the needs of students and empower them to achieve their goals are required to better facilitate transformative development pathways for Australia's Pacific Island neighbours.

Space and place at Asian American and Pacific Islander–serving community colleges: The geography of campus student support for Asian American and Pacific Islander students.

Space and place at Asian American and Pacific Islander–serving community colleges: The geography of campus student support for Asian American and Pacific Islander students.

Practices and programmes that enhance successful transition and participation in high school for Indigenous young people: a systematic review

ABSTRACT This systematic review reports evidence on practices and programmes that enhance successful primary-secondary school transition and participation for Indigenous students in Australia. A thematic analysis found three sets of practices: the school context; bridging practices; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students cultural recognition. Two narratives thread through the practices: centrality of relationships; and the entangled nature of Indigenous culture, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student’s identity and successful transition and participation in high school. Attending to relationships with students, their families, communities and local Elders supports cultural identity, belonging and improves participation in high school. Future research, program development and implementation should acknowledge students’ unique needs and collaborate with students, their families and community. School staff ought to acknowledge the colonised context of education in Australia and increase the use of decolonising practices to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to transition to and participate in high school.

Cultural considerations for conducting autism assessment with Asian American and Pacific Islander students

AbstractIn public schools, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students are overidentified with autism (AU) but are underrepresented in other special education categories. Such patterns may be result, in part, from overaggregation of data from students representing diverse AAPI ethnic groups. Yet, professionals' implicit biases, limited cultural responsivity in evaluation and research, and structural and systemic racism also likely contribute to the pervasive AU disproportionality in school‐based identification. To improve accuracy of AU identification and appropriateness of school services and programming, the current paper aims to enhance school psychologists' (SPs') awareness and knowledge about AAPI cultures and to improve their efforts in conducting culturally responsive evaluation with AAPI students suspected of AU. An overview of historical and current anti‐AAPI issues and AAPI cultural perceptions of AU are provided. Then, through the lens of sociocultural theory and using a framework of cultural humility, specific suggestions for culturally responsive autism assessment approaches are offered for SPs working with AAPI students and their families.

Acceptability and feasibility of Strong& Deadly Futures, a culturally-inclusive alcohol and drug prevention program for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander secondary students

Although there are effective alcohol and drug prevention programs available for Australian secondary schools, no effective culturally-inclusive programs exist for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students. To address this gap, we developed the Strong & Deadly Futures program for young people aged 12–14 years. The web-based program was developed with Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous staff and students at four secondary schools (2 urban, 2 rural). This mixed-methods study reports on qualitative and quantitative feedback from students (n ​= ​235) and school staff (n ​= ​8) in a pilot trial to assess acceptability and feasibility of this curriculum-aligned program. Feedback indicated that students were highly engaged and motivated to learn as a result of the story-based mode of delivery, and teachers reported the ease of program implementation and adaptation. Implications for future school-based health program development are discussed. Overall, Strong & Deadly Futures appears to be an acceptable and feasible culturally-inclusive alcohol and drug prevention program. Further research will test the program's efficacy in a randomised controlled trial.

Art‐based mindfulness at school: A culturally responsive approach to school mental health

AbstractAs schools are increasingly tasked with improving student outcomes related to both academic and social and emotional wellbeing, digital interventions are becoming utilized as viable tools for successful outcomes. This study aimed to measure the effectiveness of a culturally responsive, art‐based mindfulness intervention called L.A.U.G.H.® (Let Art Unleash Great Happiness), in a diverse sample of 243 elementary school students. Using an iPad app, students practiced mindful breathing and created digital art in their classrooms. The app also measured students' moods, school connectedness, and joy of learning. The study design was a one‐group repeated measure intervention design where ratings were compared between Weeks 1, 4, 8, and 12 of the intervention. Results indicated that L.A.U.G.H.® time improved and increased students’ moods, School Connectedness, and Joy of Learning over time. Race played a significant role in how students rated their feelings about school, with significant effects that emerged among Black/African American and Asian American/Pacific Islander students. Both groups began with the lowest ratings of school connectedness and demonstrated significant improvements by Week 8. This study revealed results from a digital mindfulness intervention and highlighted the importance of a nuanced study of differential impacts of such interventions among diverse students.

Deferred depression? Mediation analysis of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and immigration enforcement among Undocumented Asian and Pacific Islander students

ObjectivesUndocumented Asians and Pacific Islanders (UndocuAPI) comprise 25% of undocumented students. Yet few studies have examined UndocuAPI mental health in the context of the contradictory political environment which encompasses both inclusionary policies, such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and exclusionary policies, like immigration enforcement. MethodsUsing cross-sectional survey data collected in 2019 from UndocuAPI college students and recent alumni in California (n = 174), we used multiple logistic regression to estimate the effect of DACA status on clinical levels of depressive symptoms. We tested whether immigration enforcement experiences mediated this relationship using the Karlson, Holm, and Breen (KHB) method. ResultsAdjusted logistic regression results revealed that UndocuAPI with DACA had significantly lower odds of depression (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.13–0.79). Out of five immigration enforcement factors, limited contact with friends and family (OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.08, 5.13) and fearing deportation most or all of the time (OR = 3.62, 95% CI: 1.15, 11.34) were associated with significantly higher odds of depression. However, we did not detect a statistically significant mediation effect of immigration enforcement using KHB decomposition. ConclusionFindings suggest that the benefits of DACA protected UndocuAPI in California from depressive symptoms, even when accounting for immigration enforcement experiences. Because it was unclear whether immigration enforcement mediates DACA, future research should investigate the underlying mechanisms between immigration policies and mental health with larger samples. Practitioners should consider the short-term need for mental health support and legal services for UndocuAPI students as well as the long-term goal to decriminalize immigrant communities to advance racial health equity.

Building Capacity at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI): Transforming the Educational Experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Students

ABSTRACT This study examines how Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) build capacity for student success. By contrasting a community college on the West Coast and a regional comprehensive university on the East Coast, new pathways are forged to recognize the critical role that federally-funded AANAPISIs play in supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander students. Implications for policy, practice, and research are also offered to advance the operations and understanding of AANAPISIs.

Disparities in general education inclusion for students of color with disabilities: Understanding when and why

Research on disproportionality in special education has largely overlooked how students of color with disabilities are less likely to spend time in general education classrooms than White peers with disabilities. Although disparities in general education inclusion for students of color with disabilities raise larger concerns about educational inequality within schools, when these gaps begin to emerge and what factors may explain them remain less understood due to methodological challenges. In leveraging individual-level administrative data from a large school district over a 10-year period, this longitudinal study found general education inclusion declines for all students as they age. However, Black students with disabilities experienced the least inclusion, whereas Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students with disabilities were included in the general education classroom more than Latinx and White peers with disabilities; this disparity was largely associated with academic test score differences and disability type.

Engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students, Families, and Communities

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) identifies two focus areas that graduate teachers need to be familiar with to be competent to teach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and all other students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, history, and culture (AITSL 2017). Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture into pedagogy and practice and engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities can be daunting for educators. While on paper these appear to be two different elements, it is not possible to have one without the other. Being able to effectively embed content relies heavily on meaning full engagement with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, families, and communities attached to a school and by developing and maintaining respectful, reciprocal relationships.

Introduction: Teaching the Future of Pacific Art

Although a few scholars have examined the training of Indigenous Pacific artists during the period of early contact with Europeans and Americans, as well as the education of Indigenous artists who practice heritage arts in the Pacific today, almost nothing has been written on the instruction of art in modern classroom and workshop settings with regard to Pacific Islanders and Aboriginal Australians. The four Discussion Roundtable articles in this volume focus on teaching art in Oceania—three address art education for Pacific Island students in a variety of settings, while the fourth is concerned with the presentation of Pacific arts and artists to an outside audience made up of American college students. As a departure from the academic articles usually found in these pages, and in contrast to the other contributions to this volume, these four pieces are narratives of personal journeys of discovery.

Motivation and Sense of Belonging in the Large Enrollment Introductory General and Organic Chemistry Remote Courses

The rapid shift from face-to-face to remote instruction in 2020 has resulted in recalibration of lecture and laboratory pedagogy. This research analyzed the impact of remote learning on student motivation and sense of belonging in large enrollment chemistry courses. Student responses were parsed according to specific demographics including gender, academic standing, first-generation status, and ethnicity. Research objectives included the analysis of how remote learning impacted specific demographics to develop guidelines for best practices moving forward for hybrid or online courses. Our findings show that second year students (sophomores) were the most impacted of the academic standing cohorts. Sophomores reported a statistically greater change in motivation after the start of the semester and statistically lower satisfaction with their performance on assignments. Females reported statistically lower motivation and a statistically lower sense of belonging in the course and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Black/African students reported a statistically lower motivation for remote learning than Asian/Pacific Islander and White/Caucasian students. Finally, both White/Caucasian and Black/African students reported a statistically lower sense of belonging in the course and in STEM fields than Asian/Pacific islander students. Finally, statistical differences were not observed based upon first-generation status. The research indicates that students were differentially impacted by the shift to remote learning. From these findings, a stronger understanding of how specific demographics are differentially impacted by remote learning in STEM courses is provided, granting greater insight into best practices moving forward.

National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP): Outreach Strategies That Facilitate Inclusion

To ensure that the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce of the future is inclusive of diverse peoples and ideas, there is a need to ensure that STEM outreach activities that encourage students into STEM education and careers are inclusive of and provide equity for people from diverse racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and academic backgrounds. Since 2004, the National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP), based at Macquarie University, Sydney, has been using best ethical and inclusion strategies to engage with Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school students and their communities. This publication discusses the inclusion and equity strategies utilized by NISEP, including community consultation, student leadership and autonomy, volunteer mentors, and the respectful and best practice use of Indigenous knowledge. These factors have all contributed to NISEP's success in increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' aspiration toward and engagement with secondary and tertiary education.

COVID-19 and online learning experiences of Solomon Islands students at the University of the South Pacific

This study aims to investigate the experiences of Solomon Islands students during the shift to online, remote teaching during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It utilises the tokstori to collect data from 16 Solomon Islands students of the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Suva and Honiara campuses. It is framed and analysed data using Khan’s eight dimensions of gauging successful e-learning experiences. Prior to COVID-19, many of the courses at the USP were offered in blended mode, which encompasses both online and face-to-face delivery. However, with a sudden move to fully online offerings, and the associated fears resulting from the unknowns of COVID-19, this was disruptive and traumatic for many students. However, analysis identified several key factors aiding student success including many Solomon Islands students being able to eventually cope with the disruption and displayed independence and resilience. It is also found that Solomon Island students got to experience new applications and tools such as, for example, having to be in Zoom or having to sit an online exam. This study has potential to inform higher education institutes (HEIs) in the Pacific Islands and beyond, and the need to carefully navigate the practical realities of the islands in the interaction between digital technologies, instructors and students to facilitate online learning post-pandemic.

SIKAP MAHASISWA PULAU BANGKA TERHADAP BAHASA INDONESIA, BAHASA DAERAH, DAN BAHASA ASING (Attitude of Bangka Island Students towards Indonesian, Local Language, and Foreign Language)

Bahasa Indonesia harus terus dibina dan dikembangkan agar menjadi bahasa modern untuk bahasa komunikasi dalam berbagai sendi kehidupan dan ranah keilmuan. Untuk mencapai cita-cita tersebut harus didukung oleh penuturnya yang memiliki sikap positif terhadap bahasa Indonesia. Oleh sebab itu, penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui sikap mahasiswa di Pulau Bangka terhadap bahasa Indonesia, bahasa daerah, dan bahasa asing yang dikaitkan dengan hasil Uji Kemahiran Berbahasa Indonesia (UKBI). Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan menggunakan instrumen kuisioner model skala Likert dan model Trustone. Responden penelitian ini adalah 386 mahasiswa dari delapan perguruan tinggi di Pulau Bangka. Berdasarkan hasil analisis disimpulkan bahwa mahasiswa Pulau Bangka lebih cenderung bersikap positif terhadap bahasa Indonesia. Begitu pula dengan motivasi belajar mahasiswa terhadap bahasa Indonesia. Meskipun ada yang bersikap negatif, jumlahnya tidak terlalu mengkhawatirkan. Penelitian ini juga menemukan bahwa pada kelompok generasi muda, semakin tinggi usia generasi muda semakin negatif sikap bahasa dan motivasi mereka. Sebaliknya, semakin muda usia generasi muda, semakin positif sikap bahasa dan motivasi mereka. Temuan lain dari penelitian ini adalah semakin positif sikap seseorang terhadap bahasa Indonesia, semakin tinggi pula nilai UKBI-nya.Indonesian must continue to be fostered and developed to become a modern language for a communication language in various aspects of life and fields of science. To realm this aim must be supported by Indonesian speakers who have a positive attitude towards Indonesian. Therefore, this study aims to determine the attitude of students in Bangka island towards Indonesian, local language, and foreign language associated with the results of the Indonesian Language Proficiency Test (UKBI). This research is a quantitative study using instruments of questionnaires with Likert scale models and Trustone models. The research respondents are 386 students from eight universities in Bangka Island. Based on the analysis, it is concluded that Bangka Island students are more likely to be positive about Indonesian. The same is true of students' motivation towards Indonesian. Although there are negative attitudes, the numbers are not too alarming. The study also found out that in the younger generation group, the higher their age, the more negative their attitude and language motivation. Conversely, the younger their age, the more positive their attitude and language motivation. Another finding from this study is the more positive a person's attitude towards Indonesian, the higher the UKBI score.