In the context of a stark discrepancy in the educational outcomes of Aboriginal Australians compared to non-Aboriginal Australians, this article aims to contribute the voices of rural Aboriginal high school students to the discourse. This article utilises an appreciative enquiry approach to analyse the opinions and aspirations of 12 Aboriginal…

This research used the responses of 187 Tasmanian teachers to a questionnaire comprising 52-Likert-type items, two multiple-choice items, and two open-response items to investigate differences in teachers' beliefs about aspects of schooling related to students' secondary school completion. Exploratory factor analysis of responses to the…

The study was premised on the concern of the migrant African parents about their children's lack of aspiration for higher education after completing their secondary education in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. There appears to be little understanding of, or confusion around, the different pathways available to higher education in…

University participation rates are significantly lower in low socioeconomic status (SES) areas in Australia. Specifically, rates differ between-schools and within-schools, where inequalities in opportunities to access university pathway programs exist. The aim of this study was to test whether academic encouragement supported students' school…

The transition from school to further education and work is a milestone in the life of a young person. Many young people go on to further education or training after leaving school, which often leads to viable job opportunities. This report is a summary of recent research by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) about the…

Indigenous educational and employment disadvantage is a much researched and discussed subject. The latest Prime Minister's Closing the Gap report (DPM&C 2017) shows that, while the gap is slowly decreasing in regard to participation in tertiary education, reducing employment disparity, particularly in remote areas, lags behind. This is despite…

The lower rates of participation in higher education of people from remote areas, together with the under-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in higher education, make it less likely that students from remote Indigenous communities will aspire to attend university. Educators and community must develop working…

This study explores the views of 6,492 New South Wales (NSW) primary and secondary school students' post-school aspirations. It explores when vocational education and training (VET) begins to feature in students' thinking about their futures, the kinds of students who think about VET, and under what conditions. The study informs how teachers,…

This summary brings together the findings from two research projects: "Choosing VET: Investigating the VET Aspirations of School Students" and "In Their Words: Student Choice in Training Markets--Victorian Examples." The research investigated school students' post-school aspirations for vocational education and training (VET),…

How does the University sector identify and support the diverse needs of Indian students? This paper reports on a research project carried out on undergraduate students from India enrolled at a Melbourne-based University. The focus is the need to understand why Indian students choose an overseas destination for tertiary study. The intent is to…

Australian (n=332) and British (n=234) students were asked what influenced their choice of academic or vocational education before they were employed, during employment, and for the future. Internal factors influenced academic choices; employers and funding influenced vocational choices. Some between-country and gender differences were found.…

A study of postsecondary educational demand in a reqion of Australia reveals information on high school students' anticipated participation, planned level of study, degree aspiration, institutional choice, and preference for field of study. Data tables are included. (MSE)

This article reports on a study that is concerned with surveying the aspirations of some students in an Australian Technical and Further Education (TAFE) College and developing strategies to address issues arising from the surveys. The study is essentially a series of surveys, thought it has an action learning aspect because of its developmental…

The attitudes and aspirations of Australian high school students regarding postsecondary education and work were examined in a survey of more than 7,000 students in grades 10-12 in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia. The students' intentions were strongly influenced by socioeconomic background, geographical location, and gender.…