Historically, students attending school in rural and regional New South Wales have experienced poorer outcomes than their peers attending metropolitan schools. The lack of coordinated support services for students with complex support needs compounds this issue. Wraparound models of support have been successful in improving outcomes for students…

A growing number of single mothers are seeking entry to higher education via enabling programs; however, these students face unique struggles to make their dream a reality. There is some research on the challenges faced by student-mothers in higher education; however, research specifically on single mothers in enabling education is limited. This…

This article contributes a novel perspective on the common vulnerabilities of the Indigenous and international student experiences at higher education institutions in Australia. Through a review of 88 publications in the leading journals we show that the majority of these articles focus on international students rather than Indigenous students.…

Research suggests that tertiary students with dyslexia are less likely to achieve high or passing marks in their studies than students without dyslexia. The aim of this investigation was to discover the nature of barriers faced by students with dyslexia at an Australian regional university where two thirds of the overall population had a distance…

The University Australia (UA) 2017-2020 Indigenous Strategy has offered Australian universities a focus that would work to increase Indigenous participation in the higher education sector in Australia. Despite the high-level involvement and detailed monitoring by Universities Australia as the sector's peak body, Australia's universities have not…

This paper investigates computing students' entrepreneurial intentions, motivations, recognisable barriers and encouragements towards entrepreneurship, with a focus on gender. Two universities, one in Australia and one in the UK (n = 247), were used as locations for the research to consider two distinct contexts. In each university there were…

Australian higher education has its roots deep in the soil of colonisation and European imperialism. Therefore, it has developed as a system that is exclusive rather than inclusive of social and cultural diversity. The poor levels of higher education participation and outcomes for Indigenous students and students with a disability indicate the…

This study explored the experiences of university students who identified as always having had reading difficulties. Thirty-three participants, all from one Australian university, were surveyed and 10 were also interviewed. Findings revealed that many shared academic challenges related to studying, along with a belief that their difficulties were…

Language practices represent significant barriers to engagement in higher education for many learners from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. In Australia, such students may be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners, students from rural and remote locations, learners who are the first in their family to access higher education,…

Many students treated for cancer experience significant challenges in maintaining their education during and beyond cancer treatment. Late effects of cancer treatment combined with prolonged periods of missed schooling can dramatically impact upon a student's physical, cognitive and social development. This study examined the relationship between…

This paper reports on a study aimed at developing an improved understanding of the support needs of international students. Using a case study approach at one Australian university, a three stage data collection process was adopted: interviews with key support service providers in the university, student focus groups, and a large-scale survey.…

This paper presents a comparative discourse analysis of the learning support policy in New South Wales, Australia and New Zealand. The dominant discourses in both policies are identified and analysed in terms of how they determine the manner in which students experiencing difficulties with learning are included in schools. It is argued that the…

Apprenticeships and traineeships are useful pathways for people with a disability to obtain a qualification and gain employment. Based on a three-year program of research, this report explores the barriers and facilitators of course completion reported by students with a disability who have completed an apprenticeship or traineeship. Formal and…

Listening to and reflecting on the voices and personal stories of adolescent students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critically important to developing more inclusive approaches to their education. This article considers the experiences of nine adolescents with an ASD on their inclusive education in a large urban secondary school in…

Chronic illness often goes hand-in-hand with absence from school, and students miss out on learning opportunities at school for extended or accumulative periods of time. Many young people seek to continue their school studies nonetheless. The need to consider viable ways to support them academically arose in the context of a project called…