Pathways and transitions for non-ATAR students to and through university

If you are interested in participating in this project please download, read, and return the information and consent form to the email aspireuc@canberra.edu.au

Information about the project can be found in the information and consent form as well as below. If you would like to participate or have any questions, please contact the project team: pathwayresearch@canberra.edu.au

Project Aim

This project aims to explore equity students’ pathways/transitions to, and participation at, the University of Canberra (UC), and provide strategies that may reduce any barriers they experience. It aims to identify the enabling and constraining factors that students experience relating to their pre-university and university experience, with a specific focus on UC-provided support and alternative pathway programs.

General Outline of the Project

The project will contribute to understanding equity students’ pathways to, and participation at, the University of Canberra. The project involves two main strands: the analysis of university administrative data and interviews or focus groups with equity students. The focus of this strand of research is the semi-structured interviews and focus groups with equity students.  Students will have the option to participate in an interview or focus group where they will be asked questions about their pathways to university, their transitions to university, and their participation at, the University of Canberra. This will be used to inform the development of services that may reduce any barriers they experience.

This project is funded through a University of Canberra internal CreatEquity grant scheme. This is an initiative of the Student Life directorate, University of Canberra, and is designed to support access to and participation in higher education by students from Indigenous, Regional and Low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds.

The grants are funded through the Australian Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme (HEPPP). HEPPP provides funding to universities to undertake activities and implement strategies that improve access to undergraduate courses for people from Indigenous, Regional and Low SES backgrounds, as well as improving the retention and completion rates of these students.

Participant Involvement

Participants who agree to participate in the research will be asked to participate in either an individual semi-structured interview or a focus group that may take approximately one hour. A semi-structured interview is one where the broad topic of the conversation is known and, while the researcher has guiding questions to cover, the aim is to facilitate a broad conversation. A focus group is a facilitated, semi-structured conversation between a group of students and the researcher around a focused topic. The questions will focus on the students’ pathways to university, their transitions to university, and their participation at, the University of Canberra.  The semi-structured interviews and focus groups will be recorded and transcribed with responses to the interviews analysed for themes in the content.

To aid the data analysis, the researcher will ask for some demographic and background details from participants, such as their home postcode, the degree they are studying, and university and wider services they access. Only aggregate findings will be reported, and participants will not be identified in any reporting of the research.

At the completion of the interviews and focus groups student responses will be matched with university administrative data about student achievement, entry pathways, and university services. This will occur by the Student Equity and Participation team – separate to the researchers – where students will be provided with a form that asks them for a pseudonym they will use in the interviews and focus groups along with their student email. The student email will be used to match to the administrative data (as well as to be sent an Office Works gift voucher as a thank you for their participation). The research team will then analyse the interviews and focus groups in association with the administrative data.

Participation in the research is completely voluntary and participants may, without any penalty, decline to take part, withdraw or refuse to answer a question at any time without providing any explanation.

Benefits of Participation

Students may benefit by participating in this research by reflecting on their experiences related to university study and their pathways to university. This research will be used to improve support services for students and future students, to support more students to access university study and to improve the student experience.

Participants will receive a $50 Woolworths gift voucher to compensate for the time taken to participate in the research.

Risks of Participation

Participants will be asked to discuss their experiences related to university study, including their pathways to university and experiences at university. It is possible that this may cause some discomfort or embarrassment for students. If during the focus group or interviews this occurs, the research will be stopped, and the student will be able to debrief with a member of the student equity and support team. Students are also able to access University of Canberra support services such as the Medical and Counselling team or the Student Welfare office.

Confidentiality

Only the researcher/s will have access to the individual information provided by participants. Privacy and confidentiality will be assured at all times. The research outcomes may be presented at internal university feedback sessions and conferences and written up for publication. However, in all these materials, the privacy and confidentiality of individuals will be protected.

Anonymity  

No research reports or publications will contain information that can identify any individual and all information will be kept in the strictest confidence.

Data Storage

The information collected will be stored securely on a password protected computer throughout the project and then stored at the University of Canberra for the required five-year period after which it will be destroyed according to university protocols.

Ethics Committee Clearance

The project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Canberra #202211787

Queries and Concerns

Queries or concerns regarding the research can be directed to the researcher/s and/or supervisor.

Contact details are at the top of this form.

If you have any complaints or reservations about the ethical conduct of this research, you may contact the University of Canberra’s Research Ethics & Integrity Unit team via telephone 02 6206 3916 or email humanethicscommittee@canberra.edu.au or researchethicsandintegrity@canberra.edu.au.

If you would like some guidance on the questions you could be asked about your participation, please refer to the Participants’ Guide located at https://www.canberra.edu.au/research/graduate-research/current-research-students/integrity-and-ethics/ethics/accordion/human-ethics/human-ethics-documents/Agreeing-to-participate-in-research.pdf.