Regional students want early, relevant, and accessible information on university and careers, to visualise their post-school pathways, La Trobe University research has found.
The project team, led by Dr Mollie Dollinger and commissioned by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE), collaborated with school students to target inequities in university participation for the regional, rural, and remote (RRR) cohort.
Co-design workshops and interviews with RRR students, school staff, and carers (e.g., parents and guardians) identified barriers and motivations around post-secondary pathways and careers advice and informed a suite of new resources.
“Our co-design approach to this project recognised that RRR school students are experts in their own experiences,” Dr Dollinger said.
“In collaboration with students and their influencers, we developed tailored resources including a toolkit for teachers and carers, careers and pathways lesson plans and learning activities, and a template for school–university partnerships.”
Findings from the research indicated early-years (Years 7 and 8) university outreach would give RRR students and carers more time to consider options and connect with mentors and industry to support their post-secondary and career decision making.
“Students need to be equipped at an early stage with accessible and clear information from universities, as well as Centrelink, to understand their study options and available supports,” Dr Dollinger said.
“Numerous participants expressed their frustration at confusing and ambiguous information, indicating a need to co-design comprehensive resources with diverse stakeholders.”
RRR communities also advocated for community-driven initiatives, embedding a positive narrative around country life and integrating hands-on experiences that are culturally aligned to how RRR students learn and live.
“Participants held perceptions that regional campuses or online study options were of lesser quality than metropolitan-based universities and that there was a pressing need to better communicate the value of a university degree,” Dr Dollinger said.
Another notable finding was the disparity between students’ and carers’ views on the barriers to university.
“Our study found students frequently perceived major barriers to be related to academic difficulty or costs, while carers highlighted safety, distance, and cultural issues related to the transition from regional to metropolitan life,” Dr Dollinger said.
NCSEHE Director, Professor Sarah O’Shea, noted the positive implications of this research for future development of student equity policy and practice.
“The project reinforces the efficacy of the students-as-partners approach, leading the way for further community-based programs to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds,” Professor O’Shea said.
Read the final report, A student-centred approach: Understanding higher education pathways through co-design
This research was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment under the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) National Priorities Pool (NPP).
Supporting resources from the report can be found below. They include both the toolkit and the ten learning activities from Victorian schools.
Postsecondary Education and Careers in Regional Communities Toolkit: This toolkit serves as an information guide for students, teachers and carers. Included in the resource are comparisons of postsecondary education options, an overview of jobs in regional Australia, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) about university. The guide also contains age-appropriate, scaffolded careers advice for students from Year 7 to Year 10.
Co-Design for Student Success Handbook: This handbook provides an overview of co-design for teachers and educators. We outline a WE-DID-IT approach to help teachers integrate participatory design with students or carers into their practice and provide eight specific activity-based examples.
Careers Exploration for Country Kids: This resources included 10 learning activities for Middle Year students (Year 7 and 8) to kickstart their career planning. The learning activities have been designed within the existing strands of the Australian Curriculum, as well as Victorian Careers Curriculum Framework.
