{"id":{"repo_id":"edithcowan","oai_identifier":"oai:ro.ecu.edu.au:theses-3089"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/edithcowan/oai:ro.ecu.edu.au:theses-3089","repository":{"repo_id":"edithcowan","name":"Edith Cowan University","base_url":"https://ro.ecu.edu.au/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Examining the perceived benefit of education for Aboriginal secondary students in Western Australia","abstract":"Indigenous and remote Australians have lower education and employment levels than non- Indigenous and urban Australians and face continued socio-economic disadvantage. Many contemporary voices have called for quantitative evidence for Indigenous education policy. The current thesis responds to this gap in the literature by developing a factor model of Indigenous education engagement, and supports this with regression equations and qualitative interviews exploring the impact of various experiences on Indigenous engagement with secondary school. The current study found that, despite gap in attendance rates, Year 12 completion rates, and tertiary education enrolment and completion, Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants alike ascribed a high value to the benefit of completing secondary education. For both groups, students were more likely to attribute benefit to schooling when they encountered a Positive School Culture, Promotion of Indigenous Culture, Pathway Development, and opportunities to develop Self-Efficacy. Yet, Indigenous secondary students in this study who ascribed benefit to secondary education appeared to make that decision at an earlier age, and did not often ascribe equal benefit to higher education. Compared with non-Indigenous participants of the current research, Indigenous students make education decisions with the belief that it will be harder for them to attain success in post-secondary education due to lower academic achievement, social discourse and discrimination surrounding Indigenous identity, geographic remoteness, and economic concerns. Furthermore, qualitative analysis revealed that non-Indigenous secondary teachers are likely to look to more superficial aspects of culture, rather than the epistemological and ontological aspects desired by Indigenous students, when developing a culturally inclusive environment. Finally, the Revised Factor Model developed in this thesis explained 46% of the total variance amongst variables measuring student experiences of and attitudes toward the utility of education.","abstract_html":"Indigenous and remote Australians have lower education and employment levels than non- Indigenous and urban Australians and face continued socio-economic disadvantage. Many contemporary voices have called for quantitative evidence for Indigenous education policy. The current thesis responds to this gap in the literature by developing a factor model of Indigenous education engagement, and supports this with regression equations and qualitative interviews exploring the impact of various experiences on Indigenous engagement with secondary school. The current study found that, despite gap in attendance rates, Year 12 completion rates, and tertiary education enrolment and completion, Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants alike ascribed a high value to the benefit of completing secondary education. For both groups, students were more likely to attribute benefit to schooling when they encountered a Positive School Culture, Promotion of Indigenous Culture, Pathway Development, and opportunities to develop Self-Efficacy. Yet, Indigenous secondary students in this study who ascribed benefit to secondary education appeared to make that decision at an earlier age, and did not often ascribe equal benefit to higher education. Compared with non-Indigenous participants of the current research, Indigenous students make education decisions with the belief that it will be harder for them to attain success in post-secondary education due to lower academic achievement, social discourse and discrimination surrounding Indigenous identity, geographic remoteness, and economic concerns. Furthermore, qualitative analysis revealed that non-Indigenous secondary teachers are likely to look to more superficial aspects of culture, rather than the epistemological and ontological aspects desired by Indigenous students, when developing a culturally inclusive environment. Finally, the Revised Factor Model developed in this thesis explained 46% of the total variance amongst variables measuring student experiences of and attitudes toward the utility of education.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Macdonald, Mary-anne"],"institution":"Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2018-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:21:56Z","subjects":["Aboriginal","secondary education","educational utility","perceived benefit of education","indigenous education","factor model","Western Australia"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2087","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Macdonald, Mary-anne"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2018-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Aboriginal","secondary education","educational utility","perceived benefit of education","indigenous education","factor model","Western Australia"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2087","https://ro.ecu.edu.au/context/theses/article/3089/viewcontent/MACDONALD_Maryanne_Whole_Thesis_FINAL_VERSION_Redacted.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Indigenous and remote Australians have lower education and employment levels than non- Indigenous and urban Australians and face continued socio-economic disadvantage. Many contemporary voices have called for quantitative evidence for Indigenous education policy. The current thesis responds to this gap in the literature by developing a factor model of Indigenous education engagement, and supports this with regression equations and qualitative interviews exploring the impact of various experiences on Indigenous engagement with secondary school. The current study found that, despite gap in attendance rates, Year 12 completion rates, and tertiary education enrolment and completion, Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants alike ascribed a high value to the benefit of completing secondary education. For both groups, students were more likely to attribute benefit to schooling when they encountered a Positive School Culture, Promotion of Indigenous Culture, Pathway Development, and opportunities to develop Self-Efficacy. Yet, Indigenous secondary students in this study who ascribed benefit to secondary education appeared to make that decision at an earlier age, and did not often ascribe equal benefit to higher education. Compared with non-Indigenous participants of the current research, Indigenous students make education decisions with the belief that it will be harder for them to attain success in post-secondary education due to lower academic achievement, social discourse and discrimination surrounding Indigenous identity, geographic remoteness, and economic concerns. Furthermore, qualitative analysis revealed that non-Indigenous secondary teachers are likely to look to more superficial aspects of culture, rather than the epistemological and ontological aspects desired by Indigenous students, when developing a culturally inclusive environment. Finally, the Revised Factor Model developed in this thesis explained 46% of the total variance amongst variables measuring student experiences of and attitudes toward the utility of education."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Theses: Doctorates and Masters"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Examining the perceived benefit of education for Aboriginal secondary students in Western Australia"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Macdonald, Mary-anne"],"dc:date":["2018-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["Indigenous and remote Australians have lower education and employment levels than non- Indigenous and urban Australians and face continued socio-economic disadvantage. Many contemporary voices have called for quantitative evidence for Indigenous education policy. The current thesis responds to this gap in the literature by developing a factor model of Indigenous education engagement, and supports this with regression equations and qualitative interviews exploring the impact of various experiences on Indigenous engagement with secondary school. The current study found that, despite gap in attendance rates, Year 12 completion rates, and tertiary education enrolment and completion, Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants alike ascribed a high value to the benefit of completing secondary education. For both groups, students were more likely to attribute benefit to schooling when they encountered a Positive School Culture, Promotion of Indigenous Culture, Pathway Development, and opportunities to develop Self-Efficacy. Yet, Indigenous secondary students in this study who ascribed benefit to secondary education appeared to make that decision at an earlier age, and did not often ascribe equal benefit to higher education. Compared with non-Indigenous participants of the current research, Indigenous students make education decisions with the belief that it will be harder for them to attain success in post-secondary education due to lower academic achievement, social discourse and discrimination surrounding Indigenous identity, geographic remoteness, and economic concerns. Furthermore, qualitative analysis revealed that non-Indigenous secondary teachers are likely to look to more superficial aspects of culture, rather than the epistemological and ontological aspects desired by Indigenous students, when developing a culturally inclusive environment. Finally, the Revised Factor Model developed in this thesis explained 46% of the total variance amongst variables measuring student experiences of and attitudes toward the utility of education."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2087","https://ro.ecu.edu.au/context/theses/article/3089/viewcontent/MACDONALD_Maryanne_Whole_Thesis_FINAL_VERSION_Redacted.pdf"],"dc:publisher":["Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia"],"dc:source":["Theses: Doctorates and Masters"],"dc:subject":["Aboriginal","secondary education","educational utility","perceived benefit of education","indigenous education","factor model","Western Australia"],"dc:title":["Examining the perceived benefit of education for Aboriginal secondary students in Western Australia"],"dc:type":["thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:21:56Z"}