Most universities run outreach camps that bring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school students onto university campuses to demystify university and build and sustain student engagement with university. However, there are varying perspectives on how 'success' should be defined and measured in relation to these programs. The staff who run…

The recruitment and retention of teachers in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia remains a persistent challenge. Greater awareness of and experience in regional, rural and remote schools is a common strategy adopted by initial teacher education providers to mediate this challenge. This paper examines the quality of connection between…

Mental health literacy interventions in school settings are growing in number and scope, yet challenges in user engagement and real-world implementation persist. The Decode Mental Health and Wellbeing Program (Decode) is a novel and innovative mental health literacy program for teachers and students that harnesses the power of social media…

Though there is a significant, international body of literature on the experiences of queer university students, comparatively little is written about the higher education pathways of queer students, especially for those who are working class or live in regional or rural areas. This paper presents data collected from surveys, interviews and focus…

This paper uses the framework of transition as "becoming" to explore what young people learned from participating in a post-secondary transition program that was co-designed by young people. The 9-week youth participatory action research (YPAR) involved six staff collaborators (SCs) and seven youth collaborators (YCs). Data comprised…

Mentorship plays an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the professional development of faculty members in higher education. However, studies capturing the experiences of mentors and mentees engaged in virtual international mentoring programs are scarce. Through a collaborative autoethnography qualitative approach, personalised reflections of a…

Completing a higher degree is a complex and demanding undertaking for doctoral students. Along with the cognitive demands of study, there are competing personal and contextual factors which contribute to stress for students during the process. This study seeks to contribute to existing literature by acknowledging the characteristics of the…

The Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) provides one-on-one tutoring for Indigenous students at Australian universities. Qualitative and quantitative research has consistently identified ITAS as a vital means of supporting Indigenous participation in tertiary education, while also lamenting a lack of clear guidelines for conducting the…

In the 2023 Scott Report, "Strong Beginnings," the Teacher Education Expert Panel (TEEP) in Australia made a series of recommendations which effectively echoed recent 'reform' in England on pre-service teacher education. Based on Australia's ongoing version of 'PISA panic', the Report pointed to its findings as being based on research…

My Vital Cycles® is a holistic ovulatory menstrual health literacy program for adolescent females. A whole school approach was used when trialled in one single-sex secondary school in Perth Australia. This study investigated the enablers and barriers for its future implementation from the perspective of the school's teachers, nurses and…

Co-design as an effective tool in supporting partnerships is experiencing a renaissance in contemporary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) policy reform. While not a new construct, the current re-use of co-design represents a contemporary shift in collaboration, emphasising inclusivity and adaptability by integrating critical thinking and…

Students from refugee backgrounds (thereafter 'refugee students') are entering Australian universities in increasing numbers, often via university pathway programs (enabling programs), contributing to the superdiversity in higher education institutions. A growing body of literature acknowledges the academic and socio-cultural challenges faced by…

A persistent challenge for Australian higher education policymakers and researchers has been to understand why policies and practices have met with limited success in widening the participation and attainment of non-traditional students. This paper explores theorising Narrative Identity as a constructive methodological framework for understanding…

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences are part of many university programs, taking various forms including internships and professional experiences. WIL provides students with valuable capital for future employment; however, not all students have capacity to participate in extended, unpaid placements. This may lead to financial and other…

An analysis of teacher metaphors has long been a feature of research into the development of early career teacher identity, however, the metaphors used to construct the ideal teacher in educational policy remains under-researched. These policy documents explicitly seek to frame what it means to be an effective teacher. As such, an analysis of the…