Dr Johanna Nieuwoudt

University students with a higher sense of belonging have previously been found to experience higher levels of academic engagement, motivation, achievement, and self-confidence. This article compares findings from a survey on student sense of belonging and retention distributed to Australian students prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 (n = 570) and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 (n = 620). At both time points, students who considered dropping out of university had a significantly lower sense of belonging than those who had not considered leaving their studies before completion. Sense of belonging was positively correlated to levels of enjoyment and motivation in university. For students whose parents had both completed university , levels of belonging were found to be significantly higher than first-generation students prior to, but not during, the COVID-19 pandemic. Belonging is connected to students' self-reported enjoyment of learning. When students feel connected to their university community, they are more likely to continue their studies.

The Southern Cross University (SCU) Future Leaders Program, developed in partnership with The Hummingbirds Company, was established in response to the growing recognition of the importance of student engagement, leadership development, and institutional belonging in higher education. Contemporary research highlights that structured leadership opportunities can significantly enhance student capability, retention, and overall academic success. As universities face challenges such as declining student engagement and the urgent need to foster inclusive communities, SCU sought to bridge theoretical insights from educational leadership research with practical application. The program aimed to equip students with the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills necessary to assume leadership roles within both their disciplines and the broader university environment. Through evidence-based workshops and practical projects, the initiative provided a timely and intentional approach to empowering students to lead, strengthening their sense of connection amongst students, and cultivating transferable skills that extend beyond their academic journey. Of 71 students expressing interest, 33 participated in pre-learning activities and 13 graduated, reporting notable outcomes: 92% felt more confident in leadership roles, 85% improved their collaboration skills, and 88% experienced a greater sense of belonging within the university community, as measured by anonymous surveys and feedback forms.

The release of the Australian Universities Accord Final Report in 2024 and call for contextually relevant pathways to higher education continues the widening participation agenda that was introduced more than 50 years ago in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Enabling education continues to contribute to targets with the evolution of high school enabling programs. It is imperative, as the Accord suggests, that these programs support successful transition. Such programs thus require a pedagogical model for transition. This practice report adds to emerging research on high school enabling programs by exploring how an enabling transition pedagogy (ETP), an adaptation of Kift, Nelson and Clarke’s third generation transition pedagogy, underpins two Australian embedded high school enabling programs to support student transition to higher education. It explores how the curriculum principles of the ETP (and intersecting strategies) are implemented within the two programs and suggests future directions for the model.

This chapter investigates the impact of institution-wide curriculum reform on a multi-disciplinary group of teaching-focused academics. Using the participatory action research method of co-operative inquiry, the study contributes several insights for supporting academic development during curriculum change. It highlights that teaching-focused academics place high value on student engagement as both a driver and consequence of their teaching during curriculum reforms. The inquiry also demonstrates how shifting perceptions of student engagement can precipitate concomitant shifts in academic teaching identities. We conclude that collaborative reflection is invaluable for developing identity, enhancing agency and assisting academics to navigate the complexities of curriculum reform.

The release of the Australian Universities Accord Final Report in 2024 and call for contextually relevant pathways to higher education continues the widening participation agenda that was introduced more than 50 years ago in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Enabling education continues to contribute to targets with the evolution of high school enabling programs. It is imperative, as the Accord suggests, that these programs support successful transition. Such programs thus require a pedagogical model for transition. This paper adds to emerging research on high school enabling programs by exploring how an enabling transition pedagogy (ETP), an adaptation of Kift’s third generation transition pedagogy, underpins two Australian embedded high school enabling programs to support student transition to higher education. It explores how the curriculum principles of the ETP (and intersecting strategies) are implemented within the two programs and suggests future directions for the model.

In early 2024, four Australian universities—Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, University of Southern Queensland, and Southern Cross University—initiated a benchmarking project focused on in-school Enabling courses, as part of a broader ACSES-funded study examining the effectiveness of in-school Enabling programs. Guided by NAEEA’s benchmarking framework, this was the first national study of its kind. The project was developed in response to the Universities Accord Final Report (2024), which emphasised equitable access to higher education for under-represented groups. Its aim was to move towards standardising the educational experience of embedded high school Enabling courses, including alignment in holistic outcomes, assessment approaches, and grading practices.

Focus: Research outcomes
Background: The Australian Universities Accord (Department of Education, 2024) sets ambitious targets to increase the number
of Australian university graduates, particularly for non-traditional students. Diplomas provide a pathway into bachelor courses
teaching the first-year bachelor curriculum while also introducing students to the culture of university study (Norton, 2019).
While there has been a focus on widening participation in Australia, New Zealand and the UK (Salmi, 2018), there is scant
research on the experiences and outcomes of students entering higher education (HE) through different pathways (Li & Jackson,
2024).
Description: This study examined the role of university diplomas as a pathway into HE. We determined diploma students’
success rates in subsequent bachelor courses; identified the teaching and learning activities, and support services that
facilitated their success; and explored students’ views on the impact of diplomas in their academic lives.
Method: This study at an Australian university used a mixed-methods design collecting qualitative and quantitative data to
triangulate the data, integrating student voice (Seale, 2009). The quantitative strand comprised of an online survey analysed
with non-parametric tests, and the qualitative strand involved interviews analysed thematically.
Evidence: Findings indicate that students perceive university diplomas as beneficial for beginning their university studies and
achieving academic success. Diploma graduates had higher success rates in subsequent bachelor courses compared to those
who did not complete a diploma. Students valued the strengths-based curriculum with flexible online resources and highlighted
the importance of holistic support offered across the institution.
Contribution: This research shows that university diplomas effectively prepare students, particularly non-traditional students,
for academic success. It underscores the importance of a curriculum that incorporates transition pedagogy and adult learning
principles, and supports flexibility and independent learning.
Engagement: Discussion prompts will encourage participants to reflect on their understanding and experiences with university
diplomas and students.

Background: Major curriculum reforms can be disorienting and uncertain for academics, particularly when they involve new and unfamiliar ways of designing and delivering education (Nisbet et al., in press). This presentation shares insights on navigating major curriculum reform from six academics who experienced the transition from 13-week semesters to a six-week immersive block model at an Australian university.
Description: Academics’ experiences of curriculum reform are explored through the lens of Mezirow’s (2003) transformative learning theory (TLT). We examined two key questions:
1) Did we experience transformative learning during curriculum reform?
2) If so, what contributed to our transformations?
Method(s) : The participatory action research methodology of co-operative inquiry was used. This methodology is a structured, cyclical process of dialogue and reflection, engaging those directly involved in issues as co-participant-researchers and coauthors (Heron & Reason, 2001; Russ et al., 2024). We met for 15 months to discuss our evolving experiences of curriculum reform. Thematic analysis of our transcribed reflections and discussions drew upon Mezirow’s (2008) TLT and Bronfenbrenner’s (1995) Ecological Systems Theory (EST) to generate insights about our professional learning processes during curriculum change.
Evidence: Our findings illustrate how we progressed from confronting disorienting dilemmas to integrating new, context-bound perspectives on student learning and our teaching practices. We identify changes in academics’ worldviews, cognition, and behaviour as outcomes of transformative learning during curriculum change.
Contribution: This study indicates that TLT and EST are useful frameworks for academics to better understand and negotiate change, enabling them to take an active role in their own development. We demonstrate that confronting and collectively addressing the disorienting dilemmas that arise during curriculum reform can be transformative, facilitating agency, capability and wellbeing.
Engagement: Discussion prompts and interactive polls will encourage reflection on participants’ own ‘disorienting dilemmas’
and their experiences of transformation through collaborative reflection.

This study is the first to offer evidence across two institutions about the efficacy of the block model of delivery for enhancing the success of under-represented students in enabling education, which provides access to higher education (HE) for non-traditional students. Our project is a cross-institutional student grade analysis, supported by 10 educator autoethnographic reflections and investigates the differences in student and educator outcomes between the block (6-week) and traditional (13-week) delivery models at two Australian universities, Southern Cross University (SCU) and the University of Sunshine Coast (UniSC).

This paper investigates the impact of institution-wide curriculum reform on a multi-disciplinary group of teaching-focused academics. Using the participatory action research method of co-operative inquiry, the study contributes several insights for supporting academic development during curriculum change. It highlights that teaching-focused academics place high value on student engagement as both a driver and consequence of their teaching during curriculum reforms. The inquiry also demonstrates how shifting perceptions of student engagement can precipitate concomitant shifts in academic teaching identities. We conclude that collaborative reflection is invaluable for developing identity, enhancing agency and assisting academics to navigate the complexities of curriculum reform.