Student retention and completion factors of mature, Māori students : a study of the postgraduate Diploma of Business (Māori Development) = Te tohu huanga Māori

Abstract

The research aims to identify the key characteristics and behaviours that enhance the persistence and outcomes of mature Maori students, and to identify suggestions for future research related to this group. The question of effective student engagement with programmes of study is a fundamental issue for tertiary education organisations internationally. In the absence of other information student recruitment, retention, and outcomes data are increasingly relied upon as proxy measures for assessing the quality of a programme of study as well as the responsiveness of an institution to students' learning needs and goals, and to the skill development priorities expressed by government and society. The University of Auckland's Postgraduate Diploma of Business (Maori Development) Te Tohu Huanga Maori was launched in 1993 as the Graduate Diploma of Business (Maori Development) to meet the expressed needs of emerging Maori tribal entities of that title. By 2003 Te Tohu Huanga Maori remained unique as a Graduate Diploma level programme focused on Maori business within a context of Tikanga Maori and developed specifically for delivery to mature Maori students, including those with no prior tertiary experience. The level of the qualification was upgraded to a Postgraduate Diploma in 2005. A mixed methods approach was utilised in this research as it is the first research to be undertaken on Te Tohu Huanga Maori. A postal questionnaire obtained quantitative data on student demographic and qualitative data related to programme strengths and weaknesses. The qualitative themes from the questionnaire were developed through focus group discussion. The literature on tertiary student retention and persistence was reviewed in order to position this research in the theoretical field. The review identified very limited data related to retention and outcomes of mature, part-time students who are also indigenous and first-time tertiary students. The research identifies some of the factors that can positively influence the study retention and persistence of mature Maori students. The findings indicate that mature Maori students apply particular skills and behaviours to the study environment that relate to personal determination and whakawhanaungatanga. The findings also identify the importance of relationship as a function of learning to the study retention and outcomes of mature Maori students, and to their perspectives around the quality of the learning experience. The research identifies several suggestions for future research on mature Maori students and Te Tohu Huanga Maori.