Indigenous students' experiences of being taught indigenous health

Background

Increasing the numbers of Indigenous health professionals is an international priority to enhance health outcomes for Indigenous communities. It is also incumbent on academics to ensure all graduates are culturally safe to work with Indigenous Peoples, and that accredited health degrees contain appropriate Indigenous content, improving the cultural competence of the registered health workforce. However, little current research investigates Indigenous tertiary students' experiences of learning about Indigenous health.

Aim

To explore Indigenous students' experiences of being taught Indigenous health.

Design

This study employed an online survey (16 % response rate) developed to evaluate student's beliefs, attitudes and learning experiences following operationalisation of a university Indigenous Graduate Attribute. An Aboriginal researcher also conducted Yarning Circles with Indigenous students as a culturally appropriate means to deepen insight into their experiences of studying Indigenous health topics alongside non-Indigenous peers.

Setting

A large urban Australian university.

Participants

Twelve Indigenous students from four health disciplines completed the anonymous survey. Five Indigenous midwifery students participated in a Yarning Circle.

Methods

Survey data were analysed descriptively using SPSS version 27. Qualitative data from Yarning Circle transcripts were analysed thematically from an inductive Indigenous standpoint.

Results

Results from the survey demonstrated unanimous agreement that all health students should learn about Indigenous Peoples' health and cultures. However, most participants agreed that there needed to be more content on Indigenous knowledges, derived from Indigenous authors, researchers, and community presenters.

The Yarning Circle yielded rich discussion of students' experiences, explored across three key themes and associated sub-themes. Themes were: When your culture is content; Being an Indigenous student; and Sources of strength and support as Indigenous students.

Conclusions

Findings indicate the importance of framing Indigenous content, incorporating Indigenous knowledge into curricula, ensuring Cultural Safety in classrooms with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, and supporting Indigenous students to excel.