Widening the lens: Utilizing teacher perspectives to assess widening participation efforts in Australian higher education

Abstract

Australian government targets to increase participation by people from low socio-economic backgrounds in higher education have prompted a variety of university initiatives. This paper focuses on the effectiveness of one of these, from the unique perspective of teachers in schools where the program is delivered. Teachers play pivotal roles in working with students, their families and higher education institutions. Moreover, teachers have a deep knowledge of their students and the communities in which they live. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data, this paper situates teachers’ perceptions of their own roles within the framework of widening participation and points to the success of a program that aims to break down barriers to higher education for students from low socio-economic backgrounds.