Key Determinants of Motivation of Non-Traditional Aboriginal Students in School Settings: Recommendations for Educational Change

Abstract

This research was designed to investigate culturally specific elements of non-traditional Aboriginal motivation. Among the aims of the research were to study: (a) the salient determinants of motivation of urban and rural non-traditional Aboriginal students in mainstream educational settings; (b) the relevant background factors that influence Aboriginal motivation in these settings; (c) the dynamics of decision making that orient the Aboriginal student to continue with school beyond the minimum school leaving age, and (d) ways in which education programs may be made more adaptive to the special needs of Aboriginal children. A consistent picture of the urban Aboriginal child at school emerged from the analyses. In contrast to the Anglo and migrant comparator groups, the explanatory base for the Aboriginal child's decision making within the school environment appears restricted to a small number of key variables.