The Role of Resilience in Indigenous Students: A Qualitative Study on Understanding Barriers in Higher Educational Outcomes Framed Within the Tribal Critical Race Theory

Abstract

Academic recruitment and retention rates for Indigenous students in higher education are dismal compared to any other ethnic group. Indigenous students who persist through a bachelor’s degree to the graduate level are a rarity. The low proportion of Indigenous students in higher education is a multilayered problem beyond any single factor, such as socioeconomic status. This study intended to elucidate attributes of resilience that ameliorate adversity, and the outcomes have the potential to support knowledge used on increasing Indigenous student retention in academia. This qualitative thematic analysis employed a semi-structured interview protocol. The tribal critical race theory (TribalCrit) provided a framework to examine Indigenous graduate students and early career graduates within 5 years of graduating from psychology or allied fields. Participants (n = 12) across the United States and Canada shared their lived experiences about graduate school. The interviews were transcribed using an encrypted application for qualitative studies and assessed for reoccurring themes and subthemes. The study’s results included two overarching categories aligned with the research questions on Indigenous student retention and resilience. There were two significant themes under each category and several subthemes explaining the dismal completion of Indigenous graduates in higher education in psychology and allied fields. The findings from this study may deliver perspectives on decolonization within academia and provide cultural recommendations for future research specific to recruiting and retention of Indigenous students. The details may be helpful for policymakers, university administrators, and prospective Indigenous graduate students.