Successful First-Year Pacific University Students in New Zealand: What Can We Learn from Their Journey?

There is increasing interest in factors that support better educational outcomes for minority and underrepresented groups in the tertiary environment. Pacific peoples are a minority group which makes up approximately nine percent of the total New Zealand population. It is a youthful and fast-growing population and is underrepresented in higher education degrees and health professional programmes. There is a small and growing body of literature which focuses on the success of Pacific students in higher education in New Zealand. There is, however, very little research on Pacific students in their first year of higher education. The first year in the tertiary environment is considered to be very important for students. Research shows that tertiary students who completed their first year in higher education successfully were more likely to progress to complete their qualifications. This research focuses on what we can learn from Pacific students who successfully completed their first year in higher education. We identified six factors that were commonly shared among these students. These were academic self-efficacy, a solution-focused approach, strong networks and effective engagement, academic help-seeking behaviour, enjoyment of the journey, and a balanced approach. These areas can be further tested in future research to explore if they are independent of each other, or whether a combination of these factors are directly linked to improved academic outcomes. Our findings may provide helpful areas for tertiary institutions to consider to further support minority or underrepresented groups.