Addressing academic aspirations, challenges, and barriers of indigenous and immigrant students in a postsecondary education setting

ABSTRACT Canada ranks high among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in terms of advanced education with 66% of Canadians having completed some form of postsecondary education. Yet, students from indigenous and immigrant backgrounds face several psychosocial and institutional barriers that hinder their academic progress. The current study used a qualitative approach to examine the experiences and challenges faced by indigenous and immigrant learners who were enrolled in a postsecondary human services program in Western Canada. Findings suggest that despite 40 years of a multicultural approach to education these students continue to experience several barriers to continuing their study programs. The need for radicalizing teaching by using alternate critical decolonizing discourses and pedagogy is discussed.