Evaluation of an effective postsecondary program in Canadian Aboriginal communities students' perspectives on support / Schwartz, Christine; Ball, Jessica. [electronic resource]:

The purpose of this study was to identify significant sources of support for Aboriginal students in a unique Early Childhood Education program developed between the University of Victoria and seven aboriginal communities in Canada. The approach of
this study provided a fresh perspective, in that it gave students the opportunity to name unlimited sources of support without restricting the definition of support. Thus, it enabled a quantification of the importance of sources of support and the possibility of identifying support sources previously overlooked within the research literature. The results of this investigation indicated that a supportive learning and teaching environment
that yields high rates of retention and program completion can be created when postsecondary education is delivered in the community where students' natural support networks are accessible.