Abstract—As developed nations investigate how to best prepare for emerging challenges and upskill individuals as knowledge workers, there is an increased focus on tertiary attainment. In Australia, enabling programs are an educational intervention designed to provide a pathway to university for students from underrepresented backgrounds, wherein they gain academic literacies, build learner identities, and earn a score for undergraduate application. This paper investigates pedagogical innovation via these programs to determine why enabling pedagogy produces strong learning outcomes for new students and provides insights applicable to university education more broadly. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten undergraduate students who entered university via the enabling program pathway. Through thematic analysis, informed by the ADEPT framework for enabling pedagogy, their reflections provide deep insight into the student experience and outcomes. Responses focus on the role of enabling educators, inclusive attitudes, and clear expectations which work to support the development of effective learning strategies and a ‘tool kit’ for success at undergraduate and beyond. This research offers insight into the lived experience of university students from underrepresented backgrounds, while also identifying strategies which support transformative learning outcomes.  
 

Keywords—enabling pedagogy, enabling programs, ADEPT framework, Australia, university, FEE-FREE Uni Ready 

Cite: Jennifer J. Stokes, "ADEPT and Enabled: An Australian Case Study of Enabling Pedagogy as Innovative Educational Practice to Support Students from Underrepresented Backgrounds at University," International Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 674-678, 2024.

Copyright © 2024 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the article is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.