Bachelor of Science (Extended) evaluation 
case study report

Executive summary

The Bachelor of Science (Extended) is a degree program that provides a supported pathway to 
complete a mainstream Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne for Aboriginal and Torres 
Strait Islander students who show potential, but who might otherwise not have access to such 
an opportunity. 

The Bachelor of Science (Extended) is one of six programs 
that comprise the Indigenous STEM Education Project, which 
is funded by the BHP Foundation and delivered by CSIRO. The 
overarching goal of the Indigenous STEM Education Project is 
to provide supported pathways that improve the participation 
and achievement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 
students in STEM subjects.

The purpose of the Bachelor of Science (Extended) case study 
report is to present the findings from the evaluation case study, 
which focused on assessing the achievement of the outcomes 
of the program from 2014 to 2017. The key evaluation question 
guiding the case study research was: How has the Bachelor of 
Science (Extended) program progressed to achieve its goal (in 
part) of providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students 
with a supported pathway to complete a mainstream Bachelor 
of Science at the University of Melbourne?

Overall, the program was found to be achieving its intended 
outcomes including: students experiencing effective 
individualised and culturally responsive support; a high student 
annual retention rate; and the use of Indigenous scientific 
knowledges in the curriculum. Future evaluation research 
will need to be conducted to ascertain ongoing and longer-
term effects. 

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The key findings of the Bachelor of Science (Extended) case 
study report include:

• Engagement and retention. Overall, students, teachers 
and support staff reported that the course was engaging. 
When students mentioned feeling engaged, they identified 
either the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 
scientific knowledge into the curriculum, an interactive 
format, or a diverse range of class activities. The program 
has also demonstrated high retention rates. For example, 
the retention rate in 2018 was 95 per cent, which compares 
favourably to the 71 per cent retention rate for all Aboriginal 
and Torres Strait Islander university bachelor students (in 
2014). Overall, 19 out of the total of 25 students who have 
enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (Extended) program were 
still engaged in the program in 2018.
• Transition and support. Students reported that it had taken 
time to settle into university life, however they were able 
to eventually form strong bonds with their peers and felt 
supported by their teachers and university support staff.
• Integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scientific 
knowledge. Students indicated that the course was culturally 
responsive. Overall, the students valued the inclusion of 
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scientific knowledge, 
but some students did not perceive it as essential to 
the course.
• Building partnerships. There was additional progress to 
made in forging closer working relationships with local 
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community groups.
• Aspirations for future STEM careers. The Bachelor of Science 
(Extended) program reinforced the existing ambitions of 
students to build careers in STEM. Students spoke about 
the important role of their high school teachers as critical 
to their decision to pursue STEM education and careers 
after school.


Several challenges and recommendations were identified 
through the case study, including the need to build stronger 
partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 
organisations and/or role models for advice on the best way 
to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scientific 
knowledge into the Bachelor of Science (Extended) curriculum. 
The results also showed that there was potential to improve 
the structure of the course in relation to its placement within 
the larger context of the University. For example, the practical 
workshops and tailored academic support portion of the 
Bachelor of Science (Extended) program were concentrated 
over the first three semesters including the first semester of 
the second year.

In line with the strengths-based approach of the case 
study research, several recommendations to build on the 
achievements of the program have also been suggested 
including encouraging more community inspired inquiries; 
providing students with more explicit examples of how 
culture relates to STEM careers; and continuing to improve 
personalised support during and after the summer schools.

The Indigenous STEM Education Project is funded 
by BHP Foundation and delivered by CSIRO.

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