“It Makes You Feel Like Not Sending Your Kids to School”: Aboriginal Parents’ Experiences of the Transition to School

Abstract

The transition to formal schooling is a critical milestone in a child’s development. For Aboriginal children, early experiences are shaped by both cultural strengths and enduring impacts of colonisation. This study explored factors influencing Aboriginal families’ transition-to-school experiences in an urban Western Australian community. Using a Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) approach, we combined Group Model Building (GMB) and yarning to engage 12 Aboriginal parents in mapping the complex factors shaping transition. A workshop co-facilitated by an Aboriginal community leader produced a causal loop diagram illustrating five domains of influence: practical barriers, soc..