Digital Commons Network^™

Stimulation Of Western Australian Sandalwood (Santalum Spicatum) Oil Production Using Multiple Treatments [Thesis], Peta-Anne Smith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sandalwood is an important international commodity, recognised for its aromatic oil which is a key ingredient in many fragrances and cosmetics. Western Australian (WA) sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) is known to be a cheaper alternative for the superior Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) as it has a lower oil content and lower quality oil. The natural stocks of S. album have declined due to illegal poaching, mismanagement, and disease. WA sandalwood’s natural stands have also reduced due to historical mismanagement. As a result, WA sandalwood (S. spicatum) has been established in plantations in the southern half of WA to attempt to meet …

Towards Interaction: Combining Jazz Techniques And Idiomatic Writing For Varied Ensembles. A Collection Of Musical Works -And- An Exegesis, Glyn Alan Macdonald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This practice-led research project has produced musical works that bring together ensembles from the Western Classical tradition that only read notation, and, jazz soloists who improvise. Three works ‘Standing Ground’, ‘The Journey’ and ‘Matt versus the Zombies’ were composed for three ensembles each with an improvising soloist. These ensembles included a British style Brass Band, Brass Quintet and a double Saxophone quartet.

The project built on the work of Andy Scott and Eddie Sauter, both of whom wrote for non-jazz ensembles and an improvising artist without including a jazz rhythm section. The accompanying non-jazz ensemble was written in such a …

Moving On After Critical Incidents In Health Care. Second Victims: A Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of Nurses And Midwives, Melanie Buhlmann

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Aims: The aims of this study were to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of nurses and midwives who have been involved in a critical incident in a non-critical care area and to explore how they have ‘moved-on’ from the event.

Background: It is irrefutable that health care is intrinsically risk-laden and perceived to be personally and professionally demanding for those who are employed within it. The term ‘second victim’ has been assigned to health care professionals who experienced emotional distress as a result of their involvement in critical incidents. Despite the recognition that critical incidents contribute to workrelated …

Dancing Through It: Enhancing Psychological Recovery In Dance, Peta A. L. Blevins

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Achieving elite level performance in dance requires intensive training and physical demands that may put dancers at risk of underrecovery and overtraining if not balanced with adequate recovery. Dancers have been shown to be susceptible to overtraining and burnout (Koutedakis, 2000), however, little is known about how dancers balance training and non-training stress with recovery to counteract negative training outcomes. This thesis investigated psychological recovery among vocational dance students, using a mixed-method study design to examine dancer experiences of stress and recovery, and the effectiveness of a mindfulness intervention in enhancing psychological recovery in vocational dance training. Study 1 explored …

Job Embeddedness And Turnover Intentions: The Moderating Role Of Affectivity Traits, Career Stages And Perceptions Of Organisational Politics, Emmanuel Twumasi Ampofo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The study tested the applicability of job embeddedness (JE) theory in Ghana. It also examined moderating effects of affectivity traits, career stage and perceptions of organisational politics (POP) on the JE–turnover intentions relationship. Analyses revealed that composite JE and its dimensions and sub-dimensions (except community fit) were negatively related to turnover intentions. Affectivity traits, POP and career stages moderated the JE–turnover intentions relationship. The study expands the predictive validity of JE to Ghana and adds to the few moderators that have been identified in previous studies. Strategies for increasing managerial employees’ embeddedness and reducing their turnover are proposed.

Using Ict To Foster Collaborative Writing For Efl University Students In Vietnam, Thi Thu Lan Nguyen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has changed most aspects of life, and its diffusion into education was inevitable. Vietnam is a developing country where English and ICT are highly valued as two of the most important instruments of industrialisation and modernisation. These instruments help facilitate the country’s integration into the globalised world. Thus, the use of ICT in English language teaching and learning has received much attention from both policy makers and researchers.

In this study, the possibilities of using ICT in fostering English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students’ collaborative writing in a Vietnamese context …

The Development Of Social–Emotional Skills In Pre-Primary Children: A Comparison Of Parent, Teacher And Combined Coaching Programs, Nichola Lucia Webb

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The development of social–emotional skills is pivotal in generating positive outcomes for mental health and wellbeing throughout the childhood period and into later life (Hertzman, 2004; Moore, 2006; Sosna & Mastergeorge, 2005). While research has explored the effects of parent and teacher influences on young children’s social–emotional skills, most studies have either focussed on high-risk child populations, compared single influences with each other (e.g., parent versus teacher) or compared one combined group of influences with a control group. Few studies have directly compared the separate effects of parent, teacher and peer components to assess which are more successful in the …

Seedling Xylem Anatomy Of Two Banksia Species Relative To Availability Of Groundwater, Melissa Karlinski

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Fluctuating environmental conditions place plants at risk of mortality if they cannot adapt, particularly to warmer temperatures and drier environments. Plants are known to modify their morphology, physiology and anatomy to thrive under these conditions, and xylem anatomy and hydraulic architecture are common traits studied to understand plant adaptations and responses to changeable water availability. However, little is known about the changes to the hydraulic architecture of groundwater dependent plants during their early establishment in water-limited environments. By exposing young seedlings of two Banksia species to contrasting groundwater availability treatments in a glasshouse experiment, it was possible to analyse the …

Teachers’ Perspectives On The Identification Of, And Provisions For, Gifted And Talented English As An Additional Language Students, Lucy Byramji Hands

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In recent years, Western Australian State schools have seen a sharp rise in the number of students who use English as an Additional Language (EAL). Almost one-third of them have been identified as having culturally and linguistically diverse ancestry (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016). Many are gifted and talented (GT). However, while it has been widely acknowledged that GT abilities can be found in all ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups, barriers such as socioeconomic circumstances, stereotypes, political climate, language backgrounds and a myriad of factors can influence the recognition, identification and full participation of EAL students in gifted and talented …

Gamma Irradiation Response Of Photonic Crystal And Standard Optical Fibre Bragg Grating Sensors For Radiation Dosimetry, Desmond Baccini

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates the use of Optical Fibre Bragg Grating Sensors (FBGs) for Gamma Radiation Dosimetry. A comparative analysis of responses to gamma irradiation between standard commercial FBGs and new generation FBGs written in Photonic Crystal fibre (PCF) were examined under similar regimes and conditions. Current research suggests that the FBGs performance, when exposed to Cobalt-60 gamma irradiation, can suffer cross sensitivity problems resulting from different external effects such as temperature. However, FBGs written in PCFs may be able to overcome these problems due to their design, flexibility of the shape, and size of the micro-holes in a PCF.

Previous …

Factors Affecting The Survival And Implantation Of Human Blastocysts Following Vitrification, Hamish Barblett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The increased cell numbers, presence of the blastocoel and rapid cell re-organisation have required the development of specific survival criteria post warm to effectively select the most viable blastocyst for transfer. Pre-freeze blastocyst expansion and post warm re-expansion have been shown to contribute significantly to the chances of an implantation and subsequent live birth. The aim of this study was to explore factors that influence the outcome of blastocyst transfers after vitrification and warming, and hopefully improve outcomes by further applying improvements in future cycles. Variables from 8 years of vitrified/warmed blastocysts were retrospectively compiled and analysed to determine the …

Wettability Of Quartz Surfaces Under Carbon Dioxide Geo-Sequestration Conditions. A Theoretical Study, Aleksandr Abramov

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The wettability of rocks under reservoir conditions is important to ensure and secure long term underground storage of carbon dioxide. The composition of those rocks vary significantly and are influenced by the fact that quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the earth's continental crust. Thus, the CO2 wettability of quartz dominates the overall CO2 trapping performance of storage and cap rocks. If depleted oil or gas reservoirs are used for storage of CO2 quartz surfaces of rocks in reservoirs which have been previously exposed to hydrocarbons might be covered with chemisorpt hydrocarbon molecules. The CO2 wettability of these …

Emerging Strategies For Western Australian Secondary School Jazz Ensemble Directors: Improving Engagement With Drum Set Students, Gregory Roy Brenton

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Drum set education is a specialised field, but its importance is often underestimated in Western Australian (WA) secondary school jazz ensembles. Many secondary school jazz ensemble directors specialise in instruments other than drum set, and consequently may lack knowledge and skills in this area to the detriment of both the drum set student and the ensemble. This research project investigated the interaction between selected secondary school jazz ensemble directors in WA, and their drum set students during rehearsals. In particular, it set out to examine the impact of the jazz ensemble director on student engagement, inclusion, leadership, collaborative learning and …

Linking Patient Safety To Clinical Practice: The Insight Of New Graduate Registered Nurses, Melanie Murray

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

New graduate registered nurses’ (NGRNs) transition to practice with limited clinical experiences and skills. The related anxiety and stress predispose new graduate nurses to increased risk of contributing to preventable errors or adverse events. This risk, together with the new graduate’s fledgling ability to manage clinical deterioration, potentially compromises quality and safety of patient outcomes.

A longitudinal mixed methods design was used to develop an understanding of new graduate registered nurses’ patient safety knowledge and actions within the first year of nursing registration and offer important insights into NGRNs’ transition with a patient safety focus. New graduate registered nurses employed …

The Corporate Security Stratum Of Work: Occupational Ceilings, Progression, And Career Success, Codee Roy Ludbey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

To meet the challenges of modern society organisations are becoming more complex, and so too are the occupations that support them, including the Corporate Security occupation. Within this complexity progression is a changing security environment that impacts business opportunity and societal expectations due to a shift away from risk acceptance (Beck, 1992). Subsequently, the study investigated the Corporate Security stratum of work within large organisations in order to understand career opportunity, complexity, and influence within the context of the socio-organisational literature. By grounding the study in the underlying theory of Jaques’ (1996) work into General Managerial Hierarchies, the study took …

Investigating The Use Of The Interactive Notebook As A Pedagogical Tool In A Primary Music Specialist Classroom, Kristie Anne Gray

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study aimed to investigate how using the Interactive Notebook as a pedagogical tool in a primary music classroom impacted students’ music making and responding and developed their metacognitive skills. Authentic music education is strongly linked to positive social-emotional, physical and academic developmental outcomes. While the importance of a quality music education is highly recognised, generalist trained teachers are commonly placed in the role and may lack confidence. This study used an action research approach with a generalist trained teacher-as-researcher in a Western Australian Year Six music classroom. Observations from video technology and interviews were used to consider how the …

Parents As Partners In Learning, Stephanie Louise Mcdonald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Globally, teachers and school leaders are increasingly encouraging parents to become more directly involved in their children’s schooling and academic development. This study was designed to support the parents of students who experience difficulty with academic learning via a school-based Parent Mindset Program comprised of three parent engagement workshops delivered fortnightly over six weeks by a teacher. The Program was designed to support participants to practice growth mindset knowledge and skills at home with their child and receive feedback to support skill mastery. Cognitive tools were used to create the social process essential for learning by providing a point of …

Cultural Diversity And Children’S Literature: Kindergarten Educators’ Practices To Support Principles Of Cultural Diversity Through Book Sharing, Helen Joanne Adam

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Since Australia became a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, the importance of recognising, valuing and respecting a child’s family, culture, language and values has been increasingly articulated in education policy. Diversity and inclusion are now central themes guiding the principles and quality measures of early childhood education and care as encompassed by the National Quality Framework, including both the National Quality Standard and the Early Years Learning Framework (Early Childhood Development Steering Committee, 2009). Children’s literature can be a powerful tool for extending children’s knowledge and understandings of themselves and others …

Factors Associated With Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, And Ptsd In Australian Paramedics, Timothy Rankin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background

Paramedics are at higher risk of anxiety, depression, burnout, and PTSD compared to the general population. Factors that have been associated with mental disorders include occupational stress, fatigue, sleep quality, chronic pain, physical activity, perceived social support, and overall quality of life. To date only a few of these factors have been investigated simultaneously in Australian paramedics.

Aim

This study aimed to investigate occupational stress, fatigue, sleep quality, chronic pain, physical activity, perceived social support, and overall quality of life, and their associations with anxiety, depression, burnout and PTSD in Australian paramedics.

Methods

Sixty-three paramedics, working for ambulance services …

How Exemplary Teachers Promote Scientific Reasoning And Higher Order Thinking In Primary Science, Barbara Kim Sherriff

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There is an emerging interest in the development of STEM capabilities to drive Australia’s future economy and workforce. As a consequence, the focus on the teaching of higher order thinking and scientific reasoning has intensified. Despite these efforts, Australia’s level of achievement on international benchmarking tests has not improved.

The aim of this PhD research was to investigate how exemplary teachers develop higher order thinking and scientific reasoning in primary science. The study drew on video data from the EQUALPRIME international research project, which explored quality primary science education in different cultures (ARC Discovery Project DP110101500).

This qualitative research examined …

Disability Access And Local Government: Co-Researching The City Of Bunbury’S Aim To Become The Most Accessible Regional City In Australia, Adam Johnson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study used Participatory Action Research (PAR) to investigate the facilitators of disability access in local government, with a focus on the City of Bunbury in Western Australia. In 2014, the City of Bunbury adopted a long-term aspirational goal to become the Most Accessible Regional City in Australia (MARCIA), and the findings and recommendations from this study are intended to inform strategic priorities for achieving that goal, including a potential change of corporate approach required to attain MARCIA status. The thesis critically evaluates the historical, cultural and systemic factors that have influenced accessibility and inclusion in the development of Bunbury’s …

Mobility Management In 5g Heterogeneous Networks, Mohammad Arifin Rahman Khan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In recent years, mobile data traffic has increased exponentially as a result of widespread popularity and uptake of portable devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. This growth has placed enormous stress on network service providers who are committed to offering the best quality of service to consumer groups. Consequently, telecommunication engineers are investigating innovative solutions to accommodate the additional load offered by growing numbers of mobile users.

The fifth generation (5G) of wireless communication standard is expected to provide numerous innovative solutions to meet the growing demand of consumer groups. Accordingly the ultimate goal is to achieve several key …

Factors Enabling A Successful Transition To Boarding School For Australian Aboriginal Students, Peter Barrett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Boarding school has been and continues to be an important stage in the educational experiences of many Aboriginal people living in remote communities in Northern Territory, Australia. The experience of moving away from family, land and community presents many challenges for students moving to boarding school and managing the dramatic transition between two vastly different cultures. This study focused on identifying the factors that help students successfully transition from a remote community to boarding school.

The study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach to investigate and analyse the experiences of Aboriginal students at a regional boarding school in the …

An Investigation Of Ict Policy Implementation In An Efl Teacher Education Program In Vietnam, Phan Thu Ngan Vo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Due to the increasing pace of advances in technology and attempts to integrate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) into education in Vietnam, teachers are now expected to make routine use of ICT in their teaching. The Vietnamese government has promulgated ambitious policies aimed at engaging in an increasingly globalised world and promoting the country’s economic development. These policies focus on education, and in particular, the development of ICT and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) competencies, seen as key requirements for greater international participation. The competencies of teachers are a major factor in the successful implementation of these educational changes. …

The Use Of Ict By Science Teachers In Middle Secondary Science Education In The Himalayan Kingdom Of Bhutan, Sampa Tshewang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research investigated Bhutanese middle secondary science teachers’ ICT knowledge, skills, perceptions and attitudes, patterns of ICT use, and associated factors linked to effective ICT implementation in their classrooms. The study was based on the hypothesis that the use of ICT in secondary science education in Bhutan was affected by the teachers’ attitudes and perceptions towards the use of ICT; their knowledge and skills related to ICT; their TPACK and the barriers associated with effective implementation of ICT.

The research was primarily an exploratory study accommodating a post-positivist approach employing mixed design of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A questionnaire …

Treatment Fidelity In The Very Early Rehabilitation In Speech (Verse) Randomised Controlled Trial: An Exploration Of Treatment For Aphasia, Emily Louise Brogan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background

Aphasia is a neurological condition that affects the expression and/or comprehension of language and can have considerable impact on a person’s quality of life. Treatment for aphasia from speech language pathologists is effective. However, more information is needed on the nature of effective intervention including consideration for what therapy is provided, when it is commenced and how it is delivered. Treatment fidelity is concerned with ensuring research treatment protocols are implemented as they were intended, which assists in uncovering the specifics of how and why treatments work. When treatment fidelity is investigated thoroughly, researchers and research consumers can be …

The Placenta And Cardiovascular Disease: A Meta-Analysis, Ruben Phillips

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The uterine environment in which a fetus grows and develops is now recognised as a risk factor for the development of adult diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). A fetus relies on the nutrients and conditions delivered via the placenta, and as such the placenta plays a vital role in the establishment and maintenance of appropriate uterine conditions. Unfavourable uterine conditions such as an inadequate resource flow from the placenta can lead to diminished growth of the fetus and may ultimately result in both short and long-term increases in risk of CVD for the baby. This has been demonstrated in …

The Application Of Maximal Mean And Critical Speed And Metabolic Powers For The Quantification Of External Load In Soccer, Cameron Nicholas Lord

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In Association football, often referred to as “soccer”, competitive match play is typically known to represent the greatest physical demand that players experience. The demands associated with match running performance may impact training outcomes and injury risk. As a result, practitioners evaluate these demands to ensure that performance is optimised. To assist in this process, global positioning systems (GPS) are typically used to quantify displacement variables and, more recently, the interaction between running speed and acceleration. However, traditional player monitoring methods tend to apply identical and somewhat arbitrary displacement, velocity and acceleration bands to describe movement “intensity”, and thus to …

Performance Practice In Hungarian Folk Music And Its Relationship To The Style Hongrois, Teresa Vinci

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates style and performance practice within the oral traditions of Hungarian folk music, and explores intersections with the nineteenth-century idiom style hongrois. Interviews, lessons, and workshops were undertaken as part of a practice-based immersive research experience, and comparisons with the style hongrois made via analysis of scores and recordings of Jeno Hubay (1858-1937). The research strives towards an ‘Historically Informed Performance’ specific to these styles, and explores how they can inform each other. Findings are presented through a dissertation and a CD recording “Never Far Away…” comprising the researcher’s violin performance as leader of an Hungarian folk …

Teacher Educators’ And Pre-Service Teachers’ Preparedness To Use Ict: A Western Australian Perspective, Huifen Jin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

With the ongoing development of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT), a wide variety of devices, software and apps are available that could be used in education. As a result, universities and schools are adopting different policies and strategies for integrating these new technologies. As teachers are a key element in the implementation of educational innovation, teacher educators and pre-service teachers need to be confident in using ICT effectively in teaching and learning.

This study proposed to investigate how teacher educators’ and pre-service teachers’ integration of ICT in their teaching and learning. A mixed methods design, that included both quantitative …