Digital Commons Network^™

Attitudes Towards Immigration-Relevant Decision-Making: The Roles Of Fairness Judgements And National Identity, Tessa Phipps

Theses : Honours

The worldwide movement of migrants has increased rapidly in recent years and the resulting increase in cultural diversity can lead to tensions in receiving societies. In the Australian context, while negative attitudes towards Australia’s immigration intake remain the minority, such attitudes have increased over the past two years. Concepts of fairness, both procedural and distributive, have been shown to be important factors in attitudes towards immigrants and the very nature of the immigration context brings to the fore concepts of in- and out-group dynamics and national identity. This study created a reliable procedural fairness scale for utilisation in the immigration …

Public Perceptions Of The Perth Drug Court As A Mechanism For Dealing With Drug Related Crime, Dominic Jordan

Theses : Honours

In the last two decades, drug courts have been introduced throughout Australia, to address the issue of drug related crime. Drug courts aim to reduce criminal recidivism by placing drug dependent offenders into intensive supervision and treatment programs. Research has revealed that drug courts, including the Perth Drug Court, can reduce criminal recidivism in offenders for whom drug use is a dynamic risk factor for their criminal behaviour. Currently however, little is known about the public’s knowledge and perceptions of drug courts. The aim of the current study was to determine the perceptions of a sample of the Western Australian …

Harmonious, Obsessive Or Altruistic? Why Employees Remain In The Not For Profit Sector, Ronelle Toop

Theses : Honours

The Not-For-Profit (NFP) sector is commonly described as having issues recruiting and retaining talented employees. This phenomenon places additional pressure on employees in the sector and has a negative impact on NFP organisational performance. NFP organisations are often prone to voluntary turnover pressure due to poor remuneration, poor working conditions, and onerous duties (Colleran, Gilchrist, & Morris, 2010). The majority of research in the NFP sector has focussed on the retention of volunteers. However, this study will explore the issue of retaining employees within the sector, in order to improve longevity of tenure and subsequent organisational performance.

There is a …

Self-Efficacy And Nutrition Knowledge Of Parents In Western Australia, Karen Lombardi

Theses : Honours

Background: Poor dietary choices and increasingly sedentary lifestyles mean childhood obesity is an increasing problem. Parents have the capacity to significantly affect the food choice of children; therefore by improving their self-efficacy, their nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, and by providing access to sound nutritional information, the health of children may be improved.

Purpose: This research sought to gather preliminary information required to inform the development of nutrition education materials for parents, which will parallel those currently under development for teaching children in schools as part of the Australian curriculum. Research has demonstrated that while educating children about healthy eating …

Towards An Understanding Of The Grey Nomad Consumer, Mandy Pickering

Theses : Honours

This exploratory study applied a grounded approach to the collection and analysis of data. The study investigated the consumption behaviours utilised by a sample of Grey Nomads who subscribed to an eco·camping philosophy and who occupied their own caravans for accommodation whilst travelling. The aim was to examine the growing phenomenon of Grey Nomads who travelled in Western Australia in order to obtain insight into the group as consumers. Thirty nine informants (n=39) were interviewed where an understanding of the primary concerns of informants could be achieved. Informants were recruited who were over 60 years of age, travelled for a …

A Study Of Australian Managers' Perceptions Of The Internet, Roman Vargha

Theses : Honours

Despite its young age the Internet has grown to become a significant new medium for businesses and their customers. The existing literature suggests that some businesses are not going on-line whilst others are: embracing the new technology, but as yet little research has been conducted as to the reasons for this difference in take-up rate. Even less research has been conducted from an Australian perspective, with most research originating in the United States. This preliminary study explored the differing perceptions of eight Perth-based managers of businesses that are on-line compared to those that are not on-line. Of particular interest was …

A Study Of The Benefits Of Reflection By Journal Writing In Mathematical Learning And Attitudes In The Primary School, Sally Edmonds

Theses : Honours

This descriptive study examines journal writing for the purpose of identifying aspects of children's mathematical reflective ability. It was hypothesised that encouragement to engage with the process of mathematics by reflective writing would reveal and assist learning, and give children a vehicle through which they could express their attitudes about the mathematics they were learning. The aim of this study was to find answers to the following question: How does the keeping of a mathematical journal reveal children's understandings of the mathematics they are learning? Other questions related to the study were: -What evidence is there from the journals about …

Secondary Non-Art Teachers' Perceptions Of Characteristics Of An Effective Art Teacher, Christine M. Morton-Lo

Theses : Honours

Since 1986, the offering of art in secondary schools as a Tertiary Entrance Examination subject has secured its position as a school subject. However, there is increasing pressure on art and on other subjects offered in secondary schools in Western Australia, to demonstrate a contribution to Australia's social, economic and cultural priorities. In an increasingly competitive educational environment, all subjects need to negotiate viable positions as courses of study. As a result of the implementation of the Better Schools Report 1987, school-based decision-making groups have been established to assume responsibility for matters which had previously been the concern of a …

Teachers' Concerns About Implementing Environmental Education Through Their Classroom Programmes, Karen Malone

Theses : Honours

This study examined the concerns of teachers when implementing environmental education into classroom programmes. A metropolitan district of Perth was used for data collection. Four schools and thirteen teachers participated in the study. The measure of concern was calculated using the Stages of Concern Questionnaire. The concerns were then subjected to a SAS computing analysis· programme to determine the relationship between level of concern and predetermined factors. These factors were personal factors: teaching experience; knowledge of the principles of environmental education; colleague support and year level taught; and school-level factors: the presence of school policies; participation in inservices or workshops; …

A Gender Analysis Of Teacher Feedback In Coeducational Secondary Physical Education Lessons, Paul R. Watson

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the verbal feedback distribution patterns of teachers in coeducational secondary physical education lessons were gender equitable. Previous literature indicated that inequality in verbal interaction and feedback existed in coeducational secondary physical education classes. This inequality tended to favour males to the disadvantage of females.

Fourteen lessons by male teachers and fourteen lessons by female teachers were video-recorded. The study utilized a modification of the systematic behaviour observation instrument developed by Siedentop (1983). Data obtained were categorized for analysis and interpretation. Statistical procedures were applied to establish the significance of the findings. …

Student Perceptions Of The Transition From Year 10 To Year 11, Tim Mcdonald

Theses : Honours

Issues associated with the transition from Year 10 to Year 11 have largely been ignored by researchers. Previous research has predominantly focussed on the primary to secondary transition experience. The existing problem of lower school to upper school transition has been compounded by the increased importance of upper school and the rising retention rates. This study investigated student perceptions of the transition from Year 10 to Year 11. It explored student concerns encountered in the transition and the differences they perceived between Year 10 and Year 11 after having entered Year 11. A case study approach, incorporating both qualitative and …

Nurses' Attitudes To The Nursing Process, Glenda M. Prideaux

Theses : Honours

The nursing process was 'introduced in Australia in the mid 1970s, as a teaching tool, however, with the advent of tertiary based education in the late 1970s, it was used as a problem solving approach to the practice of nursing. Acceptance of the nursing process has required changes' in attitudes and practice. The objectives of the study were firstly, to describe nurses' attitudes to the nursing process, and. secondly, to relate these attitudes to education and experience. The purpose of this study was to describe nurses' attitudes to the nursing process because they are reported to influence the standards or …

Base-Line Equivalence In Three Paired Groups Prior To The Implementation Of Primary Nursing, Julien Harris

Theses : Honours

Primary nursing, one of the methods advocated for assigning nurses to care for patients, has been the subject of much investigation. The value of the system remains unclear. A review of the literature indicated a lack of consensus with positive, equivocal, and negative findings. This study formed phase one of a collaborative Project which measures the effects of the implementation of primary nursing over a two year period. This portion of the Project studies the base-line data of three paired nursing units, to determine whether there was evidence of base-line equivalence of the study and control groups, as determined by …

Clinically Practising Nurses' Perceptions Of Professionalism, Diane E. Twigg

Theses : Honours

This study describes clinically practising nurses’ perceptions of professionalism and compares these with reports of nurses’ perceptions of professionalism in the published literature. A phenomenological approach was chosen to identify and interpret the phenomena (professionalism). Ten Registered Nurses representing a range of clinical nursing positions were interviewed on the subject. Data were analysed using an interpretive methodology which identified themes and meanings. Credibility of results was established through participant validation of the identified themes and meanings and by researcher and data triangulation. The study identified six themes common to all participants’ descriptions: expertise based upon a sound education, continued learning, …

Personal Practice Of And Beliefs About Breast Self Examination In Students Of Nursing, Charles Lancaster

Theses : Honours

Epidemiological data reveal that breast cancer is a major health problem to women today. Although there are no known means for preventing it, detection and early diagnosis of breast cancer can be readily made through Breast Self Examination (BSE), an inexpensive, non-invasive, cost--effective procedure undertaken by women themselves. Yet, while most women have heard of BSE, very few perform it. By employing Pender's (1987) Health Promotion Model (HPM) as the theoretical nursing framework, it is possible to study reasons for this noncompliance. In this study, two areas are looked at specifically: perceived susceptibility to breast cancer and perceived benefits from …

Personal And Professional Practices Of Breast Self-Examination In Nurses, Julia Agars

Theses : Honours

Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer in females in Western Australia (W.A.). Despite technological advances the death rate from breast cancer is not decreasing. With the hope of reducing the mortality rates, preventative measures are being encouraged for the early detection of breast cancer. The Cancer Foundation of W.A. promote the performance of Breast Self Examination (BSE) on a monthly basis. The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency of BSE practice amongst nurses and the incidence of nurses teaching BSE to patients. The Health Belief Model (HBM) is used as a theoretical framework. This model …