Education Commons^™

Older, Online And First: Recommendations For Retention And Success, Cathy Stone, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The university student population in Australia contains increasing numbers of older students returning to learning after a significant gap in their educational journey. Many are choosing to enrol online to combine their studies with other time-consuming responsibilities. This article examines the nature of this online student experience with a focus on those aged 25 and over who are the first in their families to embark on university studies. Drawing on interviews conducted with both staff and students operating in this virtual space, as well as other related research and literature, this article offers recommendations to higher education institutions and educators …

Water, Skin And Touch: Migrant Bathing Assemblages, Gordon R. Waitt, Louisa Welland

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper offers a contribution to cultures of urban water research through household ethnographies conducted with 16 participants who migrated from Burma to Sydney, Australia. We draw on a strand of corporeal feminism and offer the concept of bathing assemblages to interpret how watery skin encounters provide clues to how participants washed themselves in their 'home' country may persist, transform or stop. Our analysis maps how dimensions of the self (ethical, gender, class, ethnic, national faith and others) are constituted by, and generative of, the felt intensities of watery encounters through different bathing assemblages. This paper illustrates how bathing practices …

Association Between Breaks In Sitting Time And Adiposity In Australian Toddlers: Results From The Get-Up! Study, Eduarda Manuela De Sousa Rodrigues De Sa, Joao Rafael Rodrigues Pereira, Zhiguang Zhang, Sanne L.C Veldman, Anthony D. Okely, Rute Santos

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: In youth, research on the health benefits of breaking up sitting time is inconsistent. Our aim was to explore the association between the number of breaks in sitting time and adiposity in Australian toddlers. Methods: This study comprised 266 toddlers (52% boys), aged 19.6 ± 4.2 months from the GET-UP! Study, Australia. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and z-scores by age and sex were computed for waist circumference (WC). Participants were classified as overweight according to the WHO criteria for BMI. For WC, participants with a z-score≥1SD were considered overweight. Sitting time was assessed with activPALs during childcare …

Viewpoints: Should Teaching Students Who Fail A Literacy And Numeracy Test Be Barred From Teaching?, Lynn D. Sheridan, Nan Bahr

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Starting this month, teaching students who fail or haven't yet taken the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) will not be able to teach in Victorian schools. Previously, around one in 20 teachers who had failed the test or hadn't taken it yet received provisional registration. Prospective students who took the test late in 2018 received their results on January 11.

Scaffolding Feedback For Longer Term Knowledge Retention, Skye Playsted

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Coping, Caring And Believing: The Embodied Work Of Disaster Recovery Workers, Christine Eriksen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines the embodied experiences of coping, caring and believing by disaster recovery workers in Australia in the context of the growing frequency and intensity of disasters, especially bushfires. The study draws on three concepts: faith as performative, embodiment, and the 'holding environment' as a system that shapes coping capacity. Faith emerges in the study as having two modalities (introspection and group-communion) that are not synonymous with religious adherence. Instead it is linked to the holding environment, which comprises the strategies that individuals and groups have developed to cope with risks and exposure, through their embodied responses, and the …

Utilising The Social Return On Investment (Sroi) Framework To Gauge Social Value In The Fast Forward Program, Jioji Ravulo, Shannon Said, Jim Micsko, Gayl Purchase

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A market paradigm shift towards a 'knowledge-based economy' means Australia is moving towards a major skills crisis whereby the workforce will lack skills attainable from higher education. Moreover, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and who are confronted with disadvantage, still face challenges in gaining entry to university. The Fast Forward Program (FFP) aims to increase attainment of higher education for greater western Sydney high school students in years 9-12, with a focus on dismantling the social barriers preventing attainment. To achieve this aim, the program hosts a range of student and parent in-school workshops and on-campus visits. To capture the …

Subcortical Surface Morphometry In Substance Dependence: An Enigma Addiction Working Group Study, Yann Chye, Scott Mackey, Boris Gutman, Christopher Ching, Albert Batalla, Sara Blaine, Samantha Brooks, Elisabeth Caparelli, Janna Cousijn, Alain Dagher, John Foxe, Anna Goudriaan, Robert Hester, Kent Hutchison, Neda Jahanshad, Anne Kaag, Ozlem Korucuoglu, Chiang-Shan R. Li, Edythe D. London, Valentina Lorenzetti, Maartje Luijten, Rocio Martin-Santos, Shashwath Meda, Reza Momenan, Angelica M. Morales, Catherine Orr, Martin P. Paulus, Godfrey Pearlson, Liesbeth Reneman, Lianne Schmaal, Rajita Sinha, Nadia Solowij, Dan J. Stein, Elliot A. Stein, Deborah Tang, Anne Uhlmann, Ruth Van Holst, Dick Veltman, Antonio Verdejo-Garcia, Reinout Wiers, Murat Yucel, Paul M. Thompson, Patricia Conrod, Hugh Garavan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

2019 Society for the Study of Addiction While imaging studies have demonstrated volumetric differences in subcortical structures associated with dependence on various abused substances, findings to date have not been wholly consistent. Moreover, most studies have not compared brain morphology across those dependent on different substances of abuse to identify substance-specific and substance-general dependence effects. By pooling large multinational datasets from 33 imaging sites, this study examined subcortical surface morphology in 1628 nondependent controls and 2277 individuals with dependence on alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, methamphetamine, and/or cannabis. Subcortical structures were defined by FreeSurfer segmentation and converted to a mesh surface to …

Transformational Adaptation On The Farm: Processes Of Change And Persistence In Transitions To 'Climate-Smart' Regenerative Agriculture, Hannah Gosnell, Nicholas J. Gill, Michelle A. Voyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Regenerative agriculture, an alternative form of food and fiber production, concerns itself with enhancing and restoring resilient systems supported by functional ecosystem processes and healthy, organic soils capable of producing a full suite of ecosystem services, among them soil carbon sequestration and improved soil water retention. As such, climate change mitigation and adaptation are incidental to a larger enterprise that employs a systems approach to managing landscapes and communities. The transformative potential of regenerative agriculture has seen growing attention in the popular press, but few empirical studies have explored the processes by which farmers enter into, navigate, and, importantly, sustain …

Own A Bike You Never Ride? We Need To Learn How To Fail Better At Active Transport, Glen Fuller, Gordon R. Waitt, Ian M. Buchanan, Tess Lea, Theresa Harada

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Once upon a time when something was simple to do we said: "It's as easy as riding a bike." But switching from driving a car to riding a bike as one's main means of transport is anything but easy. The well-documented obstacles holding people back from cycling include a lack of proper bike lanes, secure parking arrangements, end-of-trip facilities and bike-friendly public transport, as well as lack of convenient storage space. Despite these obstacles, people continue to try to make cycling a central part of their lives, with varying degrees of success. While we know broadly what the impediments are, …

People From Refugee And Asylum Seeking Backgrounds: An Open Access Annotated Bibliography (2nd Edition), Sally Baker, Georgina Ramsay, Megan Rose, Anja Wendt, Prasheela Karan, Priyanka Bose, Neriman Coskun, Skye Playsted, Simon Williams, Anna Xavier, Angela Yang

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This open access annotated bibliography has been curated by a collective of scholars who share an interest in the impacts of forced migration on people from refugee, asylum seeking and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) migrant backgrounds. These resources are intended to be shared with the international community of researchers, students, educators and practitioners who work with, or are interested in, forced migration, education, employment and resettlement.

Maths Anxious Pre-Service Teachers' Perspectives Of "Doing" Mathematics In A Whiteboard Room, Sarah Sanders, Wendy S. Nielsen, Carolyn Mcphail, Patricia A. Forrester

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Mathematics anxiety is common among pre-service primary teachers and many experience higher levels of maths anxiety than other university students. This study asks: What are maths anxious pre-service teachers' perspectives of "doing" mathematics in a whiteboard room? The Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (A-MARS) was used to identify high, medium and low levels of maths anxiety in a cohort of first-year pre-service teachers (n=196). Semi-structured interviews (n=6) explored perspectives that were analysed through Vygotsky's sociocultural dimensions of the intrapersonal and the interpersonal, as well as the physical environment of the whiteboard room. Results show that doing maths in a whiteboard …

Physical Activity And Screen Time In Out Of School Hours Care: An Observational Study, Carol Maher, Rosa Virgara, Anthony D. Okely, Rebecca M. Stanley, Millie Watson, Lucy Lewis

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

This study aimed to describe, and identify predictors of, physical activity and screen time in children attending out of school hours care (OSHC).

Method

Twenty-three randomly selected OSHC centres (n = 1068 children) participated in this observational, cross-sectional study. Service directors completed interviews regarding policy, training, scheduling and equipment related to physical activity and screen time. Children’s activity behaviours (moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light physical activity, sedentary time and screen time) were measured using standardised direct observation.

Results

Directors’ interviews revealed a lack of formal policy guiding physical activity and screen time. Time spent in activity …

My Children... Think It's Cool That Mum Is A Uni Student: Women With Caring Responsibilities Studying Online, Cathy Stone, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Much has been written about the growing influence and reach of online learning in higher education, including the opportunities that this can offer for improving student equity and widening participation. One area of student equity in which online learning has an influence is that of gender equity, particularly for mature-age students. This article explicitly explores how the dual identities of student and family carer are managed by women studying online. It highlights the largely invisible yet emotional and time-consuming additional load that many women are carrying and discusses the importance of this being recognised and accommodated at an institutional level. …

"A Passion And Enthusiasm To Bring Out The Best In All": Regional Candidate Teacher Motivations, Lynn D. Sheridan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this study the career motivations and values of regional candidate teachers are investigated using a mixed methodology. Expectancy-value theory (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000) supports the understanding of motivations through the use of four key value categories: interest, utility, attainment and cost. A total of 135 pre-service teachers were surveyed using a modified survey instrument. This study addresses a gap in career motivational literature by exploring the motivations of regional teacher candidates. Current research indicates that quality staffing in Australian regional schools remains a significant concern. Findings indicated that candidates' motivations tended to be aspirational, yet there also exist strong …

Cruel Optimism? Socially Critical Perspectives On The Obesity Assemblage, Lisette Burrows, Deana Leahy, Jan Wright

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Socially critical scholars in Health and Physical Education (HPE) have been raising questions about the ethical, moral and social consequences of charging schools with the burden of ameliorating an ‘obesity’ problem for years, yet there is little sign of any substantial shift in the thinking that drives obesity strategies and policies in and around schools. Drawing on exemplars from our own and others’ practice, we interrogate the extent to which socially critical obesity work, and post-structural work, in particular, can contribute to new understandings of the ‘obesity assemblage’. Can our own repetitive aspirations to disrupt dominant discourses be regarded as …

Focusing On An Illusion: Accommodating To Perceived Depth?, Trent Koessler, Harold C. Hill

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Ocular accommodation potentially provides information about depth but there is little evidence that this information is used by the human visual system. We use the hollow-face illusion, an illusion of depth reversal, to investigate whether accommodation is linked to perceived depth. In Experiment 1 accommodation, like vergence, was in front of the physical surface of the mask when the mask was upright and people reported experiencing the illusion. Accommodation to the illusory face did not differ significantly from accommodation to the physically convex back surface of the same mask. Only accommodation to the inverted mask seen as hollow was significantly …

Vection Strength Increases With Simulated Eye-Separation, Stephen Palmisano, Rodney G. Davies, Kevin R. Brooks

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Research has previously shown that adding consistent stereoscopic information to self-motion displays can improve the vection in depth induced in physically stationary observers. In some past studies, the simulated eye-separation was always close to the observer's actual eye-separation, as the aim was to examine vection under ecological viewing conditions that provided consistent binocular and monocular self-motion information. The present study investigated whether large discrepancies between the observer's simulated and physical eye-separations would alter the vection-inducing potential of stereoscopic optic flow (either helping, hindering, or preventing the induction of vection). Our self-motion displays simulated eye-separations of 0 cm (the non-stereoscopic control), …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Thai Alcohol Policy In Regulating Alcohol Industry's Marketing Strategies And Commercial Activities, Ratchakorn Kaewpramkusol, Kate Senior, Sutham Nanthamongkolchai, Richard D. Chenhall

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction and Aims: The recognition of the association between the use of alcohol and negative health outcomes have led to the endorsement of the World Health Organization's global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. Given the capacities, capabilities and sociocultural contexts of Thailand, this study aims to examine the Thai alcohol policy against the global strategy's recommended policy measures for marketing control and identify areas for further policy development.

Design and Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the stakeholders from three sectors: the government, academia and civil society. Their perceptions of the Thai alcohol policy in …

The Association Between Perceived Household Educational Support And Hiv Risk In Young Women In A Rural South African Community (Hptn 068): A Cross Sectional Study, Jessica Price, Audrey Pettifor, Amanda Selin, Ryan Wagner, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Yaw Agyei, Francesc Xavier Gomez-Olive, Kathleen Kahn

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To characterise perceived household support for female education and the associations between educational support and HIV prevalence, HSV-2 prevalence and sexual risk behaviours. Methods This cross-sectional study used baseline survey data from the Swa Koteka HPTN 068 trial undertaken in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The study included 2533 young women aged 13–20, in grades 8–11 at baseline. HIV and HSV-2 status were determined at baseline. Information about patterns of sexual behaviour and household support for education was collected during the baseline survey. Linear regression and binary logistic regression were used to determine associations between household support for education and both …

#Metoo Has Changed The Media Landscape, But In Australia There Is Still Much To Be Done, Bianca Fileborn, Rachel E. Loney-Howes, Sophie Hindes

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Emerging in October 2017 in response to allegations of sexual assault perpetrated by Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, #MeToo highlighted the potential for traditional and social media to work together to generate global interest in gender-based violence. Within 24 hours, survivors around the world had used the hashtag 12 million times.

An Internet-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Program (Time2bhealthy) For Parents Of Preschool-Aged Children: Randomized Controlled Trial, Megan Hammersley, Anthony D. Okely, Marijka Batterham, Rachel A. Jones

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

BACKGROUND: Electronic health (eHealth) obesity programs offer benefits to traditionally delivered programs and have shown promise in improving obesity-related behaviors in children. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a parent-focused, internet-based healthy lifestyle program for preschool-aged children, who are overweight or at or above the fiftieth percentile for body mass index (BMI) for their age and sex, on child BMI, obesity-related behaviors, parent modeling, and parent self-efficacy. METHODS: The Time2bHealthy randomized controlled trial was conducted in Australia, during 2016 to 2017. Participants were recruited both online and through more traditional means within the community. Parent or carer, …

Objective Measurement Of Tummy Time In Infants (0-6 Months): A Validation Study, Lyndel Hewitt, Rebecca M. Stanley, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The 2017 Australian and Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines recommend infants receive 30 minutes of tummy time daily. Currently, there are no validated objective measurement tools or devices to assess tummy time. The purpose of this study was to: 1) test the practicality of using devices on infants as an objective measure of tummy time, and 2) test the accuracy of developed algorithms and cut-points for predicting prone posture. Thirty-two healthy infants aged 4 to 25 weeks completed a protocol of 12 positions. Infants were placed in each position for 3 minutes while wearing a MonBaby (chest), GENEActiv (right hip) and …

Opportunities For Better Use Of Collective Action Theory In Research And Governance For Invasive Species Management, Sonia Graham, Alexander Metcalf, Nicholas J. Gill, Rebecca Niemiec, Carlo Moreno, Thomas Bach, Victoria Ikutegbe, Lars Hallstrom, Zhao Ma, Alice Lubeck

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Controlling invasive species presents a public-good dilemma. Although environmental, social, and economic benefits of control accrue to society, costs are borne by only a few individuals and organizations. For decades, policy makers have used incentives and sanctions to encourage or coerce individual actors to contribute to the public good, with limited success. Diverse, subnational efforts to collectively manage invasive plants, insects, and animals provide effective alternatives to traditional command-and-control approaches. Despite this work, there has been little systematic evaluation of collective efforts to determine whether there are consistent principles underpinning success. We reviewed 32 studies to identify the extent to …

The Value Of Movement Content Knowledge In The Training Of Australian Pe Teachers: Perceptions Of Teacher Educators, Erik R. Backman, Philip J. Pearson, Gregory J. Forrest

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this paper is to describe, analyse and discuss the statements made by Australian physical education teacher educators (PETE) in terms of how they perceive and value movement content knowledge (CK) in their assessment of movement courses. Drawing on Shulman's perspective of CK, this paper builds on qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with nine teacher educators from a total of seven PETE universities in New South Wales as well as written unit outlines including assignments from these PETE universities. The main results from the study show that among the participants, movement CK is conceptualised as physical movement performance. …

Perspectives Of Australian Policy-Makers On The Potential Benefits And Risks Of Technologically Enhanced Communicable Disease Surveillance - A Modified Delphi Survey, Christopher J. Degeling, Jane Johnson, Gwendolyn L. Gilbert

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Event-based social media monitoring and pathogen whole genome sequencing (WGS) will enhance communicable disease surveillance research and systems. If linked electronically and scanned systematically, the information provided by these technologies could be mined to uncover new epidemiological patterns and associations much faster than traditional public health approaches. The benefits of earlier outbreak detection are significant, but implementation could be opposed in the absence of a social licence or if ethical and legal concerns are not addressed. Methods: A three-phase mixed-method Delphi survey with Australian policy-makers, health practitioners and lawyers (n = 44) was conducted to explore areas of consensus …

Raising Retention Rates Towards Achieving Vocational And Career Aspirations In Pacific Communities, Jioji Ravulo

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There is a need for culturally relevant and appropriate retention pro- grams within a climate of ever-increasing neo-liberalism that is seeking to change the very nature and underlying rationale of higher education. This article is posited alongside the reflections of past and current university students, who highlight various socio-economic and socio- cultural pressures which affect their ability to maintain engagement within tertiary institutions in which they strive to study. Pressures include the neo-liberal ideology of unfettered individualism within a higher education setting, which seeks to make the university a competitive producer of 'consumers' rather than life-long learners who serve and …

Environmental Values, Knowledge And Behaviour: Contributions Of An Emergent Literature On The Role Of Ethnicity And Migration, Lesley M. Head, Natascha Klocker, Ikerne Aguirre-Bielschowsky

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Amidst calls for paradigm shifts in environmental scholarship, we track an emergent literature on how environmental values, knowledge and behaviour (EVKB) change (or not) with the migration process. We focus on the role of Majority World migrants to the Minority World. Large-scale survey research into EVKB is beginning to consider both ethnicity and migration history as important variables, but tends to leave the concepts of environment and environmental behaviour unexamined. Western EVKB indicators thus tend to be universalized rather than understood as themselves culturally specific. An emergent literature attempts to improve both quantitative and qualitative research on EVKB by broadening …

Comparing Regulatory And Non-Regulatory Indices Of Early Childhood Education And Care (Ecec) Quality In The Australian Early Childhood Sector, Iram Siraj, Steven J. Howard, Denise Kingston, Cathrine Marguerite Neilsen-Hewett, Edward Melhuish, Marc De Rosnay

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study examines associations between Australia's regulatory ratings of quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC)-the National Quality Standard (NQS)-and two research-based quality rating scales. The analytic sample consisted of 257 ECEC services across three Australian states. Results indicated (1) modest positive associations between NQS ratings and scale scores; (2) some specificity between NQS quality areas (educational programs and practice; relationships with children) and one research scale-the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Wellbeing (SSTEW) scale; (3) variability in quality scales scores within each NQS designation; and (4) mitigation of these associations when the time-gap between ratings exceeded 24 months. …

Understanding Collaborative Teacher Teams As Open Systems For Professional Development, Kylie Lipscombe, Kellie A. Buckley-Walker, Peter Mcnamara

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Teacher collaboration continues to be deeply grounded within effective professional development. Teacher teams, where small groups of teachers work together in teaching and learning, have become progressively more popular and are considered one of the most effective approaches to improvement and growth. However, teacher teams are situated within a school system where interrelated sets of elements, such as resources and priorities, interact and impact on their work. These interactions can both enable and constrain the necessary conditions of members working effectively together but also their capabilities in producing a meaningful impact on the school organization. As such, paying attention to …