Education Commons^™

Rural Families In The Digital Age- An Inforgraphic, Guy Trainin, Ladonna A. Werth, Mary Masur

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

This infographic describes the results of a survey in rural north Nebraska asking about family use of digital devices, their concerns and hopes for digital learning.

A Phenomenological Study Of Highly Achieving Elementary School Students Despite Lack Of Parental Involvement, John Ralph Mckinley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover how certain students achieved academic success despite the lack of parental involvement. Eight students in grades 4-6 at Riverton Elementary School were selected for the study. The name Riverton Elementary School is a pseudonym. Pseudonyms were used in this study for the name and location of the school and also used for the names of students, teachers, and parents. This study asked what is it about highly achieving students' culture which makes them achieve at high levels despite the lack of parental involvement? What habits do these highly achieving students possess? …

Reducing Electronic Media Use In 2-3 Year-Old Children: Feasibility And Efficacy Of The Family@Play Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial, Trina Hinkley, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Participation in electronic media use among 2-3 year olds is high and associated with adverse health and developmental outcomes. This study sought to test the feasibility and potential efficacy of a family-based program to decrease electronic media (EM) use in 2-3-year-old children. Methods Family@play was a six-session pilot randomised controlled trial delivered to parents of 2-3 year-old children from August to September 2012 in a community environment in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Development of program content was guided by Social Cognitive and Family Systems Theories. The primary outcome was children's electronic media use. Secondary outcomes …

Why First-In-Family Uni Students Should Receive More Support, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Many university students fall into one of the six “equity groups” that receive targeted funding. However, there is one group that has for too long been ignored as a group that needs extra assistance in making it through university.

The six targeted equity groups include those:

• from lower socioeconomic backgrounds: currently measured by permanent home postcode

• from rural and isolated areas: measured by permanent postcode, population density data and proximity to cities

• with a disability (self-identified on enrolment)

• from a non-English-speaking background (those born overseas and who speak a language other than English)

• women in non-traditional areas of study; and …

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'University Wasn't Spoken About At Home, It Was Just Assumed That We Would Start Working…': First-In-Family Students, Family Capital And Higher Education Participation, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The increases in the number of students attending higher education, particularly those who are the first in their immediate family to attend university provided the impetus for the study outlined in this article. Whilst previous research has explored the qualitative experience of being a first in family student, very few studies have explicitly focussed on how attending university interacts and impacts upon the immediate family of the learner. Drawing upon in-depth semi-structured interviews, this article will detail the findings from a small-scale study conducted in an Australian university that explored the interaction of the family home place and students' enactment …

Arriving, Surviving, And Succeeding: First-In-Family Women And Their Experiences Of Transitioning Into The First Year Of University, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article outlines a qualitative narrative inquiry study conducted within Australia that focused on a group of female students commencing university, all of whom were the first in their family to pursue higher education. During 1 year of academic study, 17 women participated in periodic interviews as each moved through the year. By following the students, the study reveals a very different perspective on the student experience, one that is often missing in policy documents and university discourse, which can place these students within a deficit discourse. Instead, by approaching this topic from a strengths perspective, the intent was to …

A Community To Call Home: An Analysis Of The Southern Youth And Family Services' (Syfs) Approaches To Reducing Youth Homelessness And Disadvantage, Lynne M. Keevers

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The NSW government's stated approach to the reduction and prevention of homelessness is focused on ensuring service approaches are evidenced-based and funding is needs-based (NSW Department of Family & Community Services, 2012). Despite the recognition of homelessness in the research and policy agenda, relatively little has been published about the practices effective in assisting young people to avoid or exit homelessness. The findings from this study build on previous research and inform this developing policy and research area by contributing to the evidence on what works well in supporting young people who are homeless or at risk ofhomelessness

"I Generally Say I Am A Mum First . . . But I'M Studying At Uni": The Narratives Of First-In-Family, Female Caregivers Transitioning Into An Australian University, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The university student experience is both evolving and diverse. Increasing numbers of older students are accessing universities worldwide, and also access for student equity groups is a key policy driver in countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, United States, and others. However, among this change and flux, how individuals manage their transition into this environment with reference to new and existing identities is worthy of further exploration. This article draws on 2 separate but complementary Australian research projects that explored the experiences of students who had all commenced university after a significant gap in learning. The participants that feature …

Filling Up Silences-First In Family Students, Capital And University Talk In The Home, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Internationally, research has indicated that returning to education for older learners provides the means for growth and change, for some students this can translate into a sense of 'empowerment' and control in their personal lives. However, what is not so well researched is how having a significant 'other' present within the university landscape impacts the household and other family members. Exploring how this return to education influences others provides a basis for institutional approaches to engaging with and supporting the lifelong learning of family members, ultimately assisting in the access and participation of current and future generations. This article draws …

Breaking The Barriers: Supporting And Engaging First-In-Family University Learners And Their Families, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Josephine May, Cathy Stone

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Universities attract students from a wide range of backgrounds, yet equity of access and participation for all potential students remains elusive. Access and participation is highly differentiated in the United Kingdom, North America and Australia (Abbott-Chapman, 2006; Couvillion-Landry, 2002-2003; Forsyth & Furlong, 2003; James, 2008; Schuetze & Slowey, 2002) and poorer educational outcomes for students who are first-in-family (FiF) are recorded globally (ABS, 2013; Harrell & Forney, 2003; Lehmann, 2009; National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2012). The international research on this group indicates that they are collectively less likely to go to university and also, after arrival, may not …

'Beware Justice Advocates Bearing Gifts': A Commentary On The Glorification Of Family Group Conferencing, Juan M. Tauri

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Book review of A gift to the world: The youth justice family group conference, by Carolyn Henwood and Stephen Stratford, published by the Henwood Trust (2014).