Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Teaching Spelling In Context Can Also Be Explicit And Systematic, Tessa Daffern, Kathy Thompson, Luke Ryan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article shares a few practical insights from an intervention study that focussed on building teacher capacity for effective instruction in spelling. For the study, four schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) were selected to participate through a stratified random sampling process. In total, 572 students across 31 classes in Years 3 to 6 participated. Of the 31 classes, 14 were involved in a ten-week intervention while the remaining 17 classes formed a 'comparison' group whereby a 'business as usual' approach to teaching spelling was adopted.

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.

#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.

People With Epilepsy Aren't Protected In Africa: What Needs To Be Done, Jacob Mugumbate

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In October 2017 Abdul Matola was stoned and burnt to death in Malawi after being accused of being a "bloodsucking vampire". Matola had lived with uncontrolled epilepsy -- a highly treatable and non-infectious condition characterised by recurring seizures.

Should Women Aged 70-74 Be Invited To Participate In Screening Mammography? A Report On Two Australian Community Juries, Christopher J. Degeling, Alexandra Barratt, Sanchia Aranda, Robin J. Bell, Jenny Doust, Nehmat Houssami, Jolyn Hersch, Ruben Sakowsky, Vikki A. Entwistle, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To elicit informed views from Australian women aged 70-74 regarding the acceptability of ceasing to invite women their age to participate in government-funded mammography screening (BreastScreen). Design Two community juries held in 2017. Setting Greater Sydney, a metropolis of 4.5 million people in New South Wales, Australia. Participants 34 women aged 70-74 with no personal history of breast cancer, recruited by random digit dialling and previously randomly recruited list-based samples. Main outcomes and measures Jury verdict and rationale in response to structured questions. We transcribed audio-recorded jury proceedings and identified central reasons for the jury's decision. Results The women's …

Can Our Cities' Thriving Creative Precincts Be Saved From 'Renewal'?, Christopher R. Gibson, Alexandra Crosby, Carl Grodach, Craig Lyons, Justin O'Connor, Xin Gu

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Governments are busily rezoning our cities for high-rise apartments. The New South Wales government, for example, plans to rezone a 20-kilometre corridor in Sydney, from Sydenham to Bankstown, for urban density, in concert with a new metro rail line. Residents and community groups have reacted vociferously to the prospects of high-rise buildings in previously low-density suburbs. But there is another, overlooked dimension to the redevelopment. Much of it is on industrial land: pockets of old factories and workshops, portrayed as decrepit and in need of renewal. Our new project documents enterprises that actually use urban industrial lands. It's a story …

Don't Ignore The Mobility Scooter. It May Just Be The Future Of Transport, Thomas Birtchnell, Gordon R. Waitt, Theresa Harada

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Are mobility scooters harbingers of a future where small and versatile electric vehicles roam our cities?

Judicial Indigenous Cross-Cultural Training: What Is Available, How Good Is It And Can It Be Improved?, Vanessa I. Cavanagh, Elena Marchetti

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Australian Indigenous focused cross-cultural professional development for the judiciary is an evolving area. In other professional service sectors, such as health and education, cultural safety is becoming the benchmark. However, for the Australian justice sector cultural awareness, and to a lesser extent cultural competency, dominate discussion, and cultural safety is only an emerging discourse. Most judicial officers (indeed most Australian public servants and legal practitioners) would be familiar with the concept of Indigenous cultural awareness as part of their standard professional development training, however, the significance of cultural competency, and the application of cultural safety principles are less well recognised. …

The Lessons To Be Learned Now The Abc's Pulled Its 'Inaccurate' Wi-Fried Program, Rodney J. Croft

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The ABC has this week announced that an episode of its Catalyst television program "breached the ABC's impartiality standards" when it raised concerns about the safety of wireless devices such as mobile phones.

The episode, titled Wi-Fried? and broadcast on February 16 this year, claimed that the radiofrequency (RF) emissions from Wi-Fi was causing health effects ranging from DNA damage to cancer.

Such statements are not mainstream scientific positions, but rather are views that leading health authorities have considered when concluding that there is no evidence that low-level RF, such as that from Wi-Fi, mobile phones or base stations, impairs …

Sexual Harassment And Gender Discrimination In Wildland Fire Management Must Be Addressed, Christine Eriksen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Sexual harassment and gender discrimination are behavioral patterns not uncommon in the many varied settings of wildland fire. Whether in the classroom, on the fireline, in a government or non-governmental organization office, women and men are subjected to and are targets of sexual harassment and gender discrimination on a daily basis. The prevalence of this issue, its causes, its impacts, and potential solutions are the foci of this Associa- tion for Fire Ecology (AFE) position paper.

What Should Be Taught By Teachers, And What By Parents?, Pauline Lysaght

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Who taught you to tell the time, to tie your shoelaces or to write your name? I have memories of my parents and teachers taking a hand in helping me to learn these skills as a small child. But what about more challenging tasks - who taught you to analyse a poem or to solve equations? Mr Williamson, my favourite teacher, taught the principles of algebra to our class and patiently went over the information until it started to make some sense to me. I also remember my parents encouraging me to practise what I was learning in class and …

Can You Be Allergic To Your Wi-Fi?, Sarah P. Loughran

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Electromagnetic fields are all around us. They are a part of our natural environment, produced by the Earth and the sun. But they are also becoming increasingly prominent with advancements in technology, such that we are surrounded daily by many different sources of electromagnetic energy. Mobile phones, Wi-Fi, personal computers, smart meters, radio, television and even the TV remote control - they all emit this kind of energy. Mobile phone base stations are continually being installed, and Wi-Fi hotspots are increasing all of the time. Cafés and restaurants, libraries, hotels and even some city centres and parks now offer free …

When It's Good To Be A Quitter: The Development Of Youth Orientated Counter-Marketing Anti-Tobacco Resources, Lance R. Barrie, Michael D. Chapman, Emily Messiah, Joshua T. Beard, Ross Gordon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Counter marketing involves the use of commercial marketing techniques to engage young people about harmful health behaviours, and to highlight how the industries producing the products involved in these behaviours have manipulated and targeted them. This study used a counter marketing approach to target youth smokers and nonsmokers from lower SES groups in regional NSW to help change attitudes towards smoking, and contribute towards a reduction in smoking prevalence. Formative research was conducted with young smokers in a local community centre setting, which informed the development of tobacco counter marketing materials and youth engagement activities. Initial process evaluation was also …

If A Safety Aid Is Present, There Must Be Danger: The Paradoxical Effects Of Hand Sanitizer During A Contamination Exposure Task, Shannon M. Blakey, Brett J. Deacon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Perceptions of danger often arise in the context of feared threat cues, but individuals also rely on other heuristics that lead them to infer danger in ambiguous situations. For example, individuals may interpret their own anxiety or safety-seeking behaviors as indicators of threat. Another potential source of danger information is the mere availability of safety aids in the environment. Although assumed to be helpful, safety aids might paradoxically elicit, rather than alleviate, anxiety. The present study was designed to assess the degree to which concern-relevant safety aids exacerbate distress. Participants (N = 71) completed several self-report measures and engaged in …

We Can Be Happy Upside Down: Inversion Effects For Static And Dynamic Facial Expressions, Simone Favelle, Romina Palermo, Alanna Tobin

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at The 41st Annual Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference, 23-26 April 2014, Brisbane, Australia

Should There Be A Female Age Limit On Public Funding For Assisted Reproductive Technology? Differing Conceptions Of Justice In Resource Allocation, D Carter, Amber M. Watt, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Adam Elshaug, John R. Moss, Janet E. Hiller

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Should there be a female age limit on public funding for assisted reproductive technology (ART)? The question bears significant economic and sociopolitical implications and has been contentious in many countries. We conceptualise the question as one of justice in resource allocation, using three much-debated substantive principles of justice—the capacity to benefit, personal responsibility, and need—to structure and then explore a complex of arguments. Capacity-to-benefit arguments are not decisive: There are no clear cost-effectiveness grounds to restrict funding to those older women who still bear some capacity to benefit from ART. Personal responsibility arguments are challenged by structural determinants of delayed …

The Future Of Manufacturing: Niche Doesn’T Need To Be Small, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Christopher Gibson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

An unfortunate consequence of Holden and Ford’s decision to cease manufacturing cars in Australia is the negative impression that all local manufacturing is similarly doomed. Yet there are plenty of local manufacturers that are doing well. We just don’t hear much about them.

A Violent Debate: Could Guns Be Made At Home By 3d Printers?, Thomas Birtchnell, Robert Gorkin Iii

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Gun laws have been back in the media recently due, largely, to the horrific events at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012 which claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults. In response President Obama has just unveiled gun control proposals.

How The Factoid Of Wind Turbines Causing 'Vibroacoustic Disease' Came To Be 'Irrefutably Demonstrated', Simon Chapman, Alexis B. St George

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: In recent years, claims have proliferated in cyberspace that wind turbines cause a large variety of symptoms and diseases. One of these, "vibroacoustic disease" (VAD) is frequently mentioned. The aim of this study is to examine the quality of the evidence on how VAD came to be associated with wind turbine exposure by wind farm opponents. Methods: Searches of the web (Google advanced) and major research databases for papers on VAD and wind turbines. Self-citation analysis of research papers on VAD. Results: Google returned 24,700 hits for VAD and wind turbines. Thirty-five research papers on VAD were found, none …

Australian Children Lack The Basic Movement Skills To Be Active And Healthy, Lisa Barnett, Louise Hardy, David Lubans, Dylan Cliff, Anthony Okely, A P. Hills, Philip Morgan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Just as children need to be taught their ABCs to read and write, they also need to be taught fundamental movement skills (FMS), such as running, jumping, throwing and kicking, to provide the strongest foundation for a physically active lifestyle. Children who are proficient at FMS are more likely to be physically active and have adequate cardiorespiratory fitness, and are less likely to be overweight or obese compared with children who are not proficient. In addition, FMS-proficient children are more likely to become adolescents who are more active and with higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels.

We Can’T Compete On Cheap And Nasty; Let’S Be A Country That Makes High-Quality, Lasting Things, Christopher Gibson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

WHAT IS AUSTRALIA FOR? Australia is no longer small, remote or isolated. It’s time to ask What Is Australia For?, and to acknowledge the wealth of resources we have beyond mining. Over the next two weeks The Conversation, in conjunction with Griffith REVIEW, is publishing a series of provocations. Our authors are asking the big questions to encourage a robust national discussion about a new Australian identity that reflects our national, regional and global roles.

Preparing Action Competent Environmental Educators: How Hard Could It Be?, Wendy Nielsen, Peter Andersen, Amy Hurley, Vanessa Sabljak, Amy-Lee Petereit, Vanessa Hoskin, Garry Hoban

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article describes an interpretive study that evaluated a new subject in teacher education called 'Education for Sustainable Development'. The study evaluated the subject for its ability to prepare pre-service teachers for their roles as environmental educators. We used perspectives in place-based pedagogy and critical thinking to underpin the subject design and our analysis. Data sources include instructor journals, planning documents, interviews with students and student thinking books. Interpretive analysis of the data corpus was a collaborative process that involved both subject instructors and students who took the subject. Themes that emerged from the research were centred around: (1) how …

"I Hope This Can Be Shared With Everyone In Lots Of Schools": A Novel Intervention To Improve Social Skills Of Peers Of Children With Autism, Sandra Jones, Joanne Telenta, Fiona Mckay

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are lifelong developmental disabilities characterised by marked difficulties in social interaction, impaired communication, restricted and repetitive interests and behaviours, and sensory sensitivities (Aspect 2009). While there is considerable debate as to prevalence, Centrelink data shows an estimated prevalence of 62.5 per 10,000 for 6-12 year old children (McDermott et al. 2007). While young children find social situations aversive and prefer to play alone, as these children reach their teens many desire social contact with their peers but lack the ability to form and maintain friendships. Observations in schools demonstrate peer interaction in children with ASDs is …

Should Biomedical Publishing Be 'Opened-Up'? Towards A Values-Based Peer-Review Process, Wendy Lipworth, Ian Kerridge, Stacy M. Carter, Miles Little

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Peer review of manuscripts for biomedical journals has become a subject of intense ethical debate. One of the most contentious issues is whether or not peer review should be anonymous. This study aimed to generate a rich, empirically-grounded understanding of the values held by journal editors and peer reviewers with a view to informing journal policy. Qualitative methods were used to carry out an inductive analysis of biomedical reviewers' and editors' values. Data was derived from in-depth, open-ended interviews with journal editors and peer reviewers. Data was "read for" themes relevant to reviewer anonymisation and interactions among editors, reviewers, and …

"The Solution Needs To Be Complex." Obese Adults' Attitudes About The Effectiveness Of Individual And Population Based Interventions For Obesity, Samantha L. Thomas, Sophie Lewis, Jim Hyde, David Castle, Paul Komesaroff

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Previous studies of public perceptions of obesity interventions have been quantitative and based on general population surveys. This study aims to explore the opinions and attitudes of obese individuals towards population and individual interventions for obesity in Australia.

Methods: Qualitative methods using in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews with a community sample of obese adults (Body Mass Index ≥30). Theoretical, purposive and strategic recruitment techniques were used to ensure a broad sample of obese individuals with different types of experiences with their obesity. Participants were asked about their attitudes towards three population based interventions (regulation, media campaigns, and public …

Options For The Assessment And Reporting Of Primary Students In The Key Learning Area Of Science To Be Used For The Reporting Of Nationally Comparable Outcomes Of Schooling Within The Context Of The National Goals For Schooling In The Twenty-First Century, Samuel Ball, Ian D. Rae, Jim S. Tognolini

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The National Education Performance Monitoring Taskforce (NEPMT) was established in April 1999 by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA). The taskforce was called upon inter alia to develop performance measures as the basis for national reporting. One such area was science.