Digital Commons Network^™

The Flourishing Child: Understanding How Adults And Children Perceive Flourishing From The Start Of Life, Jacqueline A. Davis, Belinda Davey, Emily Segers, Zenobia Talati, Desiree Silva, Susan L. Prescott, Lisa Y. Gibson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The current narrative surrounding children’s health and wellbeing often focuses on adversity and dysregulation with a lack of positive messaging. However, promoting protective and buffering factors may be as important as reducing adverse exposures. While the concept of flourishing is commonly applied in the context of adults, defining what flourishing means for children in current academic literature remains unclear. Our study addressed this gap by undertaking a grounded theory approach and consulting extensively with consumers and key stakeholders, both adults and children. This enabled us to elucidate a conceptual framework and identify determinants, as well as to examine perceived barriers …

Interdisciplinary Research Among Tourism, Public Health, And Global Health: A Promising Stream Focusing On Populations With Suboptimal Health Status, Jun Wen, Fangli Hu, Danni Zheng, Haifeng Hou, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research suggests that approximately 75% of the world's population suffers from suboptimal health status, meaning these individuals often feel unwell but have no clearly diagnosable conditions. Suboptimal health status, originating from traditional Chinese medicine, signifies an intermediate state between health and disease. Tourism has been deemed beneficial for personal health and general well-being. More recently, it has been proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention for individuals with dementia, given its potential contributions to health promotion and disease prevention/treatment. Yet, the tourism literature has paid scarce attention to populations with suboptimal health status, even as an aging society becomes inevitable. This paper …

Pathways To Chronic Disease Detection And Prediction: Mapping The Potential Of Machine Learning To The Pathophysiological Processes While Navigating Ethical Challenges, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, Eric Adua, Emmanuel Peprah-Yamoah, Enoch O. Anto, Victor Opoku-Yamoah, Emmanuel Acheampong, Michael J. Macartney, Rashid Hashmi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are leading drivers of mortality worldwide, underscoring the need for improved efforts around early detection and prediction. The pathophysiology and management of chronic diseases have benefitted from emerging fields in molecular biology like genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, glycomics, and lipidomics. The complex biomarker and mechanistic data from these “omics” studies present analytical and interpretive challenges, especially for traditional statistical methods. Machine learning (ML) techniques offer considerable promise in unlocking new pathways for data-driven chronic disease risk assessment and prognosis. This review provides a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art applications of ML algorithms for …

The Important Role Of Pollinators In Sustainability Education, Bronwen Cowie, Paula Mildenhall

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this chapter we illustrate some of the ways the education sector can play a key role, not just in educating and activating students as advocates for and agents of sustainability but also in motivating and mobilising communities towards a sustainability agenda. Initially in this chapter it was important to look back and identify how important bees have been through the ages, noting that humans identified very early on that bees could enhance their lives. We then outline some of the contributions a focus on bees can make to sustainability education. One important contribution includes fostering a balanced perspective on …

The Difference In Practice Papers And Scholarship: We Publish The Latter, Sally Ashton-Hay, Bianca Coleman, Miriam Sullivan, Cathy Mae Toquero

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The differences between regularly published practice papers and evidence-based Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) manuscripts as preferred publications are outlined and discussed in this editorial. By examining the literature and backstory of SoTL, clear guidelines for well-designed research studies supported by evidence provide compelling reasons for SoTL papers to contribute to international knowledge, change thinking, advance practice in higher education and meet the aims of scholarly academic journal. The types of evidence that can be used are described, and a practical checklist for authors to benchmark their manuscript against SoTL principles is also offered as a hands-on tool for …

The Influence Of Peer-To-Peer Accommodation Platforms’ Green Marketing On Consumers’ Pro-Environmental Behavioural Intention, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Xuequn Wang, Hua Qu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation platforms’ green marketing on consumers’ pro-environmental behavioural intention through the mediation of consumer trust and engagement, following the social influence theory and the stimulus–organism–response model. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was designed to collect data from American P2P accommodation consumers. Data collection was conducted through an outsourced survey company. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. Findings: The study reveals that P2P accommodation platforms’ green marketing orientation was positively associated with consumer trust in the platform and consumer engagement with the platform. Both consumer …

The Various Forms Of Anger About Climate Change In Australia And Their Relations With Self-Reported Actions, Intentions, And Distress, Samantha K. Stanley, Zoe Leviston, Teaghan L. Hogg, Iain Walker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Action on societal issues is often precipitated by feelings of anger. This has been demonstrated reliably for responses to social inequality, but less for other issues. We build on nascent research documenting the links between climate anger, pro-environmental action, and psychological distress, by focusing on the contents of eco-anger. Using a sample of 5244 Australians, we found that 48.6% reported being at least ‘somewhat’ angry about climate change. Content analyses of the focus of this anger revealed diverse reasons for people's anger. The most common focus was others' inaction and apathy on climate change, followed by anger directed at deniers, …

Genome Wide Association Study Reveals Novel Associations With Face Morphology, Aamer Alshehhi, Mira Mousa, Guan K. Tay, Naoufel Werghi, Habiba Alsafar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on the Middle Eastern population, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have been relatively limited. The present study aims to investigate genotype-face morphology associations in the UAE population through Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Phenotypic data (44 face measurements) from 172 Emiratis was obtained through three-dimensional (3D) scanning technology and an automatic face landmarking technique. GWAS analysis revealed associations of 19 genetic loci with six face features, 14 of which are novel. The GWAS analysis revealed 11 significant relationships between 44 face parameters and 242 SNPs, exceeding the GWAS significance threshold. These phenotypes were previously associated …

The Effect Of Non-Pharmacological Interventions On Cognitive Function In Cancer: An Overview Of Systematic Reviews, Darren Haywood, Ashley M. Henneghan, Alexandre Chan, Raymond J. Chan, Haryana M. Dhillon, Maryam B. Lustberg, Janette L. Vardy, Moira O’Connor, Norah Elvidge, Evan Dauer, Oscar Y. Franco-Rocha, Shradha Vasan, James Murray, Megan Crichton, Helen Wilding, Susan L. Rossell, Nicolas H. Hart

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: A significant number of cancer survivors experience cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), which can impact their ability to think, reason, make decisions, and perform daily actions. In recent years, non-pharmacological interventions for CRCI have gained significant attention. These interventions include exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive training/remediation, dietary, mind–body, and multi-modal/complex interventions. This umbrella review provides a critical overview to inform guidelines and current practice, identify the most promising interventions, and uncover gaps in the research literature.

Methods: This umbrella review of systematic reviews was pre-registered on Open Science Framework and PROSPERO. Six databases were searched. Systematic reviews (SR) assessing any …

Trajectories Of Supportive Care Needs For People Who Travel To Receive Cancer Treatment: A Longitudinal Study In Australia, Susannah K. Ayre, Elizabeth A. Johnston, Michael Ireland, Sonja March, Jeff Dunn, Suzanne Chambers, Belinda C. Goodwin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: To describe trajectories of change in unmet supportive care needs over a two-year period among people diagnosed with cancer and assess whether these trajectories vary as a function of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: This analysis used data from a longitudinal study of people in Queensland, Australia who travelled largely from regional and remote areas to metropolitan centres to receive cancer care (N = 784). Supportive care needs were measured at baseline, then at 3-, 12-, and 24-month post-baseline across five domains (‘psychological’, ‘physical and daily living’, ‘health systems and information’, ‘patient care and support’, ‘sexuality’) using the Supportive …

A Living Feminist Postdevelopmental Lexicon For Early Education, Mindy Blaise, Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Expanding the important body of work that addresses child development’s limitations and responding to the ecological crisis that threatens the future of life on Earth, this article proposes a living feminist postdevelopmental lexicon. The lexicon introduces 26 concepts that together challenge the theory/practice divide, disrupt Cartesian modes of subjectivity, reorient taken-for-granted ideas as problematic in early education, open up early education to inquiries that respond to the political and ethical questions of our milieu, and generate conditions for creative, inventive, thoughtful, and ethical projects. The paper invites readers to engage with and creatively add to the lexicon, making it an …

Development Of 24-Hour Rhythms In Cortisol Secretion Across Infancy: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Individual Participant Data, Laura Kervezee, Michelle Romijn, Kirsten N.G. Van De Weijer, Britney S.J. Chen, George L. Burchell, Marieke S. Tollenaar, Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz, Lauren E. Philbrook, Carolina De Weerth, Yang Cao, Joost Rotteveel, Rina D. Eiden, Rima Azar, Nicole R. Bush, Adina Chis, Grazyna Kmita, Melissa W. Clearfield, Roseriet Beijers, Michael Gröschl, Stefan A. Wudy, Andries Kalsbeek, Evalotte Mörelius, Martijn J.J. Finken

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Context: In adults, cortisol levels show a pronounced 24-hour rhythm with a peak in the early morning. It is unknown at what age this early-morning peak in cortisol emerges during infancy, hampering the establishment of optimal dosing regimens for hydrocortisone replacement therapy in infants with an inborn form of adrenal insufficiency. Objective: We aimed to characterize daily variation in salivary cortisol concentration across the first year of life. Methods: We conducted a systematic review followed by an individual participant data meta-analysis of studies reporting on spontaneous (ie, not stress-induced) salivary cortisol concentrations in healthy infants aged 0-1 year. A one-stage …

Differential Risk Of Cardiovascular Complications In Patients With Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus In Ghana: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study, Christian Obirikorang, Evans Asamoah Adu, Anthony Afum Adjei Awuah, Samuel Nkansah Darko, Frank Naku Ghartey, Samuel Ametepe, Eric N.Y. Nyarko, Enoch Odame Anto, William Kwame Boakye Ansah Owiredu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aim To characterize clinically relevant subgroups of patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on adiposity, insulin secretion, and resistance indices. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at Eastern Regional Hospital in Ghana from July to October 2021 to investigate long-term patients with T2DM. To select participants, a systematic random sampling method was employed. Demographic data was collected using a structured questionnaire and fasting blood samples were taken to measure glycemic and lipid levels. Blood pressure and adiposity indices were measured during recruitment. The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) was defined using Framingham scores and standard low-density lipoprotein thresholds. To …

Autonomy And Relatedness: Motivating Kindergarten Teachers In An Online Professional Development, Xuanyi Eliza Wu, Alfredo Bautista, Marc Clarà

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Drawing on the self-determination theory, this paper focuses on two factors that are essential for individuals to be motivated, namely the psychological needs of autonomy and relatedness. We implemented three different iterations of an online PD course, entitled Chat with Children. While content was identical, the designs of autonomy and relatedness varied. Participants of this exploratory study were 417 in-service Hong Kong kindergarten teachers. We analyzed teachers’ enrollment, participation, and completion in the three iterations, and also interviewed teachers to explore their experiences of different autonomy and relatedness designs. We found that participation and completion were significantly higher in the …

Early Careers Teachers’ Engagement With The Australian Professional Standards For Teachers, Kim Beasy, Michelle Parks, Jeana A. Kriewaldt, Natasha Ziebell

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs) provide a framework for teacher development, yet their integration into early career teachers’ (ECTs) practice varies widely. This study examines the experiences of nine ECTs through two interviews conducted over their first two years in the profession. Findings indicate that while some ECTs engaged with the APSTs as a reflective tool, most interacted with them primarily for compliance, particularly during registration and career progression milestones. School culture significantly influenced engagement, with supportive environments fostering meaningful use, while others lacked guidance or institutional emphasis. This inconsistency raises concerns about equity, as some ECTs are …

Generative Ai Highlights The Contrast Between Students’ Dualistic Epistemic Practices And Teacher Education Learning Objectives, Tellervo Härkki, Tarmo Thorström, Miika Leino, Henriikka Vartiainen, Matti Tedre

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examines student teachers’ capabilities when adopting a generative AI system as a new cognitive tool. In our pedagogical intervention, students used ChatGPT 3.5 to support a small research task. Consistent with decades of research on higher education students’ epistemic positions, most students approached the knowledge-building task (and, respectively, ChatGPT) with dualistic epistemic practices. Notably, ChatGPT’s polished interface invites naïve dualistic interpretations. However, teacher education learning objectives and effective knowledge-building with generative AI tools require more sophisticated epistemic stances: understanding knowledge as contingent and context-bound and knowledge-building as an activity that requires validation. This suggests that the central challenge …

Unveiling The Potential Of Generative Artificial Intelligence: A Multidimensional Journey Into The Future, Keng Boon Ooi, Alex Koohang, Eugene Cheng Xi Aw, Tat Huei Cham, Cihan Cobanoglu, Charles Dennis, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Jun Jie Hew, Heather Linton Kelly, Laurie Hughes, Chieh Yu Lin, Anubhav Mishra, Ian Phau, Ramakrishnan Raman, Marianna Sigala, Yun Chia Tang, Lai Wan Wong, Garry Wei Han Tan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The launch of ChatGPT has brought the large language model (LLM)-based generative artificial intelligence (GAI) into the spotlight, triggering the interests of various stakeholders to seize the possible opportunities implicated by it. Nevertheless, there are also challenges that the stakeholders should observe when they are considering the potential of GAI. Given this backdrop, this study presents the viewpoints gathered from various subject experts on six identified areas. Design/methodology/approach: Through an expert-based approach, this paper gathers the viewpoints of various subject experts on the identified areas of tourism and hospitality, marketing, retailing, service operations, manufacturing and healthcare. Findings: The subject …

Mental Health In Preprofessional And Professional Circus Artists: A Narrative Review, Melanie I. Stuckey, Stephanie Greenspan, Joanna Nicholas, Veronique Richard, Janine H. Stubbe, Fleur E.C.A. Van Rens

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mental health has received little attention in preprofessional and professional circus despite the performance demands, cognitive skill, and emotional labor required. This review aimed to consolidate the literature, identify research gaps, and guide practice priorities for mental health in preprofessional and professional circus artists. A narrative review of the literature was conducted based on the International Olympic Committee’s 2019 consensus statement for mental health in elite athletes. Articles reported on mental health symptoms and disorders (n = 13) and interventions (n = 3) in preprofessional and professional circus contexts. Circus artists may experience more symptoms of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and …

Modifiable Factors For Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Evidence From Mendelian Randomisation Approach, Di Liu, Meiling Cao, Shanshan Wu, Yiwen Jiang, Weijie Cao, Tengfei Lin, Fuxiao Li, Feng Sha, Zhirong Yang, Jinling Tang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background The potential modifiable factors influencing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have not been thoroughly documented. We aimed to systematically investigate the modifiable factors associated with IBS, while accounting for the impact of unobserved confounders and coexisting disorders. Methods Genetic correlation and Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses were integrated to identify potential modifiable factors and coexisting disorders linked to IBS. Subsequently, multiresponse MR (MR 2) was employed to further examine these associations. Summary-level genome-wide association data were used. Modifiable factors and coexisting disorders (ie, gastrointestinal and psychiatric disorders) were identified based on evidence from cohort studies and meta-analysis. In all analyses, IBS …

The Impact Of Using Practicum Portfolio On Early Childhood Student Teachers' Reflective Practice, Buad Khales, Afif Zaidan, Fathi Ihmeideh

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

: This study aimed to investigate how the use of practicum portfolios impacts early childhood student teachers' reflective practice in Palestine. The study utilized qualitative and quantitative methods to gather and analyze student teachers' perspectives on using practicum portfolios for their professional development. The main focus was to understand the student teachers' stance on reflective teaching and their engagement in different stages of the reflective practice cycle. The study involved 16 student teachers at Al-Quds University in Palestine. Data were collected through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Results indicated that the portfolio helped student teachers assess their work and improved …

Mentoring Experiences Of Student Teachers During Teaching Practice In Nigeria, Osita Victor Ossai, Sarita Ramsaroop

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

A growing number of stakeholders in teacher education in Nigeria have raised concerns about the quality of mentoring in schools. In this study, we aim to explore the mentoring experiences of student teachers during their field experiences. Using a mixed-methods study, data were collected from student teachers in the education faculty at a University in Nigeria. Quantitative data on student-teacher mentoring experiences were collected using the Student-Teacher Mentoring Experience Questionnaire. Qualitative data comprised individual interviews and was analysed thematically. Findings indicated that student teachers lacked adequate mentoring and support and without timely evaluations and quality feedback, their ability to reflect …

Basic Skills Of 21st Century Teachers, Ömer Cem Karacaoğlu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aims to determine the basic skills that 21st century teachers should have. The study is based on the opinions of 79 teachers working in different disciplines on four different campuses in Izmir. The qualitative study used storage technique and content analysis. The opinions of the participants were evaluated to clarify the skill expressions, create themes and determine data categories. The study found that teachers prioritized several core competencies, including creativity, empathy and communication, critical thinking, problem solving and crisis management, and collaboration, curiosity and digital literacy. Other skills were determined as reading comprehension, learning to learn, patience, emotional …

Assessment Of Initial Teacher Education From The Evaluated’ Perspective: A Literature Review, Carla E. Förster, Andrea Ruffinelli, Tatiana Cisternas, Francisca Donoso

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Many quality assurance policies for teacher education are linked to the assessment of their training and although this is widely studied, the subjects’ perspectives have not been taken into consideration. This study sought to answer: how do the subjects perceive these education assessments and how do those assessments influence their training? A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) search was conducted, rendering the selection of 12 articles. The results indicate that the studies incorporating the subjects' opinions were limited to two instruments: the edTPA from the United States and LANTITE from Australia. Both the performance-based format (edTPA) and the measurement of literacy …

Careful Whisper: Using Ecoaching And A Feedback Taxonomy To Provide Practicum Feedback For Preservice Teachers, Louise Alix Taylor, Ruben Fukkink, Ron Oostdam, Catherine Van Beuningen

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Many institutes for initial teacher education struggle to organise effective performance feedback within the context of student teaching practicum. As the cooperating teachers who provide this feedback bring their individualised ontologies, feedback practices have been characterised by inconsistencies in the amount and quality of performance feedback. In this small-scale study carried out in the Netherlands, we explored affordances of eCoaching using a standardised feedback taxonomy. With the help of Bluetooth technology and the Synchronous Online Feedback Taxonomy, four teacher educators provided eCoaching to eight preservice teachers over the course of three lessons. We interviewed teacher educators and preservice teachers about …

Analysis Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Personal Metaphors About Foreign Language Teaching, Juan Luis De La Montaña Conchiña, Guadalupe De La Maya Retamar, Magdalena López-Pérez

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study analyses the characterisation and evolution of the personal metaphors of a sample of 34 trainee foreign language teachers, through a questionnaire of open-ended questions that included asking the participants to make drawings representing the roles of the teacher. Four categories of metaphors were considered for the analysis: behaviourist/transmissive, cognitivist/constructivist, situated, and self-referential. The results indicate that most participants were able to conceptualise their image of the teacher in the form of metaphors. The pre-service teachers’ metaphors represented are mainly cognitivist/constructivist and behaviourist/transmissive. When comparing them before and after the internship in the primary schools, most of them did …

Teaching In Racially Diverse Schools: Towards A Racial Competency Framework, Tebeje Molla, Kerri Garrard, Tim Corcoran

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Safe learning environments foster the wellbeing, engagement, and educational outcomes of students. To develop resources that enable schools to create safe learning environments, we conducted focus group discussions with teachers and African heritage students in selected public schools in an Australian state. This paper reports insights from our discussions with the school staff. The findings indicate that teachers face ‘relational uncertainty’ in dealing with racial issues impacting their engagement with these students. To address these challenges, we propose a racial competency framework, featuring distinctive dimensions, drivers, and domains. The framework emphasises the need for schools to support racial value awareness, …

Effects Of Generative Reflection On The Professional Development Of Trainee Teachers: Social Representations Emerging From Practicum Tutorials, Andrea Ruffinelli, Carolina Álvarez, Macarena Salas, Victoria Andrea Ruffinelli Vargas

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Although reflection is recognized as a driving force for teachers' professional development, which is the reason for its incorporation into Initial Teacher Education (ITE), there is still little clarity about its effects on teachers' professional development. This article seeks to understand the Social Representations (SR) of tutors and practitioners of the IDF of two Chilean universities, on the effects of reflection, promoted in tutorials and its link with the strategies used to promote it. Individual interviews were conducted with four dyads -tutor and pre-service teacher-, and group interviews with tutors and interns. The analysis was inspired by Grounded Theory. The …

Tackling Australia’S Male Teacher Shortage: Insights From Initial Teacher Education (Ite) Completion Data, Loan Dao, Jeanne M. Allen, Darren Pullen, Scott Cowie

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The under-representation of males in the Australian teaching profession has been an issue of concern for some time. With predictions that the situation will worsen due to an aging male teacher population and the enduring perception that teaching is females’ work, this paper explores trends in male initial teacher education (ITE) degree completion in a sample of Australian ITE programs from 2001 to 2021 to gain insights into which types of teaching degrees and delivery modes of study are most likely to attract potential pre-service male teachers. Open access and non-identifiable male ITE completion data were obtained from the Australian …

Chinese Secondary School Teachers' Perceptions Of Teacher Candidates' Teaching Ability And Performance, Liyuan Chen, Chia Ching Tu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

: This study investigated secondary school teachers' beliefs about teacher educators’ teaching competencies and performance. Additionally, it compared the differences between the perceived importance of teaching competencies and the teaching performance level among teachers from different backgrounds. The Delphi method was first used to identify teaching competency items followed by a questionnaire survey to collect data from secondary school teachers in Hebei Province, China. Out of 700 questionnaires that were sent out, 539 valid questionnaires were returned. Secondary school teachers were highly aware of the importance of teaching competencies but did not possess these competencies. An importance-performance analysis (IPA) showed …

Unveiling Raciolinguistic Ideologies: Pre-Service Teachers’ Insights On Refugee Integration In Schools, Tuba Yilmaz, Rosanna Ellis

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study investigates pre-service teachers' ideologies about refugee students' belonging and integration in Türkiye and examines how these ideologies shape their anticipated pedagogical practices. Using the framework of raciolinguistic ideologies, the study highlights how linguistic and cultural hierarchies influence educational practices, often perpetuating systemic exclusion. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 13 pre-service teachers from various educational programs, utilizing a qualitative, phenomenological design. The findings reveal a predominant reliance on deficit-based perspectives, with refugee students framed as linguistically deficient and culturally "othered." While participants expressed professional commitments to inclusivity, their approaches often emphasized assimilation into Turkish norms, reflecting cultural …