Digital Commons Network^™

'Half Of It's Out The Window': Exploring Tensions, Hierarchies And Positionalities Amidst The Changing Knowledge Base Of Early Childhood Teacher Education Discourses, Lauren Armstrong

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Early childhood education is foregrounded in change. In Australia, this has encompassed the introduction, review and updates of national quality and curriculum frameworks from 2009, and changes to qualification requirements. Within the state of Victoria, further impacts have occurred due to the simultaneous introduction of a parallel curriculum framework. This paper draws on a qualitative study to examine how diverse teacher education discourses available to Victorian long day care educators have shaped their subject positions, discursive practices and reform engagement. Utilising Foucault’s concepts of discourse, knowledge and power, and Foucauldian Discourse Analysis [FDA], findings offer insight into how diverse teacher …

A Q-Methodology Of Preservice Teachers’ Cognition Of Digital Literacy: A Philippine Case Study In Resource-Rich And Resource-Limited Settings, Camilla Vizconde, Rowena Sto. Tomas

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aims to determine the existing digital literacy notions of Filipino preservice in two universities: one is a resource-rich context while the other is a resource-limited context. Contexts were determined based on the observed availability of digital tools. Twenty (20) preservice teachers each from two universities were invited for interviews after which they were again requested to arrange statements culled from the interviews. Utilizing the Q-sort methodology, a method that determines the standpoints of participants by their ranking of statements, three dimensions were identified: the portrait of balance, portrait of responsibility and portrait of support. The portraits represent the …

‘We Were All Green And Brand New’: Mentoring In Theories Of Child Development For Australian Early Career Preschool Teachers, Emma Ellis, Andrea Reupert, Marie Hammer

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Three Australian Government commissioned reports from 2011-2017 convey a longstanding child development theory-practice gap in early childhood education. This study explores what informs mentors’ discussions of theories of child development with early career preschool teachers. Grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, themes relate to the wide role of the early childhood teacher, variation in initial teacher education, developing teacher identity, emotional connections, and consolidation and extension of university learning of child development theories. Critical discussion of themes from a Freirean perspective illustrates how mentors conveyed experiences of oppression, marginalisation, and liberation. We offer that though the child development theory-practice gap is …

Integrating Tpack In Pre-Service Teachers’ Efl Course: Impacts On Perception, Knowledge, And Practices, Amira Ali, Hanan Waer

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Most research that has explored integrating the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework into teacher education programs primarily utilized context-unspecific self-report instruments. This mixed-methods study explored the efficacy of integrating four domains of the TPACK framework in an EFL course on the perception and knowledge of (30) pre-service teachers in an Egyptian university. The study also investigated the effect of the TPACK-based course on participants’ lesson plans and teaching practices. Data collection instruments included a test, a questionnaire, observation checklists, lesson plans, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative analysis showed that pre-service teachers’ knowledge and perception of PCK, TCK, TPK, and TPCK …

How Is Trauma-Informed Education Implemented Within Classrooms? A Synthesis Of Trauma-Informed Education Programs, Jacolyn Norrish, Tom Brunzell

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The purpose of this study was to synthesise the content of trauma-informed education programs with a focus on classroom strategies. Programs (N = 20) were identified that focused on primary and secondary schools and were suitable for application in the classroom by teachers. Program materials available in the public domain were collated and the qualitative research method of reflexive thematic analysis was used to explore commonalities and themes in classroom strategies across different approaches. Classroom strategies were aimed at meeting students’ somatic (i.e., ‘bottom-up’) capacities of safety needs, self-regulatory needs, sensory needs, and relational and attachment needs. Classroom strategies also …

Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions About Out-Of-Field Teaching: Implications For Students, Teachers And Schools, Elizabeth Wheeley, Helen Klieve, Eunjae Park, Anna Du Plessis

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Out-of-field teaching occurs in schools and education systems worldwide. Early career teachers are more likely to be required to teach out-of-field and also to experience adverse effects from this experience, potentially contributing to workforce issues and teacher attrition. This mixed data Australian study reports on the perceptions of preservice teachers—emerging professionals—regarding issues associated with out-of-field teaching. Survey data were collected from 133 preservice teachers. Data were analysed with an initial layer of sentiment analysis followed by a thematic analysis of their perceptions of consequences for teachers, students, and schools/communities. Findings reveal that preservice teachers are very aware of the mostly …

Mentoring Pre-Service Teachers: The Thiink4 Reflective Cycle, Maya Gunawardena

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Establishing a reciprocal relationship between mentors and pre-service teachers is critical in pre-service teacher mentoring. Highlighting self-regulation as a means for managing emotions in the pursuit of meeting long-term goals, this study examined the constructive features that help develop a reciprocal relationship between pre-service teachers and mentors. The study has captured a range of qualitative data from the dyadic process of mentoring (two-way interaction between a mentor teacher and a pre-service teacher): within the pre- and post-lesson conferences between mentors and pre-service teachers and post mentoring interviews with mentors and pre-service teachers. The study highlighted the strengths of mentor facilitated …

Economic Evaluation Of The Very Early Rehabilitation In Speech (Verse) Intervention, J. Kim, G. Sookram, Erin Godecke, Emily Louise Brogan, Elizabeth Armstrong, F. Ellery, T. Rai, M. L. Rose, Natalie Ciccone, S. Middleton, A. Holland, G. J. Hankey, J. Bernhardt, D. A. Cadilhac

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: There is limited evidence on the costs and outcomes of patients with aphasia after stroke. The aim of this study was to estimate costs in patients with aphasia after stroke according to the aphasia therapies provided.

Methods: A three-arm, prospective, randomized, parallel group, open-label, blinded endpoint assessment trial conducted in Australia and New Zealand. Usual ward-based care (Usual Care) was compared to additional usual ward-based therapy (Usual Care Plus) and a prescribed and structured aphasia therapy program in addition to Usual Care (the VERSE intervention). Information about healthcare utilization and productivity were collected to estimate costs in Australian dollars …

The Effect Of Acute Exercise On Objectively Measured Sleep And Cognition In Older Adults, Kelsey R. Sewell, Nathan D. W. Smith, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Jeremiah Peiffer, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Kirk I. Erickson, Belinda M. Brown

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Exercise can improve cognition in aging, however it is unclear how exercise influences cognition, and sleep may partially explain this association. The current study aimed to investigate whether objectively measured sleep mediates the effect of an acute exercise intervention on cognition in older adults. Methods: Participants were 30 cognitively unimpaired, physically active older adults (69.2 ± 4.3 years) with poor sleep (determined via self-report). After a triple baseline cognitive assessment to account for any natural fluctuation in cognitive performance, participants completed either a single bout of 20-minutes of high intensity exercise on a cycle ergometer, or a control condition, …

Do Children Have A Right To Do Nothing? Exploring The Place Of Passive Leisure In Australian School Age Care, Jennifer Cartmel, Bruce Hurst, Francis Bobongie-Harris, Fay Hadley, Lennie Barblett, Linda Harrison, Susan Irvine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In 2021, the Australian Government commissioned a review and update of My Time Our Place, its curriculum framework for School-Age Care services for primary-age children. One update trialled was the introduction of passive leisure. Whilst children’s passive use of leisure time is recognised as a right, it is often problematised and associated with negative health outcomes. This article explores a trial of passive leisure provision. It provides hopeful evidence that passive leisure spaces can be interactive, conversational and restful.

Transformation At The Cultural Interface: Exploring The Experiences Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander University Students, Braden Hill, Caroline Nilson, Bep Uink, Catherine Fetherston

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research on transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991), particularly within the context of higher education, has demonstrated the significant impact university learning can have on a wide range of cohorts across diverse learning contexts. However, the extensive body of literature pertaining to transformative learning remains largely silent on the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students and the extent to which their engagement with academia can be transformative. Nevertheless, Nakata’s (2007b) cultural interface theory has shaped policy, practice and thought in Indigenous higher education, elucidating the nuances, complexities and challenges that confront Indigenous students in their journey through university. In …

Factors Associated With Family Carers’ Fall Concern: Prospective Study Protocol, Seng Giap Marcus Ang, Rosemary Saunders, Chiew Jiat Rosalind Siah, Charlotte Foskett, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Karen Gullick, Melissa Dunham, Nicolette Sagaram, Rhea Rodriguez Tecson, Sue Haydon, Amanda Wilson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Family carers are important in preventing community-dwelling older people from falling. Family carers’ concerns about older people's risk of falling could affect their own physical and psychological health, lifestyle, and burden of care. While there are many studies exploring factors associated with fear of falling among older people, there is no research on family carers’ fall concern of older people (care recipients) who are hospitalised. Aim: This paper describes a prospective study protocol exploring the relationship of fall concern, psychological distress, and quality of life of family carers when their care recipient is hospitalised and after discharge. Methods: The …

Intersections And Conflicts Between Adolescent Boys’ Musical Possible Selves, University Study, And Parent Values, Jason Goopy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Adolescents require meaningful and achievable musical possible selves to imagine a future that includes music. Previous research has investigated how to support tertiary music students in their career identity development; however, adolescents make consequential decisions regarding future music study and career intentions in secondary school. This article reports on the intersections and conflicts between adolescent boys’ musical possible selves, university study intentions, and parent values. Research was conducted at an Australian independent K-12 boys’ school using one-on-one semi-structured interviews incorporating a “draw and tell” artifact elicitation technique with Year 12 students and their parents. Two resonating narratives of adolescent boys …

A Vulnerability Approach To Irregular Migration And Modern Slavery In Australia, Jamal Barnes, Mostafa M. Naser, Joshua Aston

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

It is widely recognised that migrants and irregular migrants are at risk of modern slavery and slavery-like practices worldwide. As migrants and irregular migrants make their way across state borders, or reach their destination countries, they have been victim to practices such as forced labour, exploitation, wage theft, torture and inhuman treatment and sexual servitude, among other practices. Australia is no exception, with just under 300 cases of modern slavery reported to the Australian Federal Police between 2021 and 2022. Although Australia has acted to stop slavery and slavery-like practices, it has focused on a law enforcement response, ignoring the …

Normal Redefined: Exploring Decontextualization Of Lorises (Nycticebus & Xanthonycticebus Spp.) On Social Media Platforms, Luke F. Quarles, Kim Feddema, Marco Campera, K. A.I. Nekaris

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Decontextualization is a concept from psychology whereby new words are learned outside of the context of the here-and-now. Decontextualized language is used for discussing abstract concepts and is crucial to the development of academic language. When it comes to images, a dearth of context can lead to a lack of clarity, such as the use of ambiguous decontextualized images in environmental communication, leading to the promotion of greenwashing. Here we refer to decontextualization as the removal of wildlife from their wild ecological context. Images and videos of globally threatened species are increasingly popular on social media. Showing such taxa …

The Impact Of Pandemics On Healthcare Providers' Workloads: A Scoping Review, Gemma Doleman, Annemarie De Leo, Dianne Bloxsome

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: To review and synthesize available evidence exploring the impact of pandemics on direct healthcare providers' workloads in the acute care setting. Design: Scoping review. Data Sources: A review of English research articles published up to August 2022 that examined the impact of pandemics on healthcare providers’ workloads was undertaken. Studies were identified by searching four electronic databases: Medline (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), Web of Science and PsychInfo (EBSCO). Fifty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Review Methods: The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Scoping Review checklist. Results: Healthcare workers experience an increase in workload pressures …

The Voice Of Lived Experience Guiding Impactful Change In Edith Cowan University's Whole-Of-Institution Approach To Mental Health, Susan Edgar, Fiona Navin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This case study presents the background to the establishment of Edith Cowan University (ECU)’s Student and Staff Mental Health Strategy 2021-2024 as well as the early stages of its implementation. The value of lived experience storytelling is explored, including its role in recovery programs in the mental health sector and early examples of its use in higher education health promotion initiatives. ECU’s experience adopting the Lived Experience Project is presented, including examples of how student voices have been incorporated within a range of strategic initiatives during the Foundation Phase of the University’s Mental Health Strategy. Future uses are also considered …

Mapping The Research Trends On Social Media In The Hospitality Sector From 2010 To 2020, Eunjung Kim, Alexander Rolfe Best, Kijung Choi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This study undertakes a systematic review of the literature to gain insight into existing studies on hospitality in social media and provide an update on current trends and themes in scholarship. Design: This study employs the systematic literature review to identify, evaluate, and synthesize the existing literature. Methodology: A total of 165 papers published between 2010–2020 were examined using content analysis and Leximancer. Approach: This review uses a hybrid review structure that incorporates structured reviews and narrative elements supported by Leximancer analysis. Findings: The review highlights the theories and methods used, research fields and perspectives, and key research topics …

“I Tell My Brothers That It Can Be Done”: Indigenous Males Navigating Elite Australian Higher Education, Garth Stahl, James A. Smith, Andrew Harvey, Braden Hill, Himanshu Gupta, Sam Moore, Jianing Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As Australian higher education grapples with its colonial history, there has been significant attention to recruiting Indigenous students. However, while we have seen increases in Indigenous participation, males lag significantly behind. Very few Indigenous males enter university and even fewer enter the upper echelons of the stratified higher education sector. In this paper, we investigate the experiences of four Indigenous young men who attended an elite Australian higher education institution. Central to our analysis is how their identities are realised in relation to their sense of Indigeneity and Western ways of knowing, being and doing. In capturing the complex identity …

Systematic Review Of Necrophilia Aetiology Focusing On The Link Between Childhood Sexual Abuse And Necrophiliac Behaviours, Sophie Foxcroft

Theses : Honours

Sexual attraction to corpses is a disturbing concept to those who do not achieve sexual gratification from the stimuli. Due to this reason, as well as ethical concerns with relations and methods of obtaining, there has been little to no research on correlations between behaviours and psychological concepts. This is especially evident since the 1980s after the bulk of the literature on necrophilia was published. This systematic review looked at the existing literature on necrophilia and, in addition to reviewing the aetiology, aimed to identify cases that included individuals' upbringings and childhoods. Out of all existing literature, only 11 sources …

"Having It Both Ways: Containing The Champions Of Feminism In Female-Led Origin And Solo Superhero Films", Jessica Taylor, Laura Glitsos

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In this article, we consider the emerging trend of solo, female-led superhero films, and their repeated location in aesthetically distinct pasts or “closed moments.” This pastness, we contend, serves to distinguish the concerns of the protagonists, which are often read as feminist, as redundant for the contemporary audience. This framing is in keeping with a postfeminist cultural context, wherein feminist values and successes are celebrated, while simultaneously declared irrelevant.

We examine the historical or closed settings in Wonder Woman (2017), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Captain Marvel (2019) and Black Widow (2021), and consider how this collective investment in the past …

Woman-Centred Ethics: A Feminist Participatory Action Research, Katherine A. Buchanan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background: The maternity system has a complexity of everyday ethical issues. The bioethical principles: non maleficence, beneficence justice and autonomy, that govern health care practice have been criticised as abstract, patriarchal and even rhetorical in maternity care practice (MacLellan, 2014) and consequently may be insufficient in guiding care of childbearing women. Midwifery-led care is guided by the International Confederation of Midwives International Code of Ethics, which considers more than the bioethical principles, such as the importance of relationship. Care ethics is a relational based feminist ethics first described by Gilligan (1983) and has been theorised as an alternate paradigm for …

Burden And Preference-Based Quality Of Life Associated With Bullying In Children, Long K. D. Le, Mary L. Chatterton, Ronald M. Rapee, Sally Fitzpatrick, Kay Bussey, Jennie Hudson, Caroline Hunt, Donna Cross, Anne Magnus, Cathrine Mihalopoulos

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The objectives of this study are to assess the association between childhood bullying and preference-based health-related quality of life (QoL) in Australian school children and their parents and estimate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) associated with bullying chronicity. Children aged 8–10 years completed the child health utilities (CHU-9D), while parents completed the Australian quality of life (AQoL-8D). Children were grouped into four categories of bullying involvement (no bullying, victim, perpetrator, or both perpetrator and victim) based on the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Parental data were compared across two bullying involvement groups (bullying vs. no bullying). QALYs were calculated for children over …

Reframing Commitment In Authentic Leadership: Untangling Relationship–Outcome Processes, Andrei A. Lux, Steven L. Grover, Stephen T. T. Teo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Affective organizational commitment is theorized and empirically tested as a key mediator between authentic leadership and desirable employee outcomes. The results of a two-wave survey of 830 business people in Australia support a serial mediation model of authentic leadership efficacy. Followers' perceptions of authentic leadership behavior influence their personal identification and affect-based trust in the leader, which in turn are mediated by affective organizational commitment to positively influence their work engagement and job satisfaction. These findings reinforce previous work that positions personal identification and affect-based trust as the two primary mediating mechanisms of authentic leadership. This paper extends prior research …

Professional Teaching Standards And Inclusion In Teacher Education: Insights From A Hearing-Impaired Health And Physical Education Pre-Service Teacher’S Professional Experience, Donna Barwood, John O'Rourke, Dawn Penney, Andrew Jones, Jordan Thomas

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Initial Teacher Education (ITE) is a critical arena for advancing inclusion in Health and Physical Education (HPE). This paper reports research that is engaging with the diversity of the HPE profession and practitioners. It centres on a unique case study that critically explored the school-based professional experience of an Australian secondary HPE Pre-service Teacher (PsT) who has a hearing impairment. Specifically, to enable PST success in HPE professional experiences as defined by the professional standards for teachers in Australia and to which, PSTs’ must evidence to graduate and attain teacher registration. Drawing on documentary and interview data the paper focuses …

An Investigation Into Theories Of Odd Meter And Their Application To Jazz Composition And Improvisation, Kristian Borring

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research examines how perception and cognition theories regarding musical meter may assist in the process of developing ‘odd meter’ practice in jazz for ‘melodic’ instrumentalists. Introduced in jazz as early as the 1950s, the integration of irregular meters into jazz practice has occurred only incrementally, as has the knowledge towards their theoretical premises. With the author acting as the intertwined composer and improviser, this study aims to develop an approach towards proliferating a ‘fluent idiolect’ to aid in obtaining clarity surrounding odd-meter types and present rhythmic and melodic strategies based on the investigation of theoretical underpinnings of meter. The …

The Cartographies Of Place: Approaches To Audio-Visual Composition Incorporating Aspects Of Place, Wing S. Tsang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Incorporating aural and visual elements of a place in a composition serves as a powerful way of exploring the intersection of time, history and geography associated with a location. The combination of these elements acts as an invitation for deeper engagement by offering multiple perspectives of place. One way of exploring these intersections is through incorporating aspects of place—in the form of field recordings, field footage and cartographical information—into audio and audio-visual work, where spatial and physical information can be situated as a way of representing an individual’s surroundings and subjective realities of place. This practice-led exegesis aims to explore …

International Café: A Collaborative Approach To International Student Wellbeing And Support, Yohann Devezy, Braden Hill, Liz Beresford, Rose Williams, Shirley Farr, Em Readman, Clair Mermejo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Prior to 2020, ongoing discourse in the higher education sector underscored the increasingly complex mental health and wellbeing challenges faced by students. The “post-COVID-19” period witnessed a resurgence of international students arriving in Western Australia. Emerging cost of living pressures, accommodation shortages, and changing visa work hours have amplified the distinct challenges international students encounter, prompting renewed discussions surrounding a need for effective support interventions. Drawing inspiration from successful initiatives at Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University introduced the Murdoch International Café—a program focused on providing distinct spaces of support for international students. This supportive environment enables social connection, effective information …

The Digital Environmental Humanities (Deh) In The Anthropocene: Challenges And Opportunities In An Era Of Ecological Precarity, John Ryan, Lydia Hearn, Paul Arthur

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Researchers in the complementary fields of the digital humanities and the environmental humanities have begun to collaborate under the auspices of the digital environmental humanities (DEH). The overarching aim of this emerging field is to leverage digital technologies in understanding and addressing the urgencies of the Anthropocene. Emphasizing DEH’s focus on natural and cultural vitality, this article begins with a historical overview of the field. Crafting an account of the field’s emergence, we argue that the present momentum toward DEH exhibits four broad thematic strains including perennial eco-archiving; Anthropocene narratives of loss; citizen ecohumanities; and human-plant-environment relations. Within each of …

The Role Of Flumazenil In Generalised Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Naturalistic Open-Label Study With A Focus On Treatment Resistance, Alexander T. Gallo, Stephen Addis, Vlad Martyn, Hishani Ramanathan, Grace K. Wilkerson, Kellie S. Bennett, Sean D. Hood, Hans Stampfer, Gary K. Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and chronic disorders with treatment resistance to current pharmacotherapies occurring in approximately one in three patients. It has been postulated that flumazenil (FMZ) is efficacious in the management of anxiety disorders via the removal of 4 2 gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptors. Objective: To assess the safety and feasibility of continuous low-dose FMZ infusions for the management of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and collect preliminary efficacy data. Design: Uncontrolled, open-label pilot study. Method: Participants had a primary diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and received two consecutive subcutaneous continuous low-dose FMZ infusions. Each infusion contained …