Digital Commons Network^™

Determinants Of Social Loneliness And Negative Coping Styles Of The Socially Lonely, Mark A. Facey, Craig P. Speelman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Almost everyone is affected by loneliness at some stage in their lives, and the long-term effects are dire, leading to depression, addiction, and suicide. To date, interventions have focused on external treatments with limited success. In this study, it is argued that underlying antecedents of social loneliness maintain negative behaviour, whereby it becomes chronic and problematic. Four intrinsic antecedents of social loneliness are examined (Secure and Insecure Attachment, Emotional Regulation Problems – Expressive Suppression, Unclear Self-Concept, and Neuroticism) along with negative (Ignoring and Withdrawing) behavioural coping styles. Ninety-six, mainly female (78%), psychology undergraduates were administered a battery of six questionnaires. …

Practices And Perceptions In Hamstring Training For Injury Risk Mitigation: A Survey-Based Mixed-Methods Analysis, Steven Ross, Nicholas J. Ripley, John J. Mcmahon, Paul Comfort

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this study, the practices and perceptions of sport and exercise practitioners regarding hamstring training for injury risk mitigation were investigated. Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) remain a prevalent issue across sports, despite extensive research. An anonymous survey was conducted to assess how practitioners integrate evidence-based strategies, such as the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) and high-speed running (HSR), into their training programmes. The survey included both fixed-response and open-ended questions, enabling a mixed-methods analysis of training approaches. A total of 47 practitioners responded, revealing that most incorporate the NHE and HSR into both in-season and off-season training. However, there were notable …

The Autonomy Paradox, Working From Home And Psychosocial Hazards, Alexis Vassiley, Azadeh Shafaei, Mehran Nejati, Leigh Ann Onnis, Tim Bentley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article investigates the experience of knowledge workers in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand their exposure to psychosocial hazards, specifically: workload and work pace; the work-home interface and social isolation. We explored how the increased autonomy afforded by working from home fitted with workers’ actual experience during the pandemic. Drawing on interviews with 33 NSW remote workers and 19 line-managers conducted in early 2021, this article argues that the increased autonomy afforded to employees by remote work is paradoxical. Many interviewees worked longer hours and experienced work intensification, as well …

Truth Telling And The “Lead Splinter”: Aboriginal Elders’ Perspectives On Community Service Provision And Intergenerational Trauma, Janelle Caddy, Eyal Gringart, Darren Garvey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article is based on PhD research aimed at improving community services for remote Aboriginal people with intergenerational trauma. It focuses on the role that Yamatji Aboriginal Elders played in cocreating a framework to enhance service provision for Aboriginal clients and the importance of local truth telling in this endeavour. Elders specified that local truth telling was essential in building shared understandings of healing from intergenerational trauma between Aboriginal people and community service providers. The characterisation of intergenerational trauma as a “lead splinter”, continually poisoning the wellbeing of Aboriginal people provided an illustration of trauma and the complexities of facilitating …

Dei And Discrimination In The Marketing Industry: Exploring The Lived Experiences In The Workplace. Evidence From Western Australia, Ashlee Morgan, Melissa Fong-Emmerson, Steven D’Alessandro, Marie Ryan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper explores the lived experiences of individuals in the Western Australian marketing industry, focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the workplace. Through a survey of 573 marketing professionals, the study gathered both qualitative and quantitative data on perceptions and attitudes towards DEI, and personal experiences of discrimination. The findings indicate strong support for DEI within the marketing workforce, with 76.6% agreeing that diversity and inclusion are important in the workplace, and 78.1% affirming that DEI should be a business priority. Yet, 25% reported personal experiences of workplace discrimination, underscoring the urgent need for organisations to listen to …

The Effect Of Fatigue On Climbing Fluidity And Hand Movements, Andrew Walsh, L. Seifert, C. Button, S. Vial, J. Croft

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In rock climbing, climbers use their arms to regulate their posture on the wall, which can lead to localised muscle fatigue. Evidence shows fatigue is the primary cause of falls, but little is known about how fatigue specifically affects climbing rhythm and hand movements. The present study examined climbing fluidity and hand movements on an indoor climbing wall before and after a specific fatiguing protocol. Seventeen climbers completed three repetitions of a challenging climbing route (21 on Ewbank scale) with different levels of localised arm fatigue. Climbers’ movements were tracked using 3D motion capture, and their hand actions assessed using …

The Ethics Of Patient And Public Involvement Across The Research Process: Towards Partnership With People With Aphasia, Deborah Hersh, Mark Israel, Ciara Shiggins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Conducting Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in health research is a way of building knowledge that incorporates the experience of service users, adds research impact, and helps avoid wasting resources on findings that have little relevance to people or cannot be implemented. We argue that there is a need to extend ethical considerations currently focused on research participants with aphasia to encompass and guide expectations of involvement in partnerships with people with aphasia across the research lifecycle.

Method: We use the 2018 revision of the Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research as the framework for this …

Challenging Assumptions: Ai And Teacher Assessment Identity Formation, Nadia Ollington

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article explores the ways in which teacher educators can strengthen the developing teacher assessment identity of preservice teachers who are at the precipice of Industry 4.0, where work with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and assessment will require flexible thinking. This reflective case study narrative outlines a teacher educator’s experiences in a novel assessment task using Generative AI for technology enhanced learning in an Australian postgraduate teaching program. In the task, those who held positive beliefs and emotions about AI were more likely to engage in flexible thinking skills than those who were more critical of the AI. To ensure that …

From Guesswork To Growth: Understanding How Preservice Teachers Interpret And Enact Appraisal Within A Teacher Performance Assessment, Allison Byth, Thembi Mason, Laurie Werrett

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In Australia, the Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment (GTPA) is a capstone summative assessment evaluating preservice teachers ‘classroom readiness’ across five practices: planning, teaching, assessing, reflecting and appraising. In our work with preservice teachers, appraising the impact of teaching emerged as the most conceptually and practically challenging practice. To understand how preservice teachers interpreted and enacted appraisal, this exploratory case study analysed 15 GTPA submissions that met standards in the first four practices but not in appraisal. The findings highlight common issues, including conflating appraisal with general reflection, difficulty interpreting and applying data meaningfully, and presenting narrative accounts rather than evaluative …

Fostering Learner Autonomy In Efl Setting Through Multiliteracy Pedagogy: A Case In Tertiary Education, Desi Surlitasari Dewi, Rudi Hartono, Sri Wahyuni, Sri Lestari

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The intersection of learner autonomy and multiliteracy pedagogy in EFL settings remains underexplored. To address this gap, this study investigates how multiliteracy pedagogy fosters learner autonomy in the EFL context. The study involved 24 university students majoring in English, for whom English was primarily a third language. The participants attended an intermediate speaking course, a compulsory class in their curriculum. A learner autonomy questionnaire was administered to measure autonomy in the EFL speaking context before and after the implementation. Additionally, semi-structured interviews and classroom observations enriched the data. The findings indicate a significant improvement in learner autonomy following the implementation …

Raising Information Literacy Of Biology Pre-Service Teachers: Study On Three Problem Solving Methods, Muhammad Saefi, Hadi Suwono, Rifka Fachrunnisa, Widi Cahya Adi, Herawati Susilo, Ahmad Kamal Sudrajat

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Integrating information literacy teaching methods with subject-content curricula to develop prospective biology teacher students' abilities is still problematic. This quasi-experimental research, with a nonrandomized pretest-posttest control group design, intends to compare the influences of challenge-based learning (CBL), problem-based learning (PBL), and problem-solving through classroom discussion (PCD) – as the control- in improving information literacy. This study involved 183 students from three classes of freshmen and three sophomores in the biology education program. The results showed that CBL significantly improved students' information literacy compared to PBL and PCD across five indicators: 1) identifying the required information, 2) attaining the required information …

Teacher Resilience In South Africa: The Self-Efficacy And Teacher Efficacy Of Pre-Service Teachers Preparing To Teach In A Challenged Context, Carine Jonker, Marien Alet Graham, Liesel Ebersöhn

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This publication addresses a gap in high-quality, quantitative studies on teacher resilience within the less-researched context of the Global South. Specifically, it examines the self-efficacy and teacher efficacy of three cohorts of final-year pre-service teachers in South Africa (N = 1,193). This article aimed to contribute evidence on teacher resilience from an under-researched African context and population. Despite contextual challenges, the pre-service teachers indicated high intrapersonal resilience-enabling pathways, with a statistically significant relationship between their self-efficacy and teacher efficacy. The authors propose an evidence-based framework of how high levels of self-efficacy and teacher efficacy may enable prospective teachers to teach …

Psychotropic Polypharmacy In Dementia: A Retrospective Analysis For People With Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Referred To An Australian Dementia Support Service, Mustafa Atee, Andrew Stafford, Daniel Whiting, Ya Ping Lee, Christopher Morrow, Guillaume Nyakaboyi, Ella Warnes, Thomas Morris

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and Objectives: Despite their limited benefits and serious adverse effects, psychotropics remain frequently prescribed for neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) of dementia. Psychotropic polypharmacy, the use of two or more concomitant psychotropic medications, is therefore not recommended for people with dementia. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of psychotropic polypharmacy in Australians living with dementia whose caregivers sought external NPS support from Dementia Support Australia (DSA; the national provider of NPS support) and the association of psychotropic polypharmacy with their demographics and NPS characteristics. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study of a subset of DSA referrals at baseline …

The Paradoxical Effect Of Job Autonomy On Communication Overload: A Pathway To Innovative Work Behaviour, Oualid Abidi, Rupali Bhagat, Hamsa Sarhan, Mirna Safi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This research aims to propose autonomy as a job characteristic that alleviates communication overload, thereby fostering the innovative work behaviours exhibited by knowledge workers. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical survey was administered to 277 knowledge workers from diverse sectors in Kuwait. To analyse the interrelations among the three constructs of the research model, i.e. job autonomy, innovative work behaviours and communication overload, the structural equation modelling method was applied, and mediation analysis was conducted using a bootstrapping method to examine the indirect effect of communication overload. Findings – The findings indicate that the level of job autonomy has a significant …

What Makes An Airbnb Experience Memorable? A Text Analysis Using Leximancer, Eunjung Kim, Songshan Huang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study explores the factors that contribute to memorable experiences in the context of Airbnb. An open-ended question, ‘Please describe your most memorable experience with Airbnb’, was asked in the survey, and a total of 824 valid responses were obtained. The qualitative analysis of the data was conducted using Leximancer. The findings highlight the significance of the ‘Stay’, ‘Home’, ‘Family’, ‘Host’, ‘Beach’, and ‘Use’ themes, each playing a vital role in creating memorable experiences. In particular, the present study extends these findings by offering a more nuanced understanding of these dimensions, with specific themes emerging in relation to different demographic …

When The Going Gets Tough, Who Gets Going? Relational Embeddedness, Institutional Support And Entrepreneurial Continuance: Evidence From China's Small Business Owners, Tenghao Zhang, Pi Shen Seet, Janice Redmond, Jalleh Sharafizad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose – This study investigates how relational embeddedness and perceived institutional support influence entrepreneurs' intention to keep entrepreneurial ventures going in an emerging transition economy, China, during a major disruption, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach – We surveyed 295 small business owners in China during its second COVID-19 wave. Covariance-based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) was used to evaluate the model. Findings – The study found that relational embeddedness and perceived institutional support both significantly influenced their intention for entrepreneurial continuance (IEC) through the mediating effects of the three Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) determinants. It also found that relational …

Work-Integrated Learning As A Landscape Of Practice, Denise Jackson, Karsten E. Zegwaard, David Drewery

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article proposes that work-integrated learning (WIL) is a Landscape of Practice (LoP) within the wider higher education ecosystem. It applies concepts from the LoP literature to present a new perspective on WIL programs and ecosystems. It further emphasizes that students are central within the WIL LoP, developing knowledge as they traverse individual communities including industry partners, professional accrediting bodies, careers services, academics, curriculum, and support staff connected to WIL. Additionally, the article highlights the role of higher education institutions in addressing tensions of difference between communities comprising the WIL LoP. The article contributes to the literature on WIL and …

Monitoring Children’S Learner Engagement: The Early Years. A Practical Guide To In School And Learning High Impact Strategies That Build Strong Learner Engagement, Amelia Ruscoe, Leanne Lavina

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This practical guide presents a high‑impact approach to understanding and monitoring young children’s learner engagement through the integrated use of Dialogic Drawing, LIVE Threads, the Children’s Learner Engagement Monitor, and the Children’s Learner Engagement Planner. These tools were developed using evidence from research with early childhood teachers in response to calls from school leaders and educators for practical, evidence‑informed strategies that strengthen learner engagement. The research underpinning the Children’s Learner Engagement Monitor, funded by AISWA as part of the Preschool Reform Agreement (Australian Government, Department of Education, 2022), addresses four key goals: enabling teachers to gain critical knowledge about children’s …

Dialogic Drawing: A Pedagogical Tool To Promote And Monitor Learner Engagement, Amelia Ruscoe, Leanne Lavina

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This project presented a unique opportunity to apply an evidence‑based method, Dialogic Drawing, to the longstanding challenge of understanding and monitoring the learner engagement of young children as they begin their school journey. Early childhood is a critical period in which children are not only adjusting to the routines and expectations of school but are also forming their identities as learners. Yet monitoring engagement during this phase is complex. Young children’s developing language and literacy skills prompt educators to think holistically about how children might come to understand and share in their thoughts and feelings about school and learning. While …

Can The Ability To Infer Relevance Account For Dimensional Psychoticism? An Exploration Of A Representative Community Sample, Adam Schwarz, Frank D. Baughman, Evan Dauer, Ruby Koyllor Alarcon Gleeson, Jennifer Haywood, Bo Huei Huang, Karen H. Heslop, Barbara A. Mullan, Susan L. Rossell, Nicolas H. Hart, Darren Haywood

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Psychoticism is a common feature of psychological disorders. Deficits in perceptual inference have been associated with the development of psychotic symptoms. Traditional testing of perceptual inference has had low ecological validity, limiting the ability to infer functional relationships. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between the capacity to infer relevance in dynamic environments and dimensional psychoticism, as well as to investigate the association between inferring relevance and dimensional psychoticism. Method: Four hundred participants, representative of the general population of the USA, completed an online questionnaire consisting of the Brief Symptom Inventory, as well as demographic …

Compulsory Service-Learning Programs In Secondary Schools: The Lasting Impact Beyond The Classroom, Linda Cranley, Gregory Hine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this research project was to investigate the extent to which a compulsory service-learning program (SLP) offered in one secondary school inspired students to extend their service to the community beyond their schooling and make the connection between real-life social inequities and the SLP. The project involved interviewing current staff and past students from a co-educational Catholic secondary school in Perth, Western Australia, about their experiences of participating in the school’s SLP. Staff and student participants highlighted key elements of the SLP, including the types of community involvement encouraged within the program, and provided insight into how the …

The Dark Side Of International Cooperation: Indifference And The Psychosocial Dynamics Of Cooperative Deterrence, Jamal Barnes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

States are increasingly resorting to international cooperative agreements to deter migrants and refugees from irregularly arriving at their borders. Although scholars have shown how these cooperative deterrence policies are undermining important refugee and human rights protections, making migration journeys more dangerous, and securitizing and criminalizing people on the move, what has not been adequately examined is how these cooperative arrangements can bring about normative changes that produce indifference to the suffering of refugees and migrants. This article examines the psychosocial dynamics of cooperative deterrence policies to show how the social processes of authorization, routinization, evasion of responsibility, and dehumanization weaken …

Surviving And Thriving In Educational Leadership: Challenges And Coping Strategies Of High School Principals In Nepal, Shankar Dhakal

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

School leadership in Nepal is shaped by sociocultural, institutional, and resource-related challenges. This study fills a gap in the literature by examining leadership dynamics within this unique and diverse educational context. Guided by resilient leadership theory as a referent, this qualitative case study, grounded in a constructivist paradigm, involved semi-structured interviews with public high school principals to investigate their workplace challenges and coping strategies. The findings reveal challenges including sociocultural and gender biases, teachers’ resistance to modern pedagogical practices, and resource limitations. They navigate these challenges through strategies of humility, intrinsic motivation, and collaborative partnerships. The findings highlight the need …

Fashioning Intangible Cultural Heritage In Tourism, Chaowu Xie, Hai Zhu, Jiangchi Zhang, Songshan Huang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The fashion evolution of intangible cultural heritage in tourist destinations is vital for promoting intangible cultural heritage inheritance and innovation. However, there is limited literature on its specific manifestations and influencing factors. This study employed a mixed research design. Study 1, taking Xunpu head-pinned flowers decoration as a study case, and following grounded analysis, found that the fashion evolution of intangible cultural heritage in tourist destinations was manifested by the pattern of “traditional ontology evolving into fashion ontology, traditional representations evolving into fashion representations, and traditional constructions evolving into fashion constructions.” Study 2, based on a scenario-based experiment, found that …

Entrepreneurship: A Practical Guide For Business Success, Jalleh Sharafizad, Violetta Wilk, Kerry Brown, Aglae Hernandez Grande, Fleur Sharafizad, Dorothy Wardale

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This book is tailored for entrepreneurs in their startups or moving to the next stage of their businesses, micro and small business owners, as well as individuals who are considering starting their own ventures. It brings together essential insights, practical tools, and valuable resources developed through two Western Australian government initiatives focused on entrepreneurial training and support. In addition, it draws on a range of business concepts from other sources, refining and simplifying them to suit the specific needs of emerging and growing enterprises.

Designed to be both flexible and supportive, the book serves multiple roles throughout your entrepreneurial journey. …

Fostering An Inclusive And Sustainable Career Ecosystem: Empowering Neurodivergent Individuals And Employees To Thrive, William E. Donald, Elizabeth J. Cook, Nimmi P. Mohandas

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This article synthesises contributions from the special issue “Fostering an inclusive and sustainable career ecosystem: empowering neurodivergent individuals and employees to thrive”. It reframes neurodivergence as a source of strength, while acknowledging the complex interplay between strengths and systemic challenges. The article advocates for evidence-informed strategies that promote inclusive and sustainable career pathways, emphasising the interaction between individual agency and structural change rather than commodifying neurodivergent talent as “superpowers”.

Design/methodology/approach: Guided by the sustainable career ecosystem theory, this article identifies five key principles derived from the nine contributions spanning four continents and seven countries. These principles are examined in …

A Deep Dive Into Taught Postgraduates’ Participation In Work-Integrated Learning, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study draws on national data to explore postgraduate participation in different types of work-integrated learning (WIL) in Australia. Despite considerable interest in WIL engagement in higher education, research is primarily focused on undergraduates with relatively little known about participation in postgraduate cohorts and how this varies across disciplines. Consequently, this study analyses how 119,000 graduates of Australian postgraduate coursework degrees engaged in work-based WIL (e.g., internships/placements); non-workplace WIL (e.g., projects/consultancies) and global WIL experiences between 2020 and 2023. In addition to breakdowns by discipline and international/domestic student status, the study examines relationships between WIL engagement and personal, study and …

Beyond The Classroom Walls: Outdoor Education For Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers, Sebnem Cetken-Aktas, Gunes Ezgi Demirci, Serap Sevimli-Celik

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Outdoor education, an experiential approach that fosters sensory engagement and connections with the natural world, is increasingly recognized as an important aspect of early childhood education. However, there is a notable gap in preparing pre-service early childhood teachers to implement outdoor pedagogy effectively. This study examines how pre-service teachers evaluated their experiences in a course titled Outdoor Education in Early Years, designed to equip them with the confidence and skills for outdoor teaching in early childhood contexts. Seven early childhood pre-service teachers, aged 21 to 23, participated in the study, which employed purposive sampling. Data collection included one-on-one interviews, focus …

Desiring Education, Exhibiting Agency, Experiencing Systemic Obstacles: Re-Examining The Perceptions And Experiences Of Education Among Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Students In Australia, Mary Anne Macdonald, Eyal Gringart, Terry Kessaris, Renae Isaacs-Guthridge

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

We present new findings from a Western Australian mixed-methods study exploring a sample of Indigenous and non-Indigenous secondary school students’ (N = 536) experiences and perceptions of school. Respondents hailed largely from remote or regional Western Australia, although approximately half attended boarding school. This article presents findings of multivariate analysis of responses to the Multi-Dimensional Student Perceptions of School Questionnaire (MSPSQ) and identifies that Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in this study were found to be equally likely to report a positive perception of the benefit of education and the importance of attending and completing year 12, and equally likely to …

Determinants Of Customers’ Variety Seeking Intentions On Mobile Food Ordering Applications, Chandrasekaran Padmavathy, Seon Jeong Ally Lee, Murugan Pattusamy, Sanjit K. Roy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mobile Food Ordering Applications (MFOAs) have gained prominence in the hospitality sector, particularly post-COVID-19, reflecting customers’ preference for digital food ordering. Despite this, there remains ample opportunity for substantial research in this evolving domain. This study examines the impact of technological, psychological, and economic factors on customers’ variety seeking intentions, by utilising the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). Drawing on a sample of 979 customers from India, results show that deal proneness, personalised product recommendations, online ratings, and delivery timeliness show mixed effects on variety seeking intentions. The results also show that perceived convenience acts as a mediator between central and …