Digital Commons Network^™

Strengthening Ocean Literacy: Marine Science Education And Training To Ensure Australia's Blue Future, Prue Francis, Rachel Kelly, Louise Swanson, Tanveer M. Adyel, Benjamin Arthur, Kirsten Benkendorff, Melanie J. Bishop, Helen Bostock, Marnie L. Campbell, Emma Church, Corrine Condie, Vaibhavi Dwivedi, Michelle Dyer, Matthew England, Liam Fullbrook, Charlie Huveneers, Malcolm Johnson, Brianna Le Busque, Rebecca R. Mcintosh, Amelie Meyer, Benjamin Mos, Jana Mrazova, Allyson O'Brien, Gretta T. Pecl, Amandine Schaeffer, Rebecca J. Shellock, Grant A. Smith, Scott Smithers, Ana Vila-Concejo, Graham Wood

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This white paper sets out a national vision for advancing ocean literacy in Australia and outlines the role of marine science in fostering an informed, engaged society capable of addressing the challenges and opportunities of our changing oceans. As environmental pressures intensify, and marine resource demands increase, Australians’ capacity to engage with ocean issues, understand risks and opportunities, and participate in marine decision-making has never been more urgent. Marine science will play a central role in building ocean literacy by delivering credible, actionable science, and strengthening education and training systems that enhance understanding of, and connection to, the ocean. Our …

Strengthening Social Structures To Improve Informal Care For Older People With Chronic Life-Limiting Illnesses In Rural Ghana, Barbara Adonteng-Kissi, Obed Adonteng-Kissi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Traditional family-based care for older people in Ghana is declining as globalization and social change weaken historical support systems. This analysis is informed by a review of scholarly literature concerning the implications of globalization for the provision of caregiving for older people managing chronic life-limiting illnesses. We aimed to explore ways of strengthening social structures to enhancing the quality of lives of older people with chronic life-limiting illnesses in rural Ghana amongst 15 older people; 15 family caregivers; 10 healthcare professionals. Critical Social Theory (CST) functions as the primary theoretical framework for conducting an interrogation of the systemic structures that …

A Knowledge-Driven, Ai-Assisted Cyber Defence Framework For Iomt Remote Patient Monitoring, Kulsoom S. Bughio, David M. Cook, Abdul M. Unar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The rapid adoption of Internet Medical Things (IoMT) technologies in remote patient monitoring has reshaped healthcare delivery by enabling continuous, real-time clinical observation outside traditional care settings. However, this shift has also expanded the cyber-attack surface across heterogeneous, resource-constrained medical devices, wireless networks, cloud services, and third-party platforms. In cyber warfare, healthcare has become an incorporated target of geopolitics, with hospitals, remote monitoring systems, and emergency health systems being used to broaden the attack surface for adversaries to exploit. Existing security approaches for IoMT environments remain largely manual, fragmented, and reactive, limiting their effectiveness in dynamically assessing vulnerabilities and supporting …

Renewable And Affordable Energy For Apartments. Inquiry Into Renewable And Affordable Energy For Apartments, Nishadi Ruwandima Weerasinghe Mudiyanselage, Asma Aziz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recent literature identifies a persistent disparity between detached housing and apartments in accessing renewable and affordable electricity. While rooftop solar PV deployment in Australia  has expanded rapidly since 2017, access to these technologies in multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) remains limited, resulting in higher electricity costs for apartment residents compared with standalone houses. This inequity is increasingly significant given rising electricity prices and the growing share of Australians living in apartments.

A Service Ecosystems Approach For Sustainable Volunteer Engagement: Developing Insights From Covid-19 Disruptions, Ingrid O'Brien, Fazlul K. Rabbanee, Eunjung Kim, Megan Paull, Kirsten Holmes, Jo Anne Kestel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this paper is to develop foundational propositions designed to reflect success factors in the recruitment and retention of volunteers for future longevity. Using insights gathered from three universities' experiences of student volunteering during COVID-19, plus capturing the experiences of volunteer involving organizations, we draw on existing theories, as well as service ecosystem literature, to identify critical emerging trends. We argue that conceptualizing volunteer pathways as a set of linear, sequential stages linked to a single volunteering experience does not adequately capture the complexity of the volunteer ecosystem, including the dynamic inter-relationships among actors and the multiple roles …

Attitudes And Expectations Towards Acupuncture For Primary Dysmenorrhoea: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Survey In Australia, Weiting Liu, Amanda Towell-Barnard, Khui Hung Lee, Timothy Leen Kang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: To describe attitudes towards acupuncture and expectations regarding potential treatment outcomes among women with self-reported primary dysmenorrhoea (PD) residing in Australia. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive online survey was conducted to assess attitudes and treatment expectancy using an adapted version of previously published complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) attitude scale and a validated acupuncture expectancy scale (AES). Data were analysed descriptively, with exploratory analysis conducted to support the interpretation of response patterns. Ethical approval was obtained from the Edith Cowan University Human Research Ethics Committee (2023-04471-LIU) and participants provided electronic informed consent. Results: A total of 247 responses were received. …

Blue Poppy Study: Frequency Of Ptsd In The West Australian Police Force, Daniel Talbot, Peter Drummond, Christopher Lee

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: As exposure of police officers to traumatic incidents has increased in recent years, the aim was to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated distress in the West Australian (WA) Police Force. Method: Participants were 1,278 sworn officers from the Western Australia (WA) Police Force, recruited via advertisements placed in the WA Police Union newsletter. This sample represented approximately 18.5% of the WA Police workforce. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), administered through an online survey platform. This study employed a cross-sectional correlational design. Factors related to PTSD were assessed using …

Challenging The Monopoly Giant: Market Challenger Premium As Competitive Advantages, Cheuk Hang Au, Chih Yuan Chou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Market challengers frequently disrupt established incumbents with innovative ideas or novel business models. Yet, they frequently face high entry barriers and the entrenched power of incumbents. Even when challengers provide products or services better aligned with the market, competing effectively can remain difficult, particularly in monopoly-dominated sectors. This paper presents a case study of ViuTV entering Hong Kong’s monopoly-led free-to-air TV market. We identify IFH (innovation, freshness, hope) strategies for challengers to gain competitive advantage, leading to the emergence of a “market challenger premium” as a unique competitive edge. We also examine the role of customer cognitive biases and the …

Design And Technology Pre-Service Teachers’ University Course Lived Experiences In Western Australia, Carol K. Puddicombe, Nicola F. Johnson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Design and Technology (D&T) education, historically rooted in industrial and manual arts, now integrates design-focused thinking with the practical processes of prototyping and making. Drawing on a doctoral study, this article examines the university course experiences of ten pre-service D&T teachers in Western Australia and how these shaped emerging beliefs and professional identities. Using an interpretivist framework and interpretative phenomenological analysis, interviews with ten final-year pre-service teachers were analysed. Five interrelated themes are examined in this article: knowledgeable lecturers, hands-on practical learning, curriculum breadth, peers, and internal concerns. The findings highlight the importance of current, school-connected lecturers; structured learning that …

Dose–Response Association Between Systemic And Dermatologic Glucocorticoid Use And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Nationwide Case–Control Study, David Vadsholt, Annika V. Kvist, Chano Sandiramoorthy, Joshua R. Lewis, Peter Vestergaard, Johan Røikjer, Nicklas H. Rasmussen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: To investigate the association and dose–response between systemic and topical glucocorticoids and odds of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: We conducted a nationwide case–control study using Danish registry data from 2013 to 2021. People aged 40 years or older with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 149 113) were matched 1:3 with controls (n = 447 339) by age, sex and weighted Charlson Comorbidity Index. Glucocorticoid exposure was defined as ≥ 1 prescription within 1 year before the date of diagnosis and ≥ 2 within 3 years and classified as systemic or topical. Conditional logistic regression …

Dropouts And Refusers: Clinicians’ Insights And Initiatives Into Reducing Treatment Attrition Amongst Young People Who Sexually Offend, James L. Finney, Natalie Gately, Suzanne Rock, Jocelyn Jones

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sexual offending by young people causes significant harm to victims, families and communities. Treatment engagement and completion are therefore important for reducing future harm; however, young people who drop out of, or refuse to engage in, treatment present a unique challenge for clinicians and justice systems. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory, this study explored clinicians’ perspectives on the barriers to treatment engagement and completion for young people who have sexually offended in the Australian context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians who provided or facilitated treatment for young people who had sexually offended (N = 22). Two major …

Kinship Care And Aboriginal Children With Disabilities In Out-Of-Home Care: “My Boy, I Was His Voice”, Jocelyn Jones, Juliet Brook, Sasha Moodie, Richard Chenhall, Robyn Williams, Cathy Garlett, Katiska Davis, Alison Gibberd, Ben Harrap, Bridgette Mcnamara, Melissa O'Donnell, Sandra Eades

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with a disability are over-represented in child welfare systems worldwide. Despite this, little is known about their involvement with the Australian child protection system or their lived experiences. Method: Led by Indigenous researchers and methodologies, qualitative findings from yarning sessions with 46 kinship carers across Western Australia informed this research. This research is part of the Indigenous Child Removals WA (I-CaRe WA) project. Results: Difficulty accessing disability assessments and diagnoses for children resulted in a lack of access to disability support services and missed opportunities for early intervention. Priority areas for improvement included …

Negotiating Relationships With Food, The Body, And Physical Activity: Who Is The Healthiest Of Them All?, Valeria Varea, Victoria Evans, Dawn Penney, Eibhlish O'Hara

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Healthy eating and regular exercise are things that many people aspire to, mainly for health reasons. However, these practices can be complex given broader societal discourses. This paper aims to critically interrogate the social conditions and discursive formations that underpin everyday exercisers’ relationships with food, the body, and physical activity by using biopower and biopedagogies as a theoretical approach, and healthism as a set of discourses. Photo elicitation interviews with vignettes were conducted with nine participants who were regular exercisers. We constructed three different scenarios from the interview data and the theoretical approach: 1. Anna: A performance-driven, health compliant, private …

Meta-Analysis Of Dna Methylation Aging Signatures In 17 Human Tissues, Macsue Jacques, Kirsten Seale, Sarah Voisin, Anna Lysenko, Robin Grolaux, Bernadette Jones-Freeman, Severine Lamon, Mandhri Abeysooriya, Itamar Levinger, Carlie Bauer, Adam P. Sharples, Aino Heikkinen, Elina Sillanpaa, Miina Ollikainen, Cassandra Smith, James R. Broatch, Navabeh Zarekookandeh, Linn Gillberg, Ida Blom, Jesse R. Poganik, Mahdi Moqri, Vadim N. Gladyshev, Matthew Taper, Cassandra Malecki, Sean Lal, Nathalie Saurat, Steve Horvath, Andrew Teschendorff, Nir Eynon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Epigenetic changes, in particular DNA methylation, accumulate with age across different tissues, but whether these changes follow consistent patterns across different organs remains poorly understood. Here we show, through a meta-analysis of more than 15,000 human methylation profiles spanning 17 tissues, that aging produces both conserved and tissue-specific epigenetic signatures. We identify systemic shifts in methylation levels, increases in methylation variability, and growing molecular disorder across tissues. Network analysis revealed tightly connected gene clusters that are not modified by beneficial interventions, alongside a more modifiable cluster linked to NAD⁺ metabolism, supporting NAD⁺ as a potential therapeutic target in …

Role Of Ethical Principles And Ai Characteristics In Shaping Generative Ai Use In Higher Education And Its Impact On Academic Performance, Mostafa Al-Emran, Mohammed A. Al-Sharafi, Behzad Foroughi, Noor Al-Qaysi, Nelson K.Y. Leung, Zaher Mundher Yaseen, Nor’Ashikin Ali

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The rapid integration of Generative AI in higher education has transformed teaching and learning, yet limited research explores the factors driving its adoption and impact on academic performance. This study addresses the gap in understanding how ethical principles (fairness, accountability, transparency, accuracy, autonomy) and AI characteristics (perceived anthropomorphism, perceived intelligence) influence students’ use of Generative AI tools and their subsequent academic outcomes. The research aims to develop and test a theoretical model that integrates these factors to explain Generative AI adoption and its effect on perceived academic performance among university students. Data were collected through surveys from 318 students and …

Supporting Displaced Students With Disabilities In Post-Secondary Education: An International Scoping Review, Tetiana Bogachenko, Jia Xu, Larysa Klymanska, Nadia Chubko

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Students with disabilities who are forced to leave their homes due to armed conflict, persecution, environmental crises, or other forms of involuntary displacement, within their country or internationally, face compounded barriers to accessing and succeeding in post-secondary education. Yet, their experiences, educational trajectories, and the supports available to them remain underexplored. This scoping review examines existing empirical research on the experiences of students with disabilities in post-secondary education who come from forced migration backgrounds. By addressing the intersection of disability, displacement, and post-secondary education, this review highlights the unique challenges faced by this population as well as supports identified as …

Text Messaging Programs To Support Family Literacy Practices: A Scoping Review, Lennie Barblett, Leanne Lavina, Nicola Johnson, Caroline Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Using bulk digital text messaging has been shown to be effective in many different fields such as health program interventions and supporting parents/carers. Evaluations of these interventions indicate positive changes in practice; however, it appears the potential of digital messaging through short message services (SMS) have not been fully taken advantage of in early childhood education. This scoping review using Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) approach investigates the current practices of text messaging programs to support families in the development of preschool aged children’s language and literacy learning. Searches of five databases identified 16 articles that fitted our criteria. Results indicate: …

The Challenges Of International Travel Insurance For Leisure Travellers With Pre-Existing Mental Health Conditions, Alison Mcintosh, Gregory Willson, Dhananjana Madushani Morayes Gajaweera Marthinna Moraslage

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

International leisure travel is deemed therapeutic for reducing stress and improving mental health and wellbeing, although unfamiliar environments can exacerbate pre-existing mental health conditions. Travel insurance plays a crucial role in mitigating risks for travellers. There is a lack of critical evaluation regarding how insurers assess risk, determine coverage eligibility and communicate exclusions. International travel insurance policies may contain restrictive clauses, ambiguous wording and outright exclusions that may disproportionately disadvantage travellers with pre-existing conditions, including mental health conditions. This paper evaluates whether New Zealand’s international travel insurance policies adequately accommodate travellers with pre-existing mental health conditions. Analysis of 23 international …

The Complex And Multifaceted Nature Of Social Media: Perspectives From Young Adolescents, Parents And Experts, Cindy Branch-Smith, Diarmuid Hurley, Nasim Salehi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This study explores the complex and multifaceted nature of social media use among young adolescents, drawing on the perspectives of young adolescents, parents and experts. It examines both the benefits and risks of social media and associated implications for adolescent mental health, self-development and social relationships. Methodology: A qualitative, interpretive design was utilised, using interviews across three stakeholder groups, with data analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings: The analysis identified a range of perceived opportunities, benefits and challenges associated with adolescent social media engagement. Participants highlighted its role in fostering connection, education and self-expression, alongside significant risks, including cyberbullying, …

Thinking With Trees: Responding To Sympoietic Plant Relations Through Visual Art, Xiaoyu Yang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Societal Impact Statement: Amid escalating climate crises, this paper explores how we might rethink our relationship with the natural world, particularly with plants and trees, through the perspectives of visual art. This paper reveals how art invites us to see trees and other plant life not as passive background scenery, but as living beings with their own forms of experience and individuality. Rather than offering technical solutions to the climate crisis, visual art creates something equally important: a shift in how we think and feel about ‘othering’ non-human life. By making visible the inner lives and behaviours of plants, art …

Tourism Low-Carbon Decision-Making Through The Avoid–Shift–Improve Framework, Pezhman Hatamifar, Arghavan Hadinejad, Jalayer Khalilzadeh, Kourosh Esfandiar, S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Using the Avoid–Shift–Improve framework, this study examines how demographic factors and psychological, behavioral, and attitudinal drivers are associated with tourists’ low-carbon decision-making across mobility, consumption, and accommodation. Survey data were collected from 416 young Finnish travelers, and analyzed using correlation tests, repeated-measures ANOVA, and cluster segmentation to examine cross-domain and cross-strategy variation. Findings show that demographic factors have limited influence, whereas psychological, behavioral, and attitudinal drivers motivate sustainable choices. Shift dominant mobility decision-making, Avoid emergence in consumption, and Improve are most common in accommodation. Three adopter groups are identified as strong, moderate, and weak, reflecting different levels of engagement. Theoretically, …

Twelve Tips For Using Microlearning For Faculty Development, Kylie Fitzgerald, Brett Vaughan, Tamara Clements, Svetlana King, Alison Ledger, Kate Mathews, Rosalind Norton, Michael Poulton, Rosie Shea, Rashmi Watson, Walter Eppich, Stephen Trumble, Marco De Carvalho Filho

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teaching is an expected as part of the health professional’s role, amidst clinical and administrative workloads, yet many receive limited education training. Microlearning addresses this gap through short, focused, flexible learning units integrated into daily workflows for immediate application. Our paper presents twelve practical tips to guide faculty developers to design, implement, evaluate and sustain microlearning programs for faculty development (FD). The tips offer ideas to help faculty developers manage common barriers to engagement (i.e. time, relevance, technology, institutional support) and provide ideas to navigate these. The tips are applicable to health professions education (HPE) settings seeking scalable, sustainable, low …

What Are Information Literacy Skills? Western Australian Primary Teachers’ Interpretations Of The Ict Curriculum, Louise Moroney, Vaille Dawson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teachers must equip students to navigate an increasingly complex world of unique challenges and opportunities, necessitating the development of a diverse range of transferable skills. These skills are embedded in the General Capabilities (GC) of the Australian school curriculum. Upper primary school teachers’ interpretations of one of the GC, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) learning progressions, was examined, as these skills have become increasingly important with the rise in generative and assistive artificial intelligence. Using an interpretivist paradigm, an exploratory study was used to determine the areas where 36 teachers differed in their interpretations of the learning progression. Data collected …

Leveraging Collective Resources For Digital Transformation: The Role Of Tourism Trade Associations Under The Resource-Based View, Tianyu Zheng, Ke Zhang, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Bing Hu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In the digital age, while hospitality and tourism (H&T) firms accelerate digital transformation to stay competitive, the role of tourism trade associations as external resource providers in these firms’ digital transformation process remains underexplored. Drawing on resource-based theory (RBT), this study examines how tourism trade associations influence H&T firms’ digital transformation and explores the moderating effects of marketization and business climate. Using 2,049 firm-year observations of 144 publicly listed H&T firms (2009–2022), this study finds evidence suggesting that tourism trade associations facilitate digital transformation. Crucially, we find that marketization and business climate negatively moderate this relationship, indicating a substitution effect …

Students’ Experiences Of Living With Adhd At University: A Meta-Ethnography, Maree Mestichelli, Elisa Pepall, Thuy Tran, Mandy Stanley, Amy Cairns, Therese A. O’Sullivan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among university students varies depending on the population studied, it has been estimated at approximately 16%. University students with ADHD may find that the condition affects their academic performance, social interactions, and well-being. This meta-ethnographic review synthesizes findings from 25 qualitative studies to explore the lived experiences of university students with ADHD. The studies, published between 2000 and 2023, were predominantly conducted in the United States with sample sizes ranging from 4 to 135 students. Students came from a broad range of academic disciplines and included undergraduates, recent graduates, and attendees …

Tour Guide Sincerity In The Context Of Short Videos, Yangdie Ou, Chaowu Xie, Jiangchi Zhang, Songshan (Sam) Huang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In short videos, tour guides’ demonstration of sincerity is key to enhancing visitor interaction, though its underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. This study employed a mixed research design to uncover the dimensions of tour guide sincerity and its impact on tourist behaviors. Study 1 analyzed 28,717 reviews using grounded theory, identifying two core dimensions of tour guide sincerity: “sincere atmosphere” and “sincere quality”; it further constructed the “tour guide sincerity → sincerity experience → sincerity response” model. Study 2 validated this model using structural equation modeling through an online questionnaire survey. Results indicate that tour guide sincerity enhances word-of-mouth recommendations via …

The Best Practice Guide For Early Childhood Education And Care Food Environment: Module 6: Quality, Leadership And Governance (Version 1.0), Ros Sambell, Audrey Elford, Connie N. Ihlein, Lochie Clark, Amanda Devine, Helen Alexiou, Peter D’Cress, Kasie Jackson, Karen Hunter, Stacey Mckenzie, Avalon O’Dowd, Asha Rojahn, Blake Stewart, Henry Tan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Quality, Leadership and Governance are central pillars in the role early learning settings play in children’s growth, development and wellbeing. By meeting regulatory requirements and quality standards through stringent business procedures and continuous improvement practices, services can provide high-quality food environments for all children – shaping their thoughts, feelings, and practices around food and eating.

This Quality, Leadership and Governance (QLG) module aims to:

- Provide critical context for how the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) food environment is intertwined with National Law and Regulations.

- Support services to meet regulatory requirements, through specific resources and guidance.

- Provide …

The Best Practice Guide For Early Childhood Education And Care Food Environment: Module 5: Sustainable Food Practices (Version 1.0), Ros Sambell, Audrey Elford, Connie N. Ihlein, Lochie Clark, Amanda Devine, Helen Alexiou, Lennie Barblett, Caterina Benati, Fiona Champion, Bek Clancy, Penelope Clark, Kathy Cologon, Wendy Cook, Katie Dix, Kirsty Elliott, Leanne Elliston, Amanda Ferguson, Ricky Gelman, Jodie Gray, Natalie Gulberti, Lorraine Hingston, Karen Krist, Deana Leahy, Rebecca Lindberg, Stacey Mckenzie, Merryn Netting, Ciara O’Flaherty, Asha Rojahn, Blake Stewart, Leah Stuart-Douglas, Aimee Sullivan, Suzanne Tamone, Henry Tan, Sandra Vale, Jill Whelan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

ECEC food environments are uniquely positioned to support sustainability by implementing practices that can reduce environmental impacts while creating meaningful opportunities for children to experience and explore the interconnections between people, animals, plants, lands and water through food.

The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) (Version 2.0) recognises sustainability as an important consideration for children’s learning and development and that educators and children have active roles to play in contributing to more sustainable communities.1 Through the food provided, mealtimes, and food education, ECEC services can provide meaningful opportunities for children to experience and engage with sustainable food practices.

This Sustainable Food …

The Best Practice Guide For Early Childhood Education And Care Food Environment: Module 4: Staff And Family Engagement (Version 1.0), Ros Sambell, Audrey Elford, Connie N. Ihlein, Lochie Clark, Amanda Devine, Helen Helen Alexiou, Lennie Barblett, Fiona Champion, Penelope Clark, Kathy Cologon, Wendy Cook, Katie Dix, Kirsty Elliott, Leanne Elliston, Amanda Ferguson, Yuna Ribeiro Ferreira Alves, Ricky Gelman, Jodie Gray, Natalie Gulberti, Lena Harle, Jill Whelan, Karen Krist, Ashton Leach, Deana Leahy, Stacey Mckenzie, Lauren Moore, Merryn Netting, Ciara O’Flaherty, Asha Rojahn, Blake Stewart, Aimee Sullivan, Suzanne Tamone, Henry Tan, Courtney Trezona, Sandra Vale, Kathy Cologon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Engaging with families is a core responsibility of ECEC services and staff. By building positive, personal relationships with families, ECEC staff are able to share concerns or queries about the children in their care in a sensitive way.

One of the more sensitive topics that can come up is food – what they are eating, how much they are eating, their eating behaviours and skills, and everything in between. Through quick conversations at drop-off or via formal communication platforms, services can share a range of information about a child’s eating patterns and behaviours, and also gather information from families to …

The Best Practice Guide For Early Childhood Education And Care Food Environment: Module 3: Food Education (Version 1.0), Ros Sambell, Connie N. Ihlein, Audrey Elford, Lochie Clark, Amanda Devine, Helen Alexiou, Lennie Barblett, Fiona Champion, Penelope Clark, Kathy Cologon, Wendy Cook, Katie Dix, Leanne Elliston, Amanda Ferguson, Ricky Gelman, Jodie Gray, Natalie Gulberti, Debbie Jordan, Karen Krist, Deana Leahy, Stacey Mckenzie, Sandra Murphy, Merryn Netting, Ciara O’Flaherty, Asha Rojahn, Blake Stewart, Aimee Sullivan, Suzanne Tamone, Henry Tan, Sandra Vale, Danielle Waterson, Jill Whelan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Food education (FE) in early learning settings is more than cooking – it is an opportunity to experience food in ways that include cooking but go far beyond. Food education gives children the opportunity for exploration, experimentation, learning, teamwork, skill building and much more. At the same time, services must balance safety, regulatory requirements, diverse developmental and cultural needs, family expectations and practical constraints such as time and staffing.

The FE module has been developed to support Early Childhood Education and Care settings (ECEC), for children from birth to 5 years, to create food experiences that are safe, engaging, inclusive …