Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring Mental Health Promoting Behaviours: Development And Psychometric Properties Of A Danish Act Belong Commit-Mental Health Promoting Behaviours (Abc-Mhpb) Scale, Line Nielsen, Ziggi Ivan Santini, Malene Kubstrup Nelausen, Carsten Hinrichsen, Frederik Schou-Juul, Vibeke Jenny Koushede, Robert J. Donovan, Charlotte Bjerre Meilstrup

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The Act Belong Commit-ABCs of Mental Health campaign is the world’s first comprehensive, population-wide, community-based initiative to promote mental health. In response to a growing demand for valid tools to monitor mental health promoting behaviours, this study presents the development and psychometric evaluation of the ABC-Mental Health Promoting Behaviours (ABC-MHPB) scale in a Danish population-based sample. Methods: A 10-item scale was developed, based on the ABC framework, to assess mental health promoting behaviours. A total of 119,221 randomly selected participants aged 18+ filled out an electronic survey, including the scale to measure the underlying construct of mental health promoting …

Measuring Teachers’ Beliefs In Their Capacity To Use Differentiated Instruction In Their Classrooms: Development, Validation And Confirmation Of A Self-Efficacy Scale, Kathryn Gibbs, Stuart Woodcock, Nicole Dargue, Leah Le, Eunjae Park, Tom Porter, Gemma Scarparolo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this study was to develop, validate and confirm a scale to gain a better understanding of teachers’ beliefs in their capacity to use differentiated instruction in their classrooms. Differentiation is an effective approach to teaching, designed to enable equitable learning opportunities for every student. Teachers are recommended to differentiate aspects of teaching, instruction, learning, assessment and the learning environment due to the increasing student heterogeneity within classrooms worldwide. Emerging literature has suggested that teacher self-efficacy may influence how teachers use this teaching approach. It is unknown if there is an existing scale that measures teachers’ self-efficacy when …

Protective Effect Of Lower Limb Strength On Lower Limb Injuries Within International Sixes Lacrosse Players: A Nine-Month Prospective Study, Nicholas Joel Ripley, Matthew Collier, Jack T. Fahey, Paul Comfort

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Abstract – Ripley, NJ, Collier, M, Fahey, JT, and Comfort, P. Protective effect of lower limb strength on lower limb injuries within international sixes lacrosse players: A nine-month prospective study. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2026—The aim of this study was to prospectively determine whether lower limb strength, assessed through the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), offers a protective effect to future lower limb injury in international men's sixes lacrosse players. Nineteen elite nonprofessional men's sixes lacrosse players from the British Men's Lacrosse team (25.4 ± 4.1 years, 1.8 ± 0.1 m, 88.9 ± 6.8 kg) performed 3 trials of …

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 …

The Justice–Empowerment Nexus: Pathways To Inclusive And Sustainable Tourism Development, Raymond Rastegar, Siamak Seyfi, Mostafa Rassolimanesh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As the pursuit of sustainability increasingly calls for social inclusion and equity, this study examines how social justice shapes community empowerment in tourism destinations. Although justice is central to sustainable development discourse, limited empirical understanding exists of how its dimensions collectively influence empowerment. Focusing on the tourism across three major tourism destinations, Australia, the UK, and the USA, the research examines the relationships between recognition, procedural, and distributive justice and different dimensions of community empowerment including psychological, social, economic and political empowerment. Utilizing a quantitative approach and guided by equity and social justice theories, the study employs partial least squares …

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, …

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 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 …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Future Health Professionals' Dementia Knowledge And Perceptions Of Dementia-Related Technology Support, Helen M. Haydon, Melissa Taylor, Annie Banbury, Cindy Jones, Georgina R. Chelberg, Louise Horstmanshof, Richard Hicks, Centaine L. Snoswell, Melissa Carey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: This research aimed to explore healthcare professional (HCP) students' dementia knowledge, perceptions of older adults' digital literacy, and perceived usefulness of digital health interventions for people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore HCP student perceptions of cognitive ageing and their understandings of the relationship between technology and healthcare practice. Researchers also explored students' knowledge of dementia and their contemporary educational experiences.

Results: Findings revealed a lack of formal education regarding the use of technology in cognitive care associated with ageing populations. Students also reported limited experience with the use of technology in …

A Systematic Review Of Children’S Digital Funds Of Knowledge In Early Childhood Education And Care: Beginning The Conversation, Jess Hardley, Lennie Barblett, Maria Enriquez-Watt

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Children's ‘funds of knowledge’ (FK) offer a strengths-based approach to recognising how children contribute to the curriculum. Growing up in a postdigital world, young children's lives are enmeshed with digital technologies. Yet the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector remains hesitant to embed digital experiences in play and learning. While the concept of ‘digital fund of knowledge’ (DFK) has been explored in primary and secondary education, it remains underexamined in ECEC. This systematic review of four databases identified seven studies spanning Europe, Australia, the USA, Malta, Sweden and Finland. These highlight challenges including limited educators' understandings of children's DFK, …

Aphasia Treatment Research: A Decision-Making Tool To Guide The Design Of Phased Trials From The Collaboration Of Aphasia Trialists (Cats) Trials For Aphasia Panel, Erin Godecke, Emily Brogan, Rebecca Palmer, Marian C. Brady, Frank Becker, Caterina Breitenstein, Sonia Brownsett, Julius Fridriksson, Katerina Hilari, Argye E. Hillis, Paola Marangolo, Miranda L. Rose, Shirley Thomas, Donna C. Tippett, Julie Bernhardt, Kathryn S. Hayward

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials with meta-analyses indicate that speech and language therapy for aphasia after stroke is effective in improving communication. However, high-quality evidence to identify an intervention’s target population (who), regimen (what), timing (when), and dose (how much) is lacking. The predominance of underpowered aphasia trials and comparative studies with design limitations may be attributed to: 1) the perceived complexity of designing trials of interventions for a complex behaviour such as human communication, 2) the lack of funded research in the field and 3) a lack of training and understanding in the field of aphasiology regarding …

Commission Pathways For Sexual Offences Against Children: A Novel Methodological Approach Exposing Distinct Pathways As A Function Of Offending History, Kelly Jackson, Raphaële Arlettaz, Alfred Allan, Joseph Clare, Frank Morgan, Hilde Tubex

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Using neural network analysis, we examined how specific dispositional and situational factors influence pathways for the commission of sexual offending against children. Use of non-linear multifactorial models is still developing in psychological and criminological research, making this a unique contribution to these fields.

Method: We used prior offence status as the outcome variable in a multi-stage analytical strategy that included chi-squared analysis, sequential binary regression and neural network modelling. Subjects came from a database containing pre-collected psychological and criminological information on Western Australian men who had sexually offended. An initial sample of offenders convicted of sexual offences against children …

From Awareness To Articulation: How Character Strengths Support Wellbeing Literacy In Pre-Service Teachers, Narelle Lemon, Marnie Harris, Rozita Dass, Carli Sanbrook, Rikki James, Tammy Green, Bev Adkin, Gail Berman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teacher wellbeing demands urgent attention given documented attrition and burnout, yet teacher education programmes often treat wellbeing as peripheral to professional preparation. Sustained teacher wellbeing is also linked to enhanced pedagogical efficacy, professional engagement, and the modelling of wellbeing for learners. This study examines how character strengths function as a scaffolding language through which wellbeing literacy, the intentional language to comprehend and compose wellbeing for self and others, is integrated within initial teacher education for pre-service teachers. Six podcast episodes from the Teachers Supporting Teachers series captured conversations between pre-service teachers and university academics exploring character strengths understanding and enactment. …

Load-Settlement Behaviour Of Tailings Dam Foundation Strengthened Using The Wraparound Geosynthetic Reinforcement Technique, Francis Otieno, Sanjay Kumar Shukla

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the load–settlement behaviour of a geosynthetic-reinforced tailings foundation comprised of gold tailings, subjected to the weight of a tailings dam embankment. The study considered varying conditions, including the horizontal and vertical components of the wraparound reinforcement, reinforcement burial depth, and shear strength parameters of the foundation material. A particular focus of this study is to investigate the effect of reinforcement wraparound ends on the settlement behaviour of the foundation using commercially available finite element (FE) software. The reinforcement is a single-layer biaxial woven geotextile, with and without wraparound ends, at varying depths from …

Mental Health Impacts Of Anti-Trans Stigma On Transgender People In Australia: A Mixed-Methods Study, Sav Zwickl, Sasha Bailey, Rin Chan, Shalem Y. Leemaqz, Joel Murray, Stevie Lane, Foster Skewis, Julian Grace, Eli Ward-Smith, Tomi Ruggles, Ada S. Cheung

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Anti-trans stigma has escalated globally, yet there is limited empirical evidence examining its mental health impacts on trans populations.

Methods: In a May 2024 mixed-methods cross-sectional online survey, trans people aged ≥16 years living in Australia reported the frequency of seven anti-trans stigma experiences in the previous month, including exposure to anti-trans remarks in the news media or online; personal experience of online bullying, harassment or threats; having thought about, seen or heard about anti-trans rhetoric by Australian politicians and high-profile individuals; or anti-trans rallies; or police violence; or international anti-trans legislation and violence. Generalized linear models examined associations …

Relationships Between Physical Performance Characteristics And Match Characteristics Of English Academy Soccer Players, B. Dickinson, P. Jones, P. Comfort

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between physical performance and match characteristics of Elite academy soccer players using pooled data across U15, U16, U18, U23 age groups. Sixty elite academy soccer players including u15 (Subject: N = 15; age: 14.64 ± 0.25; mass: 59.88 ± 9.12 kg; height: 171 ± 6.69 cm), u16 (Subject: N = 15; age: 15.42 ± 0.36; mass: 65.11 ± 8.70 kg; height: 175 ± 7.21 cm), u18 (Subject: N = 15; age: 17.00 ± 1.00; mass: 72.85 ± 7.43 kg; height: 179 ± 6.43 cm), u23 (Subject: N = 15; age: …

School Is No Longer A Lone Wolf Effort: Leadership Strategies For Inclusive, Community-Based School Cultures, Stuart Woodcock, Elias Avramidis, Umesh Sharma, Pearl Subban, Caroline Sahli Lozano, Harry Kullman, Tim Lorman, Sergej Wüthrich, Margarita Knickenberg

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Based on the premise that the successful implementation of inclusion is largely dependent on the educators’ commitment to inclusive ideals, this study sought to examine the ways principals promote an inclusive vision and foster the development of associated practices in their school community. The study employed an exploratory qualitative research design, collecting data through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 12 principals of highly-ranked inclusive schools from four countries: Australia, Italy, Switzerland, and Spain. In so doing, the emphasis was placed on the principals’ perspectives and practices that contribute to the development of an inclusive school culture. The iterative process …