Digital Commons Network^™

Leading Against The Odds: School Leadership In Under-Resourced Community Schools In Nepal, Shankar Dhakal, Chet Nath Panta

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Community schools in Nepal, particularly in remote areas, face persistent challenges in managing human, financial, and physical resources, which hinder educational quality and equity. Through a multiple case study design guided by Ecological Systems Theory, this research conducted semi-structured interviews with six headteachers from diverse geographical contexts, revealing critical issues including teacher shortages, financial instability, and inadequate infrastructure. Despite these barriers, headteachers demonstrate remarkable resilience through community engagement, strategic resource mobilization, and adaptive leadership strategies that paradoxically become more sophisticated under severe constraints. Positioning Nepal as a critical case for understanding educational leadership in resource-constrained environments globally, the study advances …

Preparation Of Australian Nurses For Contemporary Disability Care: A Desktop Review, Lesley Andrew, Martina Costello

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Approximately 18% of Australians experience disability, with significant health inequities documented in this population. Despite nursing’s crucial role in addressing these inequities, questions remain about nurses’ preparedness to work effectively with people with disability. The review assessed Australian nursing education’s approach to prepare its graduate nurses for disability care in today’s Australia. Using a rigorous desktop analysis methodology, the review evaluated the publicly available undergraduate nursing degree curricula materials from all 32 Australian public universities that offered a preregistration nursing degree in 2024. The review found 50% of nursing degree curricula course materials omitted to mention disability in their publicly …

Public Service Motivation And The Circumplex Model Of Affect: Profiling Australasian Public Servants, Esme Franken, Ben Farr-Wharton, Fleur Sharafizad, Kara Ng, Geoff Plimmer, Evan Berman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper explores public servants’ public service motivation through the prism of the circumplex model of affect (CMA). The application of CMA to work, and specifically public sector contexts, is relatively novel, and the framework helps explain how multiple states of affect (i.e., comprised of underlying feelings, emotions, and moods) cluster together and are shaped by one’s work environment. The mixed method paper begins with a qualitative study of Australasian public servants, presenting evidence of the CMA and its connection to PSM. The subsequent quantitative analysis of 222 survey respondents offers four distinct latent profiles of public servants’ PSM and …

Situating Australian Youth Work Within The Professions, John Sutcliffe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Youth work in Australia has moved towards greater professionalisation marked by the establishment and strengthening of state and national associations. This evolution is crucial for the development of youth work, although it has not been without its complexities. Historically, debates over the professionalisation of the field have been contested. Proponents have emphasised benefits including standardisation and increased accountability, while critics have expressed concern that bureaucratic processes could undermine the relational, practitioner-led core of youth work. This article moves beyond the ‘should we’ debate to focus on how youth work’s professional identity is evolving and how it fits within the broader …

Spatio-Temporal Responses Of A Migratory Shorebird Community Reflect Complex Trade-Offs Among Overabundance Of Predators And Disturbance, K. M. Aarif, Aymen Nefla, Zuzana Musilova, Petr Musil, Sora M. Estrella

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Animal selection of foraging grounds is a trade-off among available feeding resources, intra and interspecific competition, disturbance and predation risks. The present study was carried out at Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu Community Reserve on the West coast of Kerala (India) in the Central Asian Flyway. The Reserve hosts different coastal habitats, including mudflats, mangroves and sand beaches, and although 31 species of shorebirds are commonly present, it is heavily impacted by human activities. The findings highlight the necessity of robust management of anthropogenic waste and reveal the detrimental impacts of human activities on species communities of conservation concern. We investigated how the densities …

What Is Resistance Exercise? A Review Of Current Uses And Potential Ways Forward, Lars H. Lohmann, José Afonso, David G. Behm, Stanislaw D. Siegel, Michael Keiner, Klaus Wirth, Anthony J. Blazevich, Eric R. Helms, Alyssa Joy Spence, Konstantin Warneke

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The resistance exercise (RE) literature highlights the importance and impact of RE in sports performance, daily life, and clinical outcomes. While RE research dates back to the 19th century, current definitions of what constitutes RE are varied and give rise to questions about the requisites of RE. For example, some definitions refer to movements or muscle contractions against external resistance whereas others consider all repeated actions against one’s bodyweight. Taken to the limit, this could introduce confusion between RE and endurance exercise, for example. Without a clear definition, systematic reviews (with meta-analysis) discuss outcomes of studies examining the effects of …

Where’S My Tweed Jacket With Leather Elbow Patches? The Challenges Of Aging Gracefully In Higher Education, John A. O’Rourke, Christina Gray

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents an examination of one veteran academics’ experience in higher education. Via an autoethnographic reflection of a two-decade career, the work-related situations that impact on job enjoyment and challenge motivation to bring enthusiasm year-after-year are discussed. Veteran academics have seen higher education transform dramatically during their tenure and the pressure points that impact on wellbeing are discussed and aligned to contemporary research. In response to the challenges associated with aging in higher education, this paper examines how veteran academics need to prioritize self-care and explores ways that universities can maximize the accumulated knowledge and pedagogical skillset of these …

Emancipatory Research In Social Work: What Does Critical Realism Offer?, Shajimon Peter, Lynne Soon Chean Park, Liz Beddoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Summary: Critical realism offers a promising philosophical framework for emancipatory research in social work. Emancipatory research recognizes that people experience multiple realities and necessitates an inclusive participatory approach. However, these experiences are shaped by powers inherent in objectively existing structures, systems, and processes that must be identified and addressed for true emancipation. This theoretical article suggests a critical realism-informed methodology for emancipatory social work research. Findings: The critical realist framework acknowledges a stratified ontology and relativist epistemology that recognizes both subjective experiences and objective structures, bridging the subject–object binary created by objectivist and constructivist approaches. This allows for a radical …

A Critical Review Of The Theory Of Planned Behaviour In Tourism Research, Kourosh Esfandiar, Arghavan Hadinejad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) has received considerable attention across various academic disciplines and remains one of the most widely applied–yet increasingly critiqued–theoretical frameworks in tourism research. Despite its widespread use, there is a notable lack of critical reflection on its adequacy in capturing the complexity of tourist behaviour and a limited exploration of alternative theoretical pathways. This paper addresses this gap by critically evaluating the appropriateness and limitations of the TPB in tourism research. Special attention is given to the Theory of Reasoned Goal Pursuit (TRGP), a recent extension of the TPB, alongside complementary frameworks from parent disciplines …

An Evaluation Of Programmatic Assessment Across Health Professions Education Using Contribution Analysis, Janica Jamieson, Claire Palermo, Margaret Hay, Rachel Bacon, Janna Lutze, Simone Gibson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Programmatic assessment is gaining traction in health professions education. Despite this popularity, educators continue to grapple with complex contextual factors that impact implementation and outcome attainment. We used contribution analysis, a theory-informed evaluation method, to understand the mechanisms underpinning successful implementation. Applying the six steps of contribution analysis, we developed a postulated theory of change (ToC) and then conducted a qualitative study with programmatic assessment stakeholders (graduates n = 15, supervisors n = 32, faculty n = 19) from four Australian dietetic programs. These data were analysed using the Framework Analysis method and integrated with data derived from a literature …

Can Dna Be Glycosylated?, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.

Leveraging Esg Investment To Enhance Labor Employment In Hospitality And Tourism Firms: An Signaling Theory Perspective, Bing Hu, Tianyu Zheng, Songshan Huang, Ke Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite the growing focus in hospitality and tourism literature on the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment on corporate performance, empirical research has yet to explore its effects on labor employment, which are critical to economic vitality and social cohesion. Drawing on signaling theory, this study explores the effect of ESG investment on hospitality and tourism firm’ labor employment. The results of a fixed effects panel model suggest that ESG investment positively influences the labor employment of hospitality and tourism firms. Moreover, this positive effect is stronger for hospitality and tourism firms with fewer financing constraints and less …

Navigating The Deep Features Of Change: A Dynamic Approach For Skill Development In The Construction Industry, Keyao Li, Mark A. Griffin, Heap Yih Chong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Digitalisation promises new levels of productivity and efficiency in construction but requires a well-equipped, skilled workforce to meet future demands. Beyond attracting skilled workers, the industry must understand future skill requirements. This study addresses this need by developing a skill framework that defines key skill levels and patterns in response to evolving demands. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methods approach with three consecutive analyses was adopted. First, a theoretical analysis developed a conceptual framework based on work and role performance theories. Second, a scoping review and descriptive analyses provided quantitative insights into the skills covered in current literature. Finally, identified skill groups …

Evaluating The Impact Of Learning And Development On Staff Motivation In International Non-Governmental And International Non-Profit Organisations, Munira Amidkhonova, Michelle Gander

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The main objective of this study was to understand the impact of learning and development (L&D) on staff motivation in international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) and international non-profit organisations (INPOs), focusing on those organisations operating in the Global South, also known as developing countries. Using a mixed-methods approach, 46 participants with decision-making authority from several INPOs and INGOs completed an online survey to investigate the impact of L&D and organisational factors on staff motivation and how well a model of L&D evaluation was undertaken. Follow-up semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 18 of these participants. It was found that organisations were generally …

Exploring A Potential Link Between Personality Traits, Sexual Assault Attitudes And The Propensity To Create Deepfake Pornography, Lorna Marns, Ross Hollett

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Deepfake pornography represents a rapidly expanding form of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), yet little is known about the psychological factors that predict individuals’ willingness to create such material. This study examined whether rape myth acceptance (RMA) and Dark Tetrad traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism) predicted heterosexual men’s proclivity to create deepfake pornography. Using an online self-report survey of 213 heterosexual men recruited from an Australian university and the surrounding community, participants completed measures of RMA, dark personality traits, and hypothetical scenarios assessing the likelihood of creating deepfake pornography. Hierarchical regression models showed that RMA attitudes that minimise or excuse …

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 …

Optimizing Subgroup Selection In Petrochemical Industries: A Robust Data Envelopment Analysis Approach For Uncertainty Management, Sadegh Niroomand, Hilda Saleh, Morteza Shafiee, Dragan Pamucar, Ali Mahmoodirad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study addresses the critical challenge faced by organizations in selecting an optimal subgroup of decision-making units (DMUs). Such a selection procedure can significantly influence efficiency, profitability, and strategic development. Recognizing the limitations of existing methods in handling inexact data and incorporating managerial preferences, this study proposes a novel framework that integrates data envelopment analysis (DEA) with binary linear programming models. The model applies belief-degree–based representations of uncertainty to capture imprecise inputs and outputs. For this model, two solution approaches—namely, chance-constrained programming and expected value approaches—were developed. These approaches are suitable for real-world applications using standard optimization software. The effectiveness …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

When Caring Depletes: The Paradox Of Leading Employee Wellbeing During A Prolonged Crisis – Evidence From The Australian Resources Sector, Michael Mayom Ajith, Andrei Alexander Lux, Michelle Striepe, Tim Andrew Bentley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The protracted COVID-19 crisis placed substantial demands on managers in the Australian resources industry. While workers' wellbeing received increased attention during this period, much less is known about how managers sustained their own wellbeing while providing care, reassurance, and operational continuity. Drawing on the JD–R model, paradox theory, and moral strain perspectives, we examine wellbeing-oriented leadership during a sustained crisis. We focus on how leadership behaviour operated as both a resource for employees and a demand on managers, shaping their own wellbeing experiences and leadership identity.

Design/methodology/approach: An interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with …

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 …

Thorium Lung Burdens Of Norm Workers Revisited, Gregory S. Hewson, Martin I. Ralph, Marcus Cattani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Historical thorium bioassay data collected from Australian mine workers in the 1990s, including in vivo lung counting and thoron-in-breath (TIB) measurements, were re-evaluated using current dosimetric and biokinetic models. Revised daily thorium intakes from bioassay were compared with previous estimates to assess changes in the dose profile and potential implications for contemporary operations. Reanalysis revealed lower estimates of annual dose, including the number of workers assessed as exceeding 20 mSv. However, it was found that intakes derived from industry personal air sampling (PAS) underestimated intake by up to three-fold. This study determined that sensitive bioassay techniques, such as TIB using …

Nurses' Experiences Of Pain Management For Patients With Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions: A Systematic Review, Aaron Lapuz Alejandro, Middlewick, Seng Giap Marcus Ang, Rosemary Saunders, Irene Ngune

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aim: To synthesise the available evidence related to nurses' pain assessment and management practices for patients with diagnosed mental health conditions. Design: Mixed-methods systematic review. Data Sources: Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus and Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection. Methods: Databases search was conducted in March 2024 and updated in June 2025. Methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data synthesis followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Results: Of the 1318 eligible studies identified, 12 met the inclusion criteria. The included studies were methodologically robust overall but frequently neglected nonresponse bias and were predominantly conducted …

Thermoregulation And Associated Disorders: 3pm-Guided Holistic Approach Bridging Innovative And Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhuo Wang, Liu, Yueqiang Xu, Weijie Cao, Youxin Wang, Haifeng Hou, Xiuhua Guo, Olga Golubnitschaja, Wei Wang, Yuguang Du, Suboptimal Health Study Consortium, European Association For Predictive, Preventive, Personalised Medicine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Accurately performed thermoregulation is life-important for the human body. Therefore, a relatively narrow temperature range of 36.5–37 °C, which all our biochemical reactions are adapted to, is rigorously kept by the body allowing for the most effective kinetics of all physiological processes. In contrast, feeling inappropriately cold or too hot in the environment with comfortable temperature ranges are symptoms of an altered or even disordered thermoregulation described for a number of syndromes as well as patient cohorts. The rationale of the paper is to contribute to the paradigm shift from reactive to proactive healthcare considering thermoregulation deficits as an important …

Transforming The Public Plate: A Menu Of Options For Public Food Procurement That Nourishes People, Place And Planet, Leah Galvin, Emma-Kate Rose, Stephanie Godrich, Dheepa Jeyapalan, Joanna Horton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Public food procurement stands as one of the most powerful, yet chronically underutilised, policy levers available to Australian governments. Every day, publicly funded institutions – hospitals, residential aged care facilities, long day care, prisons, schools, defence facilities and community food programs – purchase and serve food to millions of Australians. These are not simply transactions. Collectively, these purchasing decisions shape production systems, supply chains, diets, livelihoods and environmental outcomes. They determine who thrives within our food system and who is left behind. Transforming the Public Plate is an Australian first. It provides the most comprehensive national picture to date of …

Barriers And Facilitators To Recruiting Older Adult Care Homeresidents Into Clinical Trials Of Medicines And Vaccines: A Scoping Review, Selvarani Subbarayan, Imogen A. Smith-Dodd, Gabriel Nicolson, Jennifer K. Burton, Janet T. Scott, Seshadri S. Vasan, Susan D. Shenkin, Roy L. Soiza, The Watch Consortium

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Excluding Care Home (CH) residents from clinical trials of medicines and vaccines has led to an evidence gap. Findings from younger adults may not be generalisable to CH residents with frailty and dementia. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate pharmacological treatments directly in CH residents to assess their safety and efficacy.

Methods: As part of the Widening Access to Trials in Care Homes project, we conducted a scoping review using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology to identify barriers and facilitators to recruiting CH residents into clinical trials of medicinal products. We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library …

Association Between Protein Intake From Animal And Plant Sources And The Presence Of Frailty In Community-Dwelling Australian Women, Trent Bozanich, Jack Dalla Via, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Cassandra Smith, Elsa Dent, Anthony Villani, Robin M. Daly, Michael Tieland, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Kun Zhu, Richard L. Prince, Marc Sim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

We investigated the cross-sectional association between total, animal and plant protein intake with the presence of a multidimensional measure of frailty in older women. Participants included 1380 community-dwelling Australian women, mean (SD) age 75.1 (2.7) years. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to determine total, plant, and animal protein intake. Frailty was assessed using a frailty index across numerous health domains (scored 0–1, ≥0.25 indicating frailty). Cross-sectional associations were analysed using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. In total, 275 (19.9%) women were identified as frail. A non-linear inverse association was observed between higher intakes of total protein and the odds …