Education Commons^™

With Apartment Living On The Rise, How Do Families And Their Noisy Children Fit In?, Sophie-May Kerr

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A growing number of Australians live in apartments. The compact city model presents many benefits. However, living close to each other also presents challenges. Rapid growth in apartment developments in recent decades has led to a rise in noise-related complaints and disputes across urban Australia. Households with children are on the front line of such tensions. They are one of the fastest-growing demographics living in apartments. Analysis of the latest census data show, for instance, that families with children under the age of 15 comprise 25% of Sydney's apartment population. Apartment design and cultural acceptance of families in the vertical …

Understanding Carers' Lived Experience Of Stigma: The Voice Of Families With A Child On The Autism Spectrum, Timothy Broady, Gerard J. Stoyles, Corinne Morse

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Existing research suggests that there are several unique challenges associated with caring for a child on the autism spectrum. Despite a growing evidence base regarding autism spectrum disorders and their increasing prevalence, children on the autism spectrum and their families continue to perceive stigmatisation from various sources throughout the community. These perceptions of stigma can profoundly impact the quality of life of these children and their carers alike. This exploratory study sought to investigate carers' perceptions of stigma in caring for a child with high functioning autism. Fifteen carers from Sydney and the South Coast regions of New South Wales, …

Supporting And Engaging Students Who Are The First In Their Families To Attend University: A Practise Paper, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Globally, first-in-family learners represent a significant proportion of the university student population, yet these high rates of participation are not necessarily matched by equally high success rates. Instead, internationally the research on this group indicates that these learners are at greater risk of departure from university when compared to their second and third generation peers, often as a result of limited exposure to academic culture and expectations. This article provides an overview of current research on first-in-family learners and also, offers some recommendations for supporting and engaging with this cohort within university settings.

A Personal Constructivist Approach For Investigating The Patterns Of Dependency Of Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Case Study Of Two Families, Elizabeth Kate Cridland, Peter Caputi, Beverly M. Walker, Sandra C. Jones, Christopher A. Magee

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This research investigated the utility and practicality of dependency grids for capturing and presenting the dependency distribution patterns of three adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The investigation also involved family members to explore their level of awareness of the adolescents' dependency preferences. The grids were analyzed using a range of measures, including the uncertainty index and partial order scalogram analysis. Findings indicate the adolescents had various ways of dispersing their dependencies among their resources and differed in the types of support most used. Additionally, family members differed in their awareness of the adolescents' preferences. The benefits and drawbacks of the …

Practicalities And Research Considerations For Conducting Childhood Obesity Prevention Interventions With Families, Philip J. Morgan, Rachel A. Jones, Clare E. Collins, Kylie Hesketh, Myles D. Young, Tracy L. Burrows, Anthea Magarey, Helen L. Brown, Trina Hinkley, Rebecca A. Perry, Leah Brennan, Alison C. Spence, Karen Campbell

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Internationally, childhood obesity is a major public health concern. Given the established difficulties in treating obesity, designing and evaluating effective obesity prevention interventions are research priorities. As parents play a crucial role in establishing positive health behaviours in children, they are a key target for child obesity prevention programs. However, recruiting and engaging parents in such interventions can be a considerable challenge for researchers and practitioners. Members of the 'Parenting, Child Behaviour and Well-being' stream of the Australasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network (ACAORN) have considerable and varied expertise in conducting such interventions and can provide insights into addressing …

Breaking The Barriers: Supporting And Engaging First-In-Family University Learners And Their Families, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Josephine May, Cathy Stone

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Universities attract students from a wide range of backgrounds, yet equity of access and participation for all potential students remains elusive. Access and participation is highly differentiated in the United Kingdom, North America and Australia (Abbott-Chapman, 2006; Couvillion-Landry, 2002-2003; Forsyth & Furlong, 2003; James, 2008; Schuetze & Slowey, 2002) and poorer educational outcomes for students who are first-in-family (FiF) are recorded globally (ABS, 2013; Harrell & Forney, 2003; Lehmann, 2009; National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2012). The international research on this group indicates that they are collectively less likely to go to university and also, after arrival, may not …

The Relationship Between Expressed Emotion And Wellbeing For Families And Carers Of A Relative With Borderline Personality Disorder, Rachel C. Bailey, Brin F. S Grenyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Previous research has found that family environments high in expressed emotion, in particular emotional overinvolvement, are beneficial to the clinical outcome of patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Aim: This study aims to investigate the relationship between expressed emotion, carer burden and carer wellbeing. Method: A total of 280 carers of a relative with BPD were administered the McLean Screening Instrument for BPD - Carer Version, The Family Questionnaire, Burden Assessment Scale and Mental Health Inventory. Results: Carers reported family environments high in expressed emotion, particularly criticism (82.9% of carers) and emotional overinvolvement (69.6%). Elevated emotional overinvolvement was correlated …

Breaking The Barriers: Supporting And Engaging Mature Age First-Infamily University Learners And Their Families, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Cathy Stone, Josephine May

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This nuts and bolts session will report on preliminary findings from research currently being conducted with older, first-in-family university students. This student cohort often has family commitments and so the research was specifically interested in the impacts of returning to education for both the students and their family members. The study is significant because mature age/first-in-family students are often at risk of attrition and they also represent a growing student cohort; hence higher education institutions need to be actively engaging with this group to improve retention and explore the possibilities for intergenerational educational participation. This research has been funded under …

Factors That Influence Consumption Of Fish And Omega-3 Enriched Foods: A Survey Of Australian Families With Young Children, Setyaningrum Rahmawaty, Karen Charlton, Philippa Lyons-Wall, Barbara J. Meyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aim: The present study aimed to identify factors that influence the consumption of fish and foods that are enriched with omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA), in order to inform the development of effective nutrition education strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional, 10-item self-administered survey was conducted to 262 parents of children aged 9-13 years from a regional centre in New South Wales. Parents were asked questions related to frequency of consumption, and to identify factors that either encouraged or prevented the provision of fish/seafood and/or n-3 LCPUFAenriched foods for their families. Results: Salmon, canned tuna, prawn and take-away fish were …

Teaching About Diverse Families Through Case Studies And Authentic Performance Assessment, Amy Conley Wright

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Authentic performance assessment connects active learning pedagogy with assessment of student learning. For family sciences, authentic performance assessment presents an opportunity to evaluate knowledge and skills related to working with families within the classroom context. This form of assessment can be combined with popular teaching strategies, like using family case studies, to provide application and context for course content. This article reviews the literature on authentic performance assessment and its application in the family science literature, and provides an example of an authentic performance assessment in a course on understanding and working with diverse families. The discussion provides suggestions for …

The Impact Of Sure Start Local Programmes On Seven Year Olds And Their Families, Edward Melhuish, Jay Belsky, Alastair H. Leyland, Angela Anning, Zarrina Kurtz, Jane Tunstill, Mog Ball, Pamela Meadows, Jacqueline Barnes, Martin Frost, Beverley Botting

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs), the forerunners to Sure Start Children's Centres, aimed to support young children and their families by integrating early education, childcare, healthcare and family support services in disadvantaged areas. The programmes' objectives were to improve the health and well-being of families and young children, so that the children would have a greater opportunity to do well in school and later in life. This study investigates child and family functioning in over 5000 families recruited from 150 SSLP areas, and makes comparisons with children and families in similarly disadvantaged areas not having a SSLP in order to …

The Impact Of Sure Start Local Programmes On 5-Year-Olds And Their Families, Edward Melhuish, Jay Belsky, Alastair H. Leyland, Angela Anning, David Hall, Jane Tunstill, Mog Ball, Pamela Meadows, Jacqueline Barnes, Martin Frost, Mark Hibbett, Andrew Cullis

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The ultimate goal of Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) was to enhance the life chances for young children growing up in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Children in these communities are at risk of doing poorly at school, having trouble with peers and agents of authority (i.e., parents, teachers), and ultimately experiencing compromised life chances (e.g., early school leaving, unemployment, limited longevity). This has profound consequences not just for the children but for their families, communities, and for society at large.

The Impact Of Sure Start Local Programmes On Three Year Olds And Their Families, Edward Melhuish, Jay Belsky, Alastair H. Leyland, Angela Anning, Zarrina Kurtz, Jane Tunstill, Mog Ball, Pamela Meadows, Jacqueline Barnes, Martin Frost, Beverley Botting

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs), now Sure Start Children's Centres, aim to support young children and their families by integrating early education, childcare, healthcare and family support services in disadvantaged areas. The programmes aim to improve the health and well-being of families and young children, so that the children will have a greater opportunity to do well in school and later in life. This study investigates child and family functioning in over 9000 families in 150 SSLP areas, and makes comparisons with children and families in similarly disadvantaged areas not having a SSLP in order to evaluate whether there are …

Effects Of Fully-Established Sure Start Local Programmes On 3-Year-Old Children And Their Families Living In England: A Quasi-Experimental Observational Study, Edward Melhuish, Jay Belsky, Alastair H. Leyland, Jacqueline Barnes

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) are area-based interventions to improve services for young children and their families in deprived communities, promote health and development, and reduce inequalities. We therefore investigated whether SSLPs affect the wellbeing of 3-year-old children and their families.

Methods

In a quasi-experimental observational study, we compared 5883 3-year-old children and their families from 93 disadvantaged SSLP areas with 1879 3-year-old children and their families from 72 similarly deprived areas in England who took part in the Millennium Cohort Study. We studied 14 outcomes—children's immunisations, accidents, language development, positive and negative social behaviours, and independence; parenting risk; …

Effects Of Sure Start Local Programmes On Children And Families: Early Findings From A Quasi-Experimental, Cross Sectional Study, Jay Belsky, Edward Melhuish, Jacqueline Barnes, Alastair H. Leyland, Helena Romaniuk

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To evaluate the effects of Sure Start local programmes (SSLPs) on children and their families. To assess whether variations in the effectiveness of SSLPs are due to differences in implementation. Design Quasi-experimental cross sectional study using interviews with mothers and cognitive assessment of children aged 36 months who speak English. Setting Socially deprived communities in England: 150 communities with ongoing SSLPs and 50 comparison communities. Participants Mothers of 12 575 children aged 9 months and 3927 children aged 36 months in SSLP areas; mothers of 1509 children aged 9 months and 1101 children aged 36 months in comparison communities. …