Education Commons^™

Outdoor Adventure Education For Adolescent Social And Emotional Wellbeing: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Michael J.A. Down, D. Picknoll, T. Edwards, F. Farringdon, G. Hoyne, B. Piggott, M. C. Murphy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examines the effects of OAE on adolescent social and emotional wellbeing and their contributors. Intervention studies (single or multi-arm) assessing the effects of OAE on wellbeing were included. Meta-analysis was conducted on outcomes of interest, and the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) Tool assessed RoB in multi-arm studies. Four studies assessed within-group change (n = 368), and six assessed between-group change (n = 1,143). Findings indicate significant between-group improvements in resilience, self-esteem and social belonging when OAE was compared to no intervention, but no self-efficacy and overall wellbeing changes were observed. Studies were at high risk of bias, …

Responding To Children’S Voices: The New Frontier In Education Policy Reform, Amelia Ruscoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

More than thirty years on from the United Nations Convention of the Child honouring a child’s right to be heard (Article 12) has unlocked a new frontier in ethical research. In education, children have demonstrated competence to contribute with insight to recent policy development in Australia. This paper provides further evidence of the critical role children stand to play in education reform. A post-structural perspective is adopted and underpinned with Foucauldian theory of discursive power in the context of school-based affordances. Visual and dialogic qualitative methods are used to compare the impact of powerful discourses upon children’s affordances in the …

Student’S Reported Satisfaction At University: The Role Of Personal Characteristics And Secondary School Background, Ian W. Li, Denise Jackson, Paul Koshy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Widening participation and improving outcomes for under-represented and disadvantaged groups in higher education are part of the strategic agenda of governments across the globe. A critical aspect of this challenge is enhancing the experience of students from such backgrounds. However, there is relatively limited evidence on the effects of student background, including social and geographical disadvantage and secondary education preparation, on self-reported student experience. This study addressed this topic in the Australian context using data from the annual Student Experience Survey (2016–2020 waves) with linkage to administrative records for 24,292 students from seven higher education institutions. This included data on …

The Contributions Of Transcription Skills To Paper-Based And Computer-Based Text Composing In The Early Years, Anabela Anabela Malpique, Mustafa Asil, Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Susan Ledger, Timothy Teo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Digital tools are an integral part of most writing communities across the globe, enhancing the criticality of gaining a comprehensive understanding of both paper and computer-based writing acquisition and development. The relationships between transcription skills and children’s paper-based writing performance are well documented. Less is known about the relationships between transcription skills and children’s computer-based writing performance. In this study, we examined the unique contributions of transcription skills (i.e., handwriting automaticity, keyboarding automaticity and spelling) in predicting Grade 2 students (N = 544) paper-based and computer-based writing performance (i.e., compositional quality and productivity) after controlling for other student-level factors (i.e., …

Using Online Critical Reflection To Enhance Students’ Confidence, Motivation, And Engagement In Higher Education, Isaiah T. Awidi, Jonas Quashie Klutsey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research examines the effect of critical reflection activities in an educational environment that uses active and blended learning experiences for students to develop confidence, motivation, and engagement with their learning. A mixed-methods research approach was adopted on a sample of 137 Communications and Media students, who were involved in a game-based project. Using a validated survey instrument to measure the students’ perceptions of their experiences, Pearson Correlation coefficient was used to estimate the relationship between the learning activities and students’ perceived confidence, motivation, and engagement. Finally, multiple linear regression was used to determine the effect of the critical reflection …

Career Resources And Securing Quality Work: Graduate Perspectives, Denise Jackson, Claire Lambert, Matalena Tofa, Ruth Bridgstock, Ruth Sibson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Empowering graduates to secure quality post-graduation employment is a key goal for higher education institutions and their students. University support in developing career resources may aid transition to work by enhancing social support and networks, fostering a strong sense of professional self, promoting career self-management, and instilling career confidence. Yet there lacks empirical understanding of these resources and the role they play, including how they interrelate, how they vary by personal characteristics, and how they are developed. This study examines how graduates fare in the labour market, characterises their career resources, and explores the relationship between career resources and graduate-level …

Pedagogy Of Belonging: Cultivating Wellbeing Literacy In Higher Education, Narelle Lemon, Siobhan O’Brien, Naja Later, Shaun Britton, Julia Prendergast

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Wellbeing literacy is the capability to set intentions and comprehend and compose wellbeing language. This is cultivated and embodied across contexts with the intention of maintaining or improving the wellbeing of oneself, others, or the world. In this paper, as co-authors we share the way we understand our wellbeing as educators in higher education, that is, through a Pedagogy of Belonging. Belonging is one of the domains to our wellbeing as academics and educators, as well as students in the studied higher education learning context. Pedagogy of Belonging helps us develop our wellbeing literacy individually and collectively. Through an authentic …

Ability In Physical Education – No, I Can’T Discuss It! Insights From Lower Secondary Physical Education Teachers In Western Australia, Jeffrey Giles, Dawn Penney, Justen O’Connor

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Ability has been positioned as a crucial concept in the construction of a subject that is inclusive of and meaningful for all students. Almost two decades since Evans (2004) called on the field to re-engage in discourse concerning ability, how ability is conceptualised by physical education (PE) teachers remains relatively unexplored. Furthermore, relatively little is known about how understandings of ability are enacted through curriculum, pedagogy and assessment in PE. This research explored these issues with lower secondary PE teachers in Western Australia through self-recorded audio responses to two research questions. Data from 38 participants revealed the struggles that PE …

The Impact Of Practicum Job Demands And Resources On Pre-Service Teachers’ Occupational Commitment And Job Intent, Jeremy Pan, Tony Loughland, Rebecca J. Collie, Andrew A. Kingsford-Smith, Mary Ryan, Caroline Mansfield, Rachelle Davey, Chrissy Monteleone, Miriam Tanti

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Around the world, there is a need to understand how to support pre-service teachers through their initial teacher education (ITE). The current study applied the Job Demands-Resources Theory to examine the associations among Australian pre-service teachers’ job demands and resources. The structural equation modelling found that perceived autonomy support, and relatedness with colleagues and students, were positively related to work outcomes of occupational commitment and job intent. Conversely, factors like disruptive student behaviour and time pressure were negatively associated with these outcomes. These findings suggest the relevance of providing support mechanisms for pre-service teachers to enhance their important ITE phase.

Receptiveness Of The Kindytxt Universal Early Literacy Texting Program By Parents From Low, Medium, And High Socioeconomic Communities, Susan M. Hill, Caroline Barratt-Pugh, Nicola F. Johnson, Lennie Barblett

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The home literacy environment (HLE) plays an important role in children’s early literacy learning. Texting programs are an increasing feature of family literacy interventions that support parent engagement in their children’s learning. Unlike face-to-face interventions, texting programs can offer sustained parental support at low cost and large scale. Messages can be translated into other languages, saved and shared, thus potentially widening the influence on children’s HLEs. Most early literacy texting programs target families from disadvantaged communities, yet research suggests all families may benefit from guidance on supporting their children’s early literacy. This study examined the receptiveness of a universal early …

Transforming Transitions Ii: A Summary Report, Lennie Barblett, Fiona Boylan, Amelia Ruscoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

An abridged version of the report.

Building on the success of the Transforming Transitions project conducted with ten Western Australian Independent Schools (Barblett et al., 2023), this study extended the inquiry into school engagement and the transition process. The project was reimagined to deepen collaboration with schools, focusing on two key areas: first, fostering meaningful engagement with young learners and their families during the transition to school by drawing on their funds of knowledge; and second, centering the perspectives of children as active participants in their transition, acknowledging their experiences and the role of family-school engagement in shaping their sense …

Educator Professional Subjectivities In Gamification: Knowing, Being And Doing, Natalie-Jane Howard, Elizabeth J. Cook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Gamification has emerged as a prominent innovation in contemporary education, yet its influence on the enactment of educators’ professional subjectivities remains underexplored. As such, little is known about how online gamification applications like Kahoot shape the dynamic ways educators perceive, understand and enact their professional selves within higher education contexts. Adopting a tripartite framework of knowing (epistemological), being (ontological) and doing (praxiological), this qualitative study employed visual-elicitation interviews and remote observations with ten lecturers at a Middle Eastern college. The analysis revealed three key themes shaping educator subjectivities: creating and sharing quiz content; conforming with institutional culture; and infantilizing students …

Drawing On International Pre-Service Teachers’ Funds Of Knowledge To Enhance Professional Experience, Fiona Boylan, Karen Nociti, Gillian Kirk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Following the COVID- 19 pandemic, international student enrolments in Australia's initial teacher education (ITE) programs have sharply increased. ITE courses are obligated to comprehensively support international students, particularly during professional experiences (PEx). These students often face challenges due to cultural and linguistic differences, and universities typically address these through intervention programs and workshops aimed at developing communicative and work-based skills. This pilot study adopted a unique Funds of Knowledge (FoK) and Funds of Identity (FoI) lens to enhance culturally responsive communication between pre-service teachers and various stakeholders (mentor teachers, supervisors and unit coordinators) during PEx. An ethnographic visual methodology, employing …

How Young Migrants Perceive School Health Education In Sweden, D. Barker, A. Caldeborg, M. Quennerstedt, Valeria Varea

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The aim of this paper is to provide insights into how young people who have been forced to migrate perceive school health education. Eighteen individuals aged 15–19 years (10 females, 8 males, average age 16.9 years) took part in either focus group interviews (n = 7) or individual interviews (n = 1). Participants were first presented with short scenarios concerning health education and were invited to use these scenarios as starting points to discuss their own experiences of health education. Participants were then presented with a collection of photographs that portrayed people displaying broad dimensions of health. Participants were asked …

A Hopeful Or Hopeless Future? Perspectives On The Challenges And Opportunities In Catholic Education, Christine Robinson, Linda Cranley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The research presented in this paper offers a significant contribution to existing discourse that explores the challenges and opportunities within Catholic education. In an increasingly secularised world, Catholic education continues its mission to form and inform young people in the faith. The Church acknowledges that the Catholic school enacts the mission of the Church in society and does so despite a detraditionalised cultural context. The Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education, known as G.R.A.C.E, was formed to act as a global network of Catholic educators to respond to the ‘signs of the times’ in an innovative and integrated way. This paper …

A Researcher’S Journey To The Use Of Ai For Qualitative Data Analysis: Findings From A Test Case With Chatgpt, Catherine Ferguson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has mostly focused on issues associated with teaching and assessment. In this paper I used AI to support the analysis of data which consisted of public comments on a newspaper article. This small, low risk research was chosen to demonstrate the potential use of AI and how it may support qualitative data analysis. I present my journey from a naïve user of AI to a position whereby I would consider using it as a support for future data analysis. My article touches on some of the ethical and accountability issues for …

Finding Their Place: How Teachers Can Become Part Of Their Rural Communities, Mary-Anne Macdonald, Sarah Booth, Kirsten Lambert, Christina Gray, Terry Ngarritjan Kessaris, Takeia Beard

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The tyranny of distance is often perceived as the greatest challenge for teacher retention in rural and remote schools in Australia. Perhaps more accurately, it is the tyranny of placelessness. In this paper, we explore the role of place-connectedness and racial literacy in shaping the interactions of 21 primary and secondary teachers with the social space and place of one Western Australian remote town. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups and analysed with an emergent approach. We propose three levels of place-consciousness to describe the depth of awareness, skill and integration with which a teacher might connect to …

Ghostbusters: Hunting Health Education Within Physical Education, Valeria Varea, Ana Riccetti

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The school subject of physical education (PE) has experienced a “health turn” globally. However, some university undergraduate programs may need to be revised to adequately equip pre-service teachers to teach about health in schools. The aim of this study was to explore the content of an undergraduate university program in PE and what is expected for pre-service PE teachers to teach about health in schools, according to the relevant curricula. Design/methodology/approach: A pragmatic discourse analysis was conducted, using the Argentinean PE school curriculum for primary and secondary schools in the province of Córdoba and the syllabus of an undergraduate …

Kaartdijin Bidi (Learning Journey): Place-Based Cultural Regeneration At University, Sandra Wooltorton, Lauren Stephenson, Kathie Ardzejewska, Len Collard

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Imagine being in a university that functions in a place-based culturally regenerative way. In this concept paper, the authors bring together theory, practice, and experience, in the service of transforming universities towards place-based cultural regeneration. At present, Australian universities operate using an economic philosophy of neoliberal corporatism characterised by hierarchical management strategies, competitive tendencies, patriarchal values, and discourse characterised by bifurcation or binary thinking. These features illustrate a worldview that is entangled with the meta crises of our times such as climate change, species loss, hatred/intolerance, and unfathomable violence. The authors consider ways of moving towards a place-based, Indigenous-informed, practical, …

Creation And Use Of Sbs’S The Boat; Principles For The Co-Creation Of Online Interactive Learning Environments For Innovative Digital Pedagogy, Prue Miles, Kylie Boltin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teachers and students rely more on online-learning environments than ever before, including open, trusted and high-quality online learning resources produced by public broadcasters. For educators, this represents both an inspiration and challenge in the wake of new techologies and online learning environments. This article is a case study of one such online learning environment created by Australia’s multicultural broadcaster, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), an adaptation of Nam Le’s award-winning short story, “The Boat” (2008). SBS’s The Boat (2015) is an immersive online experience that explores a refugee perspective and is accompanied by SBSLearn online learning materials. The Boat (2015) …

Learning Contexts And Visions For Stem In Schools, Mellita Jones, Vince Geiger, Garry Falloon, Sharon Fraser, Kim Beswick, Benjamin Holland-Twining, Vesife Hatisaru

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

STEM education is viewed as being vital for economic prosperity and productivity; and can contribute productively to changing technological, economic, and social demands of the twenty-first Century. However, there is limited consensus on how STEM education is understood and taught, and inadequate discussion around its role in addressing global issues such as climate change, health, poverty, food security, and other STEM-related social concerns. In this paper, we identify the contexts adopted for STEM teaching and learning in 47 Australian schools, drawing data from semi-structured interviews with principals and teachers who participated in the Principals as STEM Leaders (PASL) project. These …

Health Education In Swedish Schools–What’S On Offer?, V. Varea, A. Caldeborg, D. Barker, M. Quennerstedt

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The aim of this paper is to identify the dominant discourses of health and wellbeing that are offered in health education in Swedish schools. Issues of health and wellbeing are covered mainly in four school subjects in Sweden: physical education and health, home and consumer studies, biology, and social studies, and therefore, we interviewed teachers from those subjects to generate data. Six interrelated health discourses were identified from the data. All discourses were, however, also embedded within a health discourse with a comprehensive description of health as physical, psychological and social wellbeing. Results suggest that schools offer a Western and …

A Testing Load: A Review Of Cognitive Load In Computer And Paper-Based Learning And Assessment, James Pengelley, Peter R. Whipp, Anabela Malpique

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The rising use of technology in classrooms has also brought with it a concomitant wave of computer-based assessments. The argument for computer-based testing is often framed in terms of efficiency and data management: computer-based tests facilitate more efficient processing of test data and the rate at which feedback can be leveraged for student learning rather than being framed in terms of the direct effects that students experience from engaging with novel learning tools. Whilst potentially beneficial, for some students the outcomes of computer-based tests may be counter-productive. This review considers the cognitive, and often implicit, consequences of testing mode upon …

Teacher Wellbeing And Teaching Excellence In Higher Education: Exploring The Interplay Through The Lens Of The Perma Framework, Anna Golab, Tom Barratt, Jaime Yong, Tanzim Afroz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recognising the pivotal role of teacher wellbeing in fostering teaching excellence, this paper explores the intricate relationships in the context of higher education. Employing an abductive, qualitative methodology and expanding the use of the PERMA framework to in the realm of higher education, this paper investigates the associations between teachers' perceptions of excellence to five elements of wellbeing: positive emotions (P), engagement (E), relationships (R), meaning (M) and accomplishment (A). Drawing insights from a case study of an Australian business school, the findings of this paper reveal dynamic interactions among these elements. Contextual variations give rise to virtuous or vicious …

Sense Of Belonging And Perceptions Of Learning In An Introductory College Course, Ellen Wang

Scripps Senior Theses

A sense of belonging (SB) – the feeling of deep connection with social groups, places, and experiences – has been described as a fundamental, pervasive need among humans (Allen et al., 2021; Baumeister & Leary, 1995). SB, and lack thereof, predicts myriad mental, physical, social, and economic outcomes. Belonging is a complex, multidimensional concept with a breadth of research across disciplines. It has been applied to school contexts in association with academic and psychosocial outcomes. The researcher partnered with an undergraduate course at The Claremont Colleges, and administered electronic surveys at two time points of the course. Students' sense of …

Shaping National Subjects: Recognition, Subjectivity, And Governmental Philosophies In Finnish And Singaporean Education, Katherine S. Cherney

Scripps Senior Theses

Examining the divergent educational systems of Finland and Singapore, two nations achieving consistently high PISA rankings, reveals how distinct governmental philosophies and recognition methods cultivate different forms of subjectivity in students. Recognition is how individuals, including students and educators, are acknowledged and valued within educational systems, influencing self-perception and identity. Subjectivity pertains to how individuals understand themselves and their existence within the academic and national order, encompassing agency, beliefs, and sense of self relative to norms and power structures. Analysis utilizes theoretical frameworks from Judith Butler, Paulo Freire, Jacques Rancière, Henry Giroux, and Michel Foucault to explore power dynamics, subjection, …

Sticking Out And Fitting In: Experiences Of Black And Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Students At Scripps College, Grace Njoki Gitau

Scripps Senior Theses

There is a lack of research about the experiences of students of color at predominantly white women’s colleges. Women’s colleges are institutions that have evolved over hundreds of years to support the education of marginalized genders, including transgender women and nonbinary people in recent years. Many women’s colleges have a white majority of students, which can have adverse effects on students of color pursuing their education. Collecting data from Scripps College, a women’s college with 40% students of color, 12 interviews were conducted with students who self-identified as Black or Asian American. Results found that students of color who experience …

Usability Testing Of A Bystander Bullying Intervention For Rural Middle Schools: Mixed Methods Study, Aidan Midgett, Diana M. Doumas, Claudia Peralta, Matthew Peck, Blaine Reilly, K.B. Butler

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Targets of bullying are at high risk of negative socioemotional outcomes. Bullying programming in rural schools is important as bullying is more prevalent in those schools compared to urban schools. Comprehensive, school-wide bullying programs require resources that create significant barriers to implementation for rural schools. Because technology-based programs can reduce implementation barriers, the development of a technology-based program increases access to bullying prevention in rural settings. Objective: We aimed to conduct usability testing of a bystander bullying intervention (STAC-T). We assessed usability and acceptability of the STAC-T application and differences in usability between school personnel and students. We were …

Impact Of High School Racial Composition On Intercultural Competence Of Undergraduate Students, Ryuto Hashimoto

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Since the US population continues to become more diverse, it is important to foster students' intercultural competence (ICC) so that they can work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds. The existing studies have examined the impact of socialization at school on youths' development in their attitudes and behaviors in the context of classroom. However, we know little about whether or not the organizational and individual characteristics have an impact on students' ICC development. This study explored the impact of high school racial composition and individual factors such as gender on the ICC of undergraduate students. The study used the course …

Exploring Front-Line Implementers Perceptions To Inform Tier 1 Pbis Implementation Coaching, Sammi Cowger

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The successful implementation of universal practices within Positive Behavior Interventions and Support systems (Tier 1 PBIS) relies on front-line implementers to deliver services through student-facing practice elements. However, schools are often limited in the implementation support they can provide (Fixsen et al., 2005). Therefore, there is a growing emphasis in educational research on the systems and resources necessary to support the individuals tasked with implementing the programming (Forman et al., 2013). One form of support commonly used to support implementers of other school-based practices is implementation coaching. While this term is not universally used within the literature, it can be …