Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

School Social Work: Supporting Children’S Primary Education In The South West Of Western Australia, Karen Mcdavitt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In many countries, social workers play a role in the education of children. In Australia, this is evident in the state of Victoria which has a long history of school social work. However, it is not the case in Western Australia where there are very few government-funded social work roles in public schools. With the barriers to education rising for increasing numbers of students, the social work profession could be one component in a multi-disciplinary whole that supports students and the broader community so that each child has the best chance of reaching their full potential.

This thesis poses the …

The Human Factors Associated With Responding To Emergency Vehicles, Pauline Grant

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Emergency vehicles undertake emergency driving, using lights and sirens, to move rapidly through traffic in response to situations where life and property are at risk. For the emergency driving to be effective, other motorists need to drive in a manner that facilitates their passage. Despite laws to support this, problematic encounters can result in emergency vehicles being unable to get through. The current research expanded on earlier exploratory research into motorists’ encounters with emergency vehicles (Grant, 2010) to examine psychological factors involved with motorists’ responses to emergency vehicles. A construct validity approach was used to develop a scale …

Leaving Home: Investigating Transitioning Challenges Faced By Boarding Students And Their Families, Kate Margaret Hadwen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Transitioning to boarding school during the middle years of childhood impacts upon the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of young people (Bramston & Patrick, 2007; Connell & Wellborn, 1991; Deci, Vallerand, Pelletier, & Ryan, 1991; Earls & Carlson, 2001). Students who live at school as boarders, may experience greater transitional changes in all three components of wellbeing due to the extent of change experienced during this transition. While research addressing transitioning to school has indicated the importance of connectedness to school, bonding, friendships and a sense of autonomy (Eccles et al., 1993), there is limited research addressing the transitioning experiences …

Bullying And The Transition From Primary To Secondary School, Leanne J. Lester

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Peer relationships within the school environment are one of the most important determinants of social and mental wellbeing for adolescents and as such, schools have become increasingly aware of the prevalence, seriousness and negative impacts of bullying behaviour. The transition from primary to secondary school provides both challenges and opportunities as many adolescents undergo transition while experiencing environmental, physiological, cognitive and social changes as part of the adolescent development process. This is also a period during a student’s school life when their risk of being bullied is higher than at other times.

The aim of this study was to use …

Adapting To Change: An Exploration Of Students' Transition Experiences In A Senior College In Western Australia, Linda Rogerson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research sought to explore the experiences of students during their transition to a senior college. The senior college was established in response to the amendments to education policy in Western Australia that made it compulsory for students to remain in full-time education, training or employment until the age of 17 years (Department of Education and Training, 2008). Senior colleges were established to teach Years 11 and 12 exclusively, to promote a school environment that suited the maturity of senior students. Students attending senior colleges experience an additional transition during their senior school years and, as previous research has shown, …

The Role Of Resilience In Second Year University Students, Sarah M. Barbas

Theses : Honours

Around one third of all first year University students will not continue their studies in second year. Students who incur difficulties transitioning from one context to another have been found to withdraw due to an inability to cope with the challenges and adversity in their new environment. On the other hand, many students are able to effectively overcome significant difficulties they are faced with during the transition to or through university. This concept may be referred to as resilience. Few studies have investigated the role of resilience in the success of university students with no research currently focusing on second …

Experiences Of Mature Age Female Students Studying Psychology: A Phenomenological Account [Thesis], Ruth Ayres

Theses : Honours

The trend towards increasing diversity in university student populations has not come without its problems and one area of concern has been the high attrition rate amongst mature age female students aged between 40 and 49 years. This literature review seeks to summarise and integrate findings on the adjustment of mature age female students into university; on the relationship between expectations and experience of university and how these might impact on attrition for this group. The review indicates a complex relationship around expectations driven by motivations and perceived benefits from return to study, expectations of academic support, ability to cope …

Understanding Seychelles Students' Social, Academic And Cultural Experiences During Transition To University, Sophia A. Harryba

Theses : Honours

University transition is a form of change from the familiar to unfamiliar (Hellsten, 2002). According to a literature review, international students (IS) go through both positive and negative experiences due to cross- cultural learning (Grey, 2002). Findings from previous research can be broadly categorised into academic and/or socio-cultural difficulties. Academic issues included getting used to a different learning and teaching environment, a heavier study load coupled with language barriers and academic procedures (Mcinnis, 2001). Socio-cultural issues included culture shock (Townsend & Wan, 2007), language difficulties (Cannon, 2002), discrimination (Poyrazli & Lopez, 2007) and financial issues (Forbes- Mewett et al., 2007). …

Academic - Practice Bridges: Implications For Lecturers When The Complexities Of Change Meets The Higher Education And Nurse Education Systems, Adrianne Jones

Theses : Honours

Government, industry, enterprises and the community expect the Vocational and Educational Training (VET) system to provide up-to-date educational programs that provide pathways from school-based learning to the higher education facilities such as universities and to employment opportunities. Reforms in the VET sector over the past ten years have had a significant impact on the work of staff employed in the area. Educators now operate in more competitive markets and face increased demands for higher quality and more relevant training programs from clients. Understanding and keeping up with the changes and working in new and more flexible ways have been major …

Externalising Behaviour Problems And The Influence Of Classroom Environments In The Early School Years ; Student-Teacher Relationships And Teacher Discipline: Their Relation To The Externalising Behaviours Of Kindergarten To Year 1 Students, Emma Spencer

Theses : Honours

Some of the most influential people in a child's life are the teachers who aid them in their transition into the education system and the complex social environment that it brings (Blancher & Eisenhower, 2006). Children who display externalising behaviours early in childhood often experience greater difficulties than other children when entering school and throughout their education experience (Hinshaw, Lahey & Hart, 1993; Liu, 2004). The student-teacher relationship established within the classroom and the disciplinary measures utilized by the teachers can have a profound impact on the child's development both academically and socially (Galen & Underwood, 1997; Hamre & Pianta, …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Transition Experience Of Students From A High School To A Senior High School In Rural Western Australia, Amiee-Jade Pereira

Theses : Honours

This review outlines literature on the normative high school transitions that occur during adolescence. Research examines factors affecting the school transition experience (e.g., school size, structure, feeder patterns, and the additive affect of multiple school transitions), student outcomes (e.g., academic performance, self-esteem and psychological symptomatology), and student perceptions of their transition experience. Research limitations include the focus on American, metropolitan schools undergoing the elementary to middle school transition, and the utilisation of quantitative methodologies. Future research needs to examine the experience of students from different countries, both metropolitan and rural, undergoing school transitions. Qualitative methodologies should also be utilised to …

A Critical Exploration Of The School Context For Young Adolescents Completing Primary Education [Thesis], Sasha A. Stumpers

Theses : Honours

Recent research suggests that students' classroom engagement, increased academic effort, and subsequent success or failure arc not only influenced by individual differences in skills and pre-dispositions, but also by the school context. However, there is a need to further investigate the school context in relation to the well-being of the collective through concepts such as power and control. Therefore, this research sought to critically explore young adolescents' perceptions and experiences of their school context. Furthermore, how year seven students experience their school prior to the transition into high school was investigated. Using a semi-structured interview schedule, 8 male and 7 …

Sense Of Belonging In The School : Impact On Young Adolescents, Diane F. Broderick

Theses : Honours

The transitional nature of adolescence predisposes the adolescent to the effects of evolving biopsychosocial development changes. However, these transitional processes do not occur in isolation in the adolescent. Using a systems approach, this paper examined the issues surrounding adolescents' sense of belonging (SoB) at school. SoB was identified as a means of providing an understanding of belongingness as a linking and stabilising mechanism for adolescents as they successfully negotiate their biopsychosocial changes. SoB at school appears to be positively reflected in the adolescents' peer competencies, student-teacher relationships, motivation and achievement, participation skills, and the ability to relate to the school …

High School Students' Food Choices: A Nutrient Analysis Of Students' Canteen Purchases At Four High Schools, Jenny Kora

Theses : Honours

Links exist between poor eating habits established during childhood and adolescence and the development of dental decay, obesity and anaemia early in life (Ruxton, Kirk, Belton & Holmes, 1993; Douglas, 1999), as well as a number of diseases of affluence, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers later in life (Baranowski et al., 1993; Birch, 1993; National Health and Medical Research Council, 1995; Antine, 1997; Harris et al., 1997; Douglas, 1998; Melnik, Rhoades, Wales, Cowel & Wolfe, 1998; Cholin, 1999; Huon, Wardle & Szabo, 1999). Adolescence has been identified as a unique stage in the life cycle when increased amounts …