Search

Background: Phonological difficulties are prevalent in children with speech and/or language disorders and may hamper their later language outcomes and academic achievements. These children often form a significant proportion of speech and language therapists' caseloads. There is a shortage of information on evidence-based interventions for improving phonological skills in children and adolescents with speech and language disorder. Aims: The aim of this systematic literature review and meta-analysis was to systematically examine the effects of different intervention approaches on speech production accuracy and phonological representation skills in children with speech and language disorders. Methods: A preregistered systematic review (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews ID: CRD42017076075) adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was completed. Seven electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, ERIC, PsychINFO, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS and Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts) were searched for studies related to oral language interventions with children with developmental speech and/or language disorder (mean age ranging from 3-18 years) published between January 2006 and August 2022. The included articles reported intervention studies with a group design in which speech production accuracy was the outcome measure. Studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and individual effect sizes were calculated using standardised means differences when enough data was available. A meta-analysis was conducted obtaining the average standardised mean difference d. Heterogeneity, influence of possible moderator variables and publication bias were explored. Results: The 23 studies that met the inclusion criteria presented low-medium risk of bias. Nine effect sizes were obtained from seven of these studies that presented a pre-post-test with a control group design. Medium-high average effect sizes were found in phonological accuracy. Heterogeneity was found between individual effect sizes. Significant moderator variables and publication bias were not detected. Conclusions: The results of this meta-analysis indicate positive effects on speech production accuracy. Based on this review, further improvements in the quality of reporting for intervention research are required in developing the evidence base for practice.

University graduates have invested significant time, money, and effort into completing their studies, with many discovering that their chosen discipline is not what they were expecting, nor the right fit for their individual values or goals. Transition between disciplines is particularly common in the helping professions, but little is known about the motivation for these transitions. To better understand motivations for transitioning disciplines, we investigated why psychology graduates chose to transition to post-graduate counselling studies. Using semi-structured interviews, we asked the participants (n = 8) to describe their perceptions, motivations, and experiences of studying psychology and counselling. Applying reflexive thematic analysis, we identified a meta-theme that the transition to counselling was facilitated by the participants' desire to have a profession that aligned with their core values; and they viewed counselling as a strength-based, flexible, holistic, and humanistic approach to helping others.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in interruptions to social, economic, cultural, and educational life, with social distancing measures and well-being concerns leading to widespread restrictions to everyday activities. When COVID-19 first made an impact in 2020, many schools across Australia were closed entirely or provided limited access. Subsequently, many parents and caregivers were tasked with educating their children from home. Throughout this period, a key concern identified by various stakeholders was the potential impact of school closures on academic progression. This paper reports the results of a study that investigated Australian primary school parents' experiences of home-learning with their children due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. To explore perceptions of how home-learning was managed by schools and the impact the experience had on children's academic progress from the perspective of parents, survey data were collected (n = 171) and interviews were conducted (n = 29). The study was guided by Epstein's Framework of Parental Involvement, with a particular focus on home-school partnerships. Findings indicated that, despite individual challenges, many parents were willing to engage in home-learning with their children, often beyond what was expected of them by the school. Overall, parents felt that the impact on academic progress was minimal, and that positive experiences were characterised by strong home-school connections. Through building on Epstein's work to reconceptualise parental engagement with learning, rather than parental involvement with school, the study is important because it highlights assumptions made about parents' pedagogical and content knowledge and their capacity to support school directed student learning. Importantly the findings demonstrate how home-school partnerships can be strengthened or put at risk under challenging conditions.

School inclusion of students with disabilities relies on reasonable adjustments to curriculum and class activities. The Reasonable Adjustments for Inclusive Education (RAIE) was designed to elicit reasonable adjustments from stakeholders in mainstream school inclusion for three contrived students with varied learning needs. We evaluated a scale for rating the quality of elicited reasonable adjustments across five dimensions: Agency, Authenticity, Real Learning, Strengths Based, and Inclusion. A trial (n = 5 participants) led to refinement of the scale, which was tested for inter-rater reliability with data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an intervention to improve the quality of reasonable adjustments. RCT participants (10 parents, 10 educators, nine allied health professionals) provided 596 reasonable adjustments, rated for each dimension by two independent raters (n = 2980 ratings). Overall agreement was 75.3%; intraclass correlation (ICC) was 0.778. ICCs were moderate-good (0.612-0.816). Further refinement and testing with multiple raters are recommended.

Online learning is rapidly becoming the preferred study option for many higher education students, due to its accessibility, convenience and flexible teaching arrangements. For other students who have access to a university campus, their preferred option is to attend on-campus classes, where advantages include synchronous interaction with peers, lecturers and access to practical experiences, materials, and resources. The impact of COVID-19 resulted in interruptions to social, economic, cultural, and educational life, with social distancing measures and health and well-being concerns leading to widespread restrictions in numerous different contexts. Universities throughout Australia restricted access to campuses and shifted their teaching of classes to purely online delivery. This shift posed many challenges for students and staff as ways of teaching and learning were reconceptualised. This paper examines the experiences of two different cohorts of pre-service teachers from two different universities who were studying full-time on-campus at the time when the restrictions were applied and reports the impact the shift to online had on cognitive, social and teaching presence within a model of community of inquiry. The findings indicate that despite the challenges involved with the rapid transition to online delivery, participants were able to identify the presence of core elements of the model, and how these factors impacted upon their engagement with the course.

The majority of schools across Australia rapidly implemented online education during the first wave of COVID-19 restrictions. The school closure disproportionately affected the routines and socialisation of vulnerable students, including those with a refugee background. Refugee-background students have been impacted by COVID-19 as school closures interrupted face-to-face education, including English language and tutorial support and counselling services. School shutdown also impeded refugee-background students' activities outside the home, which could render adverse effects on their physical, mental and social wellbeing. Holistic efforts are urgently needed in Australia to support refugee-background students in order to prevent further learning loss and promote health and wellbeing. [The page range (71-91) on p. 71 of the .pdf is incorrect. The correct page range is p71-76.]

There is strong evidence that learning gained in, through and for work, whether it is through employment, voluntary, community, domestic or any other kind of work, helps to equip people with the capabilities that can improve their working lives, their employability and their life skills (Lester and Costley, 2010, Beehives, 2018, WEXHE, 2019). Learning in, through and for practice situations such as work can ease the transition from education to work and also enhance the current knowledge of those already in work, facilitating growth in a professional career. Work-Based Learning (WBL), a common term to define this can be designed for placements or other work experience for students in higher education (h.e.) taking initial awards or it can be for employees undertaking h.e. studies relevant to their work. Although a common term, there are many other terms in the area of work and learning which relate to the same or similar fields. This paper attempts to clarify this whole dynamic area.

How people learn in and through participation in work that is mediated by higher education (h.e.) has been a topic for research and discussion for some time. While this area has supported great strides in social mobility and inclusion, how this h.e. area of practice relates more specifically to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) has taken on renewed focus for many practitioners and policy makers. When considering work and learning areas of practice that support the introduction of EDI and champion change, the authors appreciate that it is time for practitioners to once again come together to deliberate and share practice about how change can be implemented within h.e. curriculum and pedagogies. This research set out to explore and contribute to themes surrounding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). The authors also draw from workplace learning, organisational studies and other fields but the key issues for this research are work and learning in h.e. and access to h.e from levels 3 to 8.

The term neuromyths refers to misconceptions about learning and the brain. Educator neuromyths may result in inappropriate instruction, labelling of learners, and wasted resources. To date, little research has considered the sources of these beliefs. We surveyed 1359 Australian preservice educators (M = 22.7, SD = 5.7 years) about their sources of information for 15 neuromyth and 17 general brain knowledge statements. Consistent with previous studies, neuromyth beliefs were prevalent. Predictors of neuromyth accuracy included general brain knowledge and completion of university classes addressing neuromyths, although effects were modest. Depending on the belief, participants relied on general knowledge, academic staff, school staff, and popular media. Recommendations for teacher education are presented.

This article introduces an analytic strategy or thinking tool called the 'What's the Problem Represented to be?' (WPR) approach and suggests its usefulness for reflecting on important debates in music education. First developed as a mode of policy analysis, WPR has since been adopted in many fields and topic areas. The WPR approach consists of seven forms of questioning and analysis that target modes of governing and governing knowledges, their presuppositions, their genealogies and their effects. It is best described as a problematisation approach that studies how issues are problematised or conceptualized. The article explores what this description means and the implications that flow from applying this thinking tool. The recent (June 2022) "National Plan for Music Education," titled "The Power of Music to Change Lives," provides a focus for illustrating how to deploy WPR. The task involves seeking out 'proposals' in the Plan and indicating how these proposed solutions represent (or produce or constitute) the 'problem' of 'music education'. The goal is to make available a novel approach to a range of issues that have engaged the field for decades.

Training key stakeholders in the design of reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities could promote collaboration and inclusion. We tested the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of online education (intervention) in designing reasonable adjustments by Victorian (Australian) parents and professionals (n = 31). Participants suggested reasonable adjustments for contrived students with varied needs to support their participation in described classroom activities. Data collected pre- and post-intervention, and, at follow-up, were rated across five dimensions: Authenticity, Agency, Real Learning, Strengths Based, and Inclusion. Analyses from 15 intervention and 14 control participants (10 parents, 10 teaching staff, and 9 allied health professionals) showed higher scores for Inclusion post-intervention for the intervention group. This difference was maintained at follow-up, generalized to a new contrived student scenario, and mostly attributable to parents. Online education may improve parents' contribution in the design of reasonable adjustments that promote inclusion. A larger study is warranted.

The inclusion of First Nations health curricula in programs is critical for the development of culturally safe graduates, however, less is known about how to embed content into curriculum in ways that reflect best practice and pedagogy. The aim of this scoping review was to describe methods and processes of First Nations health curriculum development in nursing, medical, dentistry, and allied health entry-level programs in international peer-reviewed journals. Systematic searches of databases were completed including CINAHL, Proquest, Medline, and Informit; with additional searches in Google Scholar and First Nations-led journals. A total of 104 articles met inclusion criteria; the majority relating to medicine (n = 38) and nursing/midwifery (n = 17) student cohorts. Methods and processes for embedding First Nations health content are described, including First Nations-led development and co-leadership, resulting in a suggested model for curriculum development. Evidence-informed curriculum development is critical to ensure effective methods and processes are adopted and cultural safety learning outcomes are achieved.

Studies show teaching assistants (TAs) can positively influence the learning environment by increasing student comprehension and retention and impacting students' choices of academic and career paths. However, use of TAs in higher education is not universal. Following a fruitful panel discussion at the 2017 HAPS Conference, we conducted a survey to assess the prevalence of undergraduate and graduate TAs in human anatomy and physiology courses across a range of institutions and to evaluate how TAs are recruited, trained and compensated. Data from 329 respondents who used TAs, indicate most institutions use a formal application process, training procedures vary, and most TAs are compensated financially through hourly wages, stipends, or tuition credit. However, some TAs are unpaid but receive course credit as compensation. We highlight one of the more successful recruiting and training programs, where paid master TAs mentor unpaid apprentice TAs. This tiered training program excites and motivates student leadership, maintains high academic standards, and alleviates the lead instructor from continually training novice TAs.

Inclusive education remains a challenge for Australian tertiary education, particularly specialized pedagogical approaches like work-integrated learning (WIL) and service learning. Critiques of mainstream pedagogical approaches raise questions about the predominant models of educating students (Butin, 2010; Howard, 1998). There is a definitive need to recognize the diversity of the student population within course structures, rather than integrating diverse student needs into a static curriculum (Harrison & Ip, 2013) "Wise practice" takes WIL objectives--professional skills development and professional experience--and positions inclusion and transformation at the center of the learning experience. This paper explores inclusive education in WIL and service learning and examines how a wise practice approach can help all students equally benefit from the transformative potential of service learning

This article provides an overview of the present status of service-learning in Australia. It explores the evidence for service-learning in Australia through published literature and a desktop audit that identified service-learning units/courses publicly available on university websites. Authorship of the article has provided a wider perspective to ensure the accuracy of its substance and conclusions. Service-learning is a relatively new curriculum approach in Australia in all but small pockets within universities and in faith-based institutions. However, in recent years, interest in civic learning outcomes for students has been behind efforts to include it more broadly in higher education approaches to engendering citizenship and social awareness as well as to expand the range of approaches to work-integrated learning. To capture this growing interest, an Australian service-learning network and summit is planned for November 2019.

Introduction: Enabling education programs, otherwise known as Foundation Studies or Preparatory programs, provide pathways for students typically under-represented in higher education. Students in Enabling programs often face distinct challenges in their induction to academic culture which can implicate them in cases of misconduct. This case study addresses a gap in the enabling literature reporting on how a culture of academic integrity can be developed for students and staff in these programs through an educative approach. Case description: This paper outlines how an educative approach to academic integrity is implemented within the Enabling programs of two Australian universities. Discussion and reflection: This case study reflects upon an approach which makes specific reference to the key elements of 'support', 'approach' and 'responsibility' as highlighted in Bretag and Mahmud's seminal paper. The paper reports a reduction in misconduct cases at the two institutions suggesting a positive correlation between the interventions and students' understanding of ethical academic practice. This study reflects upon practitioner experiences with academic integrity investigations to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach. Conclusions: The authors show that it is possible to ensure academic integrity practices and values are upheld within a supportive learning environment appropriate to a students' level of study.

By the start of 2015 all University courses in Australia were required to be compliant with the new the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Quality in higher education seeks to achieve three goals - quality of design, quality of conformance and quality of performance. This paper brings together a number of higher education principles such as double loop learning, team teaching and heutagogy in order to satisfy these quality requirements. A pilot program was established to satisfy the changes to the Australian regulatory framework for tertiary education. The paper streamlines integrated ways to bring these aspects together that have not previously been identified in higher education publications. The specific focus is for an MBA course delivered in an Australian regional university. The result is a reflection of the application of the newly devised quality principled based heutagogical double loop learning cycle. The model can assist educational administrators and course developers to facilitate students in becoming independent lifelong self-motivated capable learners while at the same time ensuring the quality assurance principles are met.

Women who attain more education tend to have children with more educational opportunities, a transmission of educational advantages across generations that is embedded in the larger structures of families' societies. Investigating such country-level variation with a life-course model, this study estimated associations of mothers' educational attainment with their young children's enrollment in early childhood education and engagement in cognitively stimulating activities in a pooled sample of 36,400 children (n = 17,900 girls, 18,500 boys) drawn from nationally representative data sets from Australia, Ireland, U.K., and U.S. Results showed that having a mother with a college degree generally differentiated young children on these two outcomes more in the U.S., potentially reflecting processes related to strong relative advantage (i.e., maternal education matters more in populations with lower rates of women's educational attainment) and weak contingent protection (i.e., it matters more in societies with less policy investment in families).

This article, with its focus on university students as intended recipients and users of technological innovations in education, explores student preferences across three dimensions of technology-enhanced learning: mode of instruction; communication; and educational technology tools embedded in learning and teaching activities. The article draws on results of an exploratory case study, where mixed (quantitative and qualitative) data was collected from a randomized student sample generated through the institutional learning management system. An online survey (N = 66) gaged students' engagement with educational technologies, online and blended learning and social media as a learning tool. The findings confirmed previous research arguing that students generally use educational technology in a narrow way, rarely engaging with technological tools, unless it is presented to them as integral to their learning or if they are already familiar with a particular tool and/or perceive it as useful. Despite a well-cited characteristic by proponents of "digital natives" that students need constant entertainment, this study found no evidence that this was the case.

• Safety communication perceptions of ethnic minority construction workers (EMCWs) and management staff were compared through a questionnaire survey in Hong Kong and Australia. • Significant differences exist between EMCWs and management staff's perceptions. • EMCWs emphasize on worker-related factors, whereas management staff prioritize organizational-related factors. Introduction : Communications is of great importance to the workplace health and safety. This study explores safety communication perceptions of ethnic minority construction workers (EMCWs) and managers to address the vulnerability of EMCWs and overcome communication barriers in ensuring their safety. Method: A questionnaire survey of 134 EMCWs and 95 management staff in the Hong Kong and Australian construction industries is analyzed by the mean score ranking technique, Kendall's concordance test, Spearman's rank correlation test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The main finding is that "Adequacy of language ability of workers" is the most important factor for effective safety communication. EMCWs also prioritize "Personality characteristics of workers" and "Adequacy of workers' construction experience" for understanding safety information. Management staff emphasize the importance of "Adequacy of time when communicating with workers" and the "Appropriateness of communication style of management" for effective communication. Significant differences exist between EMCWs and management staff, with EMCWs considering 23 out of 36 factors as more important, particularly regarding cultural sensitivity and workers' understanding of the host country's culture. Conclusions: A fresh perspective is provided on safety communication factors, revealing significant differences in perceptions between EMCWs and management staff, highlighting communication gaps requiring attention. The prevailing organizational-centric approach is challenged by emphasizing EMCWs' prioritization of worker-related factors like language ability and personality traits, emphasizing the need to address worker-specific issues. Cultural sensitivity emerges as a significant factor, rated higher by EMCWs, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and addressing cultural differences in communication. A research gap is filled by examining safety communication issues specific to EMCWs, providing insights for interventions and strategies to enhance safety practices and protect their well-being. Practical Applications: The research findings highlight the importance of addressing language barriers, considering personality traits and construction experience, allocating adequate communication time, and promoting cultural sensitivity in safety communication between EMCWs and management staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most research on tracking practice locations of health students has focused on medical students, particularly the factors influencing their choice to work in rural and remote areas. However, there is limited research on how rural origin and training in regional or rural settings affect the employment destinations of dental and oral health graduates. This paper explores the practice locations of dentistry and oral health therapy (OHT) graduates from rural backgrounds compared to those from metropolitan areas in Australia. Materials and methods: The target population was dental and OHT graduates from La Trobe University's Rural Health School (Australia) who completed their studies between 2009 and 2023. The graduates' primary place of practice was sourced from the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) data. The 2019 Modified Monash Model (MMM) was used to categorise the students' original place of residence by rurality and practice locations. Multivariable analyses were conducted to explore the association between home and practice locations while controlling for the effect of socio-demographic characteristics collected from students at enrolment. Results: Data were available for 819 graduates matched to the AHPRA register. Of these, 541 (66.1%) were dentists, and 278 (33.9%) were OHTs. The majority were female (56.7% dentists and 81.7% OHTs), 11.3% (dentists) and 21.6% (OHTs) of the graduates originated from rural and remote areas, 16.6% (dentists) and 18% (OHTs) from regional areas, and 72.1% (dentists) and 60.4% (OHTs) from metropolitan areas. Multinomial logistic regression analyses for dentists and OHTs identified that , having a regional background, or having a rural or remote background were the most significant predictors for regional, rural/remote practice over metropolitan areas. Conclusion: Regional background is the strongest predictor for graduate dentists and OHTs practicing in Australia's regional or rural and remote locations. Similarly, students from rural and remote locations were highly likely to practice in rural/ remote locations. Increasing the recruitment of students with rural backgrounds may positively impact graduates' decisions to practice in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Self-poisoning is the most common form of hospitalised self-harm in young people and has been increasing over the last decade. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with further increases in self-harm in adolescents. There are limited data on changes after pandemic restrictions ended. This study aimed to describe recent trends in self-poisoning in young people. Setting: Australia 2018–2023. Methods: A retrospective analysis of self-poisoning calls to Australia's poisons information centres. Intentional poisoning exposures in people aged 5–19 years were included in the main analysis. We also examined intentional poisonings in people aged 20 and over for comparison. We used interrupted time-series analysis to estimate the impact of COVID-19 (March 2020) and 're-opening' (December 2021), when many restrictions were lifted in Australia. We compared effects in the jurisdictions with most disruptions and lockdowns with other jurisdictions. Results: There were 201,755 self-poisonings documented, 64% female, with 19,946 children (aged 5–14, 9.9%) and 44,388 adolescents (aged 15–19, 22.0%). There was a steep increase in the rate of poisoning in female children and adolescents – with the annual increase being 1.361 (95% confidence interval = [1.074, 1.735]) and 1.154 (95% confidence interval = [1.049, 1.283]) times faster than pre-pandemic trends in these two groups between March 2020 and December 2021. Following relaxation of restrictions, there was a sudden drop and then slow decline in self-poisonings (despite rising COVID-19 infection rates). There was an overall 29.6% increase in intentional poisonings in young people over the study period. This is markedly more pronounced among young females (37.0%) vs males (11.2%). There were substantial jurisdictional variations, with larger increases in Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. Conclusion: There has been a marked increase in child and adolescent female self-poisonings over the last 6 years, with increases strongly associated with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions but persisting after their removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Movement Environment Rating Scale (MOVERS), using data from 13 early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Test-retest reliability was calculated using ICCs, percentage agreement and weighted Kappa. Internal consistency was examined using Cronbach's alpha. To examine concurrent validity between the MOVERS and Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-being Scale (SSTEW) scale and the Environmental Policy and Assessment Observation (EPAO), correlation coefficients were computed. Multi-level regression analyses were conducted to examine the criterion validity of MOVERS and children's outcomes. ICC was 0.959 (p < 0.0001), weighted Kappa was 0.904 (p < 0.001), and percentage agreement was 69%-100%. Cronbach's alpha of MOVERS was [alpha] = 0.94 and [alpha] = 0.89. Statistically significant correlations between MOVERS subscales and some SSTEW and EPAO sub-areas were reported. Item 4 (Body movement to support fine motor skills) of MOVERS and children's fine motor skills was significantly correlated. This study shows that MOVERS is a reliable and valid scale that can, with training, be confidently used for research, audit, self-evaluation for practice improvement.

The Victorian Government, Australia, committed to deliver recommendations from a review of the Program for Students with Disabilities. We report on the implementation of Recommendation 7: to explore options for how special schools could become 'centres of expertise' to support inclusion in mainstream schools. Informed by evidence reviews of inclusive education practices and interviews of special and mainstream staff and parents, stakeholders were engaged in a forum to develop a range of options. A larger sample of stakeholders then completed a survey to evaluate them. Forum attendees were parents, education staff, and allied health professionals from special and mainstream schools. They worked in small groups to develop options, which were later grouped into 5 categories. These options were entered into an online survey for distribution to a wider group of stakeholders. Survey respondents were 142 stakeholders from special (71%) and mainstream primary and secondary schools (parents, education staff, and allied health professionals). They rated each option, such that 8 with high ratings for feasibility and acceptability were recommended to support inclusive mainstream education through utilisation of special school expertise. The final list of options focused on collaboration, development, and coordination of networks of special and mainstream schools, and building capacity and leadership to support mainstream schools to meet diverse student need.