Search

Background: Negative attitudes remain a major barrier to the equality of people with disability, especially when coupled with the lack of autonomy imposed on many people. This paper analyses how disability self-advocacy groups seek to change community attitudes and work towards systemic change by mobilising knowledge from their lived experience. Methods: The paper applies a cycle of praxis community development approach (a cycle of experience, learning and reflection, synthesis and planning, and implementation and review) to conceptualise and analyse their activities. The methods were a desktop document search, focus groups and reflective analysis with members of two self-advocacy groups. Findings: A synthesised data analysis found that applying the four-part community development framework was useful to understand the practice and the purpose of work by self-advocacy groups to change attitudes. The analysis also demonstrates the benefits for advocates and codesigned activities to intentionally apply the cycle of praxis model to guide their future efforts to change attitudes. Conclusions: The research provides evidence that self-advocacy groups achieve sustained impacts on attitudes in the community, beyond the direct benefit to their members. Government investment in self-advocacy has potential to leverage wider system change in attitudes to achieve policy goals for the rights of people with disability. Methodologically, the research also has implications for the benefit of inclusive roles in reflective analysis to understand the lived experience of how practices contribute to system change. The design is an opportunity for inclusive researchers to intentionally incorporate reflective analysis into research processes.

Educational alternatives for disenfranchized young people in school settings have resulted in an increasing number of flexible learning and vocational education programs. The youth in these programs often face multiple adversities that limit their engagement in education. Efforts to support these students require a trauma-informed care approach. Educators from a flexible learning and VET program in Australia were interviewed after completing training in the trauma-informed behavior support online program. The thematic analysis highlighted the relevance of trauma-informed practice and the applicability of trauma-informed pedagogical practices. The research provides insight into the benefits of trauma-informed practices and online training methods for educators in flexible learning and VET settings.

Teacher workload is a growing problem internationally. In this article, we analyse an attempt by the state education bureaucracy of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, to address this through the 'Quality Time Program'. Drawing on labour process theory and Carol Bacchi's framework of 'What's the problem represented to be?', we analyse how the Quality Time policy documents conceptualise and aim to address a particular kind of teacher 'workload problem'. We argue the policy defines the 'problem' as one of efficiency. At the same time, through use of the category of 'administration' the policy proposes the reduction of 'core' work, such as lesson planning, representing a potential deskilling of teachers. We argue that policies such as the Quality Time Program reflect the way in which teachers' work is emerging as a site of contestation in the context of workload reduction efforts, requiring ongoing monitoring and analysis.

The series of responses in this article were gathered as part of an online mini conference held in September 2021 that sought to explore different ideas and articulations of school autonomy reform across the world (Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, the USA, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand). It centred upon an important question: what needs to happen for school autonomy to be mobilised to create more equitable public schools and systems of education? There was consensus across the group that school autonomy reform creates further inequities at school and system levels when driven by the logics of marketisation, competition, economic efficiency and public accountability. Against the backdrop of these themes, the conference generated discussion and debate where provocations and points of agreement and disagreement about issues of social justice and the mobilisation of school autonomy reform were raised. As an important output of this discussion, we asked participants to write a short response to the guiding conference question. The following are these responses which range from philosophical considerations, systems and governance perspectives, national particularities and teacher and principal perspectives.

"Local Schools, Local Decisions" (LSLD) was a package of school autonomy reforms operating in the state of New South Wales, Australia from 2012 to 2020. The set of reforms centred on the devolution of additional powers and responsibilities to school principals, namely enhanced capacity to manage staffing and financial functions in response to local conditions. Using a conceptual lens of policy enactment, we analyse interview data gathered from 31 teachers and school leaders on how these reform areas were understood and enacted at the school level. Our findings highlight the tensions in enacting devolutionary reform in schools. While the centrality of the school principal's role was emphasised, including in relation to contested levels of principal discretion, the enactment of devolved powers and responsibilities also produced a fracturing of staff relationships within schools, notably between principals and teaching staff. This finding is understood within a context of heightened workload and unclear expectations which attended the policy's introduction. We contribute to the school autonomy literature through: (a) the inclusion of teachers' voices, a stakeholder perspective often missing in the autonomy literature, enabling the impact of the reforms on interpersonal, relational dynamics to come to the fore; and (b) exploring implications for future reform suggested by the fate of LSLD. In doing so, this article deepens knowledge on the enactment of autonomy reforms in schools, drawing implications for understanding school autonomy reform around the globe.

Purpose: This paper aims to demonstrate how skills taxonomies can be used in combination with machine learning to integrate diverse online datasets and reveal skills gaps. The purpose of this study is then to show how the skills gaps revealed by the integrated datasets can be used to achieve better labour market alignment, keep educational offerings up to date and assist graduates to communicate the value of their qualifications. Design/methodology/approach: Using the ESCO taxonomy and natural language processing, this study captures skills data from three types of online data (job ads, course descriptions and resumes), allowing us to compare demand for skills and supply of skills for three different occupations. Findings: This study illustrates three practical applications for the integrated data, showing how they can be used to help workers who are disrupted by technology to identify alternative career pathways, assist educators to identify gaps in their course offerings and support students to communicate the value of their training to employers. Originality/value: This study builds upon existing applications of machine learning (detecting skills from a single dataset) by using the skills taxonomy to integrate three datasets. This study shows how these complementary, big datasets can be integrated to support greater alignment between the needs and offerings of educators, employers and job seekers.

People's career choices are not necessarily the unfolding of normative experiences. Instead, trauma experienced as cumulate harm throughout childhood affects developmental trajectories and career choices. There is, however, a dearth of research into the influences of cumulative harm on career development. The present research addresses that gap in the literature by an investigation into helping professionals' recollections of their lived experiences of cumulative harm and how they construct its meaningfulness with regard to their work as a helping professional. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was applied to the transcripts of interviews with n = 12 helping professionals. Participants sought to reauthor through the themes of "meaning," "value," "adaptability" and "unintentional motivations." This reflected a journey for all participants from identity conclusions formed through childhood trauma to new territories of identity, achieved through a reconstruction of life narratives by integrating career narratives to reframe and make sense of their cumulative harm experiences.

This mixed-methods study explored (1) family day care (FDC) educators' confidence and capability to support children's mental health, and (2) assessed their own mental health and wellbeing. Descriptive analysis of the survey (n = 144) highlighted that most participants were in the normal range for mental health and wellbeing; however, identifying mental ill-health in children, access to resources and awareness of support services were areas where participants were less likely to feel confident or capable. In the interviews (n = 14), three themes were identified in the interviews for the first research question (including the central role of the FDC educator, lack of training and resources and limited professional support) and three themes were identified for the second research question (the importance of mental health for educators, being a small business owner and connecting with other educators). The results highlighted a need for additional support and resources for educators specifically targeting the mental health and wellbeing of children.

Purpose: This study provides a country-specific and sector-wide study of campus sustainability. Campus sustainability is a key consideration for the higher education (HEI) sector, and campus sustainability officers and managers manage its reporting and planning. Global and country-specific studies to date have focussed on individual organisation narratives, interviews with faculty and management and content analysis of reports and plans. Findings show wide divergence on scope and scale of formalised planning and reporting, few references to sustainability officers and managers' perspectives and limited reference to organisational theory to explain tactics and strategies adopted. As a result, there are a few country-specific and sector-wide studies. The purpose of this paper is to address the scarcity of country-specific and sector-wide studies into campus sustainability practices in HEI by combining qualitative and quantitative analysis. Design/methodology/approach: The authors provide the first sector-wide overview of formal campus sustainability commitments for the Australian public sector HEI (n = 41) in terms of several key indicators -- plans, reports and other indicators. Second, the authors use reflexive thematic analysis of interviews (n = 21) with current and former sustainability officers and managers to examine sector organisational reasons for such variation. Third, the authors analyse HEI sector isomorphism and divergence on planning and reporting of campus sustainability from the perspective of institutional theory of organisations. Findings: This study finds some convergence on the need for plans, reporting and other engagement elements, albeit without any sector-wide standards being followed. The authors observe a trend towards carbon-neutral (CN) declarations before 2030 although with nuances on emissions scope and increasing inclusion of renewable energy. Interviews identify a range of strategies and tactics adopted for campus sustainability relative to internal and external organisational pressures. Overall, the sector still exhibits weak institutionalisation of sustainability. Research limitations/implications: This study interviews a specific and limited cohort (n = 21) and presents an overview of sector reporting, planning and target setting although not a detailed content analysis. Other interview cohorts may have different views on the strategic and tactical purposes of reporting practices, and more in-depth analysis of formal plans and reports should be conducted in the future. Practical implications: This study concludes that the Australian HEI sector should consider greater public transparency of its data and reporting actions. Common standards and a benchmarking platform for the sector would improve overall engagement with all internal and external stakeholders. At present, the HEI sector's message to its key internal and external stakeholders is mixed and needs to change towards a more in-depth institutionalisation of sustainability on campus. Originality/value: Particular insights are the value of organisational strategies and tactics as an interpretive framework for HEI campus sustainability and how interviewees attribute sector competitors and self-different motives and tactics. Albeit limited, this is the first mapping of sector approaches to sustainability reporting and planning.

Fixed-term contracts are a relatively recent, yet growing category of employment for teachers in the public school system in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. In this article, we draw on quantitative and qualitative data from a large state-wide survey (N = 18,234) of members of the public-school teacher union, the NSW Teachers' Federation, in order to explore the workload reports of teachers in temporary employment. We find that overall, these teachers report similar levels of workload to staff employed on a permanent basis. Experiences of work are, however, qualitatively different, with many in the temporary category feeling they must work harder than permanent teachers in order to 'prove themselves' to school executive. We argue that such experiences of precariousness may have particular 'scarring' effects for teachers in temporary employment, including gendered patterns of career progression, and discuss implications for leadership and policy.

The community sector performs an important function in providing emergency food relief, yet food insecurity is often a chronic issue due to poverty and social exclusion. Progressive food provision models present opportunities to improve voluntary food relief services that are dominant in many countries. Informed by research with clients indicating a preference for blended service models that go beyond food provision, two government agencies partnered with a social enterprise and academics to pilot a social supermarket model. This research article (a) briefly summarizes international evidence on social supermarkets' characteristics and offerings, (b) describes a process used to collaboratively develop a social supermarket incorporating universal access and social supports, and (c) presents a rubric defining elements of a social supermarket. Applicable to other community sector settings, the rubric emphasizes dignified access and service, plus opportunities for social support and connection, which are important elements in pathways out of food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to validate the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment—Cognitive Component (KICA‐Cog) adapted for dementia screening in Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Methods: Data were obtained from a broader dementia prevalence study completed in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area between 2015 and 2018. Modifications were made to items from the original KICA‐Cog to ensure they were culturally appropriate for the Torres Strait. All participants completed a KICA‐Cog and had a comprehensive dementia assessment with a geriatrician experienced in cross‐cultural assessment. Results: A total of 255 Torres Strait residents aged 45 years and over completed a KICA‐Cog and underwent geriatric assessment. The adapted KICA‐Cog showed good validity for dementia diagnosis with a cut point of 33/34 associated with a sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 92% with an area under the ROC curve of 0.91. Conclusions: The KICA‐Cog, when modified for the Torres Strait, is a valid cognitive screening tool for dementia. Caution is required when interpreting test scores, as the adapted KICA‐Cog had slightly lower sensitivity (ability to detect people with dementia) than the original KICA‐Cog. As with all short cognitive tests, individuals with a low KICA‐Cog scores should undergo further medical investigations before a dementia diagnosis is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of patients with castrate‐resistant prostate cancer at high risk of developing overt metastases but with no current evidence of evaluable disease on computed tomography or bone scan non‐metastatic castrate‐resistant prostrate cancer have demonstrated increased metastasis‐free survival and overall survival following treatment with the next‐generation oral anti‐androgen apalutamide (in addition to therapies that aim to lower testosterone to castrate levels) or luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone antagonist or surgical castration. Patients receiving apalutamide can be managed by medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, or urologists, preferably as part of a multidisciplinary team. However, the importance of additional safety monitoring for significant adverse effects and drug interactions should not be underestimated. The toxicities of apalutamide are manageable with experience and should be managed proactively to minimize their impact on patients. Monitoring of patients for apalutamide‐specific toxicities, including skin rash, hypothyroidism, and QT prolongation should be carried out regularly, particularly in the first few months following initiation. Monitoring should continue alongside monitoring for toxicities of androgen deprivation, including cardiovascular risk, hot flashes, weight gain, bone health, muscle wasting, and diabetic risk. This review is a practical guide to the use of apalutamide describing the management of patients including dosing and administration, toxicities, potential drug interactions, and safety monitoring requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) are common, and a third of them have underlying trapped lung (TL). Management of MPE and TL is suspected to be heterogeneous. Understanding current practices in Australasia is important in guiding policies and future research. Aims: Electronic survey of Australia‐New Zealand respiratory physicians, thoracic surgeons and their respective trainees to determine practice of MPE and TL management. Results: Of the 132 respondents, 56% were respiratory physicians, 23% were surgeons and 20% were trainees. Many respondents defined TL as >25% or any level of incomplete lung expansion; 75% would use large‐volume thoracentesis to determine whether TL was present. For patients with TL, indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) were the preferred treatment irrespective of prognosis. In those without TL, surgical pleurodesis was the most common choice if prognosis was >6 months, whereas IPC was the preferred option if survival was <3 months. Only 5% of respondents considered decortication having a definite role in TL, but 55% would consider it in select cases. Forty‐nine per cent of surgeons would not perform decortication when the lung does not fully expand intra‐operatively. Perceived advantages of IPCs were minimisation of hospital time, effusion re‐intervention and usefulness irrespective of TL status. Perceived disadvantages of IPCs were lack of suitable drainage care, potentially indefinite duration of catheter‐in‐situ and catheter complications. Conclusion: This survey highlights the lack of definition of TL and heterogeneity of MPE management in Australasia, especially for patients with expandable lungs. This survey also identified the main hurdles of IPC use that should be targeted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cause of peanut kernel shrivel (PKS) syndrome, affecting peanut crops in Australia's growing regions, is currently unknown. It is estimated that PKS is costing the peanut industry more than AUD 5 M p.a. and is a potential threat to the industry. Previous investigations have ruled out all abiotic factors and most biotic factors as the cause of PKS. This research aimed at investigating the scope, distribution, and cause of the PKS syndrome. The survey showed PKS symptoms to be present in peanut crops in all the growing regions surveyed. Based on our study of culturable microorganisms, there appears to be no clear-cut involvement of plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi; however, Fusarium spp. were revealed as the most prevalent fungi in affected plants. Moreover, the soil metagenomics study revealed Fusarium spp. as the most abundant fungal communities in the soil microbial profile, and they could contribute to the PKS syndrome. The consistent presence observed of the identified Fusarium oxysporum in PKS-affected samples could indicate a role for this pathogen in the syndrome, especially in conjunction with abiotic stressors. The pathogenicity testing of F. oxysporum resulted in very mild PKS symptoms. A separate report suggesting the involvement of phytoplasma in the PKS syndrome raises the possibility of an interplay of biotic factors in the development of this disease. Further investigation is warranted to determine the true cause or causes of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population‐based studies have demonstrated a high risk of second cancers, especially of the skin, among patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We describe age‐standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) of second primary malignancies (SPM) in Australian patients with relapsed/refractory CLL treated with at least two lines of therapy, including ibrutinib. From December 2014 to November 2017, 156 patients were identified from 13 sites enrolled in the Australasian Lymphoma and Related Diseases Registry, and 111 had follow‐up data on rates of SPM. At 38.4 months from ibrutinib therapy commencement, 25% experienced any SPM. SIR for melanoma and all cancers (excluding nonmelanomatous skin cancers) were 15.8 (95% confidence interval (CI): 7.0–35.3) and 4.6 (95% CI: 3.1–6.9) respectively. These data highlight the importance of primary preventive interventions and surveillance, particularly as survival from CLL continues to improve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from self-determination theory (SDT) and a database of 1,320 correlations across 131 independent samples (N = 38,844), we conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of coach autonomy support in sport and exercise settings. Results showed autonomy support was strongly positively associated with athlete well-being and negatively associated with distress. Consistent with SDT, meta-analyzed correlations were strongest for autonomous forms of athlete motivation (ρ =.39) and weaker for controlled forms of motivation (introjected regulation ρ =.16, external regulation ρ = −.01), and negative with amotivation (ρ = −.19). We found strong positive associations between autonomy support and athlete basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness and very strong associations between autonomy support and other climate or behavioral supports for athlete basic psychological needs: competence support; relatedness support; structure; involvement; and task-involving climates. Effects were not moderated by culture, with collectivist and individualist cultures generally yielding effects in the strong range (ρ ≥.35), providing support for the assumption within SDT of universal benefits of autonomy support. Effects were also not moderated across types of sport. We discuss implications of the review and suggest coach autonomy support is consistent with environments supporting autonomous motivation, basic psychological needs, and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For patients, hospital emergency departments (EDs) are unfamiliar, institutional contexts involving high-stakes communication in heightened emotional circumstances. This study examines laughter, as one expression of emotion, in an existing 649,631-word corpus of naturally occurring clinician-patient interactions recorded in five Australian hospitals. A mixed methods approach revealed (1) the spread, frequency and producers of laughter, and (2) the functions of laughter in unfolding interactional contexts. First, a corpus analysis showed that laughter in the ED was most frequently produced by nurses and patients, but relatively infrequently by doctors. Secondly, two case studies comprising all the interactions of two patients for the whole duration of their ED visits were analysed in detail to explore the individuals' contrasting patterns of laughter. The analysis revealed how laughter can be a cue to the affective dynamics of patient-clinician interactions about serious matters, for example, signalling difficult topics and managing anxiety in the ED context. Laughter, and any related humour, can indicate the achievement of mutuality, which is considered a cornerstone of genuine shared decision-making and patient participation in their own care. Therefore, the findings suggest that a sensitive responsiveness to patient-initiated laughter, and any associated humour, may promote patient-centred relationships in clinical interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Unwarranted variations in lung cancer care have been well described in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, with shortfalls in hospital‐based workforce and infrastructure previously demonstrated. A survey of lung cancer clinicians was performed to gain an updated understanding of current workforce and infrastructure. Methods: An online Qualtrics survey included questions on institutional demographics, estimated lung cancer case load, multidisciplinary team (MDT) characteristics including workforce and local infrastructure. We sought to obtain one response from every institution treating lung cancer in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Results: Responses were received from 89 institutions, estimated to include 85% centres treating lung cancer in Australia and 100% of public hospitals in Aotearoa New Zealand. Lung cancer nurse specialist and Nuclear Medicine are poorly represented in multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) with just 34/88 (38%) institutions fulfilling recommended core workforce for MDT meetings. Case presentation is low with 32/88 (36%) regularly discussing all lung cancer patients at MDT. Metropolitan institutions appear to have a more comprehensive range of services on site, compared to non‐metropolitan institutions. Few (4/88) institutions have embedded smoking cessation services. Compared to the previous 2021 Landscape Survey, thoracic surgery representation and core MDT workforce have improved, with modest change in specialist nurse numbers. Conclusion: This wide‐reaching survey has identified persistent deficiencies and variations in lung cancer workforce and gaps in infrastructure. Multidisciplinary collaboration and care coordination are needed to ensure all patients can access timely and equitable lung cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will discuss the ways in which community service learning programs in music can foster meaningful collaborations between universities and Indigenous communities. Drawing on recent pedagogical literature on service learning and insights from a four-year partnership between Australian Indigenous musicians at the Winanjjikari Music Centre in Tennant Creek and music students from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, it will describe how such programs can facilitate significant cross-cultural exchanges between students and Indigenous communities. By drawing on observations and interview data from those involved in the project, this paper argues that these partnerships can both assist communities with activities such as cultural maintenance, and provide students with intercultural experiences that have the potential to transform their understandings of Indigenous culture.

The article stresses the need for more multicultural awareness and competence among health care providers in rural surgical systems in Australia. Emphasis is given on the importance of cultural sensitivity in health care delivery and the need for rural health care systems to undertake educational and training initiatives aimed at fostering cultural competence and safety. It urges for addressing health disparities, including in surgical care, to ensure equitable and safe health care outcomes.

This paper reports on Stage 1 of a learning and teaching project focused on students studying in the Chinese and English language delivery of transnational Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs of an Australian university. The programs are delivered using limited and intensive face-to-face teaching augmented by self-directed and web-based learning, and ongoing (mainly email) contact with lecturers before and after they have returned to Australia. The aim of this stage of the project is to provide a greater understanding of students' instructional preferences so that, where appropriate, lecturers can better scaffold learning and teaching arrangements (Stage 2 of the project) to assist them to meet the learning objectives of the MBA program. Survey data was collected from students studying the MBA in Hong Kong and Singapore in English (EMBA), and in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan in Chinese (CMBA). Findings demonstrate that whilst students ranked teacher directed, face-to-face instructional delivery highly, they also indicated that an independent, web-based learning environment was their least-preferred approach to learning. These findings put lecturers in a more informed position when it comes to them planning how to best assist students from Confucian-heritage backgrounds to work productively and successfully in their studies. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)