UniSA Open Journal System (Univ. of South Australia)
Not a member yet
409 research outputs found
Sort by
Editorial
No full textWe are pleased to publish Volume 4 Number 1 of Journal of Philosophy in Schools (JPS) in an open-access format. This issue contains five original articles exploring the efficacy of teaching philosophy to children in a variety of countries and cultural contexts. In this issue, we have researchers and practitioners represented from Hawai‘i, Israel, Canada, America and the United Kingdom. This international and multicultural mix serves to remind us that philosophy can be taught in any country and with children of all ages, although some local, religious and cultural considerations and sensitivities ought to be applied in relevant ways to pedagogical praxis
Cultural DeCoding: A humanities program for gifted and talented high school students seeking university entrance
No full textThis article details Cultural DeCoding, a humanities based high school extension program for gifted and talented Year 11 and 12 students in Western Australia. The brainchild of Dr Annette Pedersen (UWA & John XXIII College) and Dr Angela McCarthy (UNDA), the program runs for four days across the summer holidays before the start of the school term. The program fills a gap that exists in the education of gifted and talented secondary students who are interested in the humanities. It is comprised of sessions run by academics who facilitate discussion and activities based on their area of research and teaching expertise. The group is deliberately kept small in order to give students a chance to engage deeply and respectfully with like-minded others. The intention is to give these students an experience of what university will be like, and to have a chance to think philosophically; namely, critically, creatively and morally, in collaboration with others
Special Abstract Supplement, PhD Electronic Poster Evening, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia
No full text Skin Tone Dissatisfaction and the Relationship between Socio-Cultural Norms and Sun ExposureJohn Mingoia; Amanda Hutchinson; Carlene WilsonUniversity of South Australia; Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer; School of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia; Cancer Council South AustraliaBackground: Skin cancer prevalence is epidemic in Australia. Consequently, there is a need to understand the factors which lead to risky sun exposure behaviour in order to reduce these behaviours and subsequent skin cancer risk. The tripartite model (Thompson et al., 1999), when applied to sun-related behaviours, proposes that internalised appearance ideals mediate the relationship between perceived social norms about the attractiveness of tanned skin and sun exposure behaviour.Approach: This study examined the extent to which socio-cultural norms lead to idealisations of darker skin and/or a lean, muscular (mesomorphic) physique, which, in turn predict sun exposure. Adult males (N = 144) and females (N = 195) completed an online questionnaire measuring socio-cultural norms endorsing a tanned appearance, skin tone dissatisfaction, internalisation of mesomorphic and tanned ideals, and sun exposure.Findings: When analysing the tripartite model, the internalisation of tanned and mesomorphic ideals were significant mediators of the relationship between norms and sun exposure in males and females. A greater internalisation of a tanned ideal was associated with more frequent sun exposure in both sexes whereas, in males, a greater internalisation of a mesomorphic ideal was also associated with more frequent sun exposure. When analysing skin tone dissatisfaction, 80% of participants desired a skin tone different to their own, with socio-cultural norms emerging as the strongest predictor of skin tone dissatisfaction. Caucasian participants had significantly greater dissatisfaction than Asian participants, with Caucasian participants desiring a darker ideal skin tone compared to a lighter ideal skin tone for Asian participants.Discussion: This study advances current theory by supporting the effectiveness of the tripartite model to predict sun exposure behaviours. The identification that males internalised a tanned ideal further suggests this model is applicable to male sun exposure. The results extended current literature by identifying an association between internalised mesomorphic and tanned ideals in males which is likely the result of a tanned appearance being complimentary to a mesomorphic ideal by increasing the appearance of lean muscularity. Furthermore, skin tone dissatisfaction was discovered to be evident in both sexes which allows theory to target males and females collectively. The results also show the importance of cultural factors with Caucasian and Asian participants reporting opposing skin tone ideals.Radiology Patient Safety AlertsMD S.R Jabin, Tim Schultz, Peter Hibbert, Catherine Mandel, William B RuncimanUniversity of South Australia; Australian Patient Safety FoundationRationale: Health information technology (HIT) has the potential to provide huge advantages for healthcare delivery and patient outcomes, but if poorly designed, implemented or managed, it can pose substantial risks to patient safety. HIT has been broadly defined as “hardware or software that is used to electronically create maintain, analyze, store, receive (information), or otherwise aid in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease and that is not integral part of (1) an implantable device or (2) medical equipment”. However, HIT has recently been listed as one of the major hazards identified by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the USA and England’s National Programme for IT (NPfIT). Due to its high reliance on modern imaging technology, radiology is as susceptible as any medical discipline to HIT problems. Although it is evident that good clinical practice is dependent on the proper functioning and integration of the HIT system in a facility, radiologists may be given minimal training on the use and operation of such systems. Setting up a system and a mechanism for delivering recommendations for improving safety in radiology/medical imaging with HIT would be challenging, but worth translating lessons from incident reporting into practice.Methods: In order to formulate a contextual framework of issuing ‘radiology patient safety alerts’ on state and national level, a knowledge translation (KT) framework will be utilized. The aim of such framework is to facilitate the implementation of research into practice and policy. We are proposing a six-phased research project based on KT: I) Systematic review: Collate, evaluate and synthesize research evidence; II) Data analysis: Use retrospectively collected incidents; identify, classify, analyze and review; III) Identify solutions: Design and conduct case studies; interview patients and stakeholders; analyze gaps, needs, value and effectiveness and acceptability using human factor expertise; develop solutions using different analytic methods such as Root Cause Analysis; IV) Develop alerts: Build partnerships locally and nationally through negotiation; associate with different radiology departments to draft recommendations; develop radiology patient safety alerts; V) Pilot Test: Testing the outcomes in terms of process testing and patient testing; evaluate the barriers and limitations; and VI) Disseminate Alerts: Obtain endorsement for relevant state and national bodies; publish the alerts; form a standing group to keep the alerts updated; disseminate the alerts on state and national level.Analysis Approach: Analysis of data consists of various steps. The first step is to collect different data sets containing relevant incidents in order to identify key patient safety issues in radiology from HIT. Data review enables to understand the context, characterize and identify the problem, classify the incident types under the International Classification of Patient Safety (ICPS). Prioritization of incidents investigation, appropriate feedback following investigation and evaluating the barriers would occur before the alerts are disseminated. Option analysis for disseminating the alerts at each stage would be considered based on different criteria such as benefits and range of incidents managed, flexibility to alter the process if required, resources to implement the recommendations, stakeholders’ acceptance etc. Napping Before the Commute Home from a Night Shift: A Problem of Sleep Inertia?Cassie Hilditch, Stephanie Centofanti, Jillian Dorrian, Hans Van Dongen, Siobhan BanksCentre for Sleep Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia; Sleep and Performance Research Center, Washington State University Background: Night shift workers are at risk of road accidents on the commute home. A brief nap at the end of the shift, before the commute, may act as a countermeasure to sleepiness. However, there is potential for sleep inertia, i.e. transient sleepiness and grogginess immediately after awakening, following a nap. We investigated the effects of a 10 min nap taken at the end of a simulated night shift on response speed and driving performance.Approach: Twenty-one healthy subjects (21-35y; 12F) participated in a 3-day laboratory study including one baseline sleep night (2200h-0700h) and one experimental night involving randomisation to one of two conditions: total sleep deprivation (NO-NAP), or a 10min nap ending at 0400h plus a 10min nap ending at 0710h (10-NAP). Nap sleep was recorded using polysomnography, a gold standard measure of sleep. A 3 min psychomotor vigilance task (PVT; a well-validated measure of response time and behavioural alertness) and Samn-Perelli Fatigue Scale (Fatigue) were administered pre-nap (0630h), post-nap (0712h), and post-drive (0755h). PVT mean reciprocal response times (PVT response speed) were analysed. A 40min York monotonous highway driving task was performed at 0715h. The standard deviations (i.e. variability) of road position and speed were analysed. Analysis focussed on neurobehavioural outcomes following the pre-commute nap ending at 0710h.Findings: Total nap sleep time (mean ± SD) was 9.1 ± 1.2 min, with 1.3 ± 1.9 min spent in slow wave sleep (also known as “deep sleep”). Mixed-effects ANOVA revealed a significant condition*time interaction (F1,19=6.86; p=0.017) for PVT response speed. There was no difference pre- to post-nap in the NO-NAP condition. However, post-nap performance in the 10-NAP condition was worse than pre-nap, and worse than the NO-NAP condition post-nap. Fatigue was significantly reduced from pre- to post-nap, with no difference between conditions (F1,19=4.878; p=0.040). Driving performance did not differ significantly between conditions. There were also no differences between conditions for PVT response speed or Fatigue post-drive.Discussion: Given there were no group differences in PVT response speed or Fatigue before the pre-commute nap (0630h), this suggests there were no significant lasting effects of the 10 min nap at 0400h. The PVT administered immediately after the pre-commute nap revealed signs of performance impairment in the 10-NAP condition. Performance impairment was no longer evident, however, during the 40 min driving task or the PVT administered after the drive; nor did there appear to be any performance benefit from the 10 min pre-commute nap. Under these conditions, a 10 min nap at the end of a night shift does not appear to impair, nor improve, driving performance undertaken 5 min after the nap. “If You Don’t Like Gay Marriage, Don’t Get One!” A Qualitative Analysis of Attitudes Toward Same-sex MarriageStephanie Newton Webb, Jill Chonody, Phil KavanaghUniversity of South Australia; University of IndianaBackground: Prejudice toward sexual minorities groups has declined in Australia over the past four decades; however, current policies around marriage and family reflect an archaic view of same-sex relationships. Traditional beliefs regarding gender and gender roles along with a concern about the impact that same-sex parents [who violate these social roles] have on the welfare of their children may be perpetuating this legal inequality.Approach: This study investigated the influential factors behind the support, or lack thereof, for same-sex marriage using a qualitative approach. Participants were asked to respond to a single open-ended item about their thoughts and feelings regarding same-sex marriage. Thematic analysis of responses results in three overarching themes, which were grouped by sexual orientation. These were: 1) support for gay and lesbian individuals and/or same-sex marriage rights; 2) opposition against gay and lesbian individuals and/or same-sex marriage rights; and 3) unsure about their support for gay and lesbian individuals and/or same-sex marriage rights, which sat at a midpoint between the two polar attitudinal positions.Findings: A majority of the respondents expressed support for same-sex marriage, with many identifying the importance human rights and/or equal rights. However, findings for those opposed to same-sex marriage were consistent with the notion that traditional values regarding gender were propelling this opposition. Responses included ideas such as the incapability of same-sex couples to have biological children without assistance or the importance of both gender roles for children. Analysis also indicated a discourse of heteronormativity that supports the privileged position of heterosexual couples; that is, marriage is one for those opposite sexed and same-sex couples should have some other form of recognition. Religious influence and a traditional idea of marriage were also found as factors that associated with attitudes toward same-sex marriage.Discussion: Modern homophobic attitudes toward same-sex individuals and families are pervasive, and are evidenced in Australian policies that prevent equal rights and protections for same-sex couples. These results point to the need for ongoing research that challenges antigay biases in an effort to reduce sexual prejudice and ameliorate negative consequences for sexual minority groups and the families associated with that stigma.The current research provides (a) Theoretical advance in knowledge regarding factors that are associated with attitudes toward same-sex marriage and the complexity of respondents’ opinions. Despite an abundance of research regarding associations between religion/traditional thought [among other factors] and attitudes toward sexual minority groups, there is a dearth of research that provides evidence for the impact of prejudice toward same-sex parenting and its impact on attitudes toward, or decisions to oppose same-sex marriage. These findings suggest that the perceptions of traditional gender roles and/or the impact of same-sex parenting on children raised within gay and lesbian families inform attitudes toward same-sex marriage. Future research should seek to help close the gap by challenging misconceptions of the parental capabilities of same-sex couples. Education in zoos: Assessing visitor understanding, attitudes and conservation behavioural intentions toward marine wildlife entanglement in response to two zoo-based education approaches Sarah Mellish, Dr Elissa Pearson, Ben Sanders, and Dr Carla LitchfieldUniversity of South Australia; Zoos VictoriaBackground: Marine debris poses a significant threat to marine biodiversity. Given human action is responsible for much of the debris that ends up in the ocean, one way to reduce the amount of debris and rates of marine wildlife entanglement (MWE; i.e. marine animals that have ingested, become entangled by, or trapped in marine debris including fishing nets and plastics) is to educate the public and foster behavioural change. With an excess of 15 million people visiting Australian zoos each year, these locations possess enormous potential to contribute to public understanding of this conservation issue. One pathway to more effectively increase pro-environmental behaviours may be zoo-based conservation education programs, which seek to simultaneously enhance both awareness and attitudes in attempts to promote greater conservation behaviour.Approach: With the need for further research regarding the role of zoos to communicate environmental messages, the present study sought to compare the relative efficacy of two different learning opportunities as part of Melbourne Zoo’s ‘Seal the Loop’ [STL] campaign for MWE on: visitor satisfaction; visitor learning; awareness of the issue of MWE; attitudes towards marine animals and their conservation; and relevant conservation behavioural intentions following the zoo experience, collected via the distribution of surveys. Specifically, the research compares individuals who viewed a specially designed interactive educational show featuring seals and their trainers with a focus on the issue of MWE as a hazard to marine life, with visitors who passed through the seal exhibit (a more conventional zoo educational experience with static displays) without viewing the show.Findings: Results revealed very positive attitudes for both groups (mean >40 out of a possible 45) and a sound awareness of MWE, with 73.5-78.2% of visitors able to correctly explain what MWE is. However, show visitors were significantly more likely to report learning something new from their visit, to report learning about conservation content, and generally displayed a deeper level of understanding. This likely also influenced differences across behavioural domains, with the show visitors more willing to change their future conservation behaviour than exhibit visitors (M=85.09, SD=20.10; M=78.18, SD=23.47, respectively); as well as perceiving a greater likelihood they could make a difference through such behavioural change (M=71.35, SD=25.00; M=60.77, SD=28.70). Discussion: The findings provide further evidence that education and experiences within zoos influence intention for behaviour change and highlight the benefits of novel zoo-based conservation education strategies (particularly interactive shows containing storytelling) and various layers of interpretation (i.e. not just static displays) as facilitators to stronger conservation outcomes. Knowledge generation: This study addresses a gap in the literature regarding public knowledge of MWE and attitudes toward marine conservation. In addition, this research provides data regarding the relative efficacy of different formats of zoo-based conservation education, and therefore will contribute to the ongoing development of education programs within zoos to better realise their conservation goals.
Child Abuse And Neglect: Mandatory Reporting and the Legal Profession
No full textChild abuse and neglect affects approximately 42 500 children in Australia each year. Parliaments in all Australian states and territories have introduced mandatory reporting into child protection legislation to protect vulnerable children by requiring certain individuals to report suspicions of abuse or neglect. However, lawyers are prevented from reporting because of the rules governing legal professional privilege and confidentiality. This article begins by examining the problem of child abuse and neglect in Australia and outlines the current legislative framework of mandatory reporting laws in Part II. Part III discusses the current rules governing lawyers and examines legal professional privilege and the duty of confidentiality. Part IV provides arguments for and against requiring lawyers to report suspected abuse and also considers the lawyer-client relationship and the special position of domestic violence victims. Part V offers recommendations for the proposed legislative reform. This article concludes that lawyers should be required to report child abuse and neglect
Teacher expectancies, teacher behaviour and students' participation in classroom discourse
No full textThere is a common consensus that students learn best through participation in rich and challenging classroom discourse. The aim of this study is to explore whether students viewed as weak by their teachers can productively participate in classroom discourse in literacy lessons. We used microethnographic discourse analysis to analyze video recordings from literacy lessons at a Czech lower secondary school. We focused on two low-expectancy students, who participated in the classroom discourse in different ways. While the first one was passive and unproductive, the second one participated in productive interactions and autonomously helped to construct knowledge in the classroom. Our analysis shows that a student’s way of participation in the classroom is influenced by their teacher’s behaviour. We examine the relationship between the teacher’s expectations and their behaviour so as to show that this relationship is stronger if the teacher focuses on the qualities of a student and weaker if the teacher focuses on their curricular aims
Philosophy for children with learners of English as a foreign language
No full textThe present study intends to provide empirical evidence on the effect of Philosophy for Children (P4C) integrated with English picture storybook instruction on adolescent learners of English as a foreign language. Previous studies have documented the instructional benefits of P4C in various fields; very little evidence, however, can be found in ESL (English as a second language) or EFL (English as a foreign language) contexts. The present study was therefore carried out to explore the beneficial effects of P4C applied in EFL instruction with picture storybooks as instructional materials. A total of 62 students participated in the study, divided into one P4C group and one non-P4C group. Participants in the P4C group underwent 10 weeks of English storybook instruction with P4C in a school club, and the effects of instruction were measured by questionnaires and reading comprehension tests. Results of the study showed that students in the P4C group experienced a slightly higher level of English learning anxiety, retained higher English learning motivation after the instruction, and improved their English reading comprehension. Finally, pedagogical implications are presented.
Case Study: An integration of external ‘situational’ and internal ‘biological’ cues in a behavioural modification intervention to reduce snack-food consumption. The study you can’t read between meals without ruining your appetite!
No full textCurrently, obesity is a leading threat to optimal health and wellbeing in Australia. Offsetting risks of acute and chronic disease and disability, a balanced diet offers a sound investment against premature morbidity and mortality commonly associated with obesity. Demonstrated empirically to lead to weight gain, snack-food consumption threatens a healthy lifestyle and is as prevalent as 90% in some populations. Thus, finding strategies to counteract habitual snacking is imperative. This study (n=1) investigated effects of a behavioural modification intervention using classical and operant conditioning techniques to reduce snack-food ingestion over one week. Specifically, modifications to situational cues including meal versus snack schema activation and a fixed-interval sweet reward provided a holistic ‘internal-external’ environmental strategic approach. One hypothesis was proposed; the intervention would be associated with a reduction in snack-food consumption during the seven day intervention period. Results indicated the number of snacks consumed was significantly reduced during intervention. While methodological limitations precluded causal claims and strength and direction of relationships, evidence supported an integrated biological-behavioural modification approach to reduce snacking. Moreover, results reveal the complexity of human eating behaviours which reduce spurious and deprecating accusations regarding overeating, to manageable situational risk factors.
Editorial
No full textWelcome to the fourth issue of the Journal of Philosophy in Schools (JPS). 2016 marks our third year of publishing the JPS online in an open-access forum, and we are so pleased with the support and positive responses we continue to receive for this initiative. We are delighted to offer you another five original articles in this issue that all engage with how philosophy is practiced with young people in various educational contexts. We are also steadily growing our social media presence and are excited to report that we now have 1797 Facebook ‘likes’ for our page, and 731 followers on Twitter (@JournalP4C). Our statistics in terms of article views and downloads is equally impressive. As of 1st May 2016, and taken together, the three previously published issues had received over 109,814 total abstract views, giving an average of 4,393 views per article. Total article downloads across the three issues are 38,379, giving an average article download of 1,535. This demonstrates the vitality of the audience interested in, researching, and practicing philosophy in their classrooms with students of all ages. We thank you for your continued support of the JPS and encourage you to continue to spread the word
The role of the art of living in early childhood education
No full textThe notions of well-being and happiness are widely used today in a range of disciplines, areas of research, educational practice and daily life. However, these terms have to be considered critically, and careful reflection on their meaning is needed in each context where they are used (Soutter, Gilmore & O’Steen 2011). One reflection in the context of education has been conducted in relation to positive psychology as well as philosophical concepts and questions such as how to live a good life, the art of living and especially Schmid’s (2000) concept of Lebenskunst or ‘art of living’ (Teschers 2013). Still, the research undertaken to connect these concepts with the area of early childhood education in particular has been rather limited. The current paper is one step to bridge this gap by exploring how the concept of the art of living relates to early childhood education and the notion of well-being as it is used in the New Zealand early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education 1996). It is proposed that early childhood educators can support the development of children’s abilities to enable them to engage actively in shaping their own lives and developing their own art of living earlier rather than later in their lives. Further, suggestions are made for teaching practice about ways early childhood educators can support young children to become reflective, autonomous and knowledgeable human beings, who are able to take responsibility for their own lives.
