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Curriculum devolution under neoliberal pressures:the case of senior secondary music in Victoria, Australia and its international resonances
No full textUnder the pressures of neoliberalism, in Australia, the Victorian senior Music curriculum has been diminished. Neoliberal reforms have prioritised accountability, employability, and standardised outcomes, leading to a re-prioritisation of musical content and knowledge. This has led to reductions in musically specific content and increased focus on non-musical transferable skills. Concomitant has been an emphasis on informal processes within formal curricula. Highlighting implications for creativity, cultural diversity, and pedagogical practice, we contextualise changes to the Victorian example with curricula in the UK and US. Findings reveal a global trend toward more balanced, hybrid models integrating formal and informal learning. The findings inform debates on curriculum design, pedagogical practice, and policy development, highlighting the need for balanced approaches that preserve musical depth while accommodating broader educational goals
Clinical indicator prioritisation for the ACTMed trial:a modified nominal group technique approach for primary care research in the electronic age
No full textBackground: The nominal group technique has been shown to be an effective method for reaching consensus among a group of healthcare experts when selecting clinical indicators for application in primary care research, especially where there are competing prioritisation criteria being considered. In the context of manifest barriers to traditional face-to-face meetings, and with the advent of evolving and improved digital tools, alternative approaches are being more commonly utilised to overcome these challenges. In this study, we sought to prioritise a set of existing, validated clinical indicators proposed for inclusion in ACTMed (ACTivating primary care for MEDicine safety), a clinical trial aiming to reduce medicine-related harm in primary care. Methods: A modified nominal group technique, using a fully online approach, was employed to facilitate consensus among a group of pharmacists and general practitioners. Quantitative data were obtained using an online survey platform both prior to the structured virtual forum and again following group discussion. Qualitative material was gathered from written feedback included in the pre-forum questionnaire and through verbal contributions made during the online forum. Results: The highest priority indicators determined by the two-staged survey process were for myocardial ischaemia, cerebrovascular ischaemia related to atrial fibrillation, heart failure, asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and falls with fracture. Qualitative reasoning behind the participants’ evaluation of the clinical indicators included value for money, impact of the intervention, consequences of clinical outcomes and ability to implement the intervention in practice. Conclusions: In this study, the interactive component of the nominal group technique process had little impact on the final prioritisation of the clinical indicators. Potential explanations for this might include previously established strong participant views and preferences or relative group homogeneity based on similar learning, research or clinical experience.</p
Reuse Value:the potential of community based organisations to reframe and transform the circular economy
No full textCircular economy initiatives in Australia increasingly reference reuse, yet dominant recycling-led approaches continue to reproduce business-as-usual. This paper asks what kinds of worlds are made through reuse by examining Substation 33 and St Kilda Mums (now Our Village). Drawing on Karatani’s reading of surplus value, we develop “reuse value” as a parallax concept that captures both the embodied potential of discarded materials and the relational forms of care through which they re-enter circulation. These cases show how reuse reconfigures relations between people, materials, and places, generating social and ecological benefits that exceed conventional CE framings. We argue that recognising reuse value reveals postcapitalist possibilities within circular-degrowth trajectories
Online interventions for young people with parents experiencing mental illness or substance use challenges: a systematic review
No full textYoung people with a parent who has a mental health or substance use challenge are at risk of acquiring their own mental health issues. Online interventions present a potentially accessible, effective form of support for this group of young people. The aim of this systematic review was to describe the characteristics of online interventions designed for this cohort, identify change mechanisms, and evaluate their impact. A mixed-methods approach was employed. Search terms, related to online interventions, children, and parental mental illness or substance use, were used across five databases. Every abstract was screened by two authors. Data were extracted by one author and checked by another. Identified studies were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, with data synthesised using a narrative synthesis approach. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Six studies evaluating four interventions were identified, primarily focusing on prevention and targeting young people aged 12–25. Interventions promoted change through the provision of psychoeducation, anonymity, and peer support. Outcomes across mental health, help seeking and coping varied. Limitations included low participant completion rates, lack of generalisability, and selection bias. There is a need to better articulate theoretical frameworks, increase male participation, and extend reach to those experiencing mental illness or distress when developing online interventions for young people whose parents have mental health or substance use challenges
Barriers and drivers of sustainable building adoption and influencing factor dynamics:A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textA holistic and collaborative approach is urgently needed to decarbonise the building sector and achieve Net Zero Carbon (NZC) targets in alignment with the Paris Agreement. What factors enable or hinder sustainable building (SB) from becoming mainstream practice? In response, this study conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, which included a content analysis and influencing factor dynamics analysis of 49 high-quality articles. 60 barriers and 69 drivers of SB were identified and categorized them into seven groups informed by prior studies and the “Race to Zero Built Environment System Map”: Government related, Social related, Financial related, Technical related, Technology related, Knowledge related, and Environmental related. Based on the mean citation index, the three most significant barrier categories limiting SB include Financial/economy, Social/societal/cultural and Knowledge/training/research. The most significant driver categories enabling SB were identified as Knowledge/training/research, Social/societal/cultural and Technical/professional/market. Temporal analysis presented the evolution of the barrier and drivers of SB over the years. Pareto analysis highlighted the most significant barriers and drivers within each category. Notably, this study used statistical analyses to explore and map associations between SB barriers and drivers, as well as the built environment stakeholders, socio economic statuses, and geographic locations. Furthermore, this study highlighted potential theoretical, practical and policy related intervention points and implications for mitigation measures. This in-depth, holistic and integrated understanding of barriers and drivers of SB serves as an informative tool to the research community and future policy development. This study uniquely integrates Pareto analysis, temporal mapping, with stakeholder and contextual influential factor association analysis to prioritize and relationally map the dynamics of SB barriers and drivers.</p
Does telemedicine technology affect prescribing quality in primary care? The case of antibiotics
No full textWe study the impact of telemedicine technology on antibiotic prescription rates using linked administrative data from Australia on physicians and their patients. We classify physicians by their relative use of virtual consultations after the introduction of government-subsidised telemedicine services and compare their antibiotic prescribing rates before and after telemedicine services became available. We find that more intense telemedicine adopters prescribe less antibiotics while keeping prescribing quality unchanged. Our results are not explained by patient sorting, doctor shopping, or changes in the intensity of consultations.</p
Enhancing urban forest connectivity:a multispecies modelling approach in Helsinki
No full textUnderstanding how landscape elements contribute to functional connectivity in a multispecies context is important to inform city planning. We compared the connectivity of urban forest habitats for three vertebrate species with contrasting dispersal modes: the Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans), the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) and European crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus). We used Graphab and Circuitscape, combined with literature- and expert opinion-based parameters to model their dispersal potential. We compared these models with designated existing connections and rerun the models with modelled future connections by the city of Helsinki, Finland. Our results suggest that despite the relatively high share of forests in Helsinki as compared to many capital cities in Europe and beyond, lack of connectivity may disrupt the movement in different ways for all three species. Isolation was mainly a result of either lack of habitat or too scarce connectivity elements combined with high landscape resistance. Isolation varied depending on species’ specific habitat requirements, interpatch-crossing distance and gap-crossing distance. Based on our models of functional connectivity, the designated existing connections were excessively optimistic. The modelled future connections enhanced connectivity, especially if created with sufficient quality for each species, yet only a small fraction of the modelled future connections was realistically convertible as pathways. Nevertheless, our approach can inform city planning by identifying critical connections and places, where strengthening or building functional connectivity would be beneficial. We suggest that city’s green wedges should be converted into a webbed urban green space network.</p
Which factors in China? A pre-registered study
No full textWe evaluate the ability of the asset pricing models of Liu, Stambaugh and Yuan (2019), hereafter LSY, and Fama and French (2018) to price Chinese stocks. Following the methodology specified in the pre-registered report (Gharghori and Nguyen, 2025), we employ spanning regressions and maximum Sharpe ratios to compare models. Our results show that the LSY models exhibit higher Sharpe ratios and outperform both conventional and modified Fama-French models in spanning regressions. In contrast to developed markets, the investment factor carries a negative premium in China. Additionally, the LSY models do not span this factor. Consequently, the model that delivers the highest Sharpe ratio is the one that augments the LSY four-factor model with the investment factor of Fama-French.</p
