Research UNE (University of New England)
Not a member yet
39143 research outputs found
Sort by
A competency framework and measure for psychologists: the psychometric assessment of the Competencies of Professional Psychology Rating (COPPR) Scales
No full textObjective: The Competencies of Professional Psychology Rating (COPPR) Scales provide a standardised, multi-dimensional framework for conceptualising and measuring the competencies of registered psychologists across all domains of practice. The COPPR Scales consist of both a self-report version for practitioner self-evaluation (the COPPR-S) and an observer version (COPPR-O) for supervisors and educators to rate competence of trainees. These scales have utility for psychologists to self-assess their competence within self-reflection, for supervisors to rate trainee competence, and for research and educational contexts.Method: Following on from an initial pilot study, this study provides a psychometric evaluation of the COPPR-S, including tests of dimensionality, reliability and validity, with a sample of Australian Psychologists (N = 211).Results: The confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the structure of the measure and all 11 domains of competence. Internal consistency was calculated for each of the domains and the total score, and strong support for convergent and divergent validity was obtained. In addition, the COPPR-S was able to discriminate between the three participant registration groups of provisional registration, general registration, and additional endorsements. Thus, strong support for the COPPR-S as a conceptual model of psychologist competencies and multi-dimensional measure was provided, and the items are presented for use in practice, education and research
Systematics of carnivorous ornithodirans from the ‘mid’-Cretaceous Griman Creek Formation, Lightning Ridge, and quantitative considerations for evaluating morphology in dinosaurs
No full textThe diversity of Australian Mesozoic reptiles, in particular theropods and pterosaurs, is arguably the least well known and sampled of any continental assemblage in the world. These limitations continue to hinder evaluations of their phylogenetic and biogeographic affinities. The Cenomanian Griman Creek Formation at Lightning Ridge, central-north New South Wales constitutes one of the richest Australian terrestrial ecosystems, yet has remained largely unstudied until relatively recently. Therefore, new fossil discoveries from this region have the potential to contribute to our understanding of Australia’s theropods and pterosaurs. An investigation into new material from Lightning Ridge pertaining to Avetheropoda, among which is only the third associated theropod reported from Australia, and the first vertebral elements of megaraptorid from Lightning Ridge. The enigmatic basal theropod clade Noasauridae is reported for the first time in Australia based on a cervical vertebra from Lightning Ridge, and a previously-described astragalocalcaneum from the Aptian–Albian Eumeralla Formation of southern Victoria. Isolated teeth pertaining to Anhangueria are described, marking the first published record of pterosaurs in New South Wales. The diversity of theropods in Australia is evaluated from the fossil tooth record using a combination of traditional descriptive methods and the application of Linear Discriminant Analysis; both methods come to agreement on the preponderance of megaraptorids in Australia, and also identify the presence of unenlagiine dromaeosaurids in southern Victoria. Finally, a novel complication in the characterisation of macroevolutionary patterns resulting from the ordination of discrete character data is recognised for the first time. Specifically, a statistically significant correlation between the body size of dinosaurs with morphospace variables calculated from the Principal Coordinate Analysis is described. The implications of this correlation are demonstrated in a re-analysis of data relating to a macroevolutionary hypothesis of the assembly of the avian body plan and an method is described for the removal of body mass as a confounding factor
Combined genomic evaluation of Australian Merino and Dohne Merino sheep populations
No full textHistorically, the Merino has been the dominant sheep breed in Australia having first been imported to the country over 200 years ago. In addition, starting in the late 1990s, sheep producers began importing Dohne Merino embryos from South Africa to improve on attributes such as reproduction and carcase composition. Since then, this breed has continued to expand in Australia but the number of genotyped and phenotyped purebred individuals remains low, calling into question the feasibility of genomic selection in this breed. The Australian Merino on the other hand has a very large reference population in a separate genomic evaluation. Many studies have shown that combined genomic evaluation of several populations can be advantageous in terms of accuracy when it involves genetically close populations. In particular, combined evaluations can be very advantageous for small breeds that can benefit from the large reference population of another breed. This study was based on 27,632 Australian Merino (M), Dohne Merino (D) and crossbred (C) genotyped individuals and a pedigree of more than 4 million animals and more than 5.2 million phenotypes for two wool traits (fibre diameter and greasy fleece weight) and one weight trait (yearling liveweight). The first objective of this study was to characterize the genomic structure and relationships between these populations. A Principal Component Analysis of the genomic relationship matrix as well as computations of Hudson's fixation index (Fst), that were below 0.08, revealed a low genetic differentiation between M, D and C populations. This suggests that crossbred or combined predictions may be feasible. In the following step of this work, we will investigate the accuracy of genomic evaluation in a Dohne validation population based on purebred D, purebred M, crossbred C or the combination of these three reference populations
Erik-Jan Zürcher, ed., Fighting for a Living: A Comparative History of Military Labour 1500–2000 (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2013). pp. 688. €79.00 cloth.
No full textMilitary history and labour history have long stood at odds with each other. Throughout the past, military forces have generally specialised in destructive practices, focusing on the destruction of an "enemy," and including in that purview the destruction of physical structures, social structures, and variably intentionally and unintentionally, the livelihoods of people within those structures
Use of Allied Health Services in Rural Northern Victoria, Australia
No full textObjective: Little is known about the socio-demographic factors associated with the use of allied health services in rural Australia. The objective of this study was to determine which factors were associated with the use of various modes of allied health in a region of Northern Victoria. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the Crossroads-II population health study. Generalised linear mixed models were constructed. Design: Households were selected at random through address local government area lists. Data were collected by door-to-door surveying. Settings: The northern part of the Goulburn Valley, Victoria, including one large rural conurbation (MM 3) and three medium rural towns (MM 4). Participants:Over 15 years of age. Main Outcome Measures: Use of allied health services. Results: The odds of using audiology (1.047 [1.035, 1.059]), optometry (1.034 [1.027, 1.042]) and podiatry (1.052 [1.039, 1.066]) increased with age, and psychology decreased (0.985 [0.974, 0.997]). Females had lower odds than males for audiology (0.708 [0.553, 0.907]) and greater odds for optometry (1.712 [1.421, 2.064]) and pharmacy advice (1.593 [1.317, 1.927]). Greater odds were observed for being Australian-born and pharmacy advice (1.581 [1.149, 2.175]), English spoken at home and physiotherapy (2.415 [1.279, 4.560]), a bachelor's degree and psychology (1.579 [1.011, 2.466]) and pharmacy advice (1.296 [1.002, 1.675]), not working and psychology (3.518 [1.999, 6.191]) and social work (4.202 [2.110, 8.367]). Those unable to work had greater odds of using six of the eight services investigated. Conclusion: Socio-demographic associations with allied health use vary across disciplines. For this population in rural Victoria, socio-demographic associations were observed for all of the allied health modalities studied. Such relationships need to be studied in other rural and allied health contexts
Mapping professional identities of teachers of English as an additional language from Sri Lanka and Australia: Identifying commonalities across contexts
No full textTheorizing teacher identity is an important component of effective language teacher education. The current study maps the professional identities of 20 practicing teachers of English as an additional language (EAL) from two distinct contexts: Sri Lanka (n=10) and Australia (n=10). Data tapping each participant’s professional identity was elicited with semi-structured interviews structured around three domains: personal experience, professional context and external political environment. From the resultant teacher discourse, thematic analysis was applied to identify nine themes that teachers from both contexts perceived as being influential in the development of their professional identities, with two of these themes being perceived by some teachers as being of limited or no influence. These themes are defined and elucidated with quotes. Key differences in the way themes were manifested among the Sri Lankan and Australian teachers are also described. Findings provide a reference for language teachers’ critical reflection on their professional identities, especially those at the beginning of their careers
Exploring the Perspectives of Online Study Abroad Programs in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Approach
No full textCOVID-19 profoundly impacted countries worldwide between early 2020 and late 2021 due to travel restrictions, lockdowns, and health risks. Many higher education institutions responded to the health threat posed by COVID-19 by moving their on-campus programs online. Study abroad programs also needed to undergo adjustments, with some universities establishing alternative arrangements. This study uses a narrative approach to examine Online In-Country Study Abroad Program (ONIC-SAPs) from the perspective of Japan-based participants, academic, and administrative staff who were involved and participated. The program was operated by a university in Japan in collaboration with a partner university in Canada and a global language school during the height of the pandemic. The findings highlight that the advantages of ONIC-SAPs are also seen as the disadvantages of the programs. Acquiring language skills and experiencing intercultural encounters with the aid of technology may become even more common in the future, yet the extent to which this kind of learning is of benefit to all concerned should be considered. The study highlights that there is a need for further research into the content and curriculum of ONIC-SAPs to find ways to improve the value of online learning for all stakeholders, especially for study abroad programs. Although the participants were recruited from the Japanese side only, the findings will resonate with study abroad stakeholders and scholars of study abroad programs worldwide
Differences in EEG Functional Connectivity in the Dorsal and Ventral Attentional and Salience Networks Across Multiple Subtypes of Depression
Get PDFDepression remains one of the most widespread and costly mental disorders, with the current first-line treatment efficacy of about a third, possibly due to its heterogeneous nature. Consequently, there is a need to identify reliable biomarkers for specific subtypes of depression, particularly neurological signatures that may help with targeted treatments. This study aimed to explore the connectivity between two important networks in the brain: the dorsal and ventral attention networks and the salience network, to determine their potential as biomarkers of depression subtypes. From resting electroencephalogram (EEG) data collected on 54 males and 46 females aged between 18 and 75 yr (M = 33 yr), functional network connectivity data were examined for their relationships with four depression subtypes. Beta and gamma wave connectivity was significantly associated with Anhedonia and Cognitive depression subtypes across and within all three networks while no significant results were found for alpha wave activity connectivity, and only one result was found for either the Mood or Somatic depression subtypes. In conclusion, these results provide further support for the concept of depression as heterogeneous rather than homogeneous and identify the novel neurophysiological signatures of two depression subtypes
An online practicum for teacher education students: emergent listening and seeing for quality praxis
No full textThere is an ongoing drive to enhance teacher quality and address the imperative of initial teacher education provision. An online professional experience (practicum) can prepare teacher education students to negotiate the complexity of practice analysis when access to schools is problematic. As an alternative approach to face to face school-based teacher preparation for classroom practice, the online practicum is designed to ensure that teacher education students are able to recognise, make explicit, and realise alternative ways of thinking about classroom practices. The notions of noticing and emergent listening as a discipline are highlighted as integral to teacher responsiveness and learning. With the move to online learning during COVID-19 and the flexibility of learning now expected in the post-pandemic world, we conclude that there will be ongoing interest in providing teacher education practicum experiences through an online mode
Critiquing the Teaching and Learning of English in Chile: Challenges and Opportunities for Transformative Practice
No full textThis edited volume challenges the hegemonic values and practices that have shaped the contemporary state of English language education in Chile, offering a space for a transformative vision that prioritises pedagogical practices grounded in (g) localised methodologies and epistemologies. Providing insights into English language teacher education and the pedagogical practices that teachers enact in diverse contexts, chapters delve into a critical scrutiny of prevalent issues in ELT education and explore new opportunities for innovation, reconsideration and reconceptualisation of policy and practice. Motivated by the drive for transformative, context‑sensitive and culturally relevant practice, contributors critically engage with the socio‑cultural and socio‑political context of Chilean English language researchers, offering a systematic analysis of the profound effects of entrenched neoliberal ideologies in education, as well as how these act to influence and shape teaching practices, policies, and outcomes. In highlighting the inherent limitations and inequities perpetuated by neoliberal policies, contributors offer alternative perspectives and solutions designed to promote more equitable, inclusive, and socially just second language educational practices. Providing a comprehensive examination of the intricate relationship between Chile’s political history, socio‑economic evolution, and the rise of English language education, this book will be of interest to scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students in the fields of applied linguistics, teaching and learning English as a foreign/second language, and initial English language teacher education. Policy makers working in ELT in the Chilean context may also find the volume of use