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Workplace flourishing - What supports autistic women to thrive in their careers? A mixed-methods investigation
No full textThe research presented in this thesis investigated autistic women’s workplace experiences and explored the factors that contribute to a thriving career. Even though there is a growing number of women being diagnosed as autistic, the majority of working environments are still not able to be fully inclusive of their unique needs and skill sets. This program of research sought to better understand how autistic women flourish in their careers. The research engaged in a sequential mixed-methods approach comprising a narrative literature review and three studies: semi-structured interviews with nine autistic women, an online survey with 100 autistic women, and a focus group interview with four employers. The findings indicated that flexibility in the workplace, access to individualised support or mentoring, and sensory adjustments are paramount for the well-being of autistic women and a thriving career. The participants reported facing challenges such as sensory processing, communication difficulties, and the need to mask their autistic traits to fit into the workplace culture. However, those who had access to supportive and inclusive managers and were able to adjust their working environment had more positive experiences. Casual contract work and self-employment were common solutions for autistic women seeking more autonomy and fulfilling the need to be in charge of their workplace environment. The research outcomes advocate for the creation of Human Resources policies with an emphasis on flexibility, individualised mentoring, and awareness training for managers. Key outcomes from the three studies show that workplaces with managers who offer autistic women an inclusive working environment where they can disclose their diagnosis in a safe space and adjust their working environment are critical to a thriving career. It is recommended that the importance of working environments for autistic people is explored to expand upon these findings, including the wider implications across different industries and world regions
Assessing university educators’ mobile-teaching self-efficacy in the United Arab Emirates
No full textAs part of its economic diversification and digital education strategic goals, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the countries in the Gulf region that is strongly investing in digital teaching and learning opportunities for its university educators and students in universities. This study explores the UAE university educators’ sense of self-efficacy when delivering mobile teaching using mobile devices and applications in lessons. The different levels of the UAE educators’ self-efficacy when delivering mobile teaching determine the perceived success of integrating mobile devices and applications in lessons. University educators in the UAE have been delivering mobile education since 2016. However, to date, there has been limited investigation into their self-efficacy to gauge their readiness to use mobile devices and applications for teaching. Therefore, the study gap lies in exploring the various levels of self-efficacy and mobile readiness, which potentially lead to inconsistencies in integrating mobile devices and applications as teaching tools in delivering lessons. To better understand educators’ mobile teaching proficiency, an online survey was conducted with 113 participants (58 female and 55 male), followed by focus groups with 10 female and 10 male participants. Frequency tabulation, Pearson correlations, and Ttests were used to analyse the quantitative data to report magnitude, relationships, and differences in variables related to mobile usage, self-efficacy, and readiness. A Reflexive Thematic Analysis was conducted to describe themes around mobile teaching, self-efficacy, and technological expertise. Next, quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated to answer the main research questions in exploring UAE educators’ self-efficacy when performing mobile activities. The study found a strong correlation between UAE educators’ sense of self-efficacy in utilising mobile devices and applications in their teaching. The study concluded that when educators performed more mobile activities in everyday life, they were more confident when utilising mobile devices and applications in mobile teaching. This research shed light on the Emirati context in digital teaching within UAE higher education. The contribution of this study to educational research is to evidence a mobile self-efficacy framework that enables educators to better understand the technological capabilities they need to successfully teach in a mobile learning context
Developments in monitoring of diurnal raptors: use of citizen science to investigate diets
No full textWildlife monitoring can provide knowledge of species distribution, abundance, biology, ecology, or threats. Such knowledge is essential for completing threatened species assessments and informing conservation actions. Diurnal raptors (Accipitriformes, Falconiformes, Cathartiformes and Cariamiformes), are a group of avian predators that alongside Strigiformes (owls), include over 550 species, 52% of which have declining populations and 18% have a serious risk of extinction. Historically, most raptor monitoring has been conducted in Europe and North America, where only 26% of global raptor species reside. In addition, traditional raptor monitoring techniques can be prohibitively time consuming and require significant expertise. Innovative technologies have enabled a range of new research topics and monitoring techniques, which may improve research efficiency and lead to a diversification in research locations and raptor species. This thesis investigated the developments in 21st century raptor monitoring, assessing changes to determine if they better inform raptor conservation, reduce research barriers and improve efficiency. A substantial increase in the quantity of publications was observed, with diversification in the location, species researched, and topics of research. Large increases were seen in the number of raptor diet, health, and human-wildlife conflict studies, highlighting their importance to threatened species conservation and recovery. Of these topics, diet monitoring is particularly time consuming using traditional methods (such as analysis of pellets and remains and direct observation), requiring a high level of expertise, and are susceptible to significant bias. In response, novel methods have been used including citizen science, DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis. This thesis investigated the use of citizen science, in the form of photographs and videos posted on social media, to record raptor diets. This method was shown to be over 25 times more efficient than the traditional method of direct visual observations, with a comparable prey identification rate. Spatial, temporal, and prey species biases found in traditional methods were reduced but replaced with new biases requiring quantification. Knowledge was gained on the diets of Eastern Osprey (Pandion haliaetus cristatus) and White-bellied Sea-Eagles (WBSE) (Haliaeetus leucogaster) in Australia, and potential prey partitioning of fish between these species was identified and investigated in detail. These raptors were found to share abundant prey whilst partitioning less abundant prey based on their hunting techniques
Fire-retardant recyclable epoxy systems based on covalent adaptable networks
No full textEpoxy resins (EPs) are widely used in structural and functional applications due to their excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and dimensional stability. However, their inherent flammability and non-recyclability pose significant fire safety and environmental challenges. The emergence of dynamic covalent chemistry and advanced flame-retardant strategies has enabled the design of EP systems with both recyclability and intrinsic flame retardancy. Nevertheless, the introduction of reversible dynamic covalent bonds to facilitate network adaptability often compromises structural integrity, resulting in increased susceptibility to creep and deteriorated in-service performance (e.g., mechanical properties, thermal stability, and durability). This review outlines the state-of-the-art research on flame-retardant, recyclable EPs in recent years and highlights feasible and potential strategies to improve the creep resistance and in-service performance of flame-retardant, recyclable EPs. Finally, potential future development directions for the development of flame-retardant, recyclable and high-stability EPs are proposed
Using a five-phase applied linguistics design to develop a contextualized academic literacy placement test for pre-university pathway students
Get PDFFor students who have faced previous educational disadvantage, academic literacies are key to access and participation in higher education. Reliable placement in academic literacies courses engages these learners in appropriately pitched learning activities, ensuring optimal learning while developing their confidence and motivation. In this context, we aimed to develop a reliable assessment of students’ academic literacy knowledge to ensure accurate and context-sensitive placement in one of two foundational academic literacy courses. These courses were situated in a pathway program in a regional Australian university that aimed to broaden participation in higher education for individuals from under-represented groups and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. In this article, we describe, sequentially, the use of a five-phase applied linguistics design to develop the Academic Literacy Level Test (ALLTest). The phases represent the underlying principle of allowing pragmatic considerations to precede (but not preclude) theoretical ones, and consist, in turn, of (1) identifying the language challenge, (2) applying technical imagination and knowledge, (3) devising an initial (and iteratively subsequent) solution, (4) providing a theoretical justification, and (5) revising or finalizing a blueprint. We demonstrate how this process resulted in an organizationally efficient, context-specific, valid and reliable test of academic literacy
Undrained Stability of Twin Circular Tunnels in Anisotropic and Nonhomogeneous Clays: FELA and Machine Learning
No full textThe focus of the study is to examine the undrained behavior of twin circular tunnels in anisotropic and nonhomogeneous clays. To consider the effect of anisotropic soil, the popular anisotropic undrained shear (AUS) failure criteria are adopted in the study while the nonhomogeneous behavior is represented by linearly increasing strength with depth. Using Broms and Bennermarks’ stability number, this study investigates the dependence of the undrained stability number N on four dimensionless input parameters, namely the isotropic ratio (re), the undrained shear strength gradient (ρD/suTC0), the cover depth ratio (C/D), and the spacing ratio (S/D). The effects of these four design parameters on the failure mechanism are also examined graphically. After being verified with previously published works, the comprehensive 1080 numerical results are then utilized as the dataset to create several machine learning models, including artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS). The evaluating process by optimizing hyper-parameters reveals that the MARS model is a top competitor, providing considerable regression accuracy with a simple predictive function. The sensitivity analysis has also uncovered that both ρD/suTC0 and C/D have significant influences on the undrained stability number N, while comparing to re and S/D. The present study would provide many practical insights to the problem of twin circular tunnels in anisotropic and nonhomogeneous clays
Technology adoption in the academic community: a multi-perspective study
No full textThis study utilizes the UTAUT model, one of the technology acceptance models, and discusses tourism academics’ adoption of technology in teaching and research practices in the context of this model. The data collection process of the study was completed with the help of a survey, one of the quantitative research methods data collection tools, and analyzes were carried out on the data received from 403 tourism academics in Türkiye. The results of the study some descriptive features of faculty members affect their expectations from technology and attitudes towards technology. This study is limited to tourism academics in Türkiye. It demonstrates to decision makers that technology is a factor to be considered in the development of educational plans and policies
The aporia of education policy: national school reform and the limits of policy enactment
Get PDFIn this paper, we deploy the concept of aporia to consider the ways in which enactments of policy become ‘stuck’ as policy flows between national and sub-national education systems. We illustrate the overlapping political, governmental and bureaucratic spheres of influence that mediate how national school reform agendas are received and enacted by schooling systems. Our analysis is based on interviews with senior bureaucrats from an Australian non-government sector’s national and state peak bodies representing Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Drawing on conceptualisations of aporia as an impasse and more deliberatively, Lather’s interpretation of aporia as ‘moments of possibility’, we argue that aporias created by bureaucratic barriers, government timelines, government evaluation processes and the placement of accountability measures over schooling prevents the meaningful enactment of policy within school settings. We argue that there is a need to consider the generative possibilities that exist within this situation of policy aporia, and demarcate where possibilities to move beyond ‘stuck’ policy might arise
Unlocking the potential of relational pedagogy: Reimagining teaching, learning and policy for contemporary schooling
No full textThis book is a useful guide for educators who seek to better engage students in rich, meaningful learning, outlining a clear set of key concepts and principles for relational pedagogy in school classrooms. Emphasising the complex interpersonal encounters that mediate the social, cultural and political dynamics of the school as a shared space, the authors draw attention to the myriad relationships that constitute the social context of the school and the effects these have on teaching, learning and engagement. The relationships between students and teachers directly affect the experience of education, how learning unfolds and overall educational outcomes. Building on scholarly work and school practices, this book argues that relational pedagogy should be at the centre of teaching and learning in schools, in order to drive positive educational change. It further demonstrates the potential of relational pedagogy in the classroom through vignettes and examples from practice to highlight how these concepts can be applied in teaching and school leadership. Presenting a compelling new framework for relational pedagogy, this book will be of interest to teacher educators, postgraduate students of education, policy and school leaders
Effect of Camera Choice on Image-Classification Inference
Get PDFThe field of image classification using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to predict the principal object in an image has seen many recent innovations. One aspect that has not been extensively explored is the effect of the camera employed to acquire images for inference. We investigate this by capturing comparable images of five drinking vessels using six cameras in various scenarios. We examine the classification ranking of object classes when these images are input to an independently pretrained Resnet-18 model based on the ImageNet-1k dataset. We find that the camera used can affect the top prediction of object class, particularly in scenarios with a more complex background. This is the case even when the cameras have similar fields of view. We also introduce a metric called selectivity, defined as the mean absolute difference between prediction probabilities of similar relevant object classes (such as cups and mugs). We show that the effect of the camera is largest when the selectivity of the pretrained model between these object classes is small. The effect of camera choice is also demonstrated quantitatively by examining Cohen’s Kappa (κ) statistic. Finally, we make recommendations on mitigating the effect of the camera on image-classification inference