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Educator wellbeing and family engagement in Australian early learning settings: perspectives of early childhood educators and families
No full textAbstract
While the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it multiple challenges for families and the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workforce, it also highlighted the essential role of ECEC in the lives of children and families and presented unique opportunities for innovation and learning. The current study sought to explore learnings from this uniquely challenging period, including the factors and strategies that best supported educator wellbeing and family engagement in ECEC settings, from the perspectives of families, centre directors and educators. In 2021, 104 Centre Directors/Educators and 102 families completed online surveys exploring wellbeing and educator–family relationships. Correlations suggest that robust professional wellbeing and resilience are potential enabling factors for strong family engagement, and that supportive organisational structures in ECEC settings are a protective factor for both educator wellbeing and family engagement. In addition, five effective family engagement strategies were derived from the qualitative data: (1) drawing on personal and professional knowledges to enrich children’s learning at home; (2) prioritising regular and reliable communication with families; (3) maintaining familiar relationships and a sense of community; (4) providing person-centred support and a bridge to other services; and (5) nurturing mutually supportive educator–family relationships. Learnings provide important insights that may inform ongoing quality improvements across different ECEC contexts, and to help safeguard against the negative impacts of future global crises
Identifying causes and associated factors of stillbirths using autopsy of the fetus and placenta
No full textPURPOSE: The study aimed to evaluate the causes of death and associated factors in cases of stillbirth, using post-mortem examination and applying a rigorous, evidence-based holistic approach. METHODS: Our retrospective observational study included cases of autopsy following stillbirth that occurred at our tertiary medical center during a period of 8 years. Detailed up-to-date criteria that incorporate clinical reports, medical history, prenatal imaging, and histopathological findings were used to evaluate the cause of death and associated factors. RESULTS: After applying our proposed methodology, 138 cases of stillbirth were classified into eight categories based on the causes of death. A definitive cause of death was observed in 100 (72%) cases, while 38 (28%) cases were considered unexplained. The leading cause of death was placental lesions (n = 39, 28%) with maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM) lesions being the most common (54%). Ascending infection was the second most common cause of fetal death (n = 24, 17%) and was often seen in the setting of preterm labor and cervical insufficiency. CONCLUSION: The largest category of cause of death was attributed to placental pathology. Using rigorous detailed up-to-date criteria that incorporate pathological and clinical factors may help in objectively classifying the cause of death
Caregiver perspectives of scoliosis surgery for children with cerebral palsy: a qualitative study
No full textPURPOSE: To explore the perspectives of primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) who had spinal surgery for scoliosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and guided by qualitative description methodology. Participants were caregivers of children with CP aged 5-18, who had undergone spinal surgery for scoliosis in Australia. The research team included a parent with lived experience. RESULTS: Fourteen participants (8 biological mothers), aged 40-49 years, completed online semi-structured interviews. Four themes were identified emerged. Life with a child with CP underpinned all experiences which were founded on familiarity with their child, medical procedures, and hospitalisation. Three subthemes were parents are the experts in knowing their child, children are vulnerable, and impact on caregivers. Theme 2 involved the significance of decision making to proceed with surgery. Theme 3 underscored a need to be prepared for the surgical journey and, in Theme 4, participants spoke of needing to expect the unexpected. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the importance of understanding caregiver experiences and can help inform health professionals and other families in the decision-making process, preparing for and navigating spinal surgery
“It all comes back to self-control?”: Unpacking the Discourse of Anti-corruption Education in Indonesia
No full textContemporary educational studies on anti-corruption have largely been underpinned by the conception of corruption as a moral problem. Consequently, anti-corruption curricula were mainly developed around instilling the correct moral orientations, characters, or decisions in individuals. The current study departs from such theoretical approaches by critically deconstructing dominant discourses constituting anti-corruption education in an underrepresented yet highly relevant setting: Indonesia, a country deemed one of the most corrupt globally. Analyzing Indonesian anti-corruption educational policies, learning modules, textbooks, and other relevant anti-corruption campaign materials, the current study unearthed two dominant discourses in Indonesian anti-corruption education materials. The first is a discourse of neoliberalism, and the second is a discourse of individual morality and heroism. We discuss these findings in relation to the ways Western-originated agendas of rationalism, neoliberal capitalism, and individualism have become the central organizing principles through which anti-corruption educational praxis is imagined and enacted in the Global South. We propose that Indonesian anti-corruption education might find benefits in adopting critical and decolonial approaches to corruption and education more broadly
Employment systems in the twenty-first century
No full textAbstract
In this article, we honour David Marsden's most important contribution: his Theory of Employment Systems (ToES). Grounded in standard economic analysis, ToES sets out to explain how a relatively small number of employment systems solve fundamental problems associated with open‐ended employment relationships (flexibility and opportunism). In the period since its publication, the employment relationship remains the dominant form of engaging workers; however, employment arrangements in the UK and elsewhere have been transformed, and employment systems in many settings more closely resemble configurations of rules that ToES predicted would prove unstable. While ToES does not explicitly integrate a number of important dimensions that define all aspects of employment systems, we show why Marsden's core theoretical insights retain analytical purchase as an explanatory framework. That said, taking a more sociologically and historically informed approach to understanding contemporary employment systems is required to comprehend the diversity of employment systems and how they evolve in the twenty‐first century
How does family functioning contribute to child externalizing and internalizing behavior problems after childhood TBI? Evidence from a prospective cohort study
No full textBackground and Objectives: Despite a well-documented association between childhood traumatic brain injury and elevated risk for internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, the mechanisms through which family functioning contributes to individual variation in these behavioral outcomes remains poorly understood. This prospective cohort study aimed to assess the respective contribution of family functioning and child emotion regulation (ER) to post-injury behavior problems at 1-year follow-up, with a specific focus on evaluating the role of emotional dysregulation in mediating the effects of familial affective responsiveness and communication on child behavioral outcomes.
Method: The study included 129 participants, comprising 86 children with medically confirmed mild-to-severe TBI, identified from consecutive hospital admissions, and 43 typically developing (TD) control children, of similar age and sex. Participants ranged in age from 6 to 15 years (mean age = 11.2 years). Parents completed validated assessments of post-acute family functioning and child emotion regulation difficulties at 6 months post-injury, as well as measures of child behavior problems at 1-year post-injury.
Results: Although group differences in internalizing behaviors did not reach statistical significance, the TBI group exhibited significantly higher overall externalizing symptoms and was significantly more likely to display clinically elevated symptoms than TD controls at 1-year post-injury. Compared to TD controls, the TBI group displayed significantly greater ER problems, which mediated the effects of lower familial affective responsiveness and communication on child behavior problems 1-year-post-injury.
Conclusions: Evidence for these robust, prospective associations suggests that child emotional dysregulation plays a key role in mediating the effect of post-acute family functioning on long-term behavior problems in children with TBI. Early assessment and screening for relevant risk factors may help identify those children and families who could benefit from therapeutic interventions designed to address emotional dysregulation and mitigate risk for post-injury behavioral problems. Importantly, these findings underscore the value of adopting family-centred care approaches in rehabilitation, where involving families in therapeutic processes and addressing family dynamics may enhance child emotion regulation and improve long-term behavioral outcomes
Repertoires of research value: performing societal impact across countries
No full textIn recent years, research policy has increasingly prioritized the societal impact of academic work, emphasizing external relevance, public value, and collective benefit. In many countries, a wealth of data has been generated by national assessments that require universities to submit narratives on their contributions outside the academy. Despite this, limited attention has been paid to variation in the expression of research value between countries with similar policy frameworks. This article draws on a mixed method analysis, integrating a quantitative embeddings approach and qualitative content analysis, to analyse a dataset of 7,275 impact case studies from the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Australia. By examining ‘cultural repertoires’—the knowledge, skills, and symbols that inform action—the study reveals that, despite convergence in research policy and assessment, the expression of research value diverges significantly across countries. The findings highlight the nuanced connection between global policy trends and local cultural contexts, offering new insights into how research value is performed in diverse national settings
Deferiprone in Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial
No full textIMPORTANCE: Interventions that substantially slow neurodegeneration are needed to address the growing burden of Alzheimer disease (AD) to societies worldwide. Elevated brain iron observed in AD has been associated with accelerated cognitive decline and may be a tractable drug target. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the brain-permeable iron chelator deferiprone slows cognitive decline in people with AD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This phase 2, double-masked, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of 12-month duration was conducted at 9 sites in Australia between August 2, 2018, and April 1, 2023. Patients older than 54 years with amyloid-confirmed mild cognitive impairment or early AD (a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 20 or higher) were screened. Randomization was 2:1 and masked to participants and all study staff. INTERVENTIONS: Deferiprone 15 mg/kg twice a day or placebo administered orally for 12 months. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was a composite cognitive measure assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months using a neuropsychological test battery (NTB) of memory, executive function, and attention tasks. Secondary outcomes included change in brain iron burden measured by quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) magnetic resonance imaging (target engagement), brain volume changes (secondary efficacy measure), and adverse events (safety analysis). RESULTS: Of 167 patients screened for eligibility, 81 were included, with 53 randomly assigned to the deferiprone group (mean [SD] age, 73.0 [8.0] years; 29 male [54.7%]) and 28 to the placebo group (mean [SD] age, 71.6 [7.2] years; 17 male [60.7%]); 54 participants completed the study (7 [25.0%] withdrew from the placebo group and 20 [37.7%] from the deferiprone group). In an intention-to-treat analysis, participants in the deferiprone group showed accelerated cognitive decline on the NTB primary outcome (β for interaction = -0.50; 95% CI, -0.80 to -0.20) compared with placebo (change in NTB composite z score for deferiprone, -0.80 [95% CI, -0.98 to -0.62]; for placebo, -0.30 [95% CI, -0.54 to -0.06]). Secondary analysis revealed that this result was driven by worsening performance on executive function tests. The QSM confirmed that deferiprone decreased iron in the hippocampus compared with placebo (change in hippocampal QSM for deferiprone, -0.36 ppb [95% CI, -0.76 to 0.04 ppb]; for placebo, 0.32 ppb [95% CI, -0.12 to 0.75 ppb]; β for interaction = -0.68 [95% CI, -1.27 to -0.09]). Longitudinal hippocampal volume loss was not affected by deferiprone, but exploratory analysis of other brain regions revealed increased volume loss with deferiprone in frontal areas. The frequency of the adverse effect of neutropenia (4 participants [7.5%] in the deferiprone group) was higher than in similar studies (1.6%-4.4%). CONCLUSIONS: These trial findings show that deferiprone 15 mg/kg twice a day decreased hippocampal QSM and accelerated cognitive decline in patients with amyloid-confirmed early AD, suggesting that lowering iron with deferiprone is detrimental to patients with AD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03234686
Continuity and Change in Substance Use Patterns During the Transition from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: Examining Changes in Social Roles
No full textAIMS: To provide a model for using Multidimensional Growth Mixture Models to identify trajectories of polyuse through investigating transitions between conjoint substance use trajectories from adolescence into young adulthood and examining potential moderators that may promote transitions into healthier substance use trajectories in adulthood. DESIGN: Longitudinal mixture modeling of six waves of data in adolescence (ages 13, 14, 15 years) and young adulthood (ages 25, 29, 31 years). SETTING: Seattle, Washington. PARTICIPANTS: Data were drawn from the International Youth Development Study, a longitudinal, cross-national study examining the life course patterns of substance use and development among youth. MEASUREMENTS: Participants (N = 961) completed questionnaires on six occasions that assessed demographics (sex, race, highest parent education), suspension and expulsion, individual substance use, partner substance use, and social role transitions (education, marriage, childbearing, employment). FINDINGS: Four classes were identified in adolescence and included Low use (n = 572, 59.6%), Alcohol dominant (n = 177, 18.4%), Increasing use (n = 103, 10.7%), and Poly-use (n = 109, 11.3%). Five classes were identified in young adulthood and included Low use (n = 134, 15.3%), Alcohol only (n = 349, 39.8%), Alcohol and Tobacco (n = 97, 11.0%), Alcohol and Cannabis (n = 162, 18.5%), and Poly-use (n = 135, 15.4%).Continuity in substance use patterns in the transition from adolescence to young adulthood was the strongest for the poly-use class and weakest for the low use class, and changes showed a tendency to add substances rather than subtract. Graduating college was a consistent protective factor for young adults. Delays in adult role assumptions were not consistently related to substance use classes. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the importance of early detection and prevention among adolescents by informing the timing and focus of targeted interventions aimed at reducing substance use escalation into young adulthood
Risky business: How food-delivery platform riders understand and manage safety at work
No full textThis study explores the issue of workplace safety among food-delivery workers who use platforms like UberEATS and Deliveroo to secure work. Despite the high exposure to hazardous traffic, extreme weather conditions, and unsafe work hours and locations that these workers face daily, safety remains a low priority for both platforms and governments. This study utilizes in-depth qualitative interviews with 14 platform food delivery workers in Melbourne, Australia, to examine how they understand and manage safety risks at work, drawing on a theoretical framework of necropolitics and liminal precarity. The riders are predominantly migrant workers on temporary visas who face corporeal risks influenced by factors such as road conditions, time pressures, and weather. Despite their awareness of these dangers, the study reveals that platform-induced necropower, driven by economic incentives, significantly impacts those heavily dependent on gig economy earnings, ultimately turning safety into a trade-off between making a living and surviving. However, riders also demonstrate agency by mediating risks through experience, knowledge-sharing, and strategic use of the platform's features to resist potentially hazardous conditions