Can synchronous online counselling increase uptake of counselling services in secondary schools and what can promote or inhibit implementation?

This research showed that online counselling has the potential to increase the help-seeking of secondary school students - especially those who suffer from high levels of psychological distress. An investigation of why school counsellors are currently reluctant to provide an online counselling service identified a number of barriers to implementing such a potentially vital service. Response to focus groups and surveys completed by students and school counsellors indicated that more distressed students prefer to use online counselling and they would use it for sensitive topics. School counsellors remain concerned about effectiveness, ethical, legal and privacy issues as well as potential misuse of the service. Recommendations for implementation are made.

Navigating uncertainty in Australia : fostering informed citizenship through teaching controversial issues with pre-service teachers

Australia is a multicultural immigrant society created by public policy and direct state action over a period of two hundred years. It is now one of the world’s most diverse societies. However, like many nations, Australia faces challenges to managing ‘unauthorized arrivals’ who claim to be refugees. The issue of how to deal with unauthorized arrivals is controversial and highly emotive as it challenges public policy and government capacity to manage the multicultural ‘mix’ of Australia’s population. It also raises questions about border security. Given that it is impossible to discern beforehand who is a ‘proper’ refugee and who is not, claims to refugee status by unauthorised arrivals in Australia need to be tested against international convention criteria devised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). There are no simple solutions to controversial questions such as how and where should unauthorised arrivals, and the children accompanying them, be housed whilst their claims are investigated? Moreover, as this issue continues to prompt division and heated debate in Australian society, teachers new to the profession are often reluctant to explore it in the classroom. However, there are opportunities in national and state curriculum documents for the values dimensions of curriculum inquiries into controversial issues such as this to be addressed. For example, the most recent national statement on the goals for schooling in Australia, the Melbourne Declaration (MCEETYA, 2008), makes clear that Australian students need to be prepared for the challenges of the 21st century and to develop the capacity for innovation and complex problem-solving. The Melbourne Declaration informs the first national curriculum to be implemented in the Australian states and territories, and all other national and state initiatives. Its focus on developing active and informed citizens who can contribute to a socially cohesive society implies a capacity to deal with a range of issues associated with cultural diversity, This chapter explores the ways in which pre-service and early career teachers in one Australian state reflect upon curriculum opportunities to address controversial issues in the social sciences and history classroom. As part of their pre-service education, all the participants in this study completed a final year social science curriculum method unit that embedded a range of controversial issues, including the placement of children in Australian Immigration Detention Centres (IDCs), for investigation. By drawing from interviews and focus groups conducted with different cohorts of pre-service teachers in their final year of university study and beginning years of teaching, this chapter analyses the range of perceptions about how controversial issues can be examined in the secondary classroom as part of fostering informed citizenship. The discussion and analysis of the qualitative data in this study makes no claims for the representativeness of its findings, rather, a range of beginner teacher insights into a complex and important facet of teaching in a period of change and uncertainty is offered.

The long and short of it: branch lengths and the problem of placing the New Zealand short-tailed bat.

The taxonomic position of the endemic New Zealand bat genus Mystacina has vexed systematists ever since its erection in 1843. Over the years the genus has been linked with many microchiropteran families and superfamilies. Most recent classifications place it in the Vespertilionoidea, although some immunological evidence links it with the Noctilionoidea (=Phyllostomoidea). We have sequenced 402 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for M. tuberculata (Gray in Dieffenbach, 1843), and using both our own and published DNA sequences for taxa in both superfamilies, we applied different tree reconstruction methods to find the appropriate phylogeny and different methods of estimating confidence in the parts of the tree. All methods strongly support the classification of Mystacina in the Noctilionoidea. Spectral analysis suggests that parsimony analysis may be misleading for Mystacina's precise placement within the Noctilionoidea because of its long terminal branch. Analyses not susceptible to long-branch attraction suggest that the Mystacinidae is a sister family to the Phyllostomidae. Dating the divergence times between the different taxa suggests that the extant chiropteran families radiated around and shortly after the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary. We discuss the biogeographical implications of classifying Mystacina within the Noctilionoidea and contrast our result with those classifications placing Mystacina in the Vespertilionoidea, concluding that evidence for the latter is weak.

Is it RIP for the IEP? The future of individual education plans in an era of accountability

This article presents a brief overview of the development of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and prompts teachers to question its use and relevance in an era of accountability in Australian schools. Many Australian teachers do not realise that the IEP was adopted from the United States where is was legislated practice based on that country's Human Rights Legislation. It is not included in the Australian policy context. Though not embedded in the legislation of many other countries, it became a process and a product synonymous with the education of students with disability worldwide. In the era of standards-based education and curriculum for all, the relevance of the IEP process and product has been questioned or re-imaged in some Australian schools. The story of one school leader, Violet, is presented here as an example.

“I was proud of myself that I didn’t give up and I did it”: Experiences of pride and triumph in learning science

The role that specific emotions, such as pride and triumph, play during instruction in science education is an under-researched field of study. Emotions are recognized as central to learning yet little is known about the way in which they are produced in naturalistic settings, how emotions relate to classroom learning during interactions, and what antecedent factors are associated with emotional experiences during instruction. Data sources for the study include emotion diaries, student written artifacts, video recordings of class interactions, and interviews. Emotions produced in the moment during classroom interactions are analyzed from video data and audio data through a novel theoretical framework related to the sociology of human emotions. These direct observations are compared with students’ recollected emotional experiences reported through emotion diaries and interviews. The study establishes links between pride and triumph within classroom interactions and instructional tasks during learning episodes in a naturalistic setting. We discuss particular classroom activities that are associated with justified feelings of pride and triumph. More specifically, classroom events associated with these emotions were related to understanding science concepts, social interactions, and achieving success on challenging tasks.

A randomised controlled trial of an online theory-based intervention to improve adult Australians' sun-protective behaviours

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of a single-session online theory of planned behaviour (TPB)-based intervention to improve sun-protective attitudes and behaviour among Australian adults. Methods. Australian adults (N = 534; 38.7% males; Mage = 39.3 years) from major cities (80.9%), regional (17.6%) and remote areas (1.5%)were recruited and randomly allocated to an intervention (N=265) and information only group (N = 267). The online intervention focused on fostering positive attitudes, perceptions of normative support, and control perceptions for sun protection. Participants completed questionnaires assessing standard TPB measures (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, intention, behaviour) and extended TPB constructs of group norm (friends, family), personal norm, and image norm, pre-intervention (Time 1) and one week (Time 2) and one month post-intervention (Time 3). Repeated Measures Multivariate Analysis of Variance tested intervention effects across time. Results. Intervention participants reported more positive attitudes towards sun protection and used sunprotective measures more often in the subsequent month than participants receiving information only. The intervention effects on control perceptions and norms were non-significant. Conclusions. A theory-based online intervention fostering more favourable attitudes towards sun safety can increase sun protection attitudes and self-reported behaviour among Australian adults in the short term.

ACE research vignette 038 : Cracking the start-up code : does it matter when you do what?

This series of research vignettes is aimed at sharing current and interesting research findings from our team of international Entrepreneurship researchers. This vignette deals with the process of new venture creation, and specifically the sequence in which different ‘start-up activities’ are undertaken.

The Long and Short of It: Branch Lengths and the Problem of Placing the New Zealand Short-Tailed Bat, Mystacina

The taxonomic position of the endemic New Zealand bat genus Mystacina has vexed systematists ever since its erection in 1843. Over the years the genus has been linked with many microchiropteran families and superfamilies. Most recent classifications place it in the Vespertilionoidea, although some immunological evidence links it with the Noctilionoidea (=Phyllostomoidea). We have sequenced 402 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for M. tuberculata (Gray in Dieffenbach, 1843), and using both our own and published DNA sequences for taxa in both superfamilies, we applied different tree reconstruction methods to find the appropriate phylogeny and different methods of estimating confidence in the parts of the tree. All methods strongly support the classification of Mystacina in the Noctilionoidea. Spectral analysis suggests that parsimony analysis may be misleading for Mystacina's precise placement within the Noctilionoidea because of its long terminal branch. Analyses not susceptible to long-branch attraction suggest that the Mystacinidae is a sister family to the Phyllostomidae. Dating the divergence times between the different taxa suggests that the extant chiropteran families radiated around and shortly after the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. We discuss the biogeographical implications of classifying Mystacina within the Noctilionoidea and contrast our result with those classifications placing Mystacina in the Vespertilionoidea, concluding that evidence for the latter is weak.

Assessing driver acceptance of intelligent transport systems in the context of railway level crossings

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) have the potential to substantially reduce the number of crashes caused by human errors at railway levels crossings. Such systems, however, will only exert an influence on driving behaviour if they are accepted by the driver. This study aimed at assessing driver acceptance of different ITS interventions designed to enhance driver behaviour at railway crossings. Fifty eight participants, divided into three groups, took part in a driving simulator study in which three ITS devices were tested: an in-vehicle visual ITS, an in-vehicle audio ITS, and an on-road valet system. Driver acceptance of each ITS intervention was assessed in a questionnaire guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Overall, results indicated that the strongest intentions to use the ITS devices belonged to participants exposed to the road-based valet system at passive crossings. The utility of both models in explaining drivers’ intention to use the systems is discussed, with results showing greater support for the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Directions for future studies, along with strategies that target attitudes and subjective norms to increase drivers’ behavioural intentions, are also discussed.

Seeing it differently: physical education, teacher education and the possibilities of personal construct theory

The celebrated work of Lortie (1975) alerted teacher educators to the extended period of 'apprenticeship' that student teachers have been through before they arrive at teacher education programmes. The subjective implicit theories (Marland, 1992) developed by prospective teachers are shaped by their lifeworld experiences at school and in the case of physical education teachers, their experiences in sport. The biography of physical education teacher education (PETE) students tends to be characterised by ecto-mesomorphic individuals who have been socialised by the rigours of highly competitive sport (Gore, 1990; Macdonald, 1992; Rossi, 1996). We can add to this, the requirements of teacher preparation in physical education which for the most part are dominated by the traditions and rhetoric of the 'natural' bio-physical sciences; largely a legacy of Henry's (1964) work on physical education as an academic discipline, as well as that of Abernathy and Waltz the same year (Abernathy & Waltz, 1964). In the United Kingdom, Curl (1973) further advanced the argument in an attempt to justify human movement as an independent field of study with its own corpus of knowledge. It is little wonder then, that the dominant pedagogical discourse in physical education is, as Tinning (1991) discusses, one of performance pedagogy (see also Hendry, 1986 for an earlier discussion). The knowledge required to support such a discourse could be described as 'official' (Apple, 1993) and it assumes such status by virtue of the power appropriated by and bestowed upon the scientific community in PETE (Macdonald & Tinning, 1995; Sparkes, 1989, 1993). However, there are social reifiers too, and these tend to relate to the social construction of the body (Kirk, 1993; Kirk & Spiller, 1994; Gilroy, 1994) and what Tinning (1985) has termed the Cult of Slenderness. Furthermore the 'slender image' has become a signifier of 'good health'. This is inextricably linked to what might be considered as a health triplex—'exercise = fitness = health' (see Kirk & Colquhoun, 1989; Tinning & Kirk, 1991) which in Australia, underpins curriculum packages such as Daily Physical Education which teachers (often including physical education primary...

Girls' career aspirations : the impact of parents' economic and educational status on educational and career pathways

This research investigates relationships between parental socio economic status and daughters' career aspirations; linking family background and the career choices made by teenage girls. Drawing on Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital, and figures produced by the Bradley Report's investigation, two Queensland State High Schools are the investigative platform to address the research questions. A quantitative data analysis investigated if a correlation between the indicators existed. The significance of the findings will contribute to future decision making regarding educational practices and socio economic backgrounds and to support the Bradley Report target of 20% of low SES students accessing higher education. The outcomes found that female students' aspirations are influenced by parental background in a variety of significant ways. An understanding of these assists schools in understanding how to influence girls' future aspirations.

Recreational needs and service performance expectations

The theoretical contribution of this study lies with its focus on subjective experiencing, that is, the emotional convergence between feeling states, and perceptions of servicescapes and holiday activities. An empirical study models the impact of recreational needs on the perceived importance of destination attributes and intentions to participate in activities. A sample of prospective tourists was asked to indicate how important they considered servicescape elements to be in their general holiday planning. They were also asked to report on their emotional state (orientation) as a proxy for their needs for recreation, and to state their intention and likely involvement with holiday activities. Results suggest that those with high recreational needs (self-reflexive and inward-looking) regard elements of tourism servicescapes as significantly more important than those without (who are outward-looking and energetic), as well as show significant variations in their inclinations to be active and explorative at destinations. Rather, those with higher recreational needs as measured by combinations of lack of energy, self-confidence, and physiological well-being look for creature comfort, coziness, and familiarity, in other words, for things they already know and have experienced before. Subjective experiencing and service performance evaluations are thereby suggested to be influenced by emotional states. These states may also impact tourists' recognition of destination uniqueness as a major component of a destination's competitive advantage that cannot easily be copied. As a consequence, it may be worth reconsidering the role of recreation in tourism service design. Turning an inwardlooking focus bent on recreation to an outward-looking one interested in discovery would enable more tourists to more fully experience the destination before they leave.

The internet, globalization, and IT professional services

This editorial aims (1) to define IT Professional Services (ITPS) as an increasingly important area of research endeavor, and (2) to consider the impact of the Internet on globalization and the ITPS sector.