A visiting occupational therapy service to indigenous children in school: Results of a pilot project

The need for additional support for Indigenous children at school is well documented. Occupational therapists are well positioned to form part of this support. However, many occupational therapists report that Indigenous families do not access their services and when they do, the occupational therapist feels uncertain about how best to meet their needs. This article documents a pilot project which delivered occupational therapy services within several schools and preschools in Brisbane which had significant numbers of Indigenous students. The project was evaluated using a qualitative methodology and included focus groups and interviews with teachers and parents. The results indicated that in general the service provided valuable support to students, teachers and parents. In particular, providing the service within the school context was seen as critical to its success. Suggestions for improvements in future support services are also provided.

Clinical supervision in school counselling and career counselling: Is it time to develop a new story?

Supervision provides benefits for school counsellors and career counsellors such as support, an opportunity to gain new ideas and strategies, and personal and professional development. Despite this, studies have also shown that school counsellors perceive that the amount of time they participate in supervision is inadequate. In career counselling, there is little evidence that supervision has even been established as a mainstream professional practice. The reasons for this curious situation, whereby little time is spent on a potentially beneficial activity, are uncertain. The present study investigated the supervisory experiences of a group of school counsellors and career counsellors for a six month period following their completion of an intensive supervision training program. Participants recorded their supervisory experiences in a structured diary. Even though the participants were well informed about supervision, the findings of the present study are consistent with those of previous studies. This history of repeatedly similar findings suggests that it may be timely to ask some fundamental questions about supervision in these two professions. Such questions in turn suggest possible new research directions.

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in school children: Effects to gender, ear asymmetry and handedness

Accurate interpretation of distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) data cannot be made without realizing the effects of non-pathological factors on DPOAEs. The present study aimed to examine the effects of ear asymmetry, gender and handedness on DPOAEs obtained from school children. One thousand and three children (528 boys and 475 girls) with a mean age of 6.2 years (SD = 0.4, range = 5.2 7.9 years) were tested in a quiet room at their schools using the GSI-60 DPOAE system. The stimuli consisted of two pure tones of different frequencies f1 and f2 presented at 65 and 55dB SPL respectively. A DP-gram was obtained for each ear with f2 varying from 1.1 to 6.0 kHz and the ratio of f2/f1 being kept at 1.21. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) (DPOAE amplitude minus the mean noise floor) at the tested frequencies 1.1, 1.5, 1.9, 2.4, 3.0, 3.8, 4.8, and 6.0 kHz were measured. The results revealed a small, but significant difference in SNR between ears, with right ears showing a higher mean SNR than left ears at 1.9, 3.0, 3.8 and 6.0 kHz. At these frequencies, the difference in mean SNR between ears was less than 1 dB. A significant gender effect was also found, with girls exhibiting a higher SNR than boys at 3.8, 4.8 and 6.0 kHz. The difference in mean SNR, as a result of the gender effect, was about 1 to 2 dB at these frequencies. The results from the present study indicated no significant difference in mean SNR between left-handed and right-handed children for all tested frequencies. In conclusion, these non-pathological characteristics of DPOAEs should be considered in the interpretation of DPOAE results for school children.

Queensland's music outcomes: building pedagogical bridges

This paper discusses the challenges surrounding the implementation of the Music strand of the new syllabus for secondary teachers within the context of emerging trends in pedagogical reform in Queensland, and identifies several areas where research is needed to inform classroom music teaching practice and to guide teacher training programs. Secondary music teachers (Years 8-10) have not had the same systemic, school-based curriculum guidance that was given to teachers in years 1-7. This has resulted in a plethora of teaching and learning practices in lower secondary classrooms, many of which may be more experiential than developmental in approach and which may have little reference to the types of music programs common in primary classrooms.

Training school personnel to implement a universal school-based prevention of depression program under real-world conditions

The present study evaluated the impact of a universal prevention of depression program [the Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP)] when implemented under real-world conditions in a school setting. Prior research has found the RAP program to be beneficial for high-school students when the program was implemented by university staff selected, trained, and supervised by a research team. The present study evaluated the RAP program when implemented by existing school personnel. Separately, we measured the impact of a training program for facilitators, the quality of subsequent program implementation, and the student's response to the RAP Program. Results showed that, in response to the training program, facilitators believed they had acquired the knowledge and confidence to implement the program and that the quality of program implementation was acceptable. The study did not demonstrate a beneficial impact of the RAP program for the students. The results raise important questions regarding the extent of training and ongoing supervision facilitators require if the beneficial outcomes for students are to be maintained when interventions are implemented under real-world conditions in school settings. (C) 2004 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationships between quality of experience and participation in diverse performance settingshttp://espace.library.uq.edu.au/workflow/edit_metadata.php?id=382160&wfs_id=778

The flow concept describes a model of enjoyment that has relevance for understanding participation and experience across a wide range of activities (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). The basic premise of the flow concept is that when challenges and skills are simultaneously balanced and extending the individual, a state of total absorption can occur. Research by Jackson and colleagues has examined the utility of the flow concept to understanding participation and performance in sport settings. Recently, Jackson and Eklund have examined flow in a range of performance settings: sport, exercise, dance, creative and performing arts, and music. In this paper, we present descriptive and construct validity data on how participants in these activities experienced flow, as assessed by the recently revised flow scales: The Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) and Flow State Scale-2 (FSS-2) (Jackson & Eklund, 2002). The fmdings will be discussed in relation to the utility of the flow concept to understanding participation across performance settings.

Teaching Australian cello music to Intermediate students: An exploratory study of motivation through repertoire

This paper explores the motivational aspects of repertoire for intermediate student cellists. Research into interest and intrinsic motivation related to the learning of instrumental music has been limited to date. As a cello teacher interested in including contemporary and Australian music in my students' studies I started to research availability of Australian repertoire for intermediate cellists and found that there was limited accessibility to such pedagogical material at this level. This study emerged as a way of providing useful information to composers. It investigates intrinsic motivation by questioning students and their teachers about which aspects of music repertoire are most likely to inspire students to practice more and strive for excellence. This paper presents the findings of the purpose-designed questionnaire distributed to cello teachers in Queensland. A similar set of questions has been prepared for student cellists and information gathering from students is still underway. Musical aspects investigated include technique and its development, style, harmony, tempo (speed), and rhythm. The questionnaire gathered information on the most frequently used teaching repertoire and teachers' experiences in teaching contemporary and Australian repertoire. This information was balanced with questions regarding the technical developmental requirements perceived necessary for intermediate students as well as other motivational aspects. It is hoped that information collated from this research will be of benefit in the selection of motivational repertoire for intermediate student cellists and especially in promoting the composition of Australian pieces for intermediate cellists.