Showing papers by "Australian Catholic University published in 2005"

Supporting teachers in the development of young children’s mathematical thinking: Three large scale cases

Abstract: Recognition of the importance of the early childhood years in the development of numeracy is a significant characteristic of the New Zealand Numeracy Development Project, the Victorian Early Numeracy Research Project and the Count Me In Too program in New South Wales, Australia. This article outlines the background, key components and major impacts of these three innovative and successful professional development and research initiatives. Juxtaposing the three projects highlights important commonalities — research-based frameworks, diagnostic interviews, and whole-school approaches to professional development. Each program has been significant in rethinking what mathematics and how mathematics is taught to young children.

Mangrove Encroachment of Salt Marsh in Western Port Bay, Victoria: The Role of Sedimentation, Subsidence, and Sea Level Rise

Abstract: Surface elevation tables, feldspar marker horizons, and210Pb analysis of core profiles were implemented at four sites in Western Port Bay, Victoria, Australia, to provide information on the role of sedimentation, subsidence or compaction, and enhanced sea-level rise in contributing to salt marsh decline. Photogrammetric surveys indicate that the rate of salt marsh decline that is attributable to mangrove encroachment is lower in Western Port Bay than in comparable sites in New South Wales. Differences in the rate of mangrove encroachment at Western Port Bay may be attributed to the inverse relationship found between the degree of mangrove encroachment and surface elevation increase. While sedimentation contributes to surface elevation changes, surface elevation is not solely explained by sedimentation; factors including autocompaction and changes in the water table also play a significant role in Western Port Bay. Historic sedimentation rates measured using210Pb dating techniques corresponded to contemporary sedimentation rates determined from feldspar marker horizons. Core sediment profiles show no change in sedimentation rates at three sites. A fourth site (French Island) was the only site that exhibited high rates of sedimentation, which appears to be related to local land-use changes in the area. All sites maintained their elevation with respect to sea level over the study period. Historic sedimentation exceeded sea-level rise for the past 32 yr, but it is difficult to determine the extent to which belowground processes affect surface elevation, causing deviations between surface elevation and sedimentation over longer periods.

Effects of Physical Conditioning on Children and Adolescents with Asthma

Abstract: More than 40 years ago, the effects of exertional dyspnoea and the associated fear of an asthma attack usually lead to an avoidance of physical activity amongst asthmatic children. This issue still exists today, particularly in children with severe asthma. This article presents a comprehensive review of published information concerning the effects of training programmes on children and adolescents with asthma. The primary focus of these investigations was to examine the effects of physical conditioning on aerobic fitness, the severity and incidence of exercise-induced asthma (EIA) and asthma symptoms. The large majority of training studies of asthmatic children and adolescents demonstrate significant increases in aerobic fitness post-training or the achievement of normal levels of aerobic fitness. While there are a few reports of a reduced severity in EIA symptoms post-training, the majority of studies demonstrate no change in the occurrence or degree of EIA. However, a number of these studies have reported some reductions in hospitalisations, wheeze frequency, school absenteeism, doctor consultations and medication usage. It is, therefore, recommended that children and adolescents with asthma should participate in regular physical activity. This may improve asthma management and associated general health benefits, whilst minimising inactivity-related health risks.

Growing the tree of teacher knowledge: Ten years of learning to teach elementary science

Abstract: Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is a much debated and studied construct. In this article, we adopt an all-embracing view of PCK to examine the development of one elementary science teacher's knowledge over a 10-year period. We portray this teacher's knowledge at three critical points in her career—as a student teacher, beginning teacher, and established teacher—and represent and analyze the growth of her science PCK using the metaphor of a knowledge tree. The tree metaphor shows that while science knowledge begins as the major branch of science PCK, it is soon overshadowed by the general teaching and interactive knowledge branches of science PCK; however, taken together, all three branches contribute over time to the formation of a healthy, established tree of science PCK. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 767–790, 2005

Globalisation and science education: Rethinking science education reforms

Abstract: Like Lemke (J Res Sci Teach 38:296–316, 2001), I believe that science education has not looked enough at the impact of the changing theoretical and global landscape by which it is produced and shaped. Lemke makes a sound argument for science education to look beyond its own discourses toward those like cultural studies and politics, and to which I would add globalisation theory and relevant educational studies. Hence, in this study I draw together a range of investigations to argue that globalisation is indeed implicated in the discourses of science education, even if it remains underacknowledged and undertheorized. Establishing this relationship is important because it provides different frames of reference from which to investigate many of science education's current concerns, including those new forces that now have a direct impact on science classrooms. For example, one important question to investigate is the degree to which current science education improvement discourses are the consequences of quality research into science teaching and learning, or represent national and local responses to global economic restructuring and the imperatives of the supranational institutions that are largely beyond the control of science education. Developing globalisation as a theoretical construct to help formulate new questions and methods to examine these questions can provide science education with opportunities to expand the conceptual and analytical frameworks of much of its present and future scholarship. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Surface elevation dynamics in a regenerating mangrove forest at Homebush Bay, Australia

Abstract: Following the dieback of an interior portion of a mangrove forest at Homebush Bay, Australia, surface elevation tables and feldspar marker horizons were installed in the impacted, intermediate and control forest to measure vertical accretion, elevation change, and shallow subsidence. The objectives of the study were to determine current vertical accretion and elevation change rates as a guide to understanding mangrove dieback, ascertain the factors controlling surface elevation change, and investigate the sustainability of the mangrove forest under estimated sea-level rise conditions. The study demonstrates that the influences on surface dynamics are more complex than soil accretion and soil autocompaction alone. During strong vegetative regrowth in the impacted forest, surface elevation increase exceeded vertical accretion apparently as a result of belowground biomass production. In addition, surface elevation in all forest zones was correlated with total monthly rainfall during a severe El Nino event, highlighting the importance of rainfall to groundwater recharge and surface elevation. Surface elevation increase for all zones exceeded the 85-year sea level trend for Sydney Harbour. Since mean sea-level also decreased during the El Nino event, the decrease in surface elevation did not translate to an increase in inundation frequency or influence the sustainability of the mangrove forest. These findings indicate that subsurface soil processes such as organic matter accumulation and groundwater flux can significantly influence mangrove surface elevation, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of mangrove systems under a scenario of rising sea levels.

Mentoring Functions: A Contemporary View of the Perceptions of Mentees and Mentors

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument for assessing mentoring based in contemporary organizational life. In the first phase of the study, 24 mentees and 24 mentors were interviewed about their mentoring experience. In-depth analysis of the interview data resulted in the development of an instrument to measure mentoring functions. In the second phase of the study, the instrument was tested for its factor structure using a large sample of 272 mentees and 228 mentors. A two-phase statistical analysis, principal components analysis with one sample followed by confirmatory factor analysis with the other, revealed eight distinct functions of mentoring. Mentees and mentors were found to share similar perceptions about the mentoring functions that occur in their relationships. The results represent a thorough attempt to define and describe mentoring in a contemporary organizational environment.

Caring and Elementary Teaching: The Concerns of Male Beginning Teachers

Abstract: This article reports findings from a research project on the early career path of a group of male elementary school teachers. Issues of caring for children and disparities between how male and female teachers are permitted to relate to their elementary-age students are explored. In the preservice situation, the participants experienced tensions between how they, as male teachers, would naturally be inclined to show care toward students and the limitations that they felt were imposed on them by societal concerns about issues of child protection. During their 1st year of teaching, some of these frustrations endured, but participants found different and more acceptable ways of showing care. These ways of showing care can be described as being located on a professional rather than a parental end of a continuum of caring.

Mentoring Functions: A Contemporary View of the Perceptions of Mentees and Mentors

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument for assessing mentoring based in contemporary organizational life. In the first phase of the study, 24 mentees and 24 mentors were interviewed about their mentoring experience. In-depth analysis of the interview data resulted in the development of an instrument to measure mentoring functions. In the second phase of the study, the instrument was tested for its factor structure using a large sample of 272 mentees and 228 mentors. A two-phase statistical analysis, principal components analysis with one sample followed by confirmatory factor analysis with the other, revealed eight distinct functions of mentoring. Mentees and mentors were found to share similar perceptions about the mentoring functions that occur in their relationships. The results represent a thorough attempt to define and describe mentoring in a contemporary organizational environment.

Bone strength index in adolescent girls: does physical activity make a difference?

Abstract: Background: Bone strength index (BSI) combines bone mineral and bone biomechanical properties to measure resistance to bending. This index may have greater clinical significance than the more often described markers of bone mineral content (BMC), areal density, or geometry alone and, in turn, may show a stronger relation to fracture risk. The BSI is the product of volumetric cortical bone mineral density (BMD) and cross sectional moment of inertia within a region of interest. Calculations combine dual energy x ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging technologies and provide a useful, non-invasive measure of in vivo bone strength. Objectives: ( a ) To compare BSI in adolescent female middle distance runners and age matched controls; ( b ) to examine factors predictive of BSI in adolescent girls. Methods: Twenty adolescent female middle distance runners (mean (SD) age 16 (1.7) years, physical activity 8.9 (2.1) hours a week) and 20 female controls (age 16 (1.8) years, physical activity 2.0 (0.07) hours a week) were recruited. To calculate BSI, a region of interest representing 10% of the mid-distal tibia was analysed for dual energy x ray absorptiometry derived BMC and was combined with bone geometry and biomechanical properties obtained by magnetic resonance imaging assessments. Potential predictors of BSI were also examined. Results: Independent t tests showed that BMC (p = 0.028), cortical bone volume (p = 0.002), volumetric cortical BMD (p = 0.004), cross sectional moments of inertia (p = 0.005), and BSI (p = 0.002) were higher in the distal tibia of athletes than of controls. The strongest predictor of BSI was hours of physical activity a week ( R 2 = 0.46). Conclusions: Athletes habitually exposed to high training loads displayed greater BSI at the distal tibia than controls. The results further confirm BSI as a significant and discerning marker in musculoskeletal health in adolescent girls engaged in high and low mechanical loading.

A dream come true – no more residential care. A corrective note

Abstract: This note is about the attempt by the Australian State and Territory child care and protection systems to do without residential programmes. It traces the process of moving to this position and the historical and policy imperatives that supported this service direction. It also outlines the consequences of the absence of 24 hours-a-day 7-days-a-week residential education or treatment programmes for difficult and disturbed young people. It is both a cautionary and corrective note designed to underline the need for some specialised and highly selective residential programmes as part of any mature child care and protection system. This is something that Australia forgot.

Pedagogical drift: the evolution of new approaches and paradigms in religious education

Abstract: This article brings together some of the literature on worldwide trends in religious education that have influenced the delivery of curriculum in this field in Australian Catholic schools. The approaches to religious education since the time of European settlement in Australia are surveyed in light of international trends and the pedagogical techniques underpinning each paradigm. Pedagogical techniques are reconceptualized in terms of the interplay between pedagogy and the development of approaches to religious education. As pedagogical techniques are applied, tried, tested, and modified, new approaches to religious education become distinguished yet remain interrelated. This article conceptualizes the process as “pedagogical drift”. 1 1Parts of this article have been published in Buchanan, M. (2003). Survey of current writings on trends in religious education. Journal of Religious Education 51(4):22–30.

Memory for proper names in old age: a disproportionate impairment?

Abstract: A common complaint of older adults is that they have trouble remembering names, even the names of people they know well. Two experiments examining this problem are reported in the present article. Experiment 1 tested episodic memory for surnames and occupations; older adults and younger adults under divided attention performed less well than did full attention younger adults, but showed no disproportionate loss of name information. Experiment 2 examined the ability to name photographs of public figures and of uncommon objects; this experiment therefore tested retrieval from semantic memory. In this case adults in their 70s did show an impairment in recall of names of known people, but not of known objects. Further analyses revealed systematic relations between naming, recognition, and rated familiarity of the categories used. Familiarity largely determined the proportions of recognizable items that were named in a prior phase. Overall, little evidence was found for a disproportionate age-related impairmen...

Acute coronary syndromes: cardiac rehabilitation programmes and quality of life

Abstract: Aims. This paper reports a study examining the quality of life of clients following hospital admission with acute coronary syndrome in Hong Kong and their use of cardiac rehabilitation. Background. Coronary heart disease is a major source of mortality and morbidity in Hong Kong. Western studies have suggested that participation in cardiac rehabilitation improves the quality of life of clients with coronary heart disease yet the use of cardiac rehabilitation has been reported to be low. Better understanding is needed of the psychosocial status of these clients in Hong Kong and their use of cardiac rehabilitation services. Methods. A prospective, pretestpost-test study was carried out, with data collected over a period of 6 months with convenience sample of 182 participants. Baseline data were obtained within one week after hospital admission for individuals experiencing ACS. The second phase of data collection commenced at 6 months after hospital discharge. Total period of data collection took over 12 months between 2002 and 2003. The Chinese version of the SF-36 was used to assess quality of life, and demographic data and the extent to which clients participated in the cardiac rehabilitation programme were assessed. Results. Only 25% of the participants attended at least one session of the cardiac rehabilitation programme. Significant improvement occurred in all clients' perceived quality of life 6 months following initial hospital admission. No significant group differences in perceived quality of life were found according to whether or not clients used the cardiac rehabilitation services. Conclusion. Improvement in perceived health-related quality of life was evident over a 6-month period. Yet our findings suggested that participation in the cardiac rehabilitation programme did not have any apparent effects in subjects' perceived quality of life. Further studies using both generic and disease-specific health-related quality of life instruments, as well as the inclusion of control group, are recommended. Continual improvement in cardiac rehabilitation programmes, and consideration of alternative modes of delivery other than the traditional attendance at hospital outpatient services, are also recommended.

Nurse practitioners' experiences of working collaboratively with general practitioners and allied health professionals in New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract: Objective: The study aimed to explore contemporary collaborative experiences of nurse practitioners (NPs) in providing care with general practitioners (GPs) and allied health care professionals. Design: A qualitative descriptive, exploratory design was considered the most appropriate to achieve the study objectives. This allowed the researcher at first hand to gain a thorough understanding of the nurse participants' experiences. Setting: The study was conducted in urban, rural and remote clinics and hospitals throughout New South Wales, Australia, where the NPs were authorised to care for the community. Participants: Nine authorised NPs were the key participants in the study. Results: Analysis identified one main theme of Collaboration and three sub themes that were named as Total Collaboration, Partial Collaboration and Non Collaboration. Conclusion: In this study, most NPs reported dissatisfaction from working in ineffective collaborative relationships with medical and allied health care professionals. Total collaboration did not automatically occur and was identified as the exception. Sustainable collaborative partnerships should be developed with all heath care providers by acknowledging each others unique, valuable contribution. Despite this challenging and complex situation, NSW NPs remained determined to provide advanced nursing care for patients and to establish and maintain effective collaboration with all health care professionals. (author abstract)

Challenges faced by Indigenous nursing students and strategies that aided their progress in the course: a descriptive study.

Abstract: Marked improvements in Indigenous health can be achieved by increasing the participation of Indigenous people in the health professions. Currently in Australia the participation by Indigenous people in the health professions is low and the Indigenous people of Australia continue to have poor health outcomes. This qualitative study utilised interviews with 22 Indigenous students enrolled in undergraduate nursing degrees across Australia, to explore the challenges they faced and uncover the strategies they had found helpful to their progress in the course. The findings indicate that students are challenged by financial hardship, staff insensitivity to cultural issues, discrimination, lack of Indigenous mentors, poor study skills, lack of adequate educational preparation, lack of resources, and ongoing family commitments. Strategies identified as particularly helpful to tenure within the course include specific Indigenous support units, adequate financial support, interested academics, Aboriginal Tertiary Assistance Scheme (ATAS) tutors, support from family and friends, and support from other students.

Young children's ability to use the balance strategy to solve for unknowns

Abstract: This article examines students' ability to use the balance model to solve for unknowns. A teaching experiment was conducted in four Year 3 classrooms. This experiment focused on exploring the application of the balance model as an analogue for representing equations and solving for unknowns. The teaching experiment promoted a shift by students towards viewing addition and subtraction equations in terms of equivalence, where the situation is viewed in a multi-directional way (i.e., balance). Initially the lessons were trialled by the researchers in two classrooms. The lessons were then implemented in a further two classrooms by two classroom teachers in conjunction with the researchers. Two weeks after the conclusion of the teaching experiment, a one-on-one interview was conducted with a random smaple comprising twenty students with an average age of eight years. The interviews indicated that while the balance model did assist students reach solutions for finding unknowns, for some students further explicit teaching was required.

Acute coronary syndromes: Cardiac rehabilitation programmes and quality of life

Abstract: Aims. This paper reports a study examining the quality of life of clients following hospital admission with acute coronary syndrome in Hong Kong and their use of cardiac rehabilitation. Background. Coronary heart disease is a major source of mortality and morbidity in Hong Kong. Western studies have suggested that participation in cardiac rehabilitation improves the quality of life of clients with coronary heart disease yet the use of cardiac rehabilitation has been reported to be low. Better understanding is needed of the psychosocial status of these clients in Hong Kong and their use of cardiac rehabilitation services. Methods. A prospective, pretest–post-test study was carried out, with data collected over a period of 6 months with convenience sample of 182 participants. Baseline data were obtained within one week after hospital admission for individuals experiencing ACS. The second phase of data collection commenced at 6 months after hospital discharge. Total period of data collection took over 12 months between 2002 and 2003. The Chinese version of the SF-36 was used to assess quality of life, and demographic data and the extent to which clients participated in the cardiac rehabilitation programme were assessed. Results. Only 25% of the participants attended at least one session of the cardiac rehabilitation programme. Significant improvement occurred in all clients’ perceived quality of life 6 months following initial hospital admission. No significant group differences in perceived quality of life were found according to whether or not clients used the cardiac rehabilitation services. Conclusion. Improvement in perceived health-related quality of life was evident over a 6-month period. Yet our findings suggested that participation in the cardiac rehabilitation programme did not have any apparent effects in subjects’ perceived quality of life. Further studies using both generic and disease-specific health-related quality of life instruments, as well as the inclusion of control group, are recommended. Continual improvement in cardiac rehabilitation programmes, and consideration of alternative modes of delivery other than the traditional attendance at hospital outpatient services, are also recommended.

Integrating work-based and academic learning in international and cross-cultural settings

Abstract: A recent study focused on workplace learning in the UK, USA and Canada; 14 universities, two community colleges and 15 host organisations were included. Interviews were conducted with directors of professional peak associations, academic supervisors, placement officers, managers and/or field supervisors and students. This paper reports on the ways in which higher education institutions organise and prepare students, academic staff and site supervisors to work in international and cross‐cultural work‐based programmes. It examines the level of integration that occurs between academic learning and the planning and execution of cross‐cultural and/or international work‐based placements.

Introducing Functional Thinking in Year 2: A Case Study of Early Algebra Teaching

Abstract: Sixty-five Year 2 children with ages ranging from six to seven years participated in a teaching experiment to introduce functional thinking. The results show that young children are capable of generalising, can provide examples of relations and functions, can describe the inverse of such relationships and give valid reasons for how they found the inverse relationships. They also indicate that specific features of instruction assist this process, particularly abstracting underlying mathematical relationships, notably the materials used by the teacher and the children, the types of activities and the questions asked by the teacher. This leads to specific implications for the teaching of arithmetic in the early years.

Temporal Variations in Fish Catch Using Pop Nets in Mangrove and Saltmarsh Flats at Towra Point, NSW, Australia

Abstract: Fish assemblages utilising saltmarsh and mangrove during spring tides were surveyed over a 12-month period using buoyant pop nets. A total of 48 net releases in the saltmarsh identified 16 species, at a density of 0.56 fish m−2, with six species being of commercial importance. The same number of releases within the mangrove collected a total of 23 species at a density of 0.76 fish m−2. However, fish density was higher within the saltmarsh than the adjacent mangrove when corrected for water volume. Multidimensional scaling revealed different assemblages of fish in the two habitats, with higher numbers of Ambassis jacksoniensis and Pseudomugil sp. in the saltmarsh and higher numbers of Mugilogobius sp. and Acanthopagrus australis in the mangrove. The result suggests a potentially significant role for saltmarsh as a fish habitat in the estuaries of southeast Australia.

Young children's ability to use the balance strategy to solve for unknowns

Abstract: This article examines students’ ability to use the balance model to solve for unknowns. A teaching experiment was conducted in four Year 3 classrooms. This experiment focused on exploring the application of the balance model as an analogue for representing equations and solving for unknowns. The teaching experiment promoted a shift by students towards viewing addition and subtraction equations in terms of equivalence, where the situation is viewed in a multi-directional way (i.e., balance). Initially the lessons were trialed by the researchers in two classrooms. The lessons were then implemented in a further two classrooms by two classroom teachers in conjunction with the researchers. Two weeks after the conclusion of the teaching experiment, a one-on-one interview was conducted with a random sample comprising twenty students with an average age of eight years. The interviews indicated that while the balance model did assist students reach solutions for finding unknowns, for some students further explicit teaching was required.

Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences and the Influences on Their Intentions for Teaching Primary School Mathematics.

Abstract: In this article results from an examination of beliefs about teaching and learning primary mathematics are reported. Commencing and graduating pre-service teachers completed written surveys and interviews. Common to many preservice teachers were memories of mathematics lessons with teacher demonstrations, completing set exercises, using mathematical equipment, and playing competitive number-based games. Various factors influenced their beliefs including: having theory linked to practical examples, reflecting on more recent experience of teaching and learning contexts, and listening to experiences shared by friends and family members who teach.

Putting textbooks to work: empowering religious education teachers

Abstract: In 2002 a paper entitled Writing Church‐sponsored Religious Education Textbooks by Engebretson was published in the British Journal of Religious Education. This paper reported on and analysed some aspects of the development, by the Catholic Archdiocese in Melbourne, Victoria, of a series of religious education textbooks to be used in all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese. The paper contextualised the series, entitled To Know, Worship and Love, in the field of literature on textbooks in the classroom. It discussed some local issues that had led to the decision to produce religious education textbooks, explained and justified the choice of content for the middle secondary books, and discussed the presentation of the books. In the final section of the paper, it was indicated that future papers would report on the evaluation of the series and its implementation, as a three‐stage research project was completed. The first stage of the research project collected responses from teachers and Religious Education ...

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The family and social context

Abstract: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common diagnosis among school-aged children and needs to be understood within the context of cultural expectations. A qualitative study was conducted to explore the effects on mothers of boys diagnosed with ADHD. Family members were interviewed five times, at 3-month intervals. The boys' teachers were interviewed twice. Convenience sampling was used to choose three couples (and other family members), who had a son, aged 9, diagnosed with ADHD. This paper focuses on the results of interviews with mothers and target boys. Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews yielded several themes, including parental stress, societal expectations, parental confidence and side-effects of medication. Mothers reported that parenting a child diagnosed with ADHD has a significant social, emotional and personal impact. Results indicate that while medication overall had positive outcomes, there were some side-effects for the boys, including negative reactions to the ADHD ...

Recent Storm Boulder Deposits on the Beecroft Peninsula, New South Wales, Australia

Abstract: This paper documents the deposition of large boulders on the Beecroft Peninsula, New South Wales, during a one in four-year swell event in October 1999. The size of the boulders in relation to the magnitude of the swell suggests that the boulder field at Whale Point on the Beecroft Peninsula is explicable in terms of storm swells alone.

Coronary angioplasty: impact on risk factors and patients' understanding of the severity of their condition.

Abstract: Objective: Results: Two hundred and thirty four (41.7%) out of 560 questionnaires were returned. Forty percent of subjects reported the recurrence of chest pain and 42% believed they no longer had coronary artery disease. 85% of respondents reported making at least one modification to their risk factors and stress was the most common risk factor identified. Conclusion: Coronary artery angioplasty is one of the most common elective interventions for coronary artery disease. It restores blood flow in the diseased vessel but cannot treat the underlying disease processes. Although the majority of patients had altered their lifestyle and reduced at least one risk factor, 40% of patients in this study had a recurrence of chest pain and 42% believed their condition had been cured. Diet modification, increased exercise and stress reduction were the top three changes in lifestyle reported. The findings suggest there is a major need for better health education and follow-up for patients after coronary artery angioplasty.