Australian Association Research Articles

Strategic capacity building for Australian educational research: creating spaces for action

This paper provides some background information about the Strategic Capacity Building for Australian Educational Research initiative: a joint program of work sponsored by the Australian Association for Research in Education and the Australian Council of Deans of Education. In addition, it offers some broader analysis of the contexts within which Australian Educational Research is being framed and judged, and argues that leaders of educational research need to become more adept at finding and creating spaces in which important policy battles can be won.

Special Issue Dedicated to Professor Frank Fisher (1943–2012): A Courageous Life

In 2007 Professor Frank Fisher was named Australia's inaugural Environmental Educator of the Year (by the Australian Association for Environmental Education). Frank lived a life driven by a determination to engage fully with the world around him. As a young electrical engineer, Frank became convinced of the need for education and research about how we shape the world around us, and contributed to the establishment of the first Australian Masters of Sustainability program at Monash University in 1973. Typified by exercises such as taking students to sit in the middle of major roads, Frank's teaching approach aimed to help students understand the social systems that shape our understanding of and impact on the world around us.

The evolution of freedom of association in Australia's federal industrial relations law: from trade union security to workplace rights

The early provisions protecting freedom of association in Australian federal industrial relations law supported trade union security. The interests of individuals were seen as adequately protected by collective groups. This principle dominated the industrial relations laws from 1904 to the mid-1970s. However, from the late 1970s, the laws were incrementally altered to promote freedom of choice and the rights of individuals not to be part of trade unions. The reframing of the laws also reflected changes in the wider Australian community, manifested particularly in the decline of union density rates. These changes were also part of an international trend, favouring the ideology of neoliberalism which contributed to an unsympathetic environment for trade unions. The current Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) has signalled a return to collectivism, although freedom of choice is at the heart of the laws rather than the promotion of collective groups. In the absence of legislative support promoting the viability of collective groups, this freedom to choose is threatened, leaving many workers with little choice but to disassociate.

The daily living self-efficacy scale: a new measure for assessing self-efficacy in stroke survivors

Purpose: To develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Daily Living Self-Efficacy Scale (DLSES) designed to assess stroke survivors’ self-efficacy in daily functioning. Method: Two groups of participants (N = 424) were recruited, a stroke survivor group (n = 259) who were recruited through two stroke associations in Australia and a non-stroke group (n = 165) who were the partners/carers of the stroke survivors (n = 93) and members of the community in Queensland, Australia (n = 72). Principal Component Analyses (PCA) were used to assess the factor structure of the scale and investigations of internal consistency, test--retest reliability, convergent and discriminant validity were conducted. Results: The final measure is a 12-item scale comprising two subscales: self-efficacy for psychosocial functioning and self-efficacy for activities of daily living. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency, temporal stability and convergent validity, and it discriminated well between the stroke and non-stroke groups. Conclusion: The DLSES is a psychometrically sound measure of self-efficacy in psychosocial functioning and self-efficacy in activities of daily living appropriate for stroke survivors, regardless of level of physical impairment.Implications for RehabilitationA key factor that may influence outcome following a stroke is the level of self-efficacy that stroke survivors have in their ability to function in their daily life. The DLSES provides a measure of this ability that may be useful in enhancing preparation for the return to the community.The DLSES assesses self-efficacy in two important areas of daily functioning – activities of daily living and psychosocial functioning.This new measure can be administered to stroke individuals regardless of the nature or degree of physical impairment.

Developing competencies of supply chain professionals in Australia: collaboration between businesses, universities and industry associations

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe collaboration between businesses, universities and industry associations in Australia with the aim of developing an appropriate set of competencies for supply chain professionals.Design/methodology/approachThree related initiatives are described involving questionnaire surveys (Initiatives 1 and 3) and a series of meetings involving representatives from businesses, universities and industry associations (Initiative 2).FindingsInitiative 1 identifies that although supply chain professionals in Australia are highly educated, they had limited training in relation to supply chain management. Initiative 2 developed a set of 20 competencies for supply chain professionals and their importance was then assessed in Initiative 3. Generally, high importance is highlighted for the set of competencies. Maintaining momentum of the collaboration is identified as a challenge.Research limitations/implicationsOne specific limitation is the somewhat low response rates achieved for the two questionnaire surveys conducted: 15 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively. Australia is unique in many respects; hence generalisation of the findings is limited.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies Australian industry needs reflected in the set of competencies developed. The paper highlights the value of collaboration between business, universities/colleges and industry associations.Originality/valueThis paper identifies a set of supply chain competencies considered highly important by supply chain professionals in Australia. These can be used by academic institutions in developing future programs, by businesses for assessing performance of supply chain professionals that they employ and by industry associations in developing appropriate services for their members.

Rural Generalism and the Queensland Health pathway - implications for rural clinical supervisors, placements and rural medical education providers

The lifeline for country medicine' was the description by the Rural Doctors Association of Australia of the Queensland Health Rural Generalist Pathway (RGP). The program promises to redress rural medical workforce issues in Queensland. It may fulfil these promises, but only with the support of rural clinical supervisors and medical educators adapting to new expectations of competencies, of training structure and endpoints of training. These adaptations will be a key element of the RGP success, particularly as other states adopt the approach. This article outlines the lessons learnt and adaptations made by clinical supervisors and medical educators in the Queensland Rural Medical Education group, to deliver the Rural Pathway of the Australian General Practice Training program since the first registrars identifying as RGP appeared in this program in 2006.

The status of women in naturopathy: A view from the United States and Australia

Like other professionalized heterodox medical systems in Western societies, naturopathic practitioners and the leaders of naturopathic professional associations historically appear to have been predominantly males. Conversely, this situation appears to have started to change in the 1970s. Today the vast majority of naturopathic students and naturopathic practitioners in the United States and Australia, are women. While women have moved into positions of leadership in the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, various Australian naturopathic professional associations, and naturopathic training programs in both the US and Australia, the presence of men in positions of organizational and education leadership appears to exceed their diminished numbers as practitioners. Bearing these thoughts in mind, this essay explores why women have been drawn to naturopathy in great numbers and the political-economic and socio-cultural forces that still hinder their professional development as practitioners and professional leaders within the contexts of the American and Australian dominative medical systems.

The Environment: A Private Concern or a Professional Practice Issue for Australian Social Workers?

The most recent version of the Australian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics includes substantial reference to social workers’ professional responsibilities for environmental awareness and advocacy. This article reports on a qualitative study of 20 Australian environmentally-conscious social workers from a variety of fields of practice. The study found that while there was a high level of awareness of the relevance of environmental issues for social work practice, participants reported professional and organisational constraints, which prevented them from aligning their environmental concerns with their professional practice. The findings from this study suggest that proenvironmental views and actions may not yet be accepted as a legitimate aspect of social work practice, despite strong recognition of the links between social justice, human rights, social work, and the environment in the Australian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics.

Does job satisfaction mediate the relationship between work–family conflict and psychological strain? A study of Australian social workers

The present study investigated the mediating effects of job satisfaction on the relationship between work–family conflict and psychological strain among Australian social workers. Data for the study were collected by an online survey of the membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers, yielding 439 usable responses. The results provide evidence that job satisfaction mediates the relationship between work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict and psychological strain. These findings contribute significantly to the social work literature on work–family interface and confirm the importance of developing and targeting not only strategies that aim to reduce work–family conflict, but also those that aim to increase job satisfaction among social workers.

The Persistence and Problem of Religion: Modernity, Continuity and Diversity

Some fifty years ago scholars claimed the end of religion was nigh. Modernity and postmodernity presumed the eclipse of religion. However, religion persists, in diverse forms and expressions, yet not without some considerable problems. Why is religion so persistent? And what of contemporary problematic issues, such as extremism and terrorism, often associated with religion? In this exploratory article, which began life as the Presidential Lecture to the 2012 AASR conference, held in conjunction with the Australian Association for Buddhist Studies, I suggest some reasons that might help explain the persistence of religion, and I discuss the contemporary key problem of an adequate conceptual mechanism for coping with religious diversity. Continuity and diversity are twin features of religion that challenge the modern world. If modernity must contend with the persistence of religion, then contending with diversity is, perhaps, the chief religious issue underlying the problem of exclusivist extremism.

Reflections on Family Therapy in Australia

Family therapy in Australia has been influenced by ideas mostly from North America and Europe. However Australian family therapists have also made their own significant contributions to theory and practice. The vastness of the continent combined with a relatively small population has presented challenges with respect to the formation of a national association and for many years, the Australian Journal of Family Therapy (later the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy Board acted as de facto national voice for the discipline. The Australian Association of Family Therapy was formed as recently as 2011. It has a total of over 1,000 members and is the sole organisation representing family therapy and family therapists in Australia. Clinical membership is achieved via successful completion of a 2-year sequence of study in family therapy followed by 50 hours of supervision (or its equivalent). Family Therapy training is mostly delivered in the four most populated states in Australia at both University level and through private organisations registered to provide training at government approved levels. La Trobe University (through the Bouverie Centre), Swinburne University (through the Williams Road Family Therapy Centre) and the University of New South Wales currently provide training leading to specialist qualification in family therapy. A number of other private institutions also provide recognised family therapy training. To date, family therapists and couple therapists in Australia have not in the main shared common platforms such as conferences, training and professional journals. Narrative therapy has also remained somewhat detached from “mainstream” family therapy. Family therapy qualifications are often valued by prospective employers even when duty statements are focused on the more traditional skills of professionals such as psychologists or social workers. Researching family therapy outcomes remains challenging. But although there is increasing practiced-based evidence of the efficacy of family therapy, Australian family therapists as a group are yet to concentrate their efforts on convincing funding bodies of its usefulness. At the same time, via the teaching and promotion of family sensitive practices, systemic ideas are being increasingly incorporated within areas of mental health, disability, alcohol and drug dependency, and within a range of health and welfare areas that impact not just on the individuals but on those close to them.

Learning from the Holdings Protection Team at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), USA

In 2011, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in the USA faced worldwide attention when it was revealed that thousands of documents had been stolen from its collection, including rare Civil War documents and presidential papers. The response by NARA was to create a Holdings Protection Team, with the task of overseeing and managing the collection security at NARA's multiple locations across the United States. In this paper NARA's strategy for collection security management (CSM) is placed alongside current research into CSM in libraries and archives to demonstrate how NARA exhibits a ‘house’ model of collection security, as seen through their slogan ‘Protect Our House’. From this discussion, some lessons for Australia are explored, with calls for some specific CSM guidelines from Australia's professional bodies in the information sector, such as the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).

Unresolved Issues Regarding Collaborative Empiricism in Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies: An Expert Panel Discussion at AACBT

This article presents a panel discussion on the development of collaborative empiricism in cognitive behaviour therapy. The panel comprised experts in research and practice who had been invited as keynote presenters for the 33rd National Conference for the Australian Association of Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy. Experts responded to questions about the definition of collaborative empiricism, how this specific relationship construct facilitates meaningful therapeutic changes, and their discussion conveyed the importance of collaborative empiricism for effective therapy. The dialogue included suggestions and strategies for developing therapeutic relationships strong in collaboration and empiricism.

Teacher Assistant Supports in Inclusive Schools: Research, Practices and Alternatives

In this article, I summarise the primary content included in a keynote address I delivered via videoconferencing in July 2012 at the national conference of theAustralian Association of Special Education, held jointly with the annual conference of theTasmanian Principals Associationin Hobart, Tasmania. The address focused on three major topics pertaining to the utilisation of teacher assistants in inclusive schools: (a) persistent and emerging research trends, (b) contemporary conceptual and data-based concerns, and (c) ideas about what schools can do to provide improved educational opportunities and supports for students with special educational needs in inclusive classrooms. The article concludes that the potential overuse or misuse of teacher assistants is a symptom, not cause. Building integrated models of general and special service delivery in schools can address the challenges associated with questionable teacher assistant utilisation.

The Growing Importance of HSSE-SR in Our Industry

Guest editorial In September 2012, SPE (in partnership with the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association) held its most successful international Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Social Responsibility (HSSE-SR) conference to date in Perth, Australia, with 1,700 delegates from 44 countries. It included 375 accepted abstracts, which translated to 48 technical sessions (192 papers presented), 12 panels, 3 special sessions, 3 plenaries, and 89 ePosters. We also had an impressive 55 exhibitors and 16 sponsoring organizations. In addition to the success of these biannual international events (11 held to date), SPE also hosts five well-attended regional HSSE-SR conferences, plus a number of topic-specific workshops. So, what is all the fuss about? The easy answer to that question is that HSSE-SR is becoming a more prominent factor in our industry’s day-to-day life. As regulator and external stakeholder expectations in the area of HSSE-SR continue to grow, operators, service companies, and others working to address the world’s ever-increasing energy demands are faced with the challenge of safely exploring, developing, and producing oil and gas resources in a manner that is compatible with the balanced environmental and economic needs of the communities in which they operate. For example, in the past, many environmental expectations stemmed from regulatory requirements, whereas the opposite has become true more recently where global environmental and stakeholder expectations are influencing the regulatory framework. As these HSSE-SR challenges continue to emerge, the question we must ask ourselves is, are we as an industry and as integrated organizations prepared to meet these challenges? How do we prepare for the foreseeable future and what do we need to do to prepare for the unknown challenges that lie ahead? Facing Expectations Recent events around the globe have reminded us of the need for our industry to effectively address the broad HSSE-SR expectations as part of our obligation in earning our license to operate. Failure to do so will not only tarnish our image but also limit future access. As an industry, we need to focus on our license to operate, its scope and resulting expectations, and how to earn and protect that trust. All aspects of this industry have a vested interest in getting it right since what happens to one company essentially impacts everyone. Unlike other technical disciplines within SPE, such as reservoir, subsurface, drilling, and facilities, HSSE-SR is truly cross-functional in nature and affects all aspects of our business to varying extents. Personnel safety has long been a focus area, and the associated processes, practices, and lessons learned are relatively easy to transfer from region to region globally. The same cannot be said necessarily for the rest of HSSE-SR (i.e., health, environment, social responsibility) where many of the drivers and mitigations tend to be more local or regional. While not directly represented in the HSSE-SR acronym, we should also not underestimate the key role that quality plays, especially when dealing with process safety and risk management. Therein lies part of our challenge.

The Eye Bank Association of Australia and New Zealand: Origins, History, Activity and Future.

The Eye Bank Association of Australia and New Zealand is the peak body for eye donation and eye banking in Australia and New Zealand. It facilitates communication, cooperation, and the sharing of expertise between eye banks. It holds a strong focus on defining and implementing the profession’s best practice, especially in regard to standards of quality and safety. The sound medical and scientific evidence base of the Association and its close ties with the ophthalmic profession have provided a strong foundation and allows it to speak with the confident and representative voice that is necessary to support many of its advisory and advocacy functions. Importantly, the uniqueness of eye banking in relation to other forms of donation has been foremost in the Association’s approach, an approach that is necessary to ensure that national regulatory affairs and organisational models are designed appropriately for eye donation and eye banking as distinct from other forms of donation. doi:10.7706/ijeb.v1i2.24

On the Neuroscience of Rock Art Interpretation

Robert G. Bednarik is the founding Convener and Editor of the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations (IFRAO) and the founding Secretary and Editor of the Australian Rock Art Research Association (AURA). His 1,250 academic publications in thirty-two languages reflect his work in all continents and his interest in the origins of human constructs of reality, paleocognition, and paleoart. He has written numerous books and presented television documentaries. He recognizes Aboriginal men of the highest degree as his only teachers (and like most autodidacts regards Western education as a hindrance to understanding!). robertbednarik@hotmail.com

Highway traffic incident management: an operator-centred investigation

Effective traffic incident management is a fundamental factor in road safety and congestion control, decreasing the occurrence of secondary incidents at scenes and minimising the impact of resultant traffic congestion and emissions. Emergency and traffic officers working within traffic incident inner and outer cordons are highly trained; however, it is still a dangerous work environment and fatalities and injuries regularly occur. In 2007, the Australian association of road transport and traffic authorities (Austroads) adapted the US Federal Highways Association traffic incident management self-assessment tool and tested it in five Australian capital cities. Results from the Austroads study indicated that the city of Brisbane had the lowest ranking for perceived safety of responders and motorists at traffic incidents. As such, the present study investigated issues with the physical environment of the outer cordon at traffic incidents in Brisbane and surrounding areas. Interviews with the operators involved in incident management highlighted issues regarding the safety of responders at traffic incidents, lighting and other warning devices at traffic incidents, and driver perceptions and behaviours. These findings were supported and extended by a survey of traffic response officers. As part of an ongoing programme of research, the benefits of taking an operator-centred approach and the subsequent research to be undertaken are discussed.

Paediatric reference intervals

Worldwide there appear to be two main approaches to addressing the gap in paediatric biochemistry reference intervals: (1) large scale, government-funded reference interval studies based on recruiting healthy children, and (2) ‘harmonisation' to achieve common reference intervals (CRI). The first are national paediatric-focused reference interval studies, including CALIPER study (Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Pediatric Reference Intervals,), KiGGS (The German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents), NORICHILD (Scandinavian Initiative for the Establishment of Pediatric Reference Intervals) and CHILDx (Children's Health Improvement through Laboratory Diagnostics) by ARUP Laboratories and the University of Utah, NIH. The second approach is a national or regional group undertaking the task of defining common reference intervals using a multicentre study design. The RIs are determined via collaboration of laboratories from different regions that use analytical methods traceable to a reference method. UK Harmony, ARQAG (Auckland Regional Quality Assurance Group) and SIQAG (South Island Quality Assurance Group) have taken this approach for adult and paediatric biochemistry RIs. This is also the approach recommended by the Australian Association of Clinical Biochemists (AACB) Paediatric Special Interest Group. Unfortunately there is no perfect solution; both approaches have obstacles that hinder the implementation by laboratories. Recent data from CALIPER suggest transference of RIs to all major instrument platforms may be possible based on their population studies

Basileia: Essays on Imperium and Culture in Honour of E. M. and M. J. Jeffreys by Geoffrey Nathan and Lynda Garland, eds (review)

Reviewed by: Basileia: Essays on Imperium and Culture in Honour of E. M. and M. J. Jeffreys by Geoffrey Nathan and Lynda Garland, eds Stephen Joyce Nathan, Geoffrey and Lynda Garland, eds, Basileia: Essays on Imperium and Culture in Honour of E. M. and M. J. Jeffreys (Byzantina Australiensia, 17),Brisbane, Australian Association for Byzantine Studies, 2011; paperback; pp. 266; 50 illustrations; R.R.P. in Aust AU $44.00, elsewhere AU $57.00; ISBN 9781876503300. Basileia represents a collection of studies that first began as a series of papers delivered at the 2008 Australian Association for Byzantine Studies, held in honour of the contributions of Elizabeth Jeffreys and Michael Jeffreys to Australian Byzantine studies. Under a general theme of ‘Imperium and Culture’, editors Geoffrey Nathan and Lynda Garland have collated some nineteen essays that examine the evolving imperial and cultural forms of Byzantium from the fifth century through to the sixteenth century. The editors have brought together some of the finest academics in the field of Byzantine studies, and this, in turn, is represented in the quality of the contributions. The first two studies are, of course, by Elizabeth and Michael Jeffreys. Following a general theme of imperium and its relationship with its literature, the role of imperial patronage and the poems of Manganeios Prodomos are examined. Following this, Andrew Stone, Roger Scott, and Penelope Buckley examine the role of imperial panegyric, chronicles, and imperial traditions. Justinian looms large in the studies of Sarah Gador-Whyte, Ross Burns, and Brain Croke where Justinian’s wars are officially chronicled by a [End Page 312] critically veiled Procopius, Justinian’s military strategies are compared and distinguished from those of Diocletian, and the use of Justinian’s virtue of sleeplessness is used to define vigilance in imperial rule. Geoffrey Nathan and Lynda Garland examine the minutiae of imperium. Nathan examines the role of dedicatory images to communicate aristocratic ideals in politically fluid times, while Garland looks at Agathias’s cycle of poems and the imperial and domestic significance of inscriptions and epigrams. The Church, of course, receives its due share: Amelia Brown examines the struggle between western and eastern ecclesiastical authorities in fourth-and fifth-century Greece and its political impact on early Byzantine imperium; Pauline Allen compares Synesius of Cyrene and Augustine of Hippo and their episcopal approaches to crisis; Bronwen Neil looks at imperial benefactions to the fifth-century Roman church and the emphasis on the civic ideals of episcopal authority; Erica Gielen examines the influence of the monk Joseph the Philosopher on a Byzantine renaissance under emperor Andronicus II. The attitudes and representations of Byzantine imperium and culture in the West are also examined. Andrew Gillett looks at communications between Byzantium and the sixth-century Frankish dynasty of the Merovingians. Penelope Nash considers Byzantine influence on the West’s architecture and art in the late eighth and tenth centuries. This theme is further explored by Robert Mihajlovski who looks at the church buildings in the medieval Macedonian town of Prilep, and by Nigel Westbrook who examines a rare sixteenth-century drawing of Byzantine buildings in Constantinople. This volume of Byzantina Australiensa honours the contributions Elizabeth and Michael Jeffreys have made to Australia Byzantine studies with quality contributions. The depth and variety of the thematic offerings is a joy and there will be something here for any scholar of romanitas. Stephen Joyce The Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology Monash University Copyright © 2013 by the Stephen Joyce