Australian High School Research Articles

Co-evolution of social networks and continuous actor attributes

Social networks and the attributes of the actors in these networks are not static; they may develop interdependently over time. The stochastic actor-oriented model allows for statistical inference on the mechanisms driving this co-evolution process. In earlier versions of this model, dynamic actor attributes are assumed to be measured on an ordinal categorical scale. We present an extension of the stochastic actor-oriented model that does away with this restriction using a stochastic differential equation to model the evolution of continuous actor attributes. We estimate the parameters by a procedure based on the method of moments. The proposed method is applied to study the dynamics of a friendship network among the students at an Australian high school. In particular, we model the relationship between friendship and obesity, focusing on body mass index as a continuous co-evolving attribute.

Attachment Strength and Relationship Expectancies in the Prediction of Adolescent Stress and Depression

Interpersonal relationships are the recent focus of research identifying protective factors in adolescent psychological health. Using an attachment theory perspective, this study examines the relationship of normative attachment strength and individual differences in attachment expectancies on self-reports of depression and stress in 511 Australian high school students. Attachment reorganisation was demonstrated, but only father attachment uniquely predicted self-reported stress. Age moderated the relationships between peers and depression and stress among romantically involved adolescents. Individual differences in attachment styles, particularly anxious attachment, were most predictive of adolescent psychological health. These findings highlight the complexity of adolescent attachment relationships and suggest that interventions target both normative and individual factors in adolescent development to enhance adolescent psychological health.

Co-designing with young consumers – reflections, challenges and benefits

PurposeThis paper aims to explore co-design as a method for actively involving young consumers in the design of an alcohol education program that utilizes an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) component.Design/methodology/approachDietrich et al. (2017) six-step framework was applied to a co-design project involving four groups of 14- to 16-year-old Australian high school students. Data collection included observations by three facilitators, written feedback from members of each group and video presentations of the generated ideas. The data analysis focused on investigating the applicability of the six-step framework to young consumers and evaluating the quality and practicality of the generated ideas.FindingsSensitization is key to enabling young consumers to become equal participants during the co-design process. Sensitization allowed the participants to engage in the design task in a playful manner, which fostered active participation and creative insights during the co-design session. A team approach based on interactivity and group autonomy enabled adolescents to contribute insights into their specific needs and wants. This was complemented by a trusting environment and the presence of immediately available yet “hands off” facilitators.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are limited to one specific sample and design task. Future research is required that investigates co-design with young consumers in different contexts.Practical implicationsThis paper provides guidance for the application of co-design with young consumers by highlighting the importance of sensitization and facilitation.Originality/valueThis study marks one of the first approaches to co-designing alcohol education programs, including VR components, with young consumers. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the consequences of involving young consumers through co-design.

Young people's perspectives on the mobility of Australian English accents

ABSTRACTThis paper draws on lines of sociolinguistic theory that have arisen in response to globalisation and current thinking about mobilities in the social sciences. Using the constructs of space, scale and centre‐periphery, we set out to analyse 564 Australian high school students’ responses to a questionnaire item which asked: ‘If you moved to another country, how important would it be for you to keep your Australian accent?’ Our exploration of the students’ responses through these lenses reveals the diverse ways in which young people imagine the mobility of their own accents and also how they situate the Australian accent more broadly.

Psychological needs satisfaction and value in students’ intentions to study music in high school

A major issue concerning music educators is declining participation in music over the school years. This study aimed to explain why students choose to study music at school. The theoretical lens of self-determination theory was used to examine how the satisfaction of basic psychological needs might lead to students valuing music and choosing to study it at school. Participants were 204 male students in an Australian high school. A structural equation model was evaluated, with elective intentions predicted by value, psychological needs satisfaction, and instrumental experience. The hypothesized model was supported and explained 65% of variance in elective intentions and 50% of variance in students’ valuing of music. Students with higher psychological needs satisfaction and value for music had stronger intentions to continue studying music. Psychological needs satisfaction explained a considerable proportion of why students valued music. Students with more experience learning an instrument were also more likely to choose music, but psychological needs satisfaction and value were far more influential. These findings extend existing research on Self-Determination Theory(SDT) in educational and music contexts, and suggest implications for teachers wishing to increase participation in school music education.

Association between Health Behaviours and Religion in Austrian High School Pupils—A Cross-Sectional Survey

The prevalence of risk factors for chronic diseases such as smoking, alcohol abuse, low fruit and vegetable consumption, and lack of physical activity is high among young adults. Health behaviours are influenced by many factors and also by religious orientation, as American studies show. The aim of the present study was to explore whether a similar association with religion exists in Austria (Europe). A cross-sectional survey was carried out in seven randomly selected high schools, whereby a total of 225 11th-grade pupils (64% girls, 36% boys; average age 16.4 years) were surveyed by means of an online questionnaire. The study reveals a positive association between religion and healthy food choices as well as meal patterns. Smoking (number of cigarettes smoked daily) and alcohol consumption (getting drunk) was negatively associated with religion. These negative associations remained after adjusting for confounding factors using logistic regression analysis. Thus, the study showed that religion is associated with a reduction in these risky health behaviours in Austrian high school pupils. However, due to the limitations of the study design, causality cannot be inferred.

Student-Athletes in my Classroom: Australian Teachers’ Perspectives of the Problems Faced by Student-Athletes Balancing School and Sport

This paper emerged from a larger project about Australian high performance school age athletes self-identified problems in balancing their academic and sporting lives. Teachers of student-athletes are ideally placed to observe stresses faced by these students, but little is published about teacher perspectives on this topic. A qualitative analysis of interview data from 10 teachers, across 10 Australian secondary schools, revealed critical information about the similarities and differences in their perspectives compared to those of student-athletes and parents. Teachers identified five main areas where student-athletes required dedicated support, and provided examples of solutions to address these. Their practical strategies complement the characteristics of the ‘athlete-friendly’ school and serve as examples of best practice support that other schools could adopt. On analysis, these strategies align with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Consequently, the focus of this paper relates to the teacher perspectives and how this impacts teacher practice.

Appreciating Complexity in Adolescent Self-Harm Risk Factors: Psychological Profiling in a Longitudinal Community Sample.

Past research identifies a number of risk factors for adolescent self-harm, but often fails to account for overlap between these factors. This study investigated the underlying, broader concepts by identifying different psychological profiles among adolescents. We then compared new self-harm rates over a six-month period across different psychological profiles. Australian high school students (n = 326, 68.1% female) completed a questionnaire including a broad range of psychological and socioenvironmental risk and protective factors. Non-hierarchical cluster analysis produced six groups with different psychological profiles at baseline and rate of new self-harm at follow-up. The lowest rate was 1.4% in a group that appeared psychologically healthy; the highest rate was 37.5% in a group that displayed numerous psychological difficulties. Four groups with average self-harm had varied psychological profiles including low impulsivity, anxiety, impulsivity, and poor use of positive coping strategies. Identifying multiple profiles with distinct psychological characteristics can improve detection, guide prevention, and tailor treatment.

Barriers Inhibiting Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and Potential Solutions: Perceptions of Positively Inclined Early Adopters

In recent years, calls for the adoption of inquiry-based pedagogies in the science classroom have formed a part of the recommendations for large-scale high school science reforms. However, these pedagogies have been problematic to implement at scale. This research explores the perceptions of 34 positively inclined early-adopter teachers in relation to their implementation of inquiry-based pedagogies. The teachers were part of a large-scale Australian high school intervention project based around astronomy. In a series of semi-structured interviews, the teachers identified a number of common barriers that prevented them from implementing inquiry-based approaches. The most important barriers identified include the extreme time restrictions on all scales, the poverty of their common professional development experiences, their lack of good models and definitions for what inquiry-based teaching actually is, and the lack of good resources enabling the capacity for change. Implications for expectations of teachers and their professional learning during educational reform and curriculum change are discussed.

What Images Reveal: a Comparative Study of Science Images between Australian and Taiwanese Junior High School Textbooks

From a social semiotic perspective, image designs in science textbooks are inevitably influenced by the sociocultural context in which the books are produced. The learning environments of Australia and Taiwan vary greatly. Drawing on social semiotics and cognitive science, this study compares classificational images in Australian and Taiwanese junior high school science textbooks. Classificational images are important kinds of images, which can represent taxonomic relations among objects as reported by Kress and van Leeuwen (Reading images: the grammar of visual design, 2006). An analysis of the images from sample chapters in Australian and Taiwanese high school science textbooks showed that the majority of the Taiwanese images are covert taxonomies, which represent hierarchical relations implicitly. In contrast, Australian classificational images included diversified designs, but particularly types with a tree structure which depicted overt taxonomies, explicitly representing hierarchical super-ordinate and subordinate relations. Many of the Taiwanese images are reminiscent of the specimen images in eighteenth century science texts representing “what truly is”, while more Australian images emphasize structural objectivity. Moreover, Australian images support cognitive functions which facilitate reading comprehension. The relationships between image designs and learning environments are discussed and implications for textbook research and design are addressed.

Undertaking Educational Research Following the Introduction, Implementation, Evolution, and Hybridization of Constructivist Instructional Models in an Australian PBL High School

Undertaking Educational Research Following the Introduction, Implementation, Evolution, and Hybridization of Constructivist Instructional Models in an Australian PBL High School

‘We are all Asian here’: multiculturalism, selective schooling and responses to Asian success

ABSTRACTDespite what seems like the embrace of all things ‘Asian’ such as the inclusion of a cross-curricular focus on Asia in Australia’s National Curriculum and the call for Australians to become ‘Asia literate’ (MCEETYA 2008), many Australians harbour a deep suspicion of Asia. This is especially evident in the concern over the phenomenal performance of many students of Asian backgrounds in Australian schools. With recent research around multiculturalism as a backdrop, this article examines how students, parents and teachers in one Australian selective high school negotiate the phenomenon of ‘Asian success’. Such schools are very often the object of media attention with the increasing number of Asian students seen to be displacing those of Anglo-Australian background and academic enquiry generally focusing on their role within neoliberal agendas of school choice. Little research exists, however, on relations within these schools; how students of Asian backgrounds respond to criticisms of Asian success and the reactions of the Anglo majority to their more recent ‘minority’ status. Together with examining how various members of this one school community have responded to these changing demographics, the article considers how understandings of multiculturalism frame these debates and how ‘Asian success’ has become a transnational phenomenon.

The dynamics of study-work choice and its effect on intended and actual university attainment

ABSTRACTWe study the dynamics of study-work choices of Australian high school students and how these choices affect intended and actual enrolment in universities when they finish their school education. A dynamic random effect multi-equation model is constructed and estimated. We find that study-work choices are state dependent, driven by student heterogeneity and the school environment they are in. They are also related to behaviours of the fellow students in the same school. We find that study-work choices significantly affect enrolment in universities but they hardly have any effect on students’ preference for university attainment.

A qualitative study exploring high school students' understanding of, and attitudes towards, health information and claims.

BackgroundExposure to health claims, particularly in the media and social media, is pervasive, and the information conveyed is often inaccurate, incomplete or misleading. Some young people of high school ages are already making decisions about using readily available health interventions (such as sports drinks and beauty products).Although previous research has assessed adults’ understanding of health claims, no research has examined this issue in young adults who are attending high school.ObjectiveTo explore high school students’ understanding of, and attitudes towards, concepts relevant to assessing health information and claims.DesignA qualitative study involving semi‐structured interviews with 27 Australian high school students. Responses were recorded, transcribed and a thematic analysis performed. Three themes emerged as follows: (i) Variability in sources of health information and claims, and general understanding of their creation and accuracy of content, (ii) The use of substitute indicators to assess health information and claims and make judgements about their trustworthiness, (iii) Uncertainty about, and literal interpretation of, the language of health claims. Despite general scepticism of health claims and admitted uncertainty of research terminology, many students were generally convinced. Students had poor understanding about how health claims are generated and tended to rely on substitute indicators, such as endorsements, when evaluating the believability of claims.ConclusionSchool students’ lack of awareness of basic health research processes and methods of assessing the accuracy of health information and claims makes them vulnerable to distorted and misleading health information. This restricts their ability to make informed health decisions – a skill that increases in importance as they become adults.

Culture and Self-Esteem Over Time

Self-esteem is increasing in the United States according to temporal meta-analyses of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. However, it remains unclear whether this trend reflects broad social ecological shifts toward urban, affluent, and technologically advanced or a unique cultural history. A temporal meta-analysis of self-esteem was conducted in Australia. Australia shares social ecological and cultural similarities with the United States. On the other hand, Australian culture is horizontally individualistic and places a stronger emphasis on self-other equality compared to American culture. For this reason, the strengthening norm of positive self-esteem found in the United States may not be evident in Australia. Consistent with this possibility, the findings indicated that self-esteem among Australian high school students, university students, and community participants did not change between 1978 and 2014.

Using critical and post-critical pedagogies to pick at the seams of patriarchy from ‘the inside’

ABSTRACTThis article explores the use of critical and post-critical pedagogies in a rural Australian high school for the purposes of unsettling life-limiting gender beliefs and practices. The paper problematises two examples whereby site-specific knowledges, curriculum dictates, media texts and critical pedagogies were enmeshed to create politically charged spaces for re-seeing, re-thinking and re-doing gender. The first example involves a unit of work in which students were required to critically analyse and evaluate a well-known Australian documentary film for the particular version of hypermasculinity that it was valorising. The second example involves the collaborative critiquing of a well-known local text. At the conclusion of the paper, I turn a critically reflexive eye upon myself as a way of considering the ethics and issues for educators of challenging power asymmetries from ‘the inside’. It is at this point that I discover it is possibly I who have been disrupted most of all.

"The evil virus cell": Students' knowledge and beliefs about viruses.

Education about virus biology at school is of pivotal interest to raise public awareness concerning means of disease transmission and, thus, methods to prevent infection, and to reduce unnecessary antibiotic treatment due to patient pressure on physicians in case of viral diseases such as influenza. This study aimed at making visible the knowledge of Austrian high school and university students with respect to virus biology, virus structure and health-education issues. The data presented here stem from comprehensive questionnaire analyses, including the task to draw a virus, from a cross-sectional study with 133 grade 7 and 199 grade 10 high school students, and 133 first-year biology and 181 first-year non-biology university students. Analyses were performed both quantitatively and qualitatively. ANOVA revealed a highly significant group effect for total knowledge relating to virus biology and health issues (F(3, 642) = 44.17, p < 0.01, η2p = 0.17). Specific post-hoc tests by means of the Tukey test showed significant differences between all groups (p < .01) with the exception of 1st year non-biology students and grade 10 high school students. Students enrolled in university-level biology outperformed all other groups, even though they had not yet encountered this topic at their courses; part of this phenomenon might be due to their affinity for learning about biological topics. However, even many first-year biology students had a high number of severe misconceptions, e.g., defining a virus as a pro- or eukaryotic cell, or falsely naming malaria as a viral disease. Since there was no significant difference in virus-related knowledge between high schools, virus biology seems to have been taught similarly among the tested schools. However, the majority of participants stated that the virus-related knowledge they had acquired at school was not sufficient. Based on the results presented here we urgently suggest improving and intensifying teaching this topic at school, since virus-related knowledge was by far too fragmentary among many participants. Such lack of health-relevant knowledge may contribute to pressure on physicians by patients to unnecessarily prescribe antibiotics, and possibly lead to potentially dangerous neglect concerning vaccination. The effectiveness of newly developed virus-related teaching units and material could be tested with the instrument used here.

Academic buoyancy mediates academic anxiety’s effects on learning strategies: an investigation of English- and Chinese-speaking Australian students

A primary goal our study was to explore whether relations between academic anxiety and students’ use of a range of learning strategies (memorisation, elaboration, personal best [PB] goals and cooperation) were mediated by academic buoyancy. We were also interested in extending knowledge of anxiety and its role in students’ learning strategy use. Given mixed findings regarding the impact of language spoken at home on psycho-educational factors, our third aim involved investigating the extent to which relationships were moderated by language (English vs. Chinese-speaking). The sample consisted of n = 380 English-speaking and Chinese-speaking (Mandarin and Cantonese) Australian high school students, with groups (n = 190 each) matched on age and gender, and controlling for parental education and prior academic achievement. We found mediation effects of academic buoyancy across the four learning strategies. In addition, anxiety was positively associated with memorisation, elaboration and PB goals in the mediation analyses. Mediation effects were broadly similar across the two languages; however, there were some significant differences across the two groups. Findings hold relevance for future research on academic buoyancy’s nomological network, the role of language spoken at home in the academic process and the design of interventions addressing academic buoyancy and academic anxiety.

Subthreshold body dysmorphic disorder in adolescents: Prevalence and impact

The aim of the current study was to establish the prevalence of subthreshold body dysmorphic disorder (subthreshold-BDD) in a community sample of adolescents, and to compare disorder correlates in individuals with subthreshold-BDD to those with probable full-syndrome BDD (probable-BDD) and those without BDD (non-BDD). Self-report questionnaires assessing DSM-IV BDD criteria, past mental health service use, and symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and eating disorders, were completed by 3149 Australian high school students (mean age =14.6 years, 63.5% male). Male participants also completed measures assessing quality of life, muscularity concerns, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems. The prevalence of subthreshold-BDD was 3.4%, and probable-BDD was 1.7%. Compared to the non-BDD group, subthreshold-BDD was associated with elevated symptoms of comorbid psychopathology and greater past mental health service use, and in male-only measures, with poorer quality of life and elevated muscularity concerns. Subthreshold-BDD participants reported significantly lower mental health service use, and fewer symptoms of depression, eating disorders, and hyperactivity than probable-BDD participants, however, other comorbid symptoms did not differ significantly between these groups. These findings indicate that subthreshold-BDD is associated with substantial difficulties for adolescents in the general community. BDD screening should include subthreshold presentations, as these may be an important target for early intervention programs.

Action research to support the integration of social media in the classroom

This article discusses and reflects on the action research process used during an investigation in which social and participatory media were integrated into the face-to-face classroom. The action research project concerned pedagogical and curricular changes created, negotiated, reflected upon and documented as new media were incorporated into 13 classes, over an 18-month period, in an Australian public high school. The action research process and its continual cycles of improvement were used to redesign projects that incorporated new media within a contemporary pedagogical approach to schooling young people. The article discusses the change in thinking and mindset for the teacher that came about from this new learning milieu and was undertaken with a view to meet the school demands of a one electronic device per student program. This study supports educators and learning designers in developing curriculum and pedagogy that is more in line with the demands and skills of young people using social and participatory media to engage, interpret and understand their social worlds.