Australian Policy Context Research Articles

‘Learning from history is something that is important for the future’: Why Australian students think history matters

Research suggests young people generally do not perceive History to be a subject that is relevant to their lives and futures. Across the world, history curriculum policy regularly attracts public debate but, as it is usually dominated by political rhetoric, the students who experience it remain overlooked as policy actors with valuable perspectives. This article foregrounds the voices of Australian secondary school students by drawing on a national online survey that asked students about the relevance of History and the reasons for choosing it as a subject in the post-compulsory years. Concerned about lagging national enrolments in post-compulsory History subjects, we argue that student perspectives provide essential insights into understanding issues related to the status and sustainability of history education. Our thematic analysis demonstrates that students position the present and the future as key touchstones to measure the relevance of History. It explores how these themes relate to prevailing discursive conditions: popular discourse around the purpose of history, young people’s sense of temporality and hope during volatile times, and the futures discourse that frames the Australian curriculum policy context. The research provides impetus for innovating history curriculum policy and education policy more broadly in ways that are responsive to students.

Economic Evaluation of Newborn Screening for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.

Evidence on the cost-effectiveness of newborn screening (NBS) for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in the Australian policy context is lacking. In this study, a pilot population-based screening program in Australia was used to model the cost-effectiveness of NBS for SCID from the government perspective. Markov cohort simulations were nested within a decision analytic model to compare the costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) over a time horizon of 5 and 60 years for two strategies: (1) NBS for SCID and treat with early hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT); (2) no NBS for SCID and treat with late HSCT. Incremental costs were compared to incremental QALYs to calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the model uncertainty and identify key parameters impacting on the ICER. In the long-term over 60 years, universal NBS for SCID would gain 10 QALYs at a cost of US $0.3 million, resulting in an ICER of US$33,600/QALY. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that more than half of the simulated ICERs were considered cost-effective against the common willingness-to-pay threshold of A$50,000/QALY (US$35,000/QALY). In the Australian context, screening for SCID should be introduced into the current NBS program from both clinical and economic perspectives.

The impact of co-location employment partnerships within the Australian mental health service and policy context: A systematic review.

Adults with a serious persistent mental illness (SPMI) express a strong desire to work. However, they continue to experience higher levels of unemployment, barriers, and occupational exclusion that impact their vocational outcomes and choice of work. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of co‐location partnerships between adult mental health and disability employment services (DES) on employment outcomes and consumer choice of work for adults with a SPMI. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, a systematic literature review was conducted by searching four databases. The relationship between mental health, employment, and DES was examined. Inclusion criteria were adults with a SPMI; employment services and outcomes; and job retention and sustainability. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. All studies were peer‐reviewed, Australian‐based, and published between 01 January 2017 and 30 August 2021. Individual placement and support (IPS); DES practice, funding, policy, and reform within the Australian mental health system; and barriers to participation in DES were the three main themes that emerged. Findings highlight the importance of joint, co‐location partnerships between mental health and employment services, including a collaborative approach to policy reform between both services, to assist adults with a SPMI to gain and sustain competitive employment. Vocational, non‐vocational, systemic, and structural barriers still exist; hence, adults with a SPMI continue to face challenges with gaining and sustaining long‐term employment. Hence, it is important for these partnerships to be systematically set up to support the complexity of the employment journey for adults with a SPMI.

Characterising health promotion in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages: A content analysis of COVID-19 and maternal health resources.

Issue addressedHealth promotion resources in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) languages are being widely translated and disseminated at the community, health service and government level. In addition to outlining the relevant Australian policy context and evidence base, this study sought to describe the availability and characteristics of COVID‐19 and maternal health promotion resources incorporating Indigenous languages.MethodsHealth promotion resources published online between June 2005 and June 2020 were identified by a desktop scan and screened against quality inclusion criteria. A content analysis by resource type, health topic, purpose, use of language and source was conducted.ResultsA total of 215 resources was eligible for inclusion, incorporating 50 different Indigenous languages and representing a varied approach to language use and health promotion. Almost 7 times as many COVID‐19 resources were identified than maternal health materials.ConclusionsIn contrast to maternal health, COVID‐19 has seen a sharp rise in the number of health promotion resources produced in language, especially in formats capable of streamlined replication in multiple languages. Strong use of narrative, storytelling and alternative primary aims such as language education suggests potential for greater collaboration between health promotion organisations and other community groups and services. Bilingual resources may have applications for communities where traditional language knowledge is being reawakened.So what?Emerging capacity to efficiently produce health promotion resources in multiple Indigenous languages could be capitalised for health topics beyond COVID‐19. However, further research in determining best practice and user perspectives is essential in guiding the development of these resources.

The Australian policy context for the management of psychosocial risks at work

The Australian policy context for the management of psychosocial risks at work

In whose best interests? Regulating childcare environments in Australia

This conceptual model paper uses systems theory to explain how key elements in the Australian policy and regulatory context lead to three issues of concern in childcare centre physical environments: siting of centres on busy roads; lack of outdoor space; and, emergency evacuation in high-rise buildings. Drawing on evidence from prior studies and policy documents through desktop research, as well as childcare centre visits and communications with stakeholders and experts, we confirmed these issues as threats to children’s health, safety, development and well-being. Adapting Goekler’s ‘iceberg model’ of systems theory, we identified a dominance of commercial childcare property interests and complex and conflicting policy and regulatory structures, as explanatory elements leading to outcomes that conflict with children’s best interests.

Newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy with disease-modifying therapies: a cost-effectiveness analysis

ObjectiveTo assess cost-effectiveness of newborn screening (NBS) for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and early treatment with nusinersen or onasemnogene abeparvovec (gene therapy), compared with nusinersen without SMA screening.MethodsInformed by an...

Where evidence‐based policy meets research impact

AbstractThis paper explores the territory between the evidence‐based policymaking (EBPM) agenda and the research impact agenda. Although these two related agendas are typically considered in isolation, this paper provides an analysis dedicated to how they interact. It begins with a discussion outlining the origins of research impact and the use of evidence in policymaking. This is followed by an overview of the Australian policy context that shapes academic research and its impact. We argue that although the relationship between EBPM and research impact can be viewed as a symbiotic one, there are some tensions that arise in practice. Such difficulties can be further exacerbated when using research to inform policy in times of crisis, as illustrated by governing during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The insights provided contribute to our understanding of impact and are of value to policymakers and academic researchers as they help clarify the changing context within which they operate.

Universities and teacher professional learning in the new policy context of teacher accreditation

ABSTRACT All teachers in Australia must now achieve and maintain certification through mandatory accreditation processes that include specified professional learning hours. While key policies that outline teacher professional learning in Australia and New South Wales make no specific reference to a role for universities, this discussion paper proposes that the new teacher accreditation landscape provides opportunities for universities to work collaboratively with education systems to co-design and deliver contextually relevant teacher professional learning, support teachers-as-researchers and support schools to become learning communities. This collaboration would advance the policy agenda inherent in the accreditation processes by developing the intended culture of professional learning among teachers, education systems and universities that goes beyond mandated professional learning hours. We review the Australian policy context from a systems-thinking perspective and argue that university Schools and Faculties of Education (called SOE throughout this paper) work across multiple levels in education systems and are thus uniquely positioned to co-design and deliver relevant and contextually significant learning opportunities that foster teacher professional learning and school improvement.

“How Do We Put Him in the System?”: Client Construction at a Sport-Based Migrant Settlement Service in Melbourne, Australia

The empirical focus of this article is a sport-based settlement service targeting newly arrived migrants in Melbourne, Australia. This five-month study examines staff members’ everyday work routines with a focus on their participation in meetings and the production of documents. Embedded in the Australian immigration policy context, this article shows how staff members aim to empower clients while simultaneously falling back into stigmatising refugee/client identification through administrative practices. The results indicate that staffs’ everyday client constructions reinforce the othering and categorisation of ethnic minorities and support a reductionist deficit model of presenting clients. This may limit the opportunities for migrants to identify with and participate in wider Australian society and thus has the opposite effect of what governments and the sector aim to accomplish.

Analytical review of the Australian policy context for work-related psychological health and psychosocial risks

Psychosocial hazards and risks are widely acknowledged to be a serious challenge in work health and safety (WHS). WHS regulatory (hard law) and non-regulatory (soft law) policies should strive to engage organisations in psychosocial risk management practices and set a standard for good psychological health in the workplace. Therefore, policies should contain key definitions and aspects of good-practice psychosocial risk management principles. However, at present there has been limited review on policy in this area, despite growing evidence of poor work-related psychological health. Using qualitative methods, the current paper reviews relevant regulatory and non-regulatory policy documents and conducts a gap analysis according to criteria identified in models of good psychosocial risk management practice. The paper extends upon European research by Leka et al. (2015) and examines 39 policies (6 regulatory and 33 non-regulatory) in Australia. We found that most policy documents included psychological health in the objective of the policy. Non-regulatory policies showed sound coverage of exposure factors and preventive actions and, to a slightly lesser degree, risk assessment. Moreover, non-regulatory policy documents scored higher than regulatory policies. Within regulatory policies, there is poor inclusion of risk assessment, preventive action and poor coverage of exposure factors and psychological health outcomes. All policies could be strengthened by including greater coverage of work-related psychological health problems/disorders and associated aoutcomes. This is a novel review, which contributes to a broader program of research on Australian WHS policy. The next research phase seeks detailed information from WHS experts about the effectiveness and/or implementation of these policies in order to ascertain potential improvements.

If not quality, then what? The discursive risks in early childhood quality reform

ABSTRACTThis paper reports on the findings of a genealogical study and argues that the global discourse of quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is based on a number of problematic assumptions that converge to identify ‘quality’ as the site of government investment. Using the Australian policy context as an example, the assumption that only quality ECEC is beneficial for children is linked to the historical privileging of mother-care and the male breadwinner through family policy. Using Foucault’s notion of the ‘art of government’, the implications of the discursive logics of quality are outlined, including how ‘not quality’ childcare is positioned as potentially harmful, yet, the workforce can never be ‘quality enough’. It is recommended that early childhood sector academics, advocates and professionals work to introduce new discursive statements to the global policyscape, in order to create and foster diverse representations and understandings of the benefits and value of ECEC.

Testing the Social Interaction Learning Model's Applicability to Adolescent Substance Misuse in an Australian Context

ABSTRACTBackground: Parents and peers both influence the development of adolescent substance misuse, and the Social Interaction Learning (SIL) model provides a theoretical explanation of the paths through which this occurs. Objective: The SIL model has primarily been tested with conduct outcomes and in US samples. This study adds to the literature by testing the SIL model with four substance use outcomes in a sample of Australian youth. Method: We used structural equation modeling to test the fit of the SIL model to a longitudinal sample (n = 907) of students recruited in grade 5 in Victoria, Australia participating in the International Youth Development Study, who were resurveyed in grades 6 and 10. Results: The model fit was good (χ2(95) = 248.52, p < .001; RMSEA = .04 [90% CI: .036 – .049]; CFI = .94; SRMR = .04). Path estimates from parenting to antisocial behavior and from antisocial behavior to antisocial peers were significant. In turn, having antisocial peers was significantly related to alcohol use, binge drinking, tobacco use, and marijuana use. From parenting, only the direct path to marijuana use was significant, but indirect effects were significant. Conclusions: The SIL model illustrates that parenting plays an early role in the formation of adolescent peer relations that influence substance misuse and identifies etiological pathways that can guide the targets of prevention. The SIL pathways appear robust to the Australian social and policy context.

Exploring the Australian policy context relating to women’s reproductive choices

ABSTRACT This study explored Australian federal level policy instruments which influence and impact on women’s reproductive choices and the consequences of those choices. A systematic policy search and mapping exercise was undertaken. Eighteen policy instruments were identified at the Federal level and were explored through a policy framework and thematic analysis. Findings indicate there are multiple layers of influence on women’s reproductive choices and the consequences of those choices, and the policy instruments interact in multiple dynamic, interconnected and contextual ways. Yet, they also lack cohesion and congruency, failing to account for women’s life circumstances while at the same time shifting the promoted position for women in each policy instrument. The policy instruments seek to regulate, control and selectively support women’s reproduction while simultaneously silencing, marginalising and reprimanding some groups of women.

Challenges in implementing individual placement and support in the Australian mental health service and policy context.

Objective Although Australia's service and policy context differs from that of the US, studies have highlighted potential for individual placement and support (IPS) to support competitive employment outcomes for people with severe and persistent mental illness. The aim of the present study was to explore why the model is not yet widely available. Methods A document analysis was conducted to discern reasons for challenges in implementation of IPS practice principles within the Australian service context. Results The document analysis illustrated that although policy acknowledges the importance of increasing employment rates for people with severe and persistent mental illness, consistent measures, change indicators, direction and time frames are lacking in policy and strategy documentation. Further, IPS principles are not consistently evident in guiding operational documentation that government-funded Disability Employment Services (DES) programs are mandated to adhere to. Conclusions For IPS to be readily implemented, it is necessary for government to offer support to agencies to partner and formal endorsement of the model as a preferred approach in tendering processes. Obligations and processes must be reviewed to ensure that model fidelity is achievable within the Australian Commonwealth policy and service context for programs to achieve competitive employment rates comparable to the most successful international programs. What is known about the topic? The IPS model has been established as the most efficacious approach to support people with severe and persistent mental ill health to gain and sustain employment internationally, yet little is known as to why this model has had very limited uptake in the Australian adult mental health service and policy context. What does this paper add? This paper provides an investigation into the achievability of IPS within DES philosophical and contractual arrangements. What are the implications for practitioners? Mental health practitioners are typically skilled in their understanding of individual or micro-level challenges faced by consumers in achieving vocational goals: working with symptoms, medication side effects, motivation and anxiety. The present study was designed to offer practitioners an increased understanding of service-level factors, because these present considerable challenges to achieving sustained employment. This paper is a call for greater advocacy towards better integration of employment and mental health service delivery in the Australian policy and practice context.

Cultures of gendered violence: An integrative review of measures of attitudinal support for violence against women

National and international research has repeatedly identified the specific gendered nature and context of women’s victimisation of violence, whereby women are disproportionately victims of sexual and partner violence and overwhelmingly at the hands of known male perpetrators. As such, violence against women warrants a targeted and substantial focus, within overall violence reduction and prevention efforts. In the Australian policy context, there is an emerging and influential focus on attitudes towards violence against women as key targets for primary prevention and as foci for monitoring progress in reducing this violence. The Australian National Community Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women Survey was established to estimate community-level understanding of and attitudes towards violence against women. It has arguably evolved into an important instrument both for monitoring shifts in Australians’ knowledge and attitudes, as well as for directing primary prevention efforts. The purpose of this article is to provide an integrative review in relation to one of the key dimensions of the national community attitudes survey: violence supportive attitudes (see Webster et al., 2014). Here, we seek to identify patterns in defining and measuring attitudes that support violence against women, as well as advance the field by offering recommendations for progressing the measurement of violence supportive attitudes in Australia in the future.

Laying or delaying the groundwork? A critical framing analysis of Australia’s National Disability Strategy from an implementation planning perspective

National disability strategy implementation is challenging. Competing needs and interests of government and different stakeholders mean that implementation is rarely straightforward. This study undertakes a critical framing analysis of publically available responses to the draft implementation plan for Australia’s National Disability Strategy (2010–2014) provided by five peak disability organisations. We seek to understand the frames that peak bodies advocate in order to further the interests of people experiencing disability while mapping these against the broader Australian disability policy context and good policy practice more generally. Our research reveals that the peak bodies promote frames which focus on consistency, responsibility, resourcing, inclusivity, co-production, innovation, leadership, accountability and language. In relation to these frames, the final government implementation plan demonstrates a shift in which process-related frames of resourcing and innovation are incorporated into the plan while the other predominantly actor-oriented frames are excluded and thus represented as natural and incontestable.

The emerging field of rural environmental justice studies in Australia: Reflections from an environmental community engagement program

This article provides insights from a recent community engagement and research program of relevance to the emerging rural environmental justice field in Australia. Following a brief summation of the Australian policy context, we review health, education, social science and environmental scholarship, which indicate few studies have been undertaken explicitly on rural environmental justice in Australia. The voices of rural residents on environmental justice issues are rarer still. We then present findings from research conducted during 2013–14 in the NSW Riverina-Murray region of rural Australia. The results give voice to a rich vein of concern and understanding relevant to rural environmental justice amongst rural residents. Survey results (n = 237) on residents' views of environmental problems are explored with a focus on causes and barriers to change.

The challenging Australian policy context for university engagement

Despite the current broad agreement amongst Australian universities that engagement is now a core activity, the implications of that commitment are yet to be fully realised. The difficulties many universities face in articulating engagement as a strategic priority begin with the conceptual and definitional issues around the third mission and its shifting nomenclature. Government policy has provided little support and guidance around the definition and scope of engagement, while the lack of mandatory formal reporting on engagement outcomes and of dedicated base funding for engagement has hampered the development of benchmarks that could provide a sector-wide framework for engagement practices between universities and communities. This weak policy environment has contributed to the peripheralisation of engagement at the institutional level despite efforts within universities to make it a strategic priority.

The Place of Infants in the Evolving Australian Policy Context

IN AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL INITIATIVES have prioritised the education, care and wellbeing of young children through a government agenda delivering an Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009) and a package of National Quality Standards (ACECQA, 2011). While research is available on appropriate practices for working with young children, little research is available, however, related to the impact on settings working with these documents. This paper shares research on the perceptions of the potential or actual impact of the evolving policy context as explored through interviews with 20 educators working with very young children. Issues are raised regarding staff development and qualifications in relation to educator understanding of the evolving policy context.