Australian School Students Research Articles

Australian Primary School Students’ Understandings about the Nature of Scientific Inquiry

Australian Primary School Students’ Understandings about the Nature of Scientific Inquiry

Which LGBTQ+ Inclusive School Strategies Support LGBTQ+ Student, Staff and Parent Perceptions of School Climate? A Latent Class Analysis

ABSTRACT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) students, LGBTQ+ staff and LGBTQ+ parents report schools can be unsafe and unwelcoming environments. Yet few studies have explored LGBTQ+ student, LGBTQ+ staff and LGBTQ+ parent perceptions of the school climate simultaneously or adopted person-centered perspectives. The present study sought to identify LGBTQ+ related strategies adopted by schools, and whether these were differentially related to perceptions of school safety and community. Data were collected in 2021 via online sampling of the current Australian school (1,937) students, (124) staff and (75) parents. Four distinct inclusion strategy profiles were identified via latent class analysis: Comprehensive Inclusion, Curriculum & Pedagogical Inclusion, Extracurricular Inclusion and Limited Inclusion. Just under half (48.2%) of schools lacked LGBTQ+ strategies, with participants from these schools reporting greater safety concerns. Our findings suggest that curriculum and pedagogical strategies are likely the most effective and should be a key focus for improving the school climate. Schools that employed LGBTQ+ affirming practices and included LGBTQ+ resources and activities, like Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs), saw improved perceptions of safety and community.

The level of predictability of past reading attainment and self-perception and behavioural measures on children’s reading achievement

This longitudinal study used regression path models to predict the influence on students’ reading comprehension ability of three self-perception variables (reading self-concept; reading/English effort; academic self-handicapping); three teacher rating behaviour variables (attentive behaviour; sociable behaviour; and settled behaviour) and past reading comprehension. As part of the study, a 12-item reading/English effort scale was developed, and its psychometrics characteristics reported ( N = 254) The participants were Australian primary school students, followed from Years 3 and 4 to Years 5 and 6 ( n = 127). The first path model identified that attending behaviours, low levels of self-handicapping, and reading self-concept were the main predictors of reading achievement. Reading achievement was reassessed two years on, with this path model including past reading attainment. In this model past reading achievement and self-handicapping predicted reading achievement. This research reiterates: the relevance of social-emotional and cognitive variables in education; the need to teach reading across the school years; and the need to enhance students’ sense of control and certainty over their learning.

The socio-cultural experience of Chinese international students in Australian schools: challenges and opportunities

ABSTRACT Objective The needs and experiences of Chinese international students in the context of secondary education have been largely under-researched. Tertiary education research has shown international student populations are particularly susceptible to acculturative stressors, loneliness, and isolation in host cultures therefore it is important to consider these factors amongst secondary students studying abroad who are potentially even more vulnerable. Method This qualitative research explored the experiences and challenges faced by Chinese secondary students in Australia and their help-seeking behaviour. Interview data was collected from 17 participants across two different school settings. Results Thematic analysis identified three key themes; Adjustment Difficulties, Academic Difference and Help-seeking and support. It was found that the challenges experienced by international students consisted of living, academic and sociocultural factors. Participants reported experiencing cultural discrimination but were reluctant to seek formal help for this. Conclusion The results have implications for Australian secondary schools given the high number of international students that study in the country. Recommendations are made for how international students can be better supported.

Locating Australian school students in sites of curriculum making: a literature review

Young people and children are central to conceptualisations of curriculum as a social process, especially in school-based settings. However, students have tended to be on the periphery of education policy development more broadly and curriculum reform more specifically. As a more inclusive approach to engaging students in curriculum consultation processes is beginning to be taken in Australia, it is timely to gauge the extent to which students are being actively engaged as curriculum actors and research participants across the Australian curricular landscape. This article draws on Priestley et al.’s (2021) sites of curriculum making model to frame a systematised literature review of a decade of Australian academic and grey literature for the purpose of identifying the sites and activities in which students are active and/or the focus of research. The review suggests there is a small body of research on curriculum negotiation within school-based nano and micro sites of curriculum making. However, an absence of academic research related to meso and macro curriculum making means we have a limited understanding of the dynamics of the activities, interactions, contestations and power relations that constitute curriculum making in these spaces in relation to students. This article considers some of the reasons for and implications of these trends, including how existing curriculum and student voice scholarship might inform future research. It argues that a better understanding of the possibilities and challenges of student-centred curriculum making activities could assist in moving beyond superficial “consultation” methods, especially during periods of significant curriculum renewal.

Parents’ perceptions of the Tasmanian School Lunch Project - interim findings

Most Australian school students take a packed lunch to school(1). However, parents have reported many barriers to packing a healthy lunch(2). Subsequently, foods eaten during school hours are not consistent with the Australian Dietary Guidelines, with discretionary foods providing about 44% of energy consumed during this time(3). In addition, some children go to school without any food for lunch or money to buy lunch. The Tasmanian School Lunch Project provides free nutritious cooked lunches for Kinder to Year 10 students attending 30 government schools (15 commenced 2022, 15 commenced 2023) in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage. The lunches were provided 1-3 days/week. The menu and recipes were designed by dietitians. This analysis aimed to describe parents’ perceptions of the School Lunch Project during the first year. Six of the 15 schools that commenced in term 2 2022 were invited, and agreed, to participate in the evaluation. During term 3 or 4 2022, parents completed online or written surveys (n = 159) and/or participated in discussion groups (n = 26) to share their thoughts on the menu, their concerns, likes, and willingness to pay. Survey data were analysed descriptively and open-ended survey responses and discussion group data thematically. During 2022, 78,832 nutritious cooked lunches were provided to 1,678 students. Most parents felt there was enough variety on the menu (66%) and the right amount of food was served (69%). Most students (79%) ate the lunches every day they were provided yet 52% of parents continued to provide a packed lunch. Parents enjoyed that their child was having a healthy lunch (66%) and trying new foods (74%). Some parents in the discussion groups indicated positive flow on effects at home with students trying new foods and sitting down together as a family to eat the evening meal. Half the parents (50%) had no concerns about the school providing lunches. The most commonly reported concerns were their child might not like the food (36%) or their child does not try new foods (8.6%). These concerns were also raised in the discussion groups. Most parents (93%) were prepared to pay for the lunches in future (median $3, range $1-$12) and 85% thought there should be a family discount. Parents acknowledged some payment was necessary for the sustainability of the program but some expressed concern for those who may struggle to pay. More direct communication with families about the meals offered, the availability of bread (from term 4 2022) for students who choose not to eat the cooked lunch or want more to eat, and allowing families time to adjust to the new lunch system, may address some of the concerns raised. Further data on parents’ perceptions of the school lunches will be collected during term 3 2023.

A pilot study to assess the impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural humility webinars on Australian medical school students

BackgroundThe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework helps higher education providers to deliver safe and well-informed cultural humility education. However, there is currently a scarcity of evidence surrounding the efficacy and impact of cultural humility education. This study will use qualitative and quantitative research methods to evaluate learning outcomes from an Indigenous health educational webinar aimed at Australian medical students.MethodsA pilot study was conducted following a group of Australian medical students who attended an educational Indigenous health (IH) culturally responsive webinar. Recruitment was conducted via the webinar hosts’ social media pages. Quantitative methods involved sending one pre- and two post-webinar questionnaires to attendees. To assess participants’ retention of information, one post-webinar survey was sent out immediately after the webinar and another three months after the webinar. These questionnaires were designed to reflect pre-determined learning objectives for the webinar. Qualitative methods involved a focus group discussion to identify common themes from participant feedback.ResultsTwenty-six participants were included in the final quantitative analysis. Most of the participants were clinical students between 18 and 24 years old who did not identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. There was a significant increase (p = 0.007) between pre-intervention (M = 0.35, SD = 0.26) and post-webinar knowledge for the learning outcome exploring the links between health and education (M = 047, SD = 0.25). No results were obtained from the three months post-intervention questionnaire. The qualitative analysis synthesized feedback from three participants and identified presenter delivery style as an important mediator of webinar effectiveness.ConclusionsThere was a significant increase in knowledge and understanding for the learning outcome that explored the links between health and education. We attribute this partly to the engaging and conversational delivery style of the webinar presenters. The importance of Indigenous facilitators that encourage reflective teaching should not be understated. Our results suggest that cultural humility webinars can have a positive impact on medical students’ understanding of the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health landscape. This pilot study warrants further research on a larger population.

“I want to help kids like me be heard!” A survey about schooling from the perspective of adolescents with ADHD

ABSTRACT This study sought to increase awareness of ADHD though the context of a school assignment completed by a student with ADHD. The student (pseudonym Jim) sought opinions of 67 Australian school students with ADHD between 11-16 years to investigate their schooling experiences. Findings revealed that schooling mostly was a positive experience due to the student/teacher relationship, scaffolded learning opportunities and devices such as fidget toys to reduce off-task behaviours. However, school was challenging for some due to their teachers and peers’ limited understanding of ADHD. These findings provide starting points to ensure educators receive on-going professional learning about ADHD and offer evidenced-based academic supports and interventions to enhance the academic learning for these students. Finally, it is important to consider the personal views of this student group to ensure schooling is a positive experience and teachers gain further knowledge and understanding about ADHD through adolescents’ own life and school experiences.

Exploring Motivations and Benefits of Volunteering: The Perspectives of High School Students in Selected Australian Islamic Schools

Substantial research in educational and non-educational contexts demonstrates the importance and value of volunteering broadly and among young people specifically. However, there is no research that explores volunteering from the perspectives of students in Australian Islamic schools. To fill this gap, this paper explores the motivations for, and benefits of, volunteering from the perspectives of high school students in three Australian Islamic schools (AIS). The research utilised a phenomenological qualitative approach to explore the lived experience of these students vis-à-vis volunteering. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 (13 male and 13 female) high school students (HSS) (year 10 to 12) at three AIS across three states. The findings demonstrate that students were motivated to volunteer because of intrinsic religious reasons, self-satisfaction and development, altruism, knowledge and skill-based enhancement, social motives, employment-based motives, and inspiring parents’ motive. The benefits include individual and societal development, enhanced involvement and belonging within mainstream society, and countering Islamophobia.

Measuring Motivation for Mathematics Course Choice in Secondary School Students: Interrelationships Between Cost and Other Situated Expectancy-Value Theory Components

Higher-level mathematics courses in upper secondary school serve as a critical filter to future educational courses and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). However, the percentage of senior school students in Australia undertaking higher-level mathematics courses is decreasing. Given that these courses provide students with skills and knowledge integral to STEM disciplines, it is important to discover factors that serve to encourage or detract students in choosing higher-level mathematics courses. Considering that educational and career choices are influenced by personal interests, values, and expectations, the purpose of this study was to design and validate a bipolar format survey instrument to investigate motivational factors on mathematics course choices of Year 10 Australian school students based upon Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT). A 25-item survey instrument using a bipolar format was developed to measure: Expectancy for success (operationalized as Competence-beliefs); Intrinsic value; Attainment value; Utility value; and Cost in relation to mathematics. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses of data collected from Year 10 students ( n = 886) revealed a four-factor model consisting of well-defined factors of Competence-beliefs, Intrinsic value, Attainment value, and Utility value. Unexpectedly, the items designed to measure the Cost factor dispersed variously into the factors of Competence-beliefs, Intrinsic value, and Utility value, and conceptually plausible explanations are offered for this finding. This survey represents a promising instrument for measuring predictors of mathematics course choices in senior school students. The study findings also suggest interrelationships between specific cost dimensions and other factors relevant to the measurement of SEVT constructs more generally.

Australian Primary School Students’ Knowledge of the Agricultural Industry

The teaching of agriculture is critical to ensure students understand where their food and fibre originate, as well as the industry’s contribution to the economy. This research examines the agricultural knowledge of Australian primary school students. Grade 4–6 students (n = 2392) from 75 schools were surveyed in 2021. The students’ mean knowledge score was 8.7 out of 13 (SD = 2.1). The students exhibited a reasonable understanding of animal-derived products compared to plant-derived products, particularly when the plant product has undergone substantial processing. However, the students lacked an understanding of modern animal production systems, including the use of technologies on farms. This research identifies the gap in students’ agricultural knowledge and provides insight to the industry to design and implement programs to improve their understanding.

Types and correlates of school absenteeism among students with intellectual disability.

It appears that students with intellectual disability (ID) are more frequently absent from school compared with students without ID. The objective of the current study was to estimate the frequency of absence among students with ID and the reasons for absence. Potential reasons included the attendance problems referred to as school refusal, where absence is related to emotional distress; truancy, where absence is concealed from parents; school exclusion, where absence is instigated by the school; and school withdrawal, where absence is initiated by parents. Study participants were 629 parents (84.6% mothers) of Australian school students (Mage =11.18years; 1.8% Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander) with an ID. Participants completed a questionnaire battery that included the School Non-Attendance ChecKlist via which parents indicated the reason their child was absent for each day or half-day absence their child had over the past 20 school days. The absence data presented to parents had been retrieved from school records. Across all students, absence occurred on 7.9% of the past 20 school days. In terms of school attendance problems as defined in existing literature, school withdrawal accounted for 11.1% of absences and school refusal for 5.3% of absences. Students were also absent for other reasons, most commonly illness (32.0%) and appointments (24.2%). Of students with more than one absence (n=217; 34.5%), about half were absent for more than one reason. Students attending mainstream schools had lower attendance than those attending special schools. Students with ID were absent for a range of reasons and often for multiple reasons. There were elevated rates of school withdrawal and school refusal. Understanding the reasons for absenteeism can inform targeted prevention and intervention supports.

Adolescents' knowledge and beliefs regarding health risks of soda and diet soda consumption.

To examine Australian adolescents' knowledge and beliefs regarding potential health consequences of soda and diet soda consumption and nutritional aspects of soda and explore associations with consumption. A survey utilising a nationally representative sample (stratified two-stage probability design) assessed knowledge of nutritional contents and health consequences of soda, and beliefs regarding health risks of diet soda, and soda and diet drink consumption. Australia. 9102 Australian school students (12-17 years) surveyed in 2018. Adolescents had lower nutritional knowledge (sugar content (22·2 %), exercise equivalent (33·9 %), calories/kJ (3·1 %)) than general knowledge of health risks (87·4 %) and some health effects (71·7-75·6 % for tooth decay, weight gain and diabetes), with lower knowledge of heart disease (56·0 %) and cancer (19·3 %). Beliefs regarding health effects of diet soda were similar, albeit not as high. In general, female sex, older age and less disadvantage were associated with reporting health effects of soda and diet soda, and nutritional knowledge of soda (P < 0·001). Those reporting tooth decay, weight gain, heart disease and diabetes as health effects of soda and diet soda were lower consumers of soda and diet drinks (P < 0·001), as were those with higher nutritional knowledge (sugar content and exercise equivalent; P < 0·001). This study highlights possible knowledge gaps regarding the health effects of soda and nutritional knowledge for public health intervention. When implementing such interventions, it is important to monitor the extent to which adolescents may consider diet drinks as an alternative beverage given varied beliefs about health consequences and evolving evidence.

Bullying toward LGBTQI + students in Australian schools: Understanding teachers’ intentions to intervene

The bullying of sexual and/or gender minority youth at school is a social violence issue that is ubiquitous in most countries. In line with evidence-based practice, teachers are consistently shown to be a critical component of success when addressing this issue; however, teachers’ preparedness to respond to sexual and/or gender motivated bullying is under researched. Utilizing components of the theory of planned behavior, a sample of 437 Australian teachers were investigated to determine whether knowledge, perceived barriers, and attitudes toward both sexual and/or gender minorities predicted teachers’ intentions to intervene when a sexual and/or gender minority student is bullied above and beyond sociodemographic factors associated with prejudice. Results of hierarchical linear regression demonstrated that teachers with more positive views of gender minorities and less traditional views related to gender ideologies were more likely to endorse higher intentions to intervene in sexual and/or gender minority motivated bullying. Findings suggested teachers’ attitudinal biases inform their professional practices when a sexual and/or gender minority student is bullied.

Loneliness and depressive symptoms among Australian female boarding school students

Loneliness in adolescence is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of a myriad of mental health conditions, especially among females. Adolescent females in boarding schools spend prolonged periods away from family and may therefore be more prone to experiencing loneliness and depression. Research into this significant issue is limited, however. The present study compared the levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms of 403, 13–17 year old adolescent females from a range of boarding and non-boarding secondary schools. Confirmatory Factor Analyses established the fit of the loneliness and depressive symptom measures. Multivariate Analysis of Variance revealed boarding school students scored significantly higher than non- boarding school students on levels of depressive symptoms and having a positive attitude to being alone. These differences remained significant when age was covaried. There were no differences in quality of friendships, feelings of isolation, and having a negative attitude to being alone. The implications of these findings for boarding schools are discussed.

Prevalence of electronic device use before bed among Australian children and adolescents: a cross‐sectional population level study

ObjectiveTo understand the prevalence of children and adolescents’ electronic device use (EDU) in the hour before bed and identify sociodemographic groups that are at increased risk of problematic use. MethodA contemporary population wide sample of South Australian school students aged 8‐18 years (n = 70,936) was utilised to present descriptive statistics of EDU before bed across sociodemographic groups. Data was collected from the 2019 Wellbeing and Engagement Collection, an annual self‐report census of students’ health, wellbeing and school engagement. Results90% of children used an electronic device in the hour before bed at least one night a week, with 51% using a device every night. Older adolescent females in grades 10‐12 were most frequent users and children from the most socioeconomically disadvantaged communities were also more likely to use electronic devices in the hour before bed. ConclusionEDU before bed is highly prevalent among Australian children and adolescents and given the negative health and educational impacts, it requires immediate and widespread action from policy makers to ensure the health of Australia's next generation. Implications for public healthThe scale of the problem has now been identified; next steps rely on a public health approach to address this issue. This might include awareness raising campaigns and targeted interventions towards at‐risk groups.

The codevelopment of reading and attention from middle childhood to early adolescence: A multivariate latent growth curve study.

Attention skills are strong cross-sectional predictors of reading comprehension from childhood through to adolescence. However, less is known about the developmental relations between these two domains across this period. This study examined the codevelopment of reading and attention in a community sample of 614 Australian school students (50% female). Reading and attention were assessed at ages 8, 10, 12, and 14. Results of univariate latent growth models demonstrated, on average, curvilinear trajectories for reading in which rapid growth across younger age spans decelerates as children reach adolescence. By contrast, attention skills remained relatively stable on average. Significant negative correlations were observed between the intercept and slope factors in separate reading (r = -.62) and attention models (r = -.39) suggesting compensatory growth patterns in which poorer performing students in both domains at age 8 have steeper trajectories than their higher performing peers. A comparison of a multivariate latent growth model and an autoregressive latent trajectory model with structured residuals (ALT-SR) examined the interrelatedness of development in reading and attention. Both between-individual and within-individual cross-domain parameters showed reading and attention to be positively related at Grade 3, indicating an association between better attention and higher reading achievement at age 8. However, there was little evidence for interrelated growth across domains in this sample. The results contribute to theories which explain whether and how multiple cognitive domains codevelop over a substantial period of childhood and early adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Touching through the screen: embodied learning through on-line intercultural exchanges among primary school children

This paper is based on ethnographic research of Australian and South Korean primary school students’ experiences of on-line synchronous intercultural exchanges as part of a school partnership. Starting with an embodied understanding of learning, I discuss the applicability of body pedagogies to the on-line context in a classroom setting by analysing how the institutional dimension (‘situated epistemic relations’) informed how the children were taught to engage during on-line intercultural exchanges in relation to the children’s embodied experiences of the exchanges (‘practical epistemological analysis’). Through a more holistic approach that includes the body as integral to the students’ digitally-mediated interactions, this paper provides a deeper understanding of the students’ intercultural learning that is not limited to a cognitive focus on language learning and skill acquisition. I conclude with thoughts on future research directions including how children’s embodied experiences of intercultural exchanges may contribute to the longer-term development of an ‘intercultural habitus’.

Contemporary Australian socio-cultural factors and their influence on medical student rural career intent.

ObjectiveTo understand how contemporary socio‐cultural factors may impact medical students' rural career intent.DesignCross‐sectional study using data from the national Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators survey.Participants/settingMedical students across 18 Australian universities who completed a full academic year of clinical training in rural areas in 2019.Main outcome measure(s)Preferred location of practice post‐training reported to be either: (i) a major city; (ii) a regional area or large town; or (iii) a small rural location.ResultsIn total, 626 students completed the survey (70.1% response rate). A small rural location was the most preferred location of practice after graduation for 28.3% of the students (95% CI 21.6–36.0). Four socio‐cultural factors were positively associated with a preference for a rural career location: poor health status of rural people, motor vehicle traffic congestion in cities, rural generalist training opportunities in the state and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Other socio‐cultural factors, including specialists’ under‐employment, Medicare freeze effect on doctors' income, bullying/sexual harassment in hospitals, climate change/natural disasters or recognised rural health personalities did not influence the investigated outcome.ConclusionsOur findings indicate a novel association between contemporary socio‐cultural factors and rural career intention in a cohort of Australian rural clinical school students. These findings advocate for further consideration of research exploring socio‐cultural factors shaping rural career intent and workforce outcomes.

Student voice as part of differentiated instruction: students’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Inclusive teaching places importance on teachers providing opportunities for students to have some input in their learning, and this is often referred to in the literature as student voice; with Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child typically used to justify this practice. However, student voice is defined and implemented differently by teachers and researchers. This paper seeks to position student voice within the inclusive teaching approach of differentiated instruction. This qualitative study features the voices and perspectives of Australian primary school students (aged between 11 and 12 years) on student voice and their teachers' responsiveness to this consultation for one unit of work. Data collection included an end of unit survey and focus group interviews. Two themes were identified through thematic analysis: student choice and engagement. Overall, the students in this study expressed that they want more voice and choice in their learning in the future. With increasing expectations on teachers to differentiate instruction in response to the diverse needs of students, teachers may consider adopting voice-inclusive practice to inform planning and adopt more participatory pedagogy.