Australian University Research Articles

Survival of Endodontically Treated Teeth with Direct and Indirect Posts: A 5-Year Retrospective Evaluation at an Australian University Dental Clinic

Restoring endodontically treated teeth has always been a challenge in dentistry. Dental posts are used when further retention is required for the final restoration, indicating that the tooth is already structurally compromised. Varying survival rates have been reported by previous studies, and there does not seem to be consensus on what factors are favorable regarding the survival of teeth treated with dental posts. Background/Objectives: This study investigated the survival of teeth treated with direct and indirect posts placed by dentists and dental students at an Australian university over a five-year period. Methods: This retrospective study included 684 direct and indirect posts placed from January 2018 to December 2022 at Griffith University dental clinic. The survival of the teeth treated with dental posts was assessed using Kaplan–Meier analysis. The potential effect of patient, tooth and operator factors was assessed using Cox regression analysis. Results: The posts had a five-year survival rate of 94% and survival time of 46.16 months. No statistically significant difference in survival was noted between the different groups in this study. Conclusions: Teeth treated with dental posts have been shown to have good short-term survival; however, long-term survival could not be commented on. Within the limitations of this study, survival was not associated with the location of the tooth, type of tooth, operator expertise, post material, cement, restoration or opposing dentition.

Comparing the mental health of Australian university students with that of young people who are not in higher education

Abstract Compared with their non-student counterparts, young adults engaged in higher education are often reported to be at greater risk for mental health concerns. However, research directly comparing university student and non-student populations is limited. This study uses a community sample to investigate differences in the mental health and wellbeing of young Australians (17–25 years) engaged in university study (n = 828) compared with their age-matched non-studying peers (n = 880). Comparisons are made on mean levels of psychological distress, wellbeing, resilience, and loneliness, as well as the proportion of individuals meeting commonly used classifications for mental health and wellbeing. We then examine the role of employment on reported distress and wellbeing. While a substantial proportion of the sample reported high to very high distress, our study found no overall substantive difference in levels of distress or wellbeing between students and non-students. An examination of employment status revealed a more nuanced result. Full-time employment was associated with greater psychological distress in students, where otherwise students reported better wellbeing and lower distress than their non-student peers. These findings challenge the common discourse of tertiary students as having a greater risk of distress than the general community. However, attempting to combine full-time work with full-time study is challenging, and the pressures of such work can increase distress. Increased financial assistance for tertiary students is needed to ease work pressures, along with greater understanding of the flexibility needed to balance work and study commitments.

Sexual and reproductive health content in Australian pre-registration nursing and midwifery programs: A review of curricula.

To identify and examine sexual and reproductive health (SRH) content in Australia's pre-registration undergraduate and postgraduate Nursing and Midwifery program curricula. Sexual and reproductive healthcare, integral to women's well-being, relies on Nursing and Midwifery workforce. However, it is unknown how pre-registration curricula prepares nurses and midwives to provide this care, despite international imperatives to enhance access. Cross-sectional study METHODS: Between November 2022 and March 2023, we examined pre-registration Nursing and Midwifery programs across all Australian universities. Data were collected from publicly accessible online program information (unit handbooks, with unit coordinators were contacted for additional details when needed. Counts and percentages were used to summarize data using a term matrix designed for retrieval and coding into 'explicit', 'implicit' or 'no mention' categories. From 37 universities, 92 units from 86 pre-registration programs were included and reviewed. A total of 44 (47.8 %) of the unit outlines and 6 (6.5 %) of the unit names contained explicit terms. The most common explicit term was 'reproductive health' (102, 57.9 %), following by violence (42, 22.6 %) and all were covered in undergraduate-level programs. However, abortion care was not found in any of the reviewed curricula. There is limited content on SRH in the online handbooks of Australian pre-registration Nursing and Midwifery programs. This study recommends a more comprehensive inclusion of SRH content, particularly abortion care, in pre-registration courses to ensure that nurses and midwives receive comprehensive knowledge in this area.

A scoping review of factors associated with Australian university student wellbeing

A scoping review of factors associated with Australian university student wellbeing

Decoding disciplinary expectations: an analysis of lecturers’ benchmarks for success in undergraduate assignments

ABSTRACT One of the most significant and yet often overlooked challenges for university students is decoding what their instructors expect from their assignments. Better understanding those expectations and the vocabulary and grammar needed to achieve them are the motivations behind this investigation. Eleven experienced instructors within an Australian university were interviewed about their motivations for assigning certain genres and their expectations when marking those assignments. This interview data informed the second stage, a linguistic analysis of student assignments. The analysis primarily focused on the occurrence of grammatical metaphor (GM), a powerful linguistic resource within academic discourse. The aim was to better understand what role, if any, GM plays in achieving the genre expectations identified in the instructor interviews. The analysis revealed how GM enabled the successful texts to be structured in ways the instructors valued. The paper concludes with pedagogical recommendations to ensure students are able to meet their instructors’ expectations.

Mindfulness predicts impostorism in trainee psychologists in professional programs

ABSTRACT Objective The impostor phenomenon theoretically emerges early in psychology training, with implications for personal and professional well-being, including development of reflective-practitioner and other competencies, professional identity formation and career longevity. The present study is one of few studies directly examining the impostorism construct among trainee psychologists, and the first to examine the relationship between impostorism and mindfulness. Method The Leary Impostorism Scale and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire – Short Form were used to assess impostorism and mindfulness among 231 trainee psychologists enrolled in a Master of School, Professional or Clinical Psychology at an Australian university. Results Results indicated trainee psychologists experience impostorism. Increased mindfulness was associated with decreased impostorism, but only three of five mindfulness facets uniquely predicted impostorism. Conclusion Understanding the relationship between key mindfulness mechanisms and impostorism is necessary for training institutions, clinical supervisors and trainee psychologists themselves to inform early intervention within and beyond pedagogical approaches in clinical training.

A ukulele for everyone: a collaborative self-study of an initiative for student-owned ukuleles in an Australian university

ABSTRACT The limited time for music education in generalist primary and early childhood teacher education courses remains a persistent challenge in initial teacher education. An initiative for student-owned ukuleles was launched at an Australian university to enhance the skills and confidence of pre-service primary and early childhood generalist teachers to include music activities in their teaching. This collaborative self-study explores the experiences of four music teacher educators across several years and iterations of core arts subjects where pre-service teachers purchased or borrowed a ukulele. The initiative for student-owned ukuleles began during the COVID lockdowns and extended into periods of online learning and the return to in-person teaching. Data collection consisted of individual narratives, document analysis and reflective discussions. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify emergent themes. In this article, we report how the initiative built community and connection, supported confident and unselfconscious singing, using a pedagogy informed by participatory music making. The findings highlight the potential benefits to supporting generalist teacher skills and confidence to use music in their classrooms and the value of self-study to transform our practice as teacher-educator-researchers. The findings may be of interest to music teacher educators in similar circumstances.

Modelling Work–Study Conflict Effects on Built Environment Students’ Well-Being, Health, and Academic Performance

Balancing academic responsibilities and work commitments poses significant challenges for students in built environment (BE) programs, often leading to compromised well-being and academic difficulties. This study examines the causal effects of balancing work–study responsibilities on students’ health, well-being, and academic outcomes, addressing critical gaps in the literature. A positivist research approach was employed, with data collected via an online survey of 253 undergraduate BE students from Australian universities. The survey assessed academic and work stressors, health, mental well-being, coping strategies, and academic outcomes. Statistical analyses, including one-sample t-tests, factor analysis, and path analysis, were used to analyse the data. The findings reveal that BE students experience severe stress and moderate levels of anxiety and depression, significantly impacting their academic performance. Common health issues include fatigue and sleep disturbances. Work–study conflict and performance anxiety were identified as the strongest predictors of negative health outcomes, with maladaptive coping strategies amplifying these effects. These results underscore the urgent need for institutional interventions, such as flexible learning options, enhanced mental health services, and industry partnerships to alleviate work–study conflicts. Encouraging adaptive coping mechanisms and providing targeted support can help mitigate adverse effects, promoting improved academic performance and well-being among BE students. These findings can be generalised to students in other academic disciplines and countries, as similar work–study challenges and their associated impacts are observed globally.

Food insecurity among international students’ studying in Melbourne, Australia: experiences and impacts

Abstract Food insecurity among international students at Australian universities is a hidden phenomenon obscured by shame and stigma, exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis and deprivations intensified by the Covid-19 epidemic. However, there is limited diversity in understanding of young people’s navigations of food insecurity. The aims of this paper are to illuminate the experiences, impacts, management strategies and factors affecting international students’ ability to access and acquire culturally appropriate food that is nutritious, sufficient and safe. Overall, key findings relate to the importance of the early months after arrival to their country of study and the related, and increased likelihood of experiencing food insecurity during that time. These months are crucial due to competing priorities related to securing housing, study and linguistic challenges, a constrained financial situation, and the time required to develop knowledge about the city, its neighbourhoods and how best to procure safe, accessible, nutritious and culturally familiar food. Another key finding was that cultural food insecurity underscores students’ ongoing experiences with food, as well as the dissatisfaction, disconnection and melancholy that accompanies trade-offs that are inevitably made resulting in settling for locally available food that is less nutritious, culturally familiar or desirable. If international students are to be adequately supported during their time studying in Australian universities, better evidence-based solutions, informed by international students themselves, need to be identified.

Teaching Academic Oracy Program for First-Year Chinese Students in Australian Tertiary Education

Mastering academic skills is essential for Chinese students to complete their studies, as these skills affect their understanding of course content and critical thinking. This article discusses the integration of oracy exercises into the TESOL curriculum. Part 1 highlights the importance of teaching academic oracy to Chinese students, focusing on their specific needs and the challenges of incorporating speaking practice in Australian universities. Part 2 outlines a lesson plan based on the Oracy Skills Framework, evaluating its pros and cons, and suggests solutions to improve the instructional program's effectiveness.

The acculturation challenge: A longitudinal investigation of acculturative stress and mental health of Chinese international students in Australia.

The Australian university sector had almost one million international students in 2024. This population faces significant mental health challenges that affect their wellbeing and academic success, but these issues have received minimal empirical attention. Past research reports that international students experience acculturative stress due to language barriers, lack of social support, and discrimination, which contribute to poor mental health. Current evidence lacks insight into the progression of acculturative stress over time. To address this gap, this study conducted a longitudinal investigation of the mental health profiles of 140 Chinese international tertiary students in Australia and 84 Chinese tertiary students in China (Mage=22.4, SD=2.7). Participants in Australia were assessed in 2023 after their arrival (T1) and then five months later (T2). Contrary to expectations, the groups did not differ on standardised measures of distress, loneliness, wellbeing, social support, and resilience. However, Chinese students reported greater acculturative stress, as measured by the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS), at T2 than at T1. Participants reported that the most significant challenge in adapting to life in Australia were language barriers and communication difficulties (84.3%), which were rated more frequently than the academic demands of university (55.0%). Potential methodological limitations aside, the results suggest that Chinese students may benefit from resources, supports, and interventions that target specific areas of acculturative stress, particularly in relation to language proficiency, to optimise their health and study.

‘Where’s the line? It’s an absurd line’: towards a framework for acceptable uses of AI in assessment

As higher education grapples with ensuring assessment validity in an increasingly AI-populated time, institutions and educators are working to establish appropriate boundaries for AI use. However, little is known about how students and teachers conceptualize and experience these boundaries in practice. This study investigates how students and teachers navigate the line between acceptable and unacceptable AI use in assessment, drawing on a thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 19 students and 12 staff at a large Australian university informed by social boundary theory. The titular metaphor of ‘drawing a line’ emerged organically from both students and staff in our interviews, revealing ongoing struggles to understand and articulate what counts as appropriate. We found that students frequently construct their own individually unique and often complex ethical frameworks for AI use. Teachers, meanwhile, report significant emotional burden and professional uncertainty as they attempt to understand and communicate what is appropriate to their students. Our analysis suggests that assessment policies for AI ought to move beyond simple prohibitions or permissions and begin to address three critical dimensions: the feasibility of enforcement, the preservation of authentic learning, and the emotional wellbeing of teachers and students.

The Relationships Between Multidimensional Schizotypy and Metacognitive Beliefs.

There has been a recent surge in schizotypy and metacognition research. Metacognition is an umbrella term for higher-order thought processes. Here, we focussed on maladaptive metacognitive beliefs, which are beliefs related to one's thought processes and often play an important role in the preponderance of psychological disorders. Despite the extensive literature, relatively less is known about metacognitive beliefs in the context of multidimensional schizotypy, which consists of positive, negative, and disorganised dimensions and represents the milder forms of schizophrenia symptoms and vulnerability to developing schizophrenia. This is the first study that examined the links not only with positive schizotypy, but also with negative and disorganised schizotypy. We also attempted to circumvent the limitations related to schizotypy assessment in the previous studies by using a newly developed measure, the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS), which was based on the current operationalisations of the construct. We examined the links in a non-clinical sample, including first-year psychology students and members of the wider community of an Australian university (N = 68). Self-report data was collected by administering the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30, MSS, and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale to control the self-report measures' social desirability biases. Results revealed positive correlations of maladaptive metacognitive beliefs not only with positive schizotypy, but also with negative and disorganised schizotypy. Our findings support the importance of examining schizotypy as a multidimensional construct. Further, our findings have implications for research and practice, including treatment modalities focusing on the modification of metacognitive beliefs for the prevention of schizophrenia and related conditions.

Urgent findings in CT chest examinations: Radiography and medical students' capabilities and learning perspectives - a preliminary study.

Radiography and medical students (RMS), upon graduation, require capabilities to provide life-saving care through identification and communication of urgent findings on radiological imaging. This preliminary study investigated RMS' ability to identify and categorise urgent findings on CT examinations. It also explored their experiences of image interpretation education. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was employed. Participants were students who had recently completed Year-4 (radiography/medicine) or Year-2 (medicine-only) from three Australian universities. Urgent finding identification capabilities were assessed via a test-set of 10 CT examinations with a range of findings (normal, abnormal but non-urgent, abnormal but urgent) that was developed on a validated learning and assessment platform. Each case required selection of: normal versus abnormal; where abnormal, finding/s from a pre-defined list; urgency level; self-rated confidence. Learning experiences were then explored via a survey (Likert statements, free-text responses). Mean sensitivity, specificity and accuracy (with min‒max ranges), respectively, were: All participants [n=30] 0.87 (0.60-1.0), 0.63 (0.40-1.0), 0.75 (0.50-1.0); 4th-year radiography [n=17] 0.89 (0.6-1.0), 0.66 (0.4-1.0), 0.78 (0.60-1.0); 4th-year medicine [n=8] 0.85 (0.6-1.0), 0.50 (0.4-0.6), 0.68 (0.50-0.8); 2nd-year medicine [n=5] 0.80 (0.60-1.0), 0.75 (0.75-1.0), 0.78 (0.78-0.78). False positives were highest for cases with non-urgent abnormalities in all groups. Free-text responses revealed students' desire for dedicated urgent finding educational resources with high 'repetitive learning' effects. RMS demonstrated considerable performance in identifying urgent abnormalities as a group, but individual capabilities varied from pass-level to perfect. Together, participants demonstrated limited ability to correctly classify non-urgent CT chest abnormalities. This study highlights opportunities for targeted urgent-finding resource development, focused on improving consistency within cohorts and reducing false positive rates.

Project-based group work for enhancing students learning in project management education: an action research

PurposeUsing an action research framework, the study engages in iterative cycles of implementing, assessing and refining the project-based learning (PBL) model to align closely with the skill demands of the project management field. The specific objectives are to (1) apply and evaluate the design of PBL to identify areas for improvement, (2) assess PBL’s effectiveness in fostering key competencies such as teamwork, critical thinking, adaptability and real-time decision-making, (3) identify challenges encountered in PBL implementation to guide continuous refinement and (4) develop actionable recommendations that inform future course iterations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used action research approach to understand the design and implementation of PBL to improve student learning outcomes. Data was collected from 137 students enrolled in a postgraduate course of a project management program at a university in Australia during semester two of 2022 through an online questionnaire.FindingsData from 137 students confirm established benefits of PBL—improved teamwork, critical thinking and communication skills—essential to project management. Additionally, our findings highlight new benefits specific to project management education. Engaging with real-world scenarios, students developed enhanced adaptability, learning to navigate uncertainties and shifting project requirements, a key competency for project management professionals. Moreover, students showed improved real-time decision-making abilities, allowing them to make quick, informed decisions in response to dynamic project constraints. These findings suggest that PBL not only supports foundational skills but also cultivates advanced competencies aligned with the demands of professional project environments.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides an actionable framework for future research, detailing an iterative, data-informed approach that adapts PBL to meet specific educational needs in project management.Practical implicationsEducators can use these findings to design experiential PBL models that integrate real-world constraints, enhancing the development of industry-relevant skills and preparing students for the challenges of professional project management environments.Originality/valueWe declare that the manuscript titled “Project-based Group Work for Enhancing Students Learning in Project Management Education: An Action Research” is our original work and has not been submitted or published elsewhere. This study explores the benefits and implementation of PBL in project management education, offering new insights from empirical data collected at an Australian university. All sources are appropriately cited. We affirm compliance with ethical guidelines and institutional policies. This manuscript represents our genuine and original research.

Rethinking regulatory responsibility: equitable participation in work-integrated learning

ABSTRACT The final report of the Australian Universities Accord consultation process highlighted the impact of work-integrated learning requirements on students’ ability to complete professional qualifications, conceptualising equity in terms of a need to ensure ‘equitable participation’. This article uses the case of social work education to explore regulatory impediments to equitable participation. Professionally accredited social work degrees include some of the lengthiest work-integrated learning requirements in Australia. Prior research has identified deleterious consequences of work-integrated learning requirements for students, attributing responsibility for mandatory requirements to professional accreditation standards. Academic accreditation policy offers a different perspective on responsibility. Interpretive policy analysis of recent advocacy and subsequent policy responses illustrates how different interpretations of responsibility for effecting change can generate roadblocks to implementation. This article situates work-integrated learning in the regulatory context, identifying conflicting policy interpretations as an implementation challenge for the commitment to equitable participation.

Arts education matters, what are we waiting for? Perceptions of initial teacher education students in Australia

ABSTRACT The Arts are known to foster creativity, empathy, self-efficacy, social awareness, and critical thinking skills. Engagement in and through the Arts contributes to building social cohesion while supporting wellbeing. This research takes place in Australia were the Arts (Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music, and Visual Arts) play an important role in society, and across school curriculum. This paper forms part of a wider study (name to be inserted). We explore student perceptions in relation to ‘Why Arts Education is important in primary schools?’. Students undertaking initial teacher education (ITE) primary programmes participated (September–December 2023, n = 120) by completing an online survey. Qualtrics Stats IQ were used to statistically analyse quantitative data, and Reflexive Thematic Analysis was employed for qualitative data analysis. Given the sample size, generalisations cannot be made to all Australian universities. The two themes (valuing Arts Education, and opportunities and implications) highlight student perceptions of Arts Education. Whilst recommendations are offered, further investigation into the benefits of teaching the Arts across all areas of the curriculum is needed. If Arts Education matters, then why are we waiting to include it in all schools and ITE programmes?

Internationalisation of curriculum: Analysis of subjects within the Faculty of Arts and Education at a regional Australian university

Internationalisation of curriculum: Analysis of subjects within the Faculty of Arts and Education at a regional Australian university

Australian university student perspectives on the factors influencing student wellbeing: a content and relational analysis

ABSTRACT It is important to ensure that university student wellbeing policies are informed by the lived experiences of local university students. Relatively few qualitative studies have explored Australian university students’ perspectives on which factors influence student wellbeing. The current study analysed 209 open-text responses provided by Australian university students to the question ‘What most affects your day-to-day wellbeing as a university student?’ We used inductive qualitative content analysis to assess the frequency with which students identified different factors. We also conducted a novel relational analysis to examine accounts of causal relationships between these factors. Academic workload (37%), social interactions (17%), academic stress (16%) and teaching quality (15%) were most frequently described as contributing to student wellbeing. Academic workload was identified as the ‘cause’ in 61% of all accounts of causal relationships between factors. Students consistently described academic workloads indirectly affecting their wellbeing by exacerbating other aspects of their lives, including academic stress, social isolation, and study/life balance. The current study provides novel insights into the ways that current Australian university students perceive the factors that shape their wellbeing. In particular, our findings suggest that the direct and indirect impact of academic workloads upon student wellbeing may be under-recognised.

Turning inward: Australian universities and colonial histories

Turning inward: Australian universities and colonial histories