Search

Student experience of Assessment for Learning (AfL) pedagogies ideally provides multiple entry points for students to take past learning forward into future learning. In practice, points of disconnection may confound the accessibility of AfL's repertoire of practices. This paper investigates the AfL experiences of students with likely language and attentional difficulties and their peers in three Australian secondary schools. Ninety-two students shared their insights in interviews and focus groups, with data analysed abductively through a conceptual frame of six dimensions. Common practical effects for students included recognition and value of a range of teacher practices. Students with language and attentional difficulties indicated more uneven recall of processes, especially when teacher practice of AfL was fragmented and classroom routines prioritised summative assessment. Fragmentation in turn compromised the emotional and evaluative dimensions of experience that catalyse continuity in learning. Critical insights from students about how they searched for and secured cohesive experiences points to how AfL offers agentic possibilities for learning beyond the immediate activities of the classroom.

Offensive behaviour towards school employees is widespread and involves a number of potentially harmful acts. There is evidence that school employees' experiences of offensive behaviour are shaped by demographic, role and school-based factors that mediate the likelihood of victimisation. However, very few studies have investigated the prevalence and correlates of offensive behaviour against school leaders. This study analysed 13,028 survey responses from the Australia Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing survey that were completed between the years 2011 and 2019. The analysis determined the prevalence of bullying, threats of violence and physical violence against government school leaders, the main perpetrators of these offenses and the moderating effects of key socio-demographic factors. Results from the study demonstrated that considerable proportions of Australian government school leaders were subjected to offensive behaviour with an average (pooled) prevalence of 36.2% for bullying, 48.6% for threats of violence and 38.7% for physical violence. School leaders report that students and parents are responsible for most offensive behaviours, but that colleagues also contribute considerably to incidents of bullying. Our findings illustrate that offensive behaviours against Australian school leaders are very high and that particular groups of school leaders are at elevated risk of victimization, especially female school leaders and to a lesser extent assistant principals and those inner or outer regional areas.

Barriers to healthcare experienced by Australian autistic adults have not been previously explored. We conducted a cross-sectional investigation of barriers to healthcare and associated factors from a subtle realism perspective. Perceived barriers to healthcare were obtained from the Barriers to Healthcare Checklist Short-Form (BHC). A total of 263 autistic and 70 non-autistic individuals completed the BHC. On average, autistic adults reported more barriers to healthcare (4.58) than non-autistic adults (0.76). Gender diversity, higher levels of generalised anxiety, greater global disability and less satisfaction with social support contributed to the experience of barriers to healthcare in autistic participants in regression modelling. Australian autistic adults face substantial barriers to healthcare. Understanding these barriers provides an opportunity to develop approaches to improve access; such as co-designing a healthcare access roadmap for autistic adults, with co-designed policies and practices which advocate for the needs of autistic adults.

Autistic burnout is an experience commonly described by autistic people (#AutBurnout and #AutisticBurnout on social media). Recently, two definitions of this syndrome have been published. Both describe debilitating exhaustion with onset related to various stressors including masking, though several differences exist, such as the characteristic of interpersonal withdrawal. We sought to explore the content validity of these definitions including duration and frequency criteria, using descriptive statistics, content analysis and reflexive thematic analysis. A co-produced survey of 141 autistic adults with experience of autistic burnout showed strong endorsement of the definition by Higgins et al., where exhaustion and interpersonal withdrawal occur alongside reduced functioning, executive functioning difficulties, and increased manifestation of autistic traits. Duration and frequency criteria were unresolved, with qualitative data highlighting varying (both acute and chronic) experiences. Autistic burnout is frequently misdiagnosed as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or other conditions. Work is needed to increase community and clinician awareness, as well as initiatives to improve unaccommodating neurotypical environments. More research and validation are needed in larger samples not restricted to autistic adults who have experienced autistic burnout to determine prevalence and risk factors as well as duration and frequency.

Studies are emerging documenting the experience of fatigue, exhaustion and loss of functioning that has long been described by autistic adults as autistic burnout. New assessment tools are needed to enable identification and diagnosis. Here, we sought to identify factors associated with severity, develop an autistic burnout assessment and test the prepublication AASPIRE Autistic Burnout Measure tool. A co-produced survey of 141 autistic adults with experience of autistic burnout (98% above cut-off for depression) was subjected to exploratory factor analysis and scale reduction to identify a grouping of Autistic Burnout Severity Items. Autistic Burnout Severity Items showed strong overall internal consistency and acceptable internal consistency across four factors. Masking and depression were associated with the Autistic Burnout Severity Items, once variation in alexithymia, interoception, repetitive behaviours, sensory sensitivities and autism severity had been adjusted for. There is some suggestion that the Autistic Burnout Measure may not be as robust as the Autistic Burnout Severity Items, particularly as it showed a significant relationship with depression but not masking. Our findings alongside recent literature highlight a core phenomenon, comprising exhaustion, withdrawal and cognitive overload, associated with stressors potentially unique to autistic people. Further disambiguation from autistic shutdown and other conditions is needed in work towards the measurement of autistic burnout.

In this paper, we report on a participatory oral history study documenting the lives of late-diagnosed autistic adults in Australia. We interviewed 26 autistic adults about their life history and the impact of late diagnosis. All were diagnosed after the age of 35, growing up in an era when autism was not well known. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we uncovered a rich body of reflections on shared Autistic identity and identified three major themes within that data set: 'conceptualising the Autistic family', 'creating Autistic community', and 'contesting Autistic identity'. Overall, the study provides insights into the active creation of shared Autistic identity and the importance of Autistic community to these late-diagnosed autistic adults.

Bereavement is a universal experience common within the higher education student population. The present study aimed to understand the experiences and support needs of bereaved Australian university students. In semi-structured interviews, 12 students (10 women, 2 men; M[subscript age] = 38.13, SD = 15.37) shared their experiences of bereavement while studying. A thematic analysis resulted in three themes: Relationships between study and bereavement, Navigating the university system, and What students need. The findings highlighted varying levels of support accessed and level of need, which were influenced by the circumstances of the student and the loss, mode of study, personal resources, and perceptions of the university system's ability to help. The findings highlight the need to develop and communicate clear policies and procedures so that bereaved students are supported.

In this article, we report on an oral history study documenting the lives of autistic adults in Australia. This qualitative study, co-produced with autistic researchers, offers insight into the lived experiences of autistic adults diagnosed in mid-to-late adulthood. Oral history methodology was utilised to understand the experiences of autistic adults who grew up in an era before autism was well-known. The 26 interviewees were born before 1975, receiving a clinical autism diagnosis after age 35 years. All interviews were conducted by autistic researchers, transcribed and thematically analysed by a team of autistic and non-autistic researchers using the six-step process outlined by Braun and Clarke. We identified four themes relating to perceptions of the self: being different, exploring identity, the suffering self and being Autistic. Some interviewees reported a direct relationship between trauma, negative self-conceptions and suffering. For most, formal diagnosis had positive impacts on sense of self, contributing to a greater focus on strengths. Contra research suggesting autistic impairments in self-awareness, these interviewees demonstrated a deep capacity for self-reflection, highlighting the variability of autistic lives and the socio-historical contexts that shape individual biographies, including experiences of stigma and discrimination as well as the empowering potential of identifying as autistic.

Carers of adults on the autism spectrum often experience high levels of stress, worry, and caregiver burden. There are few studies identifying the predictors of carer mental well-being and none have been conducted in Australia. Data from the Autism Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism's Australian Longitudinal Study of Autism in Adulthood was used to test the conceptual model by Sonido et al. (Rev J Autism Dev Disord, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-019-00177-8) by (a) identifying the predictors of mental well-being for carers of adults on the spectrum, (b) using model selection to determine which predictors contribute to the model of best fit, and (c) testing for mediating relationships between the predictors. Several predictors were directly associated with carer psychological quality of life, including carer age, care recipient intellectual disability, and carer intolerance of uncertainty. Model selection strongly supported the inclusion of most clusters from the conceptual model. Some mediating relationships were found, such as care recipient depressive behaviours mediating the relationships between caregiver burden and psychological quality of life. Future studies of the conceptual model will improve understanding of the predictors of carer mental well-being and enable tailored interventions to improve the psychological health of carers of adults on the autism spectrum.

Pathways to diagnosis in adulthood are poorly understood. Even less is known about undiagnosed adults who believe they may be autistic. This mixed-methods online survey examined adults' journeys from initial concern to receiving the diagnosis. Quantitative findings showed the diagnostic process to be highly heterogeneous. Qualitative analysis identified desires for explanation and support as motives for seeking diagnosis. Cost and fear of not being taken seriously were major barriers, echoed by qualitative responses that described the process as confusing, expensive and time-consuming. While most participants were satisfied with the diagnosis, their emotional reactions were complex. Findings support the need for thoroughly implementing national guidelines, and for improved knowledge and communication in mainstream clinicians encountering clients with possible autism characteristics.

Multimodal discourse analysis (MMDA) has been instrumental in the evolution of English curriculum and pedagogy. However, it is unusual for educators to direct the tools of multimodal inquiry to their own text productions. In the context of prioritising accessibility within the new Queensland Certificate of Education in Queensland, which has increased standardisation requirements and placed pressure on schools to prepare students for high-stakes assessments in Year 12, three English Heads of Department (HoDs) and two academics worked together to analyse samples of their Year 10 summative task designs. The aim was to 'make the familiar strange'. When they analysed the design of assessment task sheets, HoDs were able to identify barriers for students negotiating the reading pathway. Results demonstrate that task sheets have multiple demands within their composition that provide cues for how teachers and school leaders can design tasks that prioritise the interests of the learner.

Although commonly described on social media by autistic people, there is little recognition of autistic burnout in the academic literature. Anecdotally, autistic burnout is described as a debilitating condition that severely impacts functioning, is linked to suicidal ideation and is driven by the stress of masking and living in an unaccommodating neurotypical world. We sought to define autistic burnout using the Grounded Delphi method. Autistic adults, experts by the lived experience of autistic burnout (n = 23), co-produced and agreed to a definition intended for clinicians and the autistic and autism communities. A thick description and conceptual framework were developed from the open-ended round 1 survey, with a high majority of agreement reached in the round 3 survey. Autistic burnout was defined as a highly debilitating condition characterised by exhaustion, withdrawal, executive function problems and generally reduced functioning, with increased manifestation of autistic traits -- and distinct from depression and non-autistic burnout. Further work is needed to differentiate autistic burnout from other conditions and to build clinician understanding of the accompanying complexity to be considered in treatment planning.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationships between aging attitudes and the outcomes of successful aging, including whether aging attitudinal types moderate psychological adjustment in the context of medical and mental health diagnoses. Methods: In total, 409 community-dwelling women aged 40–79 years in Australia completed the Reactions to Aging Questionnaire (RAQ), Geriatric Depression Scale, Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory. Information about medical and mental health diagnoses were collected. Results: Overall, aging attitudes and all three RAQ subscales were negatively correlated with scores on measures of depression and anxiety, and number of medical diagnoses. Attitudinal types toward aging were found to moderate the relationship between the number of mental health diagnoses and scores on the psychological measures of depression but not anxiety. Unique RAQ domain-specific relationships were found with the number of mental health diagnoses. Conclusions: The findings support the link between aging attitudes and psychological outcomes, the potential clinical value of RAQ attitudinal typologies classification as well as a multidimensional conceptualization of aging attitudes. Clinical Implications: The findings reinforce the need for efforts to reduce ageism on a societal level, as well as informing clinical decision-making with older clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes and analyses, through the use of case studies, two experiences of transformative learning in an undergraduate arts education unit. Pre-service teachers designed and engaged with arts-based curriculum activities, created their own artwork, participated in a modified production of The Tempest and kept a reflective journal. These activities constituted the data which was analysed using creative frameworks such as case writing, script writing, narrative analysis and found poetry as ways of developing richer understanding of pre-service teachers' self-perceptions and self-awareness as teachers and as potential artists. The stories explored here uncover two different ways of encountering the challenges of learning--resistance and struggle--and highlight the significance of the educator's response to individual student needs, and the value of reflective skills in shifting pre-service teachers' cultural, political and institutional understandings.

The sources of anxiety for a sample of 132 young males with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were investigated from standardised scales and verbal responses to a series of open-ended questions asked to them and their mothers. As well as using parametric statistics to test for effects on standardised scales, verbal responses were analysed via NVivo to identify nine themes, of which five were most often cited by participants. There were no major age-related differences in the responses from young (aged 6 to 11yr) "vs" older (aged 12 to 18yr) sons or their mothers, but there were differences between mothers' and sons' data. These differences were related to elevated tension and inability to relax by the sons, and were largest for the theme of "unexpected changes" (rated as more anxiety-provoking by the mothers than by their sons) and "specific fears" (rated more anxiety-provoking by the sons than by their mothers). One particular aspect of the sons' Auditory Processing was identified as the sole significant contributor to mother-son disagreement. Implications for clinical processes are discussed.

While there have been significant developments in the field of inclusive research with people with learning disabilities, there is limited knowledge about the ways inclusive research teams have conducted participatory data analysis. The authors argue this is inherently tied to the sensitivities involved in the inclusive research process. In this article, we present the experiences of two inclusive research teams (from the UK and Australia) who developed ways of working together to collaborate on data analysis. Both studies touched upon sensitive topics and crossed disciplinary boundaries. One was an evaluation of a series of history workshops with young people with learning disabilities; the other was an exploration of effective models of peer support for parents with learning disabilities. The authors explore different approaches to data analysis in inclusive research teams, and reflect on the politics of 'sensitive' research in this field, especially in relation to expectations of funders, ethics committees, and stakeholders.

Purpose: This research explores the ways in which a pre-service teacher (Deidre) reflects on experiences to develop transformation into a professional educator. This study investigates how pre-service teachers engage in dialogue and art to elaborate and reflect on learning experiences, which provide evidence of mindshift and emergent knowledge and teacher identity. Design/methodology/approach: Often difficult to measure and trace, this work presents the emerging transformation of a pre-service teacher through ethnographic methodology, stories and artful practice. Findings: As part of a larger study, the design reveals transformative mindshift from pre-service teacher reflective stories. Data from interviews and artful practice reveal evidence of moments of pedagogical impact, which contribute to identity and professional practice (Clandinin et al., 2006; Loughran, 2006). Social implications: Focusing on "what", "when" and "how" transitions occur is explored to further understand the professional development in initial teacher education. Originality/value: Building on research undertaken by Cochran-Smith and Lytle (1999), this investigation draws on artful reflections and stories to evidence elements of powerful pedagogical learning in order to teach in the world of professional practice.

Over the last 18 months, the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had dramatic implications for education systems across the globe. In Australia, state and territory governments have worked in consultation with one another and the federal government to respond to outbreaks. State-level policymakers have introduced the measures and policy directives that determine how schools operate during the pandemic. At the school level, Australian principals and school leaders were responsible for dealing with the disruption brought about by the pandemic and ensuring that policy directives were effectively implemented. The new circumstances presented school leaders with new challenges and in some cases radically transformed the school leadership role. In this article, the authors consider how Australian school leaders' work roles and health and wellbeing may have been impacted during 2020- the year that the COVID-19 pandemic wrought major disruption to Australian school systems. To achieve this, they draw on a pool of ten years of data from the Australian Principal Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey (APHSWS). This analysis is intended to provide a broad overview of general patterns in school leaders' work environments. Given the breadth of the data, the findings of this paper should be read with caution as key factors that would shape school leaders' experiences and outcomes (e.g. gender, role, location and sector) are beyond the scope of this paper.

Autistic adults experience a higher rate of physical and mental health conditions and lower rates of employment and post-secondary education participation than their non-autistic counterparts, which may affect negatively quality of life. Limited information exists on predictors of quality of life for autistic individuals, or how quality of life compares to non-autistic individuals. Our aims were to (a) examine and compare indicators of physical (e.g. sleep quality) and mental health (e.g. anxiety) on quality of life among a sample of 244 autistic and 165 non-autistic individuals aged 15-80 years and (b) examine factors contributing to quality of life 2 years later among the autistic sample (n=93). Participants were from two Australian longitudinal studies. The pattern of results for quality of life was similar across the autistic and non-autistic groups, with depression symptomatology, psychological well-being, sleep quality and autonomic symptoms all significantly predicting quality of life. In addition, among the autistic group, baseline quality of life had the greatest influence on quality of life 2 years later. These findings have implications for support services for autistic individuals, implying that in order to improve quality of life, mental health, particularly depression, needs addressing. Given known relationships between sleep and mental health, an intervention addressing these may have greatest clinical impact on quality of life among autistic individuals.

Anxiety is present in high rates in both children and adults on the autism spectrum. An increasing number of studies have highlighted the potentially important role that intolerance of uncertainty may have in anxiety for those on the spectrum, as well as their interrelationships with sensory sensitivities and repetitive behaviours. In response to a lack of studies involving adults, this study examined self-report survey data regarding intolerance of uncertainty, sensory sensitivities, repetitive behaviours and anxiety in a sample of 176 adults on the autism spectrum (mean age = 42). Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety were both found to be elevated relative to non-autistic adults (N = 116) and significant, positive correlations were found between intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety, repetitive behaviours and sensory sensitivities in those on the spectrum. Intolerance of uncertainty was found to be a significant mediator between sensory sensitivities and anxiety, as well as between anxiety and insistence on sameness behaviours. These results were not sensitive to age. Intolerance of uncertainty is an important factor to be considered in the conceptualisation and management of elevated rates of anxiety for adults on the autism spectrum.

By focussing on PhD supervision as well as creativity, this paper explores how the artefact and exegesis PhD offers an opportunity to bring creative activity together with academic debate and intellectual rigour. In this context, the latter does not justify the former nor interpret it in an academic and theoretical way. Rather, acting together, the artefact and exegesis bridge the Cartesian binary, offer new models of knowledge to the academy, and enrich the artistic practices of the practitioners themselves. The creative practitioner thus brings to the academy new dimensions of what knowledge itself consists of and how this contributes to learning. Because this disputes the regular academic templates, it challenges the academy itself. The methodology I employ in this paper is one of narrativity that I call the "subjective academic narrative", it practices the theory of academic knowledge as personal and draws together the Cartesian binary of the personal and the intellectual.

This paper explores some of the ways in which our insights into the pedagogy of postgraduate supervision may benefit from understanding some of the attributes of psychotherapy. It proposes that psychotherapy involves teaching and learning processes that can be fruitfully compared with the idealised pedagogical model of the dialectic. It develops insights into postgraduate supervision as pedagogy by interrogating the intersection of teaching and learning with some aspects of psychotherapy. In doing so, it shows how those pedagogical aspects of psychotherapy can enable a deeper understanding and richer practising of postgraduate supervision. This paper works within a model postulated by Gregory Ulmer. In his development of an idea that there is in academic writing the self and the researched, the conscious intellectual semiotic and that arising from storytelling, Gregory Ulmer surveys the idea of "mystories." This word encompasses the self, the story and the mystery of this. I propose my own version of this as the "subjective academic narrative." (A bibliography is included.)

The position of this paper is to further the discussion on what constitutes academic assessment in the PhD by artefact and exegesis. In doing so, it explores some of the ideas that arose in setting up the PhD in creative writing at Swinburne University of Technology. Thus, I: (1) survey some of the questions that arise about the journeys made by the candidate, supervisor and examiner of the PhD in creative writing; (2) introduce discussion about what constitutes academic knowledge with particular reference to the PhD in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale Campus; (3) bring to the fore multiple possibilities in understanding possible conceptualizations of legitimate scholarly, intellectual and cultural research; and (4) survey some ideas about research and/as creativity. In doing so, I provide the basis for discussion of the dynamic nature of research, and situate this discussion within the framework of assessment.

Background: Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) describes a spectrum of abnormalities that impact the normal function of the joint. These abnormalities are detectable during infancy using physical assessment, universal ultrasound, or a combination of both. In Australia, child health nurses predominantly screen for this disease using physical assessment. The aim of this study was to determine if child health nurses can accurately screen for DDH using physical assessment. Methods: This Australian study estimated the accuracy and utility of child health nurses using physical assessment to screen for DDH by comparing it to a handheld ultrasound device. Results: This study (N = 44) concluded that using a point prevalence study design, child health nurses in Australia are unable to accurately assess for DDH in infants using physical assessment; overall, clinicians had 50.5% sensitivity (95% CI, 15.7 to 84.3), a specificity of 75.0% (95% CI, 57.8 to 87.9), and 71.3% accuracy (95% CI, 55.6 to 83.9). Conclusion: This study suggests that child health nurses cannot screen for DDH using physical assessment. Understanding education, experience and what assessments are used suggests that the utility of nurses performing DDH screening requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Points: Question: Do normotensive living kidney donors, compared with nondonors, have a higher risk of hypertension in the first 7 years following donation? Findings: In this 17-center prospective cohort study that included 924 living kidney donors and 396 nondonors, there were no significant between-group differences in the risk of hypertension and no significant between-group differences in mean blood pressure or the change in blood pressure during a median follow-up of 7.3 years. Meaning: After accounting for differences in baseline risk, living donors had a similar risk of hypertension as nondonors in the 7 years following donation and no significant difference in mean blood pressure. Importance: Recent guidelines call for better evidence on health outcomes after living kidney donation. Objective: To determine the risk of hypertension in normotensive adults who donated a kidney compared with nondonors of similar baseline health. Their rates of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline and risk of albuminuria were also compared. Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective cohort study of 924 standard-criteria living kidney donors enrolled before surgery and a concurrent sample of 396 nondonors. Recruitment occurred from 2004 to 2014 from 17 transplant centers (12 in Canada and 5 in Australia); follow-up occurred until November 2021. Donors and nondonors had the same annual schedule of follow-up assessments. Inverse probability of treatment weighting on a propensity score was used to balance donors and nondonors on baseline characteristics. Exposure: Living kidney donation. Main Outcomes and Measures: Hypertension (systolic blood pressure [SBP] ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure [DBP] ≥90 mm Hg, or antihypertensive medication), annualized change in eGFR (starting 12 months after donation/simulated donation date in nondonors), and albuminuria (albumin to creatinine ratio ≥3 mg/mmol [≥30 mg/g]). Results: Among the 924 donors, 66% were female; they had a mean age of 47 years and a mean eGFR of 100 mL/min/1.73 m2. Donors were more likely than nondonors to have a family history of kidney failure (464/922 [50%] vs 89/394 [23%], respectively). After statistical weighting, the sample of nondonors increased to 928 and baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. During a median follow-up of 7.3 years (IQR, 6.0-9.0), in weighted analysis, hypertension occurred in 161 of 924 donors (17%) and 158 of 928 nondonors (17%) (weighted hazard ratio, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.75-1.66]). The longitudinal change in mean blood pressure was similar in donors and nondonors. After the initial drop in donors' eGFR after nephrectomy (mean, 32 mL/min/1.73 m2), donors had a 1.4-mL/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI, 1.2-1.5) per year lesser decline in eGFR than nondonors. However, more donors than nondonors had an eGFR between 30 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 at least once in follow-up (438/924 [47%] vs 49/928 [5%]). Albuminuria occurred in 132 of 905 donors (15%) and 95 of 904 nondonors (11%) (weighted hazard ratio, 1.46 [95% CI, 0.97-2.21]); the weighted between-group difference in the albumin to creatinine ratio was 1.02 (95% CI, 0.88-1.19). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of living kidney donors and nondonors with the same follow-up schedule, the risks of hypertension and albuminuria were not significantly different. After the initial drop in eGFR from nephrectomy, donors had a slower mean rate of eGFR decline than nondonors but were more likely to have an eGFR between 30 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 at least once in follow-up. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00936078 This cohort study aims to determine the risk of hypertension in normotensive adults who donated a kidney compared with nondonors of similar baseline health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural safety is increasingly recognised as imperative to delivering accessible and acceptable healthcare for First Nations Peoples within Australia and in similar colonised countries. A literature review undertaken to inform the inaugural Caring for Australians with Renal Insufficiency (CARI) guidelines for clinically and culturally safe kidney care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples revealed a timeline of the emergence of culturally safe kidney care in Australia. Thirty years ago, kidney care literature was purely biomedically focused, with culture, family and community viewed as potential barriers to patient 'compliance' with treatment. The importance of culturally informed care was increasingly recognised in the mid‐1990s, with cultural safety within kidney care specifically cited from 2014 onwards. The emergence timeline is discussed in this paper in relation to the five principles of cultural safety developed by Māori nurse Irihapeti Ramsden in Aotearoa/New Zealand. These principles are critical reflection, communication, minimising power differences, decolonisation and ensuring one does not demean or disempower. For the kidney care workforce, culturally safe care requires ongoing critical reflection, deep active listening skills, decolonising approaches and the eradication of institutional racism. Cultural safety is the key to truly working in partnership, increasing Indigenous Governance, respectful collaboration and redesigning kidney care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored Australian school teachers' priorities for change within schools in order to support staff psychological well-being. We began by holding a focus group and, in corroborating with the existing literature on stressors reported by school teachers, identified seven key areas for change in schools that teachers thought would most support their well-being at work. An online survey was then conducted with teachers from across Australia (N = 960), who ranked each of these suggestions in order of importance. Results found that the most important needs for change according to teachers were smaller class sizes and improved measures for student behaviour management. These results offer insight into areas for organisational change that teachers think are most important for their own well-being. We discuss the findings in relation to psychological research as well as current issues within the Australian education sector.

Six generations ago, my Celtic forebears came to Australia as convicts and invaders displacing Indigenous peoples. As a scholar today, I am interested in how Indigenous knowledge remains a challenge in Australian Universities even in this postmodern and postcolonial moment. This paper recognises the need to extend discussion about how Indigenous people might be facilitated within the academy to bring their knowledge models into the university and its traditional dominant knowledge systems. This paper looks at Practice-Led Research (PLR) as a way of supporting the transition of Indigenous community scholars into university postgraduate courses. It explores how PLR may contribute to an appropriate entry point into postgraduate studies for some Indigenous practitioner-candidates who have significant life experiences and narratives and/or productions of artefacts that act to replace the breadth of undergraduate credentials. Indigenous people are facilitated in bringing their knowledge models into the university and the academy when we act upon being inclusive rather than exclusive regarding the explication and definition of knowledge within the academy. In accepting and acting upon the concept that traditional forms of knowledge are extended by non-traditional Indigenous forms of knowledge, we also enrich the scholarly conversation about how alternative forms of knowledge can add dynamism to the academy.

Background: Cannabis was legalised for medical purposes in 2016. Uptake was initially slow, but since 2019 there has been a large increase in the number of Australians who have been prescribed cannabis for medical reasons. Yet a significant number of consumers continue to treat their medical conditions via illicitly-sourced cannabis. Little is known about how these two groups of medical cannabis consumers differ. Methods: The anonymous Cannabis-As-Medicine Survey 2022–2023 (CAMS-22) was available for completion online from December 2022 to April 2023 to adult Australians who had used cannabis to treat a medical condition in the previous year. Recruitment occurred through social media, consumer forums, and medical practices. Questions included demographic characteristics, patterns of cannabis use, conditions treated, and self-rated effectiveness. Results: Of the 3323 respondents included in these analyses, 2352 (73%) mainly used prescribed medical cannabis, 871 (27%) mainly used illicit. Prescribed users were significantly more likely than illicit users to have had their health condition diagnosed (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.3, 2.2), to consume their cannabis via oral (OR = 1.9; CI 1.5, 2.4) or vaporised (OR = 5.2; CI 4.0, 6.8) routes, and to be sure of the composition of their medical cannabis (OR = 25.0; CI 16.7, 50.0). Prescribed users were significantly less likely to have used cannabis non-medically before medical use (OR = 0.6, CI 0.5, 0.7), consume cannabis via smoked routes (OR = 0.2, CI 0.1, 0.2), and to report any side effects (OR = 0.1; CI 0.1, 0.2). The most common conditions among both prescribed and illicit users were pain (37%), mental health (36%), and sleep (15%) conditions. Prescribed users were significantly more likely to use cannabis to mainly treat a pain (OR = 1.3; CI 1.1, 1.5) or sleep condition (OR = 1.4; CI 1.1, 1.7) and less likely to treat a mental health condition (OR = 0.8; CI 0.7, 0.9). There were no between-group differences in effectiveness with 97% saying medical cannabis had improved their symptoms. Conclusions: From a harm-reduction perspective there is much to recommend prescribed medical cannabis; it has fewer side-effects than illicit, is used more safely (oral or vaporised versus smoked routes), gives consumers greater certainty regarding the composition and quality of their medicine, and does not risk exposure to the criminal justice system. Of concern, however, is the apparent willingness of prescribers to prescribe for indications for which there is limited evidence of efficacy, such as mental health and sleep conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of 'peopled landscapes' is based on the notion that it is not possible, nor socially or politically desirable, to remove people from the environment in the era of the Anthropocene. As such, it is necessary to document and develop ways to coexist and flourish.This review examines emergent scholarship about peopled landscapes and biodiversity conservation by considering invasive plant management and rewilding as social processes. While invasive plant management and rewilding are often understood as separate, thinking through social scientific research and examples from Australia and the UK, we demonstrate how both forms of human action in landscapes can be more usefully understood as social relations with nature involving social change and social action.Drawing attention to agency, practices and capacity, we show how diverse forms of human and nonhuman actions are recognised, attributed or acknowledged in biodiversity conservation in peopled landscapes.In practice, centring the idea of peopled landscapes (rather than conceiving of the environment as where the impact of people is minimised) shows how invasive plant management and rewilding can be understood as related responses to environmental problems.Flourishing and coexistence in peopled landscapes require recognition of the diverse human and nonhuman agencies that shape the politics of acceptable action, and illustrate the inseparability of environmental and social justice. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]