Search

There is strong political and social interest in values education both internationally and across Australia. Investment in young children is recognised as important for the development of moral values for a cohesive society; however, little is known about early years teachers' beliefs about moral values teaching and learning. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationships between Australian early years teachers' epistemic beliefs and their beliefs about children's moral learning. Three hundred and seventy-nine teachers completed a survey about their personal epistemic beliefs and their beliefs about children's moral learning. Results indicated that teachers with more sophisticated epistemic beliefs viewed children as capable of taking responsibility for their own moral learning. Conversely, teachers who held more naive or simplistic personal epistemic beliefs agreed that children need to learn morals through learning the rules for behaviour. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for moral pedagogy in the classroom and teacher professional development. It is suggested that in conjunction with explicitly reflecting on epistemic beliefs, professional development may need to assist teachers to ascertain how their beliefs might relate to their moral pedagogies in order to make any adjustments. (Contains 4 tables.)

Background: The quality of child care is of social and economic significance worldwide. The beliefs that child care workers hold about knowing and knowledge (epistemological beliefs) influence the quality of their professional work. However, attention to epistemological beliefs is rarely a focus in vocational education programmes. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of child care students' epistemological beliefs. Sample(s): All first- and second-year students completing a Diploma of Children's Services at three separate training institutes in a large metropolitan area in Australia were invited to participate in the study. There were 46 first- and 31 second-year students (77 in total, 71 females). Method: This study used semi-structured interviews based on a child care scenario to enable students to articulate their epistemological beliefs. A descriptive-interpretative approach in which interviews were analysed for patterns of meaning was used in the content analysis. The categories, based on the work of Kuhn and Weinstock (2002), included "objectivism," "subjectivism," and "evaluativism." While this proved to be a useful framework, the authors remained open to new categories emerging. This constituted the interpretive component of the analysis. Therefore, the data were analysed using both data-driven and theory-led approaches to analysis, which still made it possible to take account of many viewpoints before arriving at the categories of beliefs. The categories were audited by a second researcher to establish trustworthiness and credibility. Results: The findings of this study revealed a range of epistemological beliefs; however, a new way of thinking about evaluativistic beliefs called "basic evaluativism" emerged. This view of knowledge relates to the construction of evidence-based "practice" rather than "knowledge" as is typically the case in evaluativistic beliefs. Conclusions: Implications for the need to address epistemological beliefs in vocational education programmes for child care workers are discussed.

This paper describes an analysis of interview transcripts for 77 first- and second-year students enrolled in a vocational education course for child-care work. The purpose was to identify their conceptions of learning. All six categories of conceptions, as identified originally by Martin et al. (1993), were found. However, more than 50% of the conceptions were at level A (increasing knowledge). This category was richer and more differentiated than found in other research and had a practical, applied focus. The participants did not generally situate their learning in a formal context based on reading theoretical material. This finding provides a new perspective on conceptions of learning. The results are compared with research in vocational, informal, workplace and teacher learning. The conceptions of learning held by the child-care students could present a challenge for lecturers in the vocational programme who expect that students will underpin practical skills with theoretical knowledge. It is less likely that students will engage in innovative behaviours in practice if their approach to learning is based mainly on practical, procedural knowledge. The findings raise questions as to how to move students' conceptions to a higher more theoretical mode of learning. (Contains 1 table and 2 notes.)

This article includes a description of conceptions of aging and engagement with learning for 16 older people (52 to 80 years; mean age 62 years) with a lifelong intellectual disability. The sample also included the care workers and family member/friend. The older people had sufficient verbal skills to participate in the interviews. Half the sample was in Queensland and half in Victoria. The data are from research that describes a model of active aging for people who have a lifelong intellectual disability. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using phenomenography to identify conceptions of aging and an inductive determination of engagement with learning. Semihierarchical conceptions of aging were identified including no conception, limited awareness, awareness of aging effects, aging as requiring preparation, and an overall understanding. Engagement with learning was classified as low, medium, or high. Most learning occurred at a low level involving observation and copying rather than formalized education. The relationship between participants' conceptions of aging and engagement with learning are discussed. Although there is information in the literature about what older people believe constitutes active aging, there is little about active aging and learning for people with a lifelong intellectual disability. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

Conducted a phenomenographic analysis of the conceptions of teaching and learning held by 16 secondary school teachers in 2 Australian schools. Identifies four categories derived from pooled data of the ways in which these teachers thought about teaching and learning, their teaching strategies, and their focus on student or content. (SLD)

Some older people describe learning to stay fit and healthy and exercise as a regular part of their lives. There is evidence that exercise is beneficial in terms of physical, psychological and social functioning in older adults. This paper is unique in that it is an analysis of the spontaneous discussion of exercise by older people as a priority in their lives. It also provides information about the kinds of exercise they choose. An online written data forum in Australia with responses from 103 people aged 50 to 92 years (F52, M 51) was analysed for all mention of exercise. The respondents were prompted to comment on sustainable lifestyles as they aged. Thirty per cent mentioned exercise as a priority in their lives. Activities included irregular exercise (11%) routine organised exercise such as golf or tennis (8%) and purposeful exercise such as regular gym attendance (11%), where the respondents explained why they needed to exercise. A few (7%) talked about the need to stay healthy without explaining how. Some (2%) described barriers and conditions that made exercise difficult. These figures for engaging in exercise are similar to those identified in 2018 by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare. As evidenced by the literature in the area, lack of awareness of the specific benefits of exercise and barriers to exercise for older adults are not new problems. However, given the increase in the percentage of older people in the population and the demonstrated beneficial effects of exercise, it is worthwhile to document the motivation for exercise and engagement in older adults and to suggest strategies to increase their activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cane toads Bufo marinus were introduced to Australia as a control agent but now have a rapidly progressing invasion front and damage new habitats they enter. Predictive models that can give expansion rates as functions of energy supply and feeding ground distribution could help to maximise control efficiency but to date no study has measured rates of field energy expenditure in an amphibian. In the present study we used the accelerometry technique to generate behavioural time budgets and, through the derivation of ODBA (overall dynamic body acceleration), to obtain estimates of energetics in free ranging cane toads. This represents the first time that accelerometers have been used to not only quantify the behaviour of animals but also assign to those behaviours rates of energy expenditure. Firstly, laboratory calibrations between ODBA and metabolic rate were obtained and used to generate a common prediction equation for the subject toads (R2 = 0.74). Furthermore, acceleration data recorded during different behaviours was studied to ascertain threshold values for objectively defining behaviour categories. Importantly, while subsequent accelerometer field deployments were relatively short they agreed with previous studies on the proportion of time that cane toads locomote yet suggest that the metabolic rate of cane toads in the wild may sometimes be considerably higher than might be assumed based on data for other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research, mainly conducted in Europe and North America, has shown an inequitable burden of internalising mental health problems among adolescents from poorer households. We investigated whether these mental health inequalities differ across a diverse range of countries and multiple measures of economic circumstances., Methods: In this longitudinal observational cohort study, we analysed data from studies conducted in eight countries (Australia, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, the UK, and Viet Nam) across five global regions. All studies had self-reported measures of internalising symptoms using a validated scale at two timepoints in adolescence; a measure of household income, household consumption expenditure, or subjective wealth; and data collected between 2000 and 2019. Household income (measured in four countries), consumption expenditure (six countries), and adolescents' subjective assessment of household wealth (five countries) were measured in mid-adolescence (14-17 years). The primary outcome (internalising symptoms, characterised by negative mood, affect, and anxiety) was measured later in adolescence between age 17 and 19 years. Analyses were linear regression models with adjustment. Effect estimates were added to random-effects meta-analyses to aid understanding of cross-country differences., Findings: The overall pooled sample of eight studies featured 18 910 adolescents (9568 [50·6%] female and 9342 [49·4%] male). Household income had a small or null association with adolescents' internalising symptoms. Heterogeneity (I 2 statistic) was 71·04%, falling to 39·71% after adjusting for baseline symptoms. Household consumption expenditure had a stronger association with internalising symptoms (decreases of 0·075 SD in Peru [95% CI -0·136 to -0·013], 0·034 SD in South Africa [-0·061 to -0·006], and 0·141 SD in Viet Nam [-0·202 to -0·081] as household consumption expenditure doubled). The I 2 statistic was 74·24%, remaining similar at 74·83% after adjusting for baseline symptoms. Adolescents' subjective wealth was associated with internalising symptoms in four of the five countries where it was measured. The I 2 statistic was 57·09% and remained similar after adjusting for baseline symptoms (53·25%). We found evidence for cross-country differences in economic inequalities in adolescents' internalising symptoms, most prominently for inequalities according to household consumption expenditure. Subjective wealth explained greater variance in symptoms compared with the objective measures., Interpretation: Our study suggests that economic inequalities in adolescents' mental health are prevalent in many but not all countries and vary by the economic measure considered. Variation in the magnitude of inequalities suggests that the wider context within countries plays an important role in the development of these inequalities., Funding: Wellcome Trust., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests SE-L reports grants from the UK Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, and the Economic and Social Research Council. KR-C reports support through a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship; grants from UK Research and Innovation and WHO; and previous membership on the Global Alliance for Chronic Disease expert advisory panel. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Students define academic competence across two axes: developing skills and understanding (mastery) versus comparisons with peers (performance), and achieving goals (approach) versus avoiding failure (avoidance). We aimed to examine the longitudinal association between achievement goals and adolescent depressive symptoms., Methods: We analysed data from the Kindergarten (recruited at age 4-5 years; born between March, 1999, and February, 2000; recruited from March, 2004 to November, 2004) and Baby (recruited at age 0-1 years; born between March, 2003, and February, 2004; recruited from March, 2004 to January, 2005) cohorts of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Participants were identified through the Medicare enrolment database and sampled using a randomised selection stratified by postcode to represent the Australian population. Achievement goals were measured at age 12-13 years with the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (ranges from 1 to 7 on each of the four subscales), and depressive symptoms with the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (score ranges from 0 to 26, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms) at ages 14-15 years (both cohorts) and 16-17 years (Kindergarten cohort only). Analyses were linear multilevel and traditional regressions, with confounder adjustment, for participants with available data on the exposures, confounders, and outcome., Findings: We included 3200 participants (1585 female and 1615 male) from the Kindergarten cohort and 2671 participants (1310 female and 1361 male) from the Baby cohort. A 1-point increase in mastery-approach goals was associated with decreased depressive symptom severity score (Kindergarten, -0·33 [95% CI -0·52 to -0·15]; Baby, -0·29 [-0·54 to -0·03]), while a 1-point increase in mastery-avoidance goals was associated with increased depressive symptom severity score (Kindergarten, 0·35 [95% CI 0·21 to 0·48]; Baby, 0·44 [0·25 to 0·64]). A 1-point increase in performance-avoidance goals was associated with increased depressive symptom severity score in the Kindergarten cohort but not the Baby cohort (Kindergarten, 0·26 [95% CI 0·11 to 0·41]; Baby, -0·04 [-0·27 to 0·19]). We found little evidence of an association between depressive symptom severity and performance-approach goals., Interpretation: Depressive symptoms in adolescents were associated with their achievement goals, which could be targetable risk factors for future trials to investigate whether school-based interventions that aim to enhance factors consistent with mastery goals (ie, learning skills and understanding the subject, rather than assessing competence in comparison to peers) could prevent depression in adolescents., Funding: Sir Henry Dale Fellowship jointly funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests GlL is chair of an NIHR-funded trial steering committee and has received funding for travel and accommodation to attend the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress 2023. KL is a participant on the Murdoch Children's Research Institute Data Governance Instruments working group and declares no other competing interests. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Vaccination in the Community (SAEFVIC), Victoria's vaccine safety service for reporting adverse events following immunisation (AEFI), has provided integrated spontaneous surveillance and clinical services for individuals affected by AEFI since 2007. We describe SAEFVIC's response to the COVID-19 vaccine program, and reflect on lessons learned for vaccine safety. The massive scale of the Australian COVID-19 vaccine program required rapid adaptations across all aspects of SAEFVIC's vaccine safety services. Collection of AEFI reports was streamlined and expanded, incorporating both spontaneous and active surveillance data. Dramatically increased report volumes were managed with additional staffing, and innovations to automate, filter, and triage reports for priority follow up. There were two major adverse events of special interest (AESI): thrombosis with thrombocytopaenia syndrome and myocarditis, with multiple other AESI also investigated. Rapid escalation mechanisms to respond to AESI were established, along with AESI-specific databases for enhanced monitoring. Vaccine education and training resources were developed and public-facing vaccine safety reports updated weekly. Frequent communication with local and national government and regulatory bodies, and consultation with specialist groups was essential. The COVID-19 vaccine program has highlighted the importance of vaccine safety in supporting public confidence in vaccines and informing evidence-based immunisation policy. Supporting the COVID-19 vaccine program has required flexibility in adapting to policy changes and evolving vaccine safety signals, careful triage and prioritisation, informatics innovation, and enhanced engagement with the public regarding vaccine safety. Long-term investment to continue strengthening vaccine safety systems, building on lessons learned, will be essential for the ongoing success of Australian vaccination programs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Laemmle-Ruff, Lewis, Clothier, Dimaguila, Wolthuizen, Buttery and Crawford.)

Background: Status epilepticus is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. While vaccine-proximate status epilepticus (VP-SE) has rarely been associated with cases of Dravet syndrome, it is not known whether VP-SE differs clinically from non-vaccine proximate status epilepticus (NVP-SE)., Methods: Medical records of children aged ≤24 months, presenting to one of five Australian tertiary pediatric hospitals with their first episode of status epilepticus from 2013 to 2017 were identified using ICD-coded discharge diagnoses. Vaccination history was obtained from the Australian Immunisation Register. Hospitalization details, subsequent epilepsy diagnosis, and vaccination uptake were compared between VP-SE and NVP-SE cases., Results: Of 245 first status epilepticus hospitalization with immunization records, 35 (14%) were VP-SE and 21 (60%) followed measles-containing vaccines. Vaccine-proximate status epilepticus cases had a median age of 12.5 months [IQR 7.1-14.73], 23 (66%) were in males, 15 (43%) were febrile status epilepticus and 17 (49%) had an infection confirmed. There were no significant differences in hospitalization duration (P = 0.50) or intensive care unit admission (P = 0.42) between children with VP-SE compared to children with NVP-SE. Children with no history of seizures at their first VP-SE had longer hospitalizations, were more likely to require intensive care unit admission, but were less likely to have a subsequent diagnosis of epilepsy than children with previous seizures at their first VP-SE., Conclusion: First VP-SE was predominantly associated with a measles-containing vaccine at 12-months of age. Seizure severity was no different between first VP-SE and first NVP-SE. In children with VP-SE, subsequent seizure admissions and epilepsy diagnosis were associated with having seizure prior to their first SE., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Seizures, whether febrile or afebrile, occurring within 14 days following vaccination can be considered as vaccine proximate seizures (VPSs). While the attributable risk and clinical severity of first febrile VPS is well known, the risk and clinical outcomes of VPS recurrence is less well defined., Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of revaccination management and outcomes in children who experienced a VPS as their first seizure seen in Australian Specialist Immunisation Clinics between 2013 and 2017. Vaccination outcomes were compared between children who had a VPS as their only seizure (VPS only) and children who had further non-vaccine proximate seizures following their initial VPS (VPS+) prior to review at the clinic., Results: We identified 119 children with a VPS as their first seizure, of which 61 (51%) went on to have other seizures (VPS+). Children with VPS+ were more likely to present at a younger age (6.2 vs 12.5 months, P = 0.03), with afebrile seizures (42.6% vs 15.5%, P = 0.002) compared to VPS only children. VPS recurrence on revaccination was uncommon in both groups, but more common in VPS+ children (12.5% vs 2.4%, P = 0.07). Having an epilepsy diagnosis, specifically Dravet syndrome, was associated with VPS recurrence (P < 0.001). Of the four children with Dravet syndrome who had VPS recurrence, all had status epilepticus following revaccination., Conclusion: In children who presented with a single VPS as their only seizure, VPS recurrence on revaccination was uncommon. Children who had multiple non-vaccine proximate seizures following their initial VPS (VPS+) were more likely to present with afebrile VPS, at a younger age and have a VPS recurrence with vaccination. In these children, particularly those aged < 12 months, assessment and investigation for diagnosis of Dravet syndrome should be considered and additional precautions for revaccination undertaken as they are at highest risk of VPS recurrence., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Surveillance of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) is an essential component of vaccine safety monitoring. The most commonly utilized passive surveillance systems rely predominantly on reporting by health care providers (HCP). We reviewed adverse event reports received in Victoria, Australia since surveillance commencement in July 2007, to June 2013 (6 years) to ascertain the contribution of consumer (vaccinee or their parent/guardian) reporting to vaccine safety monitoring and to inform future surveillance system development directions. Categorical data included were: reporter type; serious and non-serious AEFI category; and, vaccinee age group. Chi-square test and 2-sample test of proportions were used to compare categories; trend changes were assessed using linear regression. Consumer reporting increased over the 6 years, reaching 21% of reports received in 2013 (P<0.001), most commonly for children aged less than 7 years. Consumer reports were 5% more likely to describe serious AEFI than HCP (P=0.018) and 10% more likely to result in specialist clinic attendance (P<0.001). Although online reporting increased to 32% of all report since its introduction in 2010, 85% of consumers continued to report by phone. Consumer reporting of AEFI is a valuable component of vaccine safety surveillance in addition to HCP reporting. Changes are required to AEFI reporting systems to implement efficient consumer AEFI reporting, but may be justified for their potential impact on signal detection sensitivity.

Recent reforms in Australia, England, and the Netherlands have sought to enhance the quality and accessibility of primary care. Quality improvement strategies include postgraduate training programs for family physicians, accreditation of general practitioner (GP) practices, and efforts to modify professional behaviors—for example, through clinical guideline development. Strategies for improving access include national performance targets, greater use of practice nurses, assured after-hours care, and medical advice telephone lines. All three countries have established midlevel primary care organizations both to coordinate primary care health services and to serve other functions, such as purchasing and population health planning. Better coordination of primary health care services is also the objective driving the use of patient enrollment in a single general practice. Payment reform is also a key element of English and Australian reforms, with both countries having introduced payment-for-quality initiatives. Dutch payment reform has stressed financial incentives for better management of chronic disease.

Women's fear of violence can impact negatively on their active participation in life. An ageing survey conducted with 2,620 Australian respondents aged 50 to 90 years examined aspects of work, learning, social, spiritual and emotional status, health, vision, home, life events, demographics, and asked an open-ended question about what being actively engaged in life meant. Ordinal regression was carried out on two dependent variables: wanting and needing to learn to discourage violence. Analyses found that as women's age increased, those on lower incomes were more likely than others to say they needed to learn how to discourage violence against them. This paper investigates the variables associated with the findings-transport, finances, news media, home safety, and reduced social interactions. Results highlight the importance of understanding women's fear in the context of personal and social issues, and the need to provide learning opportunities to improve safety and social engagement.

Background: Conceptions of learning have been investigated for students in higher education in different countries. Some studies found that students' conceptions change and develop over time while others have found no changes. Investigating conceptions of learning for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students is a relatively new area of research., Aims: This study set out to investigate conceptions of learning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students during the first two years of their undergraduate degree courses in three Australian universities. Conceptions for each year were compared. Knowing more about learning as conceived by this cultural group may facilitate more productive higher educational experiences., Sample: The sample comprised 17 students studying various degrees; 11 were male and 6 were female. Ages ranged from 18 to 48 years; mean age was 26 years., Method: This was a phenomenographic, longitudinal study. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted each year to ascertain students' conceptions of learning. Conceptions for second year were derived independently of those from first year. A comparative analysis then took place to determine any changes., Results: These students held conceptions of learning that were similar to those of other university students; however there were some intrinsic differences. On a group level, conceptions changed somewhat over the two years as did core conceptions reported by some individual students. Some students also exhibited a greater awareness of learning during their second year that resulted in three dimensions of changed awareness., Conclusions: We believe the changed conceptions and awareness resulted from learning at university where there is some need to understand and explain phenomena in relation to theory. This brought about new understandings which allowed students to see their own learning in a relational sense.