Search

This paper reports on a longitudinal project examining how a group of students from diverse backgrounds succeeded in higher education. The project explored participants' pathways into higher education, how they managed their studies, and their reflections at course completion. In this paper, the concept of perspective transformation is used to consider the extent to which their success in higher education was a transformative experience. Data from the project's first stage identified the role of perspective transformation in influencing participants' pathways to higher education, while here we focus on the impact of their university study on perspective transformation, comparing evidence of transformative experiences during study with those that led to enrolment. Analysis of participants' reflections at course completion indicated that higher education success was a transformative experience for most of them and that perspective transformation affected more participants during study than before it. Participants identified several aspects of the course that contributed to the changes experienced in their perspectives. We consider some implications for university staff, which may help others involved with students from diverse backgrounds.

This paper is based on findings from the first phase of a longitudinal project examining how a group of students from diverse backgrounds succeed in higher education. The concept of perspective transformation is used to explore students' stories about factors that influenced them on their journey to university, including socio-economic background, family difficulties, gender, the effect of being first in family to enter higher education, migration, location and experiences of schooling. The paper argues that, for some participants, the decision to enrol was not primarily the effect of perspective transformation, but rather the result of other aspects of their lives. Finally, we comment on the value of narrative inquiry for revealing participants' experiences and, potentially, for supporting the process of transformation. (Contains 2 tables.)

The objective for this study was to determine whether learning style preferences of health science students could predict their attitudes to e-learning. A survey comprising the "Index of Learning Styles" (ILS) and the "Online Learning Environment Survey" (OLES) was distributed to 2885 students enrolled in 10 different health science programs at an Australian university. A total of 822 useable surveys were returned generating a response rate of 29.3%. Using SPSS, a linear regression analysis was completed. On the ILS Active-Reflective dimension, 44% of health science students reported a preference as being active learners, 60% as sensing learners, and 64% as sequential learners. Students' attitudes toward e-learning using the OLES showed that their "preferred" scores for all 9 subscales were higher than their "actual" scores. The linear regression analysis results indicated that ILS learning styles accounted for a small percentage of the OLES "actual" and "preferred" subscales' variance. For the OLES "actual" subscales, the ILS Active-Reflective and Sensing-Intuitive learning style dimensions were the most frequent predictors of health science students' attitudes towards e-learning. For the OLES "preferred" subscales, ILS Active-Reflective and Sequential-Global learning style dimensions accounted for the most frequent source of variance. It appears that the learning styles of health science students (as measured by the ILS) can be used only to a limited extent as a predictor of students' attitudes towards e-learning. Nevertheless, educators should still consider student learning styles in the context of using technology for instructional purposes. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)

Objective: Child abuse in the context of legal and de facto marital breakdown has received little attention internationally. Many believe it does not exist in this context and regard it as just a 'gambit in the divorce wars.' Recently, however, family courts in a number of countries have become concerned over the management of child abuse allegations in custody and access cases, known more commonly now as residence and contact cases. This article presents a unique research study, which investigated how the Family Court of Australia dealt with such cases. The study, covering all forms of child abuse, sought to discover who were the families bringing these problems to family courts, what precisely the abuse was and how the courts dealt with it. Method: The study reviewed court records of some 200 families where child abuse allegations had been made in custody and access disputes in jurisdictions in two states, observed court proceedings and interviewed court and related services' staff. Results: The findings showed that these cases had become a core component of the court's workload without any public or professional awareness of this change, that the abuse was real, that it was severe and serious, and that the courts and child protection services did not provide appropriate services to the families. Conclusion: A new specialized intervention system was developed based on the research and it is now being trialed and evaluated. The new intervention system contains features derived from the research findings that may be suitable internationally for implementation.

In order to optimise learning and resources in higher education contexts, the learning styles of nursing and medical students have been researched extensively, however few studies have been completed with other health science student groups. The purpose of this study was to determine the learning style preferences of occupational therapy and physiotherapy students enrolled in a four- year undergraduate degree program at one large metropolitan Australian university. The learning styles of 19 undergraduate occupational therapy students and 42 undergraduate physiotherapy students from first, second, and third years were investigated and classified into learning modes and one of four learning style preferences using the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI). Learning styles for both occupational therapy and physiotherapy undergraduate students included representation all four Kolb learning styles. The majority of occupational therapy students showed a preference for 'assimilating' learning style (31.6%), followed by an equal preference for 'converging' and 'diverging styles' (26.3%). Physiotherapy students showed an equal preference for' converging' and 'diverging' styles (31%). In order to promote learning, education should be delivered in a variety of methods that will match the preferred learning styles of health science students. Strengthening the ability to utilise different learning styles will facilitate student's learning in different contexts encountered during academic classroom sessions, fieldwork education placements, and professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses issues surrounding child abuse incidents and the Family Court in Australia. It raises a question regarding the role of the Family Court in handling cases related to child protection and abuse. It highlights the proposals to better handle child abuse allegations in residence and contact cases coming before the Family Court in the country. It presents an overview of the history of the Family Court in Australia as well as highlights several child abuse cases in the Family Court.

This paper describes a groupwork process with women whose children have been incestuously abused. It is suggested that groupwork with these women is an effective intervention technique, as part of an overall treatment plan for families where incest occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]