Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemUnpacking mindfulness: An exploration of mindfulness interventions in children through a developed conceptual framework( 2019)Mindfulness interventions continue to exhibit popularity with children and youth with many demonstrating impacts on a range of cognitive, social and behavioural outcomes. However, research on mindfulness with children is troubled by the lack of conceptual clarity of what mindfulness actually is and the failure of many interventions to adequately define or conceptualise mindfulness at the outset. Mindfulness is variously described as a psychological and meditative construct that has been increasingly used to treat or prevent a range of physical and psychological problems. It is commonly defined as present moment awareness with an attitude of openness and acceptance (Kabat-Zinn, 2013) with its purist origins beginning in Buddhist philosophy. Nonetheless, many models, definitions and measures have been put forward in the literature. The challenge for research on mindfulness is to manage these multiple conceptualisations. Perhaps the solution to the current vexation of what is mindfulness is not to definitively capture it, but to provide a broader framework to accommodate a range of perspectives and theoretical underpinnings? This research explicated and synthesised theoretical accounts of mindfulness to construct a conceptual framework of common mindfulness domains. This developed framework was then utilised to understand the scope and focus of mindfulness in interventions with children and youth. The first study synthesised 14 theoretical accounts of mindfulness to develop a Conceptual Framework of Mindfulness explicating three underlying domains of this construct: Attitude, Cognition and Ontology. The framework was then utilised in Study 2 to map 178 mindfulness interventions with children (4-18 years) to understand the representation of these three domains in interventions and the effect sizes associated with each domain. The mapping study also explored how consistent studies were in their concept of mindfulness across the theory of change. Most studies demonstrated coverage of 2 domains of mindfulness: Attitude and Cognition with the Attitude domain demonstrating largest effect sizes where outcome measures of this nature were reported. Findings also indicated that very few studies demonstrated conceptual alignment across theory, activity and outcomes. The framework proved a valid and useful tool through which interventions could be mapped to understand conceptual scope. Findings generated from the framework have important implications for interventionists and program developers around the design of mindfulness interventions with children and the need to ensure conceptual consistency throughout an intervention’s theory of change. The framework could be applied in the planning and design of interventions and measures of mindfulness to ensure conceptual consistency. Furthermore, it allows for more meaningful aggregation of mindfulness research through the identification and comparison of interventions with similar conceptualisations of mindfulness.
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ItemActing with care: how actor practice is shaped by creating theatre with and for children( 2017)Research has investigated the backgrounds, dispositions and skills of artists working with children in both school and in out-of-school contexts (Ascenso, 2016; Brown, 2014; Galton, 2008; Jeanneret & Brown, 2013; Pringle, 2002; Pringle, 2009; Rabkin, Reynolds, Hedberg, & Shelby, 2008; Waldorf, 2002). Actors make a significant contribution to this work but few studies focus in depth on how they create theatre with and for children. Incorporating constructivist, phenomenological (Van Manen, 1990) and case study methodologies, this research investigates the practice of nine actors who create theatre with and for children in diverse contexts. Drawing on document analysis, surveys, semi-structured interviews and performance observations, the research explores two key questions: What characterises the practice of actors who create theatre with and for children? and How is actor practice shaped by working with children? This thesis explores actor practice in relation to being, doing, knowing and becoming (Ewing & Smith, 2001). Shaped to be outward facing and ‘pedagogically tactful’ (Van Manen, 2015), actor practice gives emphasis to four key qualities: listening, reciprocating, imagining and empathising. When creating theatre with and for children, pedagogically tactful actors are guided by a sense of care and respect. This thesis adds to the discourse about artists working with children, making actor practice visible and drawing attention to their beliefs, goals, motivations and acting techniques.
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ItemPortrait of the artist who works with children( 2014)In both school and non-school based studies, the significant role of artists is often cited but rarely researched in any depth, except for a few notable exceptions (Brice-Heath and Wolf, 2005; Galton, 2008; Rabkin, Reynolds, Hedberg, & Shelby, 2011; Pringle, 2002; Selkrig, 2011; Waldorf, 2002). Despite the view that artists are a rich resource for the community (Mulligan & Smith, 2009), and the claim that there is much to learn from these professionals in relation to their work with children (Galton, 2008; Pringle, 2002; Waldorf, 2002), there are no known interpretive frameworks that provide artists, and the organizations that employ them, with a guide to reflect deeply and critically on their practice involving children in non-school contexts. This research maps the backgrounds, goals and practices of over fifty artists working in a public arts facility, ArtPlay. Located in the heart of Melbourne, ArtPlay provides a wide range of artist-led programs for children aged from three-to-thirteen years. Involving a blend of discovery and constructivist methodologies, aligned with ethnography and case study, this research sought understanding through immersion and dialogue, informed by a hermeneutic model of inquiry (Hammersley, 2011). The key questions for the study were, Why do artists work with children? How do artists work with children? and How does context influence why, and how, artists work with children? To answer these questions, data, gathered through interviews, observations and surveys was analysed through a process of ‘progressive focusing’ (Stake, 2000). Highlighted in this research are the complex factors that influence the artist’s goals and practices, including child age, other adult support, length of program, and the environment. The multi-faceted and contextualised portrait constructed indicates that artists aim to promote child confidence, creativity, aesthetic awareness and joy, through practices that give emphasis to personalized and informal connections, modeling, co-construction, and creative inquiry.