Melbourne Graduate School of Education - Research Publications

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    Adolescent School Belonging and Mental Health Outcomes in Young Adulthood: Findings from a Multi-wave Prospective Cohort Study
    Allen, K-A ; Greenwood, CJ ; Berger, E ; Patlamazoglou, L ; Reupert, A ; Wurf, G ; May, F ; O'Connor, M ; Sanson, A ; Olsson, CA ; Letcher, P (SPRINGER, 2024-01-01)
    Abstract School belonging, sometimes referred to as school belonging or school connectedness, involves dimensions like positive affect towards school, relationships with teachers, and feeling socially valued. Previous research points to immediate benefits for students’ mental health and wellbeing; however, evidence on the potential long-term benefits of school belonging for mental health—once young people leave the school setting—is limited. This study used data on 1568 adults from the Australian Temperament Project (ATP), a 16-wave longitudinal study which has tracked participants since infancy. The short form of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) School Life Questionnaire was used to assess secondary school belonging at age 15–16 years whilst young adult mental health symptoms were evaluated using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) at 19–20, 23–24, and 27–28 years. Generalised Estimating Equation models were used to examine the link between secondary school belonging and mental health symptoms in young adulthood. Results showed that higher levels of all aspects of school belonging were associated with lower mental health symptoms across young adulthood (β range − 0.05 to − 0.20). Associations were similar by gender. These findings underscore the importance of adolescent school belonging and in particular school status in reference to feeling socially valued, as a long-term protective factor that can mitigate against later depression, anxiety, and stress.
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    Student-Identified Practices for Improving Belonging in Australian Secondary Schools: Moving Beyond COVID-19
    Allen, K-A ; Berger, E ; Reupert, A ; Grove, C ; May, F ; Patlamazoglou, L ; Gamble, N ; Wurf, G ; Warton, W (SPRINGER, 2023-09)
    Abstract Despite a strong body of evidence demonstrating the importance of school belonging across multiple measures of wellbeing and academic outcomes, many students still do not feel a sense of belonging to their school. Moreover, school closures caused by COVID-19 lockdowns have exacerbated challenges for developing a student’s sense of school belonging. The current study used closed- and open-ended survey questions to explore student perspectives of practices influencing belonging in a sample of 184 Australian secondary school students. Thematic analysis of student responses to open-ended survey questions yielded four themes related to teacher-level practices influencing student belonging: emotional support, support for learning, social connection, and respect, inclusion and diversity. The implications of these findings are discussed, and strategies are suggested for implementing these student-identified practices.
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    Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12: Psychometric Properties of This Construct Among Iranian Undergraduate Students (Retracted Article)
    Vadivel, B ; Azadfar, Z ; Abu Talib, M ; Mutlak, DA ; Suksatan, W ; Abbood, AAA ; Sultan, MQ ; Allen, KA ; Patra, I ; Hammid, AT ; Abdollahi, A ; Chupradit, S (FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2022-06-08)
    BACKGROUND: Uncertainty intolerance (IU), the tendency to think or react negatively toward uncertain events may have implication on individuals' mental health and psychological wellbeing. The Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 (IU-12) is commonly used across the globe to measure IU, however, its' psychometric properties are yet to be evaluated in Iran with a Persian-speaking population. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to translate and validate the IU-12 among Iranian undergraduate students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The multi-stage cluster random sampling was employed to recruit 410 Iranian undergraduate students (260 females) from the Azad University to complete the IU-12, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-2, and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in a cross-sectional design. In this study, face validity, content validity, construct validity, and concurrent validity were measured and Construct Reliability (CR) and Cronbach's alpha were used to measure reliability. RESULTS: The impact score of the translated IU-12 indicated acceptable face validity (value of impact score was greater than 1.5). The value of Content Validity Index (CVI) and the value of Content Validity Ratio (CVR) were above 0.7 and 0.78, respectively. The values of CVI and CVR indicated the items had acceptable content validity and were deemed essential to the measure. The measurement model analysis showed the measure with two subscales had good fit indices (CMIN/df = 2.75, p < 0.01, RMSEA = 0.07, TLI = 0.94, CFI = 0.95, GFI = 0.94). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated the scale was composed of the two subscales found in the English-version of the scale (prospective anxiety and inhibitory anxiety), and no items were removed from the scale. The values of CR (0.86) and Cronbach's alphas (0.89) showed the measure had appropriate internal consistency. CONCLUSION: The findings support the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the IU-12. This scale could be used to reliably and accurately measure uncertainty intolerance among undergraduate students in Iran.
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    Self-care behaviors mediates the relationship between resilience and quality of life in breast cancer patients
    Abdollahi, A ; Alsaikhan, F ; Nikolenko, DA ; Al-Gazally, ME ; Mahmudiono, T ; Allen, KA ; Abdullaev, B (BMC, 2022-12-26)
    Previous studies have shown that resilience could play an important role in enhancing the quality of life in women with breast cancer; however, the mediating role of self-care behaviors have not been studied. This study aims to explore the mediating role of self-care behaviors in the relationship between resilience and quality of life in breast cancer patients. A sample of 195 women with breast cancer (aged from 21 to 60 years; M = 45.32 ± 8.2) from three hospitals in Tehran, Iran completed online questionnaires measuring resilience, self-care and quality of life. The results of structural equation modeling showed that resilience (β = 0.546, p < .01) and self-care behaviors (β = 0.621, p < .01) positively predicted the quality of life in breast cancer patients. The bootstrapping analysis showed that self-care behaviors acted as a partial mediator between resilience and quality of life. The present study brings to light an underlying mechanism of the relationship between resilience and quality of life via the mediating variable of self-care behaviors for patients with breast cancer.
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    Factors Associated With Hope and Quality of Life in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
    Soleimani, MA ; Zarabadi-Pour, S ; Chan, YH ; Allen, K-A ; Shamsizadeh, M (LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 2022-04)
    BACKGROUND: Psychological resources such as hope have been suggested to affect quality of life (QoL) positively in patients with heart disease. However, little information regarding the relationship between these two constructs is available. PURPOSE: This work was aimed at examining the factors associated with hope and QoL in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS: In this descriptive work, perceived QoL and hope were assessed in 500 patients with heart disease. The information was collected using the McGill QoL Questionnaire, demographic variables, and the Herth Hope Index. The Pearson correlation test and general linear model were used to examine correlations through SPSS Version 22. RESULTS: A considerable correlation was discovered between QoL and hope (r = .337, p < .001). Multivariate analyses with regression revealed that religious beliefs and social support both had significant and positive effects on the total perceived hope of patients and that patient age had a considerable negative impact on QoL (p < .05). None of these factors had a significant impact on hope (p < .05). In addition, the total QoL had a significant and positive effect on patient feelings and thoughts, whereas the physical problems component of QoL had a significant and negative effect on hope (p < .05). Participants with higher levels of education reported more hope. CONCLUSIONS: QoL relates significantly to self-perceived hope in patients. Understanding QoL and hopefulness in patients with coronary artery disease has implications for nurses and other healthcare professionals.
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    Leisure activity engagement as a predictor for quality of life in community-Dwelling older adults
    Marufkhani, V ; Mohammadi, F ; Mirzadeh, M ; Allen, K-A ; Motalebi, SA (WOLTERS KLUWER MEDKNOW PUBLICATIONS, 2021-01-01)
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    Student belongingness in higher education: Lessons for Professors from the COVID-19 pandemic
    Tice, D ; Baumeister, R ; Crawford, J ; Allen, K-A ; Percy, A (University of Wollongong, 2021-01-01)
    ‘To learn about X, observe what happens to the system when X is removed.’ What happens to the higher education student experience when, during a pandemic, so many of the avenues for building a sense of belonging are radically and fundamentally disrupted? How should we respond as individuals, a collective and a sector, to redress this? The national student survey data in Australia has highlighted a significant drop in learner engagement and their sense of belonging as a result of the pandemic. Indeed, the pandemic has been a significant point of anxiety for students, educators, and universities globally. We see the pandemic as a unique opportunity to critically examine belongingness among university students in a climate where their normal avenues to feel they belong need to establish a new kind of normal. In this article, we seek to articulate what can be learned from the pandemic experience about student belongingness and what instructors can do to improve it, even under difficult circumstances. We found opportunities to strengthen a students’ sense of belonging in online environments, when necessary, and how responses within the constraints of lockdown and emergency remote teaching can still support student success.
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    Work like a girl: Redressing gender inequity in academia through systemic solutions
    Allen, K-A ; Butler-Henderson, K ; Reupert, A ; Longmuir, F ; Finefter-Rosenbluh, I ; Berger, E ; Grove, C ; Heffernan, A ; Freeman, N ; Kewalramani, S ; Krebs, S ; Dsouza, L ; Mackie, G ; Chapman, D ; Fleer, M (University of Wollongong, 2021-01-01)
    Historically, the professional structure of higher education has provided restricted employment, career, and leadership opportunities for women. This is exacerbated where there is an intersection between gender and race, culture, religion, or age. Women continue to be underrepresented in senior leadership positions across a range of disciplines, and this lack of representation of women within the professional structure of higher education itself acts as a barrier for more women reaching senior levels within institutions. More women are needed in higher positions to increase representation and visibility, and to encourage and mentor others to then aspire to follow a similar path. This critical review examines gender equity across the major career benchmarks of the academy in light of the impact of the personal contexts of women, systemic processes, and cultural barriers that hinder career progression. Research-based systemic solutions that work towards improved gender equity for women are discussed. The findings from this critical review highlight the need for global systemic change in higher education to create ethical equities in the employment, career, and leadership opportunities for women.
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    Building better schools with evidence-based policy: Adaptable policy for teachers and school leaders
    Allen, KA ; Reupert, A ; Oades, L ; Allen, K-A ; Reupert, A ; Oades, L (Routledge, 2021-04-29)
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    Belonging: a review of conceptual issues, an integrative framework, and directions for future research
    Allen, K-A ; Kern, ML ; Rozek, CS ; McInerney, DM ; Slavich, GM (TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2021-01-02)
    OBJECTIVE: A sense of belonging-the subjective feeling of deep connection with social groups, physical places, and individual and collective experiences-is a fundamental human need that predicts numerous mental, physical, social, economic, and behavioural outcomes. However, varying perspectives on how belonging should be conceptualised, assessed, and cultivated has hampered much-needed progress on this timely and important topic. To address these critical issues, we conducted a narrative review that summarizes existing perspectives on belonging, describes a new integrative framework for understanding and studying belonging, and identifies several key avenues for future research and practice. METHOD: We searched relevant databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, and ClinicalTrials.gov, for articles describing belonging, instruments for assessing belonging, and interventions for increasing belonging. RESULTS: By identifying the core components of belonging, we introduce a new integrative framework for understanding, assessing, and cultivating belonging that focuses on four interrelated components: competencies, opportunities, motivations, and perceptions. CONCLUSION: This integrative framework enhances our understanding of the basic nature and features of belonging, provides a foundation for future interdisciplinary research on belonging and belongingness, and highlights how a robust sense of belonging may be cultivated to improve human health and resilience for individuals and communities worldwide.