Family life is the focus of this sixth volume in a series containing the proceedings of the 1983 Australian Family Research Conference. The papers are organized under two major sections: Children and Families and Family Environments. Papers and authors included are: "Family Conflict and Child Competence" (Gay Ochiltree and Paul Amato),…

Since 1947, some 3.5 million migrants have entered Australia, giving birth to 2.2 million children. Whereas, in 1947 only 9.8% of Australia's populace were of overseas birth and less than 3% were of non-Anglo Saxon origin, by 1976, some 20% were of overseas birth, some 39% had been born overseas or had a parent born overseas, and some 25% had been…

Social capital helps communities respond positively to change. Research into managing change through learning in communities and in small businesses, particularly farm businesses, has highlighted the importance of relationships between people and the formal and informal structure of communities to the quality of outcomes experienced by…

Key issues related to the relationship between new technology and lifelong learning in the United Kingdom and elsewhere were identified through reviews of the literature on information and communications technology (ICT) and the literature on lifelong learning. Two overarching issues related to the interplay of new technology and lifelong learning…

Fourth in a series of volumes containing the proceedings of the 1983 Australian Family Research Conference, this publication deals with policies and families in Australia. Papers and authors included are: "Improving Social Security Programs: Some Options and Barriers" (Andrew Burbidge), "Single Parent Families and Social Policies:…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate, from a national perspective, the impact and outcomes of market reform in vocational education and training (VET), particularly the introduction of competitive tendering and "user choice". It does so by examining the structure, composition and dynamics of contestable or "quasi-markets"…

Beginning with the principle that self-concept and self-esteem are learned, this paper describes the adolescent self and its social concomitants. The depiction of adolescence emphasizes adolescents' ability to think abstractly and their knowledge of the mind's ability to process, direct, and manipulate experience. In contrast with the…

There is a lack of distinction and definition around how the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia might effectively recruit and retain suitably qualified teachers, trainers and assessors. The logic is clear: in order to enable and develop an immediate pool of competent and qualified workers for new and developing industries,…

National research illustrates the high degree of discrimination that prevails against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students resulting in diminished educational outcomes, both academic and social. This phenomenon is influenced by the prevalence of whole-school silences around LGBTQ topics in many Australian schools. This…

This paper provides a context for exploring the positioning of Physical Education specialist teachers (PE specialist teachers) in primary schools in Queensland in the discourses of teacher professionalism. A critical analysis of literature on the history and status of the subject and its practitioners aims to contextualize discourses in and about…

Design-based educational research can aid in providing a lens into understanding the complexities around imaginative methods, while also creating an avenue to share personal insights to support the solving of teaching and learning problems to direct future efforts. In this study, the "I" narrative was extensively utilised in the form of…

Early childhood (EC) educators are expected to cater for all types of families from diverse backgrounds. Research involving EC educators and the spaces they create indicate the dominance of heteronormative practices. This silences programmes, policies, experiences and interactions that could reflect and support children with parents who identify…

Critical Sexuality Studies is an emerging field of academic enquiry linked to an international network of advocacy agencies, activists, and political issues. This paper reports on the development of an advanced short course in sexuality theory and research, drawing on Critical Sexuality Studies and aiming directly at academics in developing…

Examines a coeducational secondary school drama class during collective script creation to determine its stereotypical representations of males. Stereotypes favored by each gender group differed. Preferences appeared to come from textual affinities for certain kinds of reading/viewing material and from the personal and collective fantasy lives of…

This paper reviews the findings reported by Dyer and Tiggemann (1996) in Australia studying the effect of single sex versus coeducational school environments on body concerns in adolescent females. It details the reasons why parents and their children choose to be educated in single sex versus coeducational environments; and reviews literature…