Christian Education Research Centre
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Browsing Christian Education Research Centre by Author "Beamish, Peter"
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Item A Multimodal Intervention for Improving the Mental Health and Emotional Well-being of College Students(2020-03-01) Przybylko, Geraldine; Renfrew, Melanie; Beamish, Peter; Kent, Lillian; Herman, Wendi; Craig, Bevan; Hinze, Jason; Morton, DarrenThis study examined the effectiveness of a 10-week multimodal intervention for improving the mental health and emotional well-being of college students when included as a mandatory component of the students’ course of study. A total of 67 students (20.9 ± 5.4 years, 30 male/37 female) participated in the intervention that introduced a variety of evidence-based strategies for improving mental health and emotional well-being from the Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology literature. Significant reductions were recorded in symptoms of depression (−28%, P < .05), anxiety (−31%, P < .05), and stress (−28%, P < .01), whereas significant improvements were observed in mental health (18%, P < .01), vitality (14%, P < .01) and overall life satisfaction (8%, P < .05). Effect sizes were larger than those reported by studies that have examined the individual effectiveness of the strategies incorporated into the intervention, suggesting a compounding effect. Stratified analyses indicated that participants with the lowest measures of mental health and emotional well-being at baseline experienced the greatest benefits. The findings of the study suggest that meaningful improvements in the mental health and emotional well-being of college students can be achieved, and potentially magnified, by utilizing a multidisciplinary approach involving evidence-based strategies from Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology.
Item A Web- and Mobile App–Based Mental Health Promotion Intervention Comparing Email, Short Message Service, and Videoconferencing Support for a Healthy Cohort: Randomized Comparative Study(2020-01-06) Craig, Bevan; Przybylko, Geraldine; Beamish, Peter; Hinze, Jason; Morton, Jason K.; Morton, Darren; Renfrew, MelanieBackground: The rapid increase in mental health disorders has prompted a call for greater focus on mental health promotion and primary prevention. Web- and mobile app–based interventions present a scalable opportunity. Little is known about the influence of human support on the outcomes of these interventions.
Objective: This study aimed to compare the influence of 3 modes of human support on the outcomes (ie, mental health, vitality, depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, and flourishing) of a 10-week, Web- and mobile app–based, lifestyle-focused mental health promotion intervention among a healthy adult cohort.
Methods: Participants were recruited voluntarily using a combination of online and offline advertising. They were randomized, unblinded into 3 groups differentiated by human support mode: Group 1 (n=201): standard—fully automated emails (S); Group 2 (n=202): standard plus personalized SMS (S+pSMS); and Group 3 (n=202): standard plus weekly videoconferencing support (S+VCS), hosted by 1 trained facilitator. Participants accessed the intervention, including the questionnaire, on a Web-based learning management system or through a mobile app. The questionnaire, administered at pre- and postintervention, contained self-reported measures of mental well-being, including the “mental health” and “vitality” subscales from the Short Form Health Survey-36, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, Diener Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and Diener Flourishing Scale.
Results: Of 605 potential participants, 458 (S: n=157, S+pSMS: n=163, and S+VCS: n=138) entered the study by completing registration and the preintervention questionnaire. At post intervention, 320 out of 458 participants (69.9%; S: n=103, S+pSMS: n=114, and S+VCS: n=103) completed the questionnaire. Significant within-group improvements were recorded from pre- to postintervention in all groups and in every outcome measure (P≤.001). No significant between-group differences were observed for outcomes in any measure: mental health (P=.77), vitality (P=.65), depression (P=.93), anxiety (P=.25), stress (P.57), SWLS (P=.65), and Flourishing Scale (P=.99). Adherence was not significantly different between groups for mean videos watched (P=.42) and practical activity engagement (P=.71). Participation in videoconference support sessions (VCSSs) was low; 37 out of 103 (35.9%) participants did not attend any VCSSs, and only 19 out of 103 (18.4%) attended 7 or more out of 10 sessions. Stratification within the S+VCS group revealed that those who attended 7 or more VCSSs experienced significantly greater improvements in the domains of mental health (P=.006; d=0.71), vitality (P=.005; d=0.73), depression (P=.04; d=0.54), and life satisfaction (P=.046; d=0.50) compared with participants who attended less than 7.
Conclusions: A Web- and mobile app–based mental health promotion intervention enhanced domains of mental well-being among a healthy cohort, irrespective of human support. Low attendance at VCSSs hindered the ability to make meaningful between-group comparisons. Supplementing the intervention with VCSSs might improve outcomes when attendance is optimized.
Item Are Christian Schools Really Christian? Perceptions of Final-year Pre-service Teachers in Australia(2017-01-01) Beamish, Peter; Christian, BeverlyItem Can the Use of Web 2.0 Tools Help Deliver 21st Century Learning?(2014-10-01) McLeod, Bobby; Beamish, PeterIt has long been recognized that people need to be literate to function optimally within society. The 21st century has seen technology increase the complexity of environments, so that a literate person must now possess a wide range of abilities, competencies, and literacies. These have often been referred to as “21st-century skills” and while many of them are not new, the extent to which individual success depends on having such skills is new. The current study seeks to explore ways in which technology can be used to increase literacy and enhance 21st century skills in students.
1193 students attending Sahmyook University in Seoul, South Korea were placed in small groups and asked to make a movie in English. This constructivist, real-world, group-based project required students to collaboratively negotiated their way through a variety of language, technical and social challenges using a wiki. We can conclude from this study that collaborative projects, supported by web 2.0 tools, can deliver worthwhile learning.
Students reported that the project; was interesting and rewarding, improved their relationships with classmates, encouraged teamwork, improved English skills, facilitated positive attitudes and the development of ICT skills. Students experienced improved technical, collaborative, leadership, critical thinking and problem solving skills that enhanced knowledge and contributed to their personal 21st century skill set.
Item Factors Predicting Alcohol Consumption in Adolescents Attending a Faith-Based School System in Australia: A Multigroup Structural Equation Analysis(2019-08-21) Price, Kevin; Rankin, Paul; Butler, Terry; Gane, Barry; Beamish, Peter; Kent, Lillian; Morey, Peter; Morton, Darren; Craig, BevanStructural equation modeling was used to explore the direct and indirect association of childhood experiences, attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions on the alcohol consumption of adolescents attending faith-based Seventh-day Adventist schools in Australia. Data were collected on 1,266 adolescents and the structural model developed explained 48% of the variance for alcohol consumption. Intentions had the highest degree of association with Alcohol Consumption Status (ACS) (b.0.52). Attitudes were more strongly associated to ACS (btotal . 0.36) than subjective norms (btotal . 0.17). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) were associated with every variable in the model and had a combined direct and indirect association with ACS of btotal . 0.14.
Multigroup analysis found significant pathway differences in the model for gender and age with regards to the association of intentions, attitudes, ACEs, and Childhood Family Dynamics with alcohol consumption status. The study fills a gap in the alcohol literature by presenting a model describing the complex network of factors that predict alcohol consumption in a low-ACS population. The outcomes of the study highlight the importance of early intervention for children and their families to delay or minimize alcohol consumption in adolescents.
Item Teaching the Lecturers: Academic Staff Learning About Online Teaching(2012-04-01) Beamish, Peter; Reynaud, Daniel; Northcote, MariaDeveloping online teaching skills can occur through involvement in learn-by-doing strategies, which incorporates informal, organic or need-driven strategies. Such processes are sometimes labeled as “bottom-up” staff development processes. In other contexts, teaching staff are formally directed to develop online teaching skills through a series of compulsory staff development workshops or courses. These approaches typically include “top-down” staff development processes. This paper describes how a group of tertiary teaching staff extended their on-campus and distance teaching repertoire of skills to include online teaching skills. In this case, the process of staff development began with collecting data about the concerns and practices of the teaching staff involved. An analysis of the data informed the development of a “middle-out” staff development strategy which comprised a mixture of informal and formal strategies, and acknowledged the ethos of the institution and the specific needs of the staff involved. This professional development program incorporated a group of 11 informal and formal strategies. This paper presents an analysis of the data that were gathered during this project alongside the professional development strategies that were developed as a result of this analysis.
Item The Effect of an Online Multimodal Lifestyle Intervention on Mental Health and Emotional Wellness: A Randomised Control Trial(2018-01-01) Morton, Jason K.; Renfrew, Melanie; Beamish, Peter; Hinze, Jason; Kent, Lillian; Morton, Darren; Przybylko, GeraldinePURPOSE: This study examined the effect of an online multimodal lifestyle intervention, which incorporated evidence-based strategies from Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology, on the mental health and emotional wellness of adults throughout Australia and New Zealand.
BACKGROUND: Common mental health disorders have reached epidemic proportions worldwide (1). In the US, one in five adults have a common mental health disorder (2), and in Australia, a similar number have experienced an affective disorder in the past twelve months (3). Antidepressants are ranked in the top three most commonly used therapeutic drug classes in the US (4), and are the most commonly used psychotropic medications in Australia (5). A new paradigm is needed focusing on primary prevention to address this burgeoning mental health problem.
METHODS: 508 individuals self-selected to participate in the study and were randomized to an intervention or delay-controlled group. Both groups completed an online survey using validated instruments which assessed the participantsʼ emotional wellness at three intervals: baseline, and at 3 months and 6 months post-intervention. 425 individuals completed the baseline assessment and entered the study (intervention n=217, control group n=208), and 359 (84%) completed the post intervention questionnaire. The intervention group participated in a 10-week online multimodal lifestyle intervention, called “The Live More Project” also known as "The Lift Project”(6).
RESULTS: Overall, the cohort was in the ‘normal’ range at baseline for the domains of emotional wellness measured. At 3 months, significant reductions were observed in symptoms of ‘depression’ (-31%, p
CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the use of an online multimodal lifestyle intervention combining strategies from Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology for the promotion of mental health and emotional wellness among normal populations (i.e. primary prevention). Further analyses will examine the impact of the intervention on subnormal populations to assess its potential role in secondary and tertiary prevention.
Item The Influence of Human Support on the Effectiveness of an Online Mental Wellbeing Intervention(2019-01-01) Craig, Bevan; Przybylko, Geraldine; Beamish, Peter; Hinze, Jason; Morton, Jason K.; Morton, Darren; Renfrew, MelaniePurpose: To compare the influence of three modes of human support on the outcomes of an online, lifestyle-focused mental health promotion intervention.
Background: There is a need for efficacious lifestyle interventions to promote the mental wellbeing of both healthy and clinical cohorts. Evidence regarding the usefulness of adding human support (i.e. guidance) to improve the outcomes of online interventions for clinical populations is mixed,1-3 however little is known about healthy cohorts.
Methods: A total of 458 participants self-selected to participate in a 10-week online, multimodal lifestyle intervention that addressed mental wellbeing. The participants were randomized into three groups, differentiated by support mode: standard - automated emails only (S); standard plus personalised SMS messages (S+pSMS); standard plus videoconference support (S+VCS). At pre- and post-intervention, the participants completed the following measures: the ‘mental health’ and ‘vitality’ sub-scales from the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36); Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21); Satisfaction With Life (SWL) scale; and Flourishing scale.
Results: A total of 320 participants (S, n=103; S+pSMS, n=114; S+VCS, n=103) completed the study. Significant within-group changes were recorded from pre- to post-intervention in all groups for every outcome measure (PP=0.77), vitality (P=0.65), depression (P=0.93), anxiety (P=0.25), stress (P=0.57), SWL (P=0.65) or flourishing (P=0.99). Attendance at the weekly videoconference support sessions was poor, but those who attended seven or more of the ten sessions experienced significantly better outcomes in mental health (P=.006, d=0.71), vitality (P=.005, d=0.73), depression (P=.04, d=0.54), and SWL (P=.046, d=0.50), than those who attended less than seven.
Conclusions: A lifestyle-focused, online mental health promotion intervention enhanced measures of mental wellbeing among a healthy cohort, irrespective of the human support provided. Supplementing a psychological intervention with videoconference support might improve outcomes, when attendance is optimised.
Item Transforming Online Curricula, Transforming Staff(2010-12-01) Martin, Tony; Beamish, Peter; Reynaud, Daniel; Northcote, Maria T.Developing online teaching skills can occur through involvement in learn-by-doing strategies, which incorporate informal, organic or needs-driven strategies. Such processes are sometimes labelled as "bottom-up" staff development processes. In other contexts, teaching staff are formally directed to develop online teaching skills through a series of compulsory staff development workshops or courses. These approaches typically include "top-down" staff development processes. This poster describes how a group of tertiary teaching staff extended their on-campus and distance teaching repertoire of skills to include online teaching skills. In this case, the process of staff development began with collecting data about the concerns and practices of the teaching staff involved. An analysis of the data informed the development of a "middle-out" staff development strategy which comprised a mixture of informal and formal strategies, and acknowledged the ethos of the institution and the specific needs of the staff involved. This professional development program incorporated a group of nine informal and formal strategies. The poster presents an analysis of the data that were gathered during this project alongside the professional development strategies that were developed as a result of this analysis.
© 2010 Maria Northcote, Daniel Reynaud, Peter Beamish & Tony Martin.
Item What Matters Most When Students and Teachers Use Interactive Whiteboards in Mathematics Classrooms?(2012-01-01) Beamish, Peter; Northcote, Maria T.; McQuillan, KimberleyAs teachers, we are encouraged to immerse our students in rich and engaging learning environments (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2003). One teaching tool that can facilitate the creation of rich learning environments is the interactive whiteboard (IWB) (Baker, 2009). IWBs are quickly being introduced into schools across the nation and worldwide, and educators are exploring the implications of having them in the classroom. Of particular interest are student attitudes to the use of IWBs: what students think and feel about IWBs, and what factors matter most to students when IWBs are used in their classroom. Attitudes play an important part in student interest and engagement levels, therefore, it is important to determine current student attitudes towards IWB use in the classroom.