Doctoral (Phd)

In the latter half of the 20th Century increases in the availability of inexpensive, energy-dense foods combined with an estimated 60-70% reduction in daily energy expenditure, created an “obesogenic” environment. The epidemic of obesity that has emerged has been associated with the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) which is a cluster of risk factors that are precursors to chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type II diabetes (T2D), stroke, and dementia. These chronic diseases are having a significant social and economic impact worldwide with their related morbidity and mortality.
Epidemiological and interventional studies have shown that lifestyle interventions based on a low-fat, plant-based diet are effective for the management of MetS and associated chronic diseases. To date, the research has focused on lifestyle interventions delivered by professional facilitators, mostly in clinical settings. The primary aim of this dissertation was to examine the effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention known as the Coronary Health Improvement Program (CHIP), when delivered by volunteer facilitators to free-living participants in their community. The secondary aim of the dissertation was to examine the impact of selected participant factors including age, gender, religious affiliation, marital status, previous history, family history and body mass index on the participants’ responsiveness to the CHIP intervention.
This study adopted a pre-test post-test design involving, a large cohort of 5070 individuals who participated in one of 178 community-based CHIP interventions delivered by volunteers between 2006 to 2009 in the United States and Canada.
In 30 days, significant reductions (p < 0.001) were recorded in body mass index (3.2%), total cholesterol (11.0%), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (13.0%), triglycerides (7.7%), fasting plasma glucose (6.1%) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (4.9% and 5.3%, respectively). Stratification of the data revealed larger reductions in those participants who presented to the program with the greatest risk factor levels.
Regardless of age, gender, marital status, religious affiliation, previous history, family history and body weight, participants in the CHIP intervention achieved significant improvements in the risk factors associated with MetS however these factors influenced the responsiveness of the participants to the program. In general, male participants achieved better results than the females, and males tended to achieve their best outcomes at a younger age than the female participants. Married participants achieved better outcomes than single, divorced or widowed participants. Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) participants had better risk profiles at baseline, however, the non-SDA participants achieved better outcomes during the intervention. Participants who had the highest body mass index (BMI) at baseline achieved the greatest changes in BMI, fasting plasma glucose and blood pressure, however, those participants with a BMI greater than 35 kg/m2 showed significantly less improvement in their lipid profile than those participants with a BMI between 25 and 35 kg/m2.
It was concluded that significant reductions in the risk factors associated with MetS can be achieved in 30 days using the CHIP lifestyle intervention when delivered by volunteers to free-living participants in their local community. Significant reductions in risk factors associated with MetS can be achieved regardless of age, gender, marital status, religious affiliation or baseline biometrics. Utilising volunteers may therefore provide an effective and cost-efficient mode of delivering lifestyle interventions targeting MetS.

This research was borne out of curiosity concerning the reasons why more and more parents are choosing to send their children to faith-based schools in Australia’s secular society. This research aimed to shed light on this question by examining the reasons for parental school choice in four Seventh-day Adventist faith-based schools, two of which were urban, and two rural. It also sought to identify school choice differences between urban and rural, and also school choices by parents with faith affiliations and those without any faith affiliation. The literature revealed that although there is national research into school choice, there is limited research into factors that influence parents to choose faith-based schools in Australia and certainly a dearth of research that specifically relates to reasons for choosing Seventh-day Adventist faith-based schools.

This study used a mixed methods approach in its exploration of the research question. The convergent parallel design was adopted that incorporated concurrent yet separate phases of quantitative and qualitative data collection. Firstly, a survey was sent to all parents of the four schools asking them to rate the importance of items relating to school choice. Secondly, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-one parent volunteers from the four schools. The social identity theory and secular good theory were two lenses that provided a useful theoretical framework for the research.

Drawing on survey data, the study identified that factors relating to the nurture and care of students, the behaviour and behaviour management of students, the appearance of students and the wearing of uniform had the greatest influence on parental school choice. Interview data revealed that parents also placed great importance on factors that included a school which supported and taught family values, provided for their child’s well-being and provided an opportunity for their child to reach their educational potential. Importantly, the data revealed that there is no single reason or factor for school choice but that parents chose a faith-based school due to a complexity of reasons. These factors were also not considered in isolation, but as a dynamic, interacting and synergetic process. These findings are particularly pertinent because the majority of students that are enrolled in these schools are from non-Seventh-day Adventist families and further, many parents identify as having no faith affiliation at all.

An important implication of this research is a clearer understanding of why parents choose faith-based schools. The research also suggests that parents consider a range of aspects of a school important in their decision-making process and this should drive marketing and future planning to include a broad view of the school, not just one or two features. Although this research is based on one faith-based school system, the findings may be utilised by other faith-based school systems in Australia to also enhance enrolments or retain current students.

This dissertation reveals that, contrary to much prior scholarship on Matthew 5:38-42, Jesus was not an advocate of passive endurance of abuse; rather, he taught a peaceful form of resistance to oppression. His teachings, while nonviolent, still demanded justice and mercy. Jesus was a faithful and observant Jew, and the first audience that Jesus addressed was a mixed Galilean Jewish audience acquainted with Torah, the Oral Law, and the rules of the land as per Roman governance. This dissertation examines, in its intended context, Matthew 5:38–42, and compares its content with the Jewish writings of Mishna Avot, the Roman lex talionis (tenets of the Roman law), the Dead Sea scrolls, and other sources of Jewish Oral Law. By examining the historical and social aspects of Mishna Avot and Matthew 5:38‒42 through a comparative religious lens, what emerges is a similarity of conceptual ideologies. Both Matthew 5 and Mishna Avot show similar intellectual thought regarding passive resistance to abusive authority. Jesus did not adopt a pacifist identity and capitulate to oppressors. Nor should history incorrectly describe him as creating followers who abhor resistance and often, in consequence, justice. Jesus taught that social justice includes protecting against abuse and retaining personal dignity in a conflict. The theological connections between Mishna Avot and Matthew 5:38‒42 illuminate Jesus’s understanding of Oral Law and his view of non-retaliatory peace.

The biblical books of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy describe the Israelite migration from Egypt to Canaan. The narrative names many sites, roads, and regions, the majority of which have not been identified on the ground. This investigation proposes and develops an original hypothesis—that the biblical regions correspond to the major water catchments of the Sinai, Negev, and Transjordan. Accordingly, the three journeys—Goshen to Sinai, Sinai to Kadesh, and Kadesh to the Jordan—proceed across a patchwork of contiguous river systems and lake basins. The hydrological model for biblical regions provides clear watershed and riverbed boundaries for the wildernesses and national territories and explains their relationship to the geomorphic zones. By applying a hydrological structure to biblical geography, a comprehensive system emerges that is consistent with all indications, and allows the identification and delineation of previously unknown biblical regions.

The prevalence of depression and anxiety before the COVID-19 pandemic was estimated at 586 million worldwide, and this figure has subsequently increased. The current paradigm for preventing and managing mental health is predicated primarily on pharmacotherapy. This approach is not working, and there are urgent calls to use integrated non-pharmacological strategies. Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of lifestyle medicine and positive psychology interventions to enhance mental health and wellbeing. However, no randomized controlled trial (RCT) has examined the effectiveness of a digital multicomponent interdisciplinary intervention for improving mental health and wellbeing in a nonclinical setting. In addition, the literature is sparse in understanding the gender and age responsiveness to digital mental wellbeing interventions.

This thesis utilised two experimental studies (Study 1, randomized controlled trial, n=421; and Study 2, a randomized comparative study, n=458) to assess the effectiveness of a ten-week digital multicomponent interdisciplinary mental wellbeing intervention that used Persuasive System Design (PSD), principles and combined strategies from lifestyle medicine and positive psychology. The participants completed a questionnaire at baseline and post-intervention that assessed their mental health, vitality, depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, and flourishing. Study 1 also included follow-up at 12 weeks post-intervention. Intervention adherence and engagement were also assessed. This thesis presents the findings of the studies in a coherent series of publications in scholarly journals and highlights several significant findings.

First, the digital multicomponent interdisciplinary mental wellbeing intervention significantly improved all mental health and wellbeing measures amongst the Australasian nonclinical cohort. The outcomes measures remained significant at 12 weeks post-intervention for the intervention group. Second, the studies observed larger effect sizes than previous studies that utilised single-modality interventions, suggesting that a multicomponent interdisciplinary approach may yield compounding benefits. Third, gender and age did not influence adherence to the intervention that employed PSD principles to improve mental health and wellbeing.

Last, the studies reported low attrition rates compared to the existing literature, which typically finds adherence and attrition problematic for digital delivery. In summary, a digital multicomponent interdisciplinary mental wellbeing intervention that uses a lifestyle medicine and positive psychology approach, and employs PSD principles, can significantly increase mental health and wellbeing across gender and age groups. Amid COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to implement interventions at a population-level–such as the one used in this thesis–that are cost-effective and easily disseminated. This thesis informs a potential way forward.

Escalating mental health distress has prompted the call for mental health promotion initiatives to improve the mental resilience of the general population and provide a buffer against common mental health disorders. Digital delivery modes offer accessible and scalable opportunities to implement lifestyle-based interventions to enhance mental well-being. However, digital interventions are hampered by sub-optimal adherence, which negatively impacts outcomes. Little is known about the effectiveness of human support to improve adherence to and outcomes of digital interventions amongst general population cohorts.

This dissertation documents the rationale for and findings of a randomised comparative study that assessed the influence of adding different types of human support to an online, interdisciplinary mental health promotion intervention. Participants were randomised into three intervention groups: standard intervention with automated emails only (S); standard intervention plus personalised text messages (S+pSMS); and standard intervention plus videoconferencing support (S+VCS). A questionnaire was administered pre- and post-intervention to assess changes in depression, anxiety, stress, mental health, vitality, life satisfaction, and flourishing. Adherence was measured by the number of video lessons viewed, points scored for experiential activities, and the number of weeks that participants logged activity. Inductive, thematic analysis of free-text responses in the post-intervention questionnaire elicited participant perceptions about facilitators and barriers impacting adherence. The study results led to a series of three publications, which addressed the three research questions presented in the dissertation and a fourth publication that consolidated the findings and reviewed them in the context of the current literature.

The first publication addressed Research Question 1—What is the influence of different modes of human support on the outcomes of a web and mobile app, lifestyle-based mental health intervention for a healthy adult cohort? This publication found that human support had little influence on the outcomes of the intervention. Significant improvements were recorded from baseline to post-intervention in every outcome measure, irrespective of the types of human support offered (P≤0.001). Between-group differences were not observed for any of the outcome measures: depression (P=0.93), anxiety (P=0.25), stress (P=0.57), mental health (P=0.77), vitality (P=0.65), life satisfaction (P=0.65), and flourishing (P=0.99).

The second publication addressed Research Question 2—What is the influence of different modes of human support on attrition and adherence to a web and mobile app, lifestyle-based mental health intervention for a healthy adult cohort, including the influence of participant preference? Early dropout attrition differed between the groups (P=.009), being disproportionally higher in the videoconferencing support group. However, there was no difference in adherence behaviour between the groups (i.e., number of videos viewed, P=0.42; mean challenge points scored, P=0.71; and the number of weeks challenge points were logged, P=0.66), indicating that human support had little effect.

The third publication addressed the final research question—What do healthy adult participants perceive as the facilitators of, and barriers to, adherence to a web and mobile app, lifestyle-based mental health intervention? Qualitative thematic analysis revealed that human support did not feature strongly as a facilitator or barrier to intervention adherence. Perceived adherence facilitators included engaging content, time availability, accessibility, enjoyable challenges, valuing the program, and personal motivation. Time scarcity was overwhelmingly perceived as the most dominant adherence barrier. Other barriers included completing and logging experiential activity, content length, technical difficulties, and interindividual personal factors.

The study’s findings provided novel insights into an exposed research gap, as little was known about the influence of human support on adherence to and outcomes of a digital mental health promotion intervention when delivered to a general population group. The fourth publication, a review, synthesised the overall findings of this dissertation in conjunction with other recent literature and provided recommendations for future studies.

The National Quality Standard (NQS) is the benchmark for quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) within Australia. The Australian Government positioned reflective practice at the core of the NQS (ACECQA, 2013) in order to raise standards and inform future planning and decision making (COAG, 2009; Kennedy, 2011). Critical reflection was identified as foundational to good practice with educators expected to engage in a “lively culture of professional inquiry” (DEEWR, 2009, p. 13) with reflection ensuring a way of continued improvement to raise standards.

This study explores the impact and implementation of critical reflection in ECEC. Critical reflection is a Commonwealth legislative requirement (DEEWR, 2009) yet educators find it challenging to do as there is no set way or approach (ACECQA, 2017). This results in it being “tagged on, rather than constituting a way of working and learning” (Barton & Ryan, 2014, p. 4), with the concept of, and practices associated with, critical reflection not defined well operationally (Wilson, 2013). Educator understanding of the purpose of critical reflection is limited (Liu, 2015) with a lack of understanding at a conceptual level (Korthagen, 2017).

This study uses qualitative methodologies to investigate the impact of critical reflection in ECEC and respondent’s knowledge and attitudes to critical reflection using the tools of grounded theory. Fook’s (2017) notion of critical reflection was intentionally adopted and modified as an approach. Many positive impacts were documented from the use of critical reflection which was found to be a particular asset to the way in which the learning environment was impacted. Critical reflection was found to assist in the effective functioning of ECEC and a model for critical reflection in ECEC was developed to assist educators to form a sound conceptual understanding of how critical reflection works in ECEC centres. As many ECEC centres struggle to implement critical reflection, the SCHEMED (structured, collaborative, founded on trust built upon person-centredness and heart-openness, equipping, meaningfully mentored, empowering and distributed) implementation approach was developed from the data to inform practice and to help educators implement critical reflection in ECEC (ACECQA, 2018).

Successfully making sense of redeveloping a teacher education program according to unfamiliar and exacting requirements is important for quality education in Fiji and the Pacific Islands where this study took place.

Critical sensemaking theory and literature have highlighted how formative contexts impact the way in which people make sense of change in business organisations. The purpose of this study was to generate a holistic explanation of how components of the formative context impacted the way in which participants made sense of a curriculum change in a higher education institution. Much previous research about sensemaking in business organisations has reported on macro level contextual factors, whilst also acknowledging the impact of individuals’ cognition and identity. The possible impacts of such meso/group level contextual factors as group culture, and such micro/individual level factors as emotion, ethnic culture and spirituality, have yet to be fully investigated from a sensemaking perspective.

This study employed a qualitative and naturalistic ethnomethodological case study approach. It was conducted at a Christian faith-based higher education institution in Fiji. Data were gathered from three rounds of semi-structured interviews with the six multicultural teacher educators who redeveloped the program. Journal entries made by the researcher-participant, which recorded reflections on sensemaking interactions throughout the study, were used to triangulate interview data. Data were analysed using a constructivist grounded theory method. Conceptualised a priori categories (the contextual factors) and themes (macro, meso and micro organisation levels) were confirmed or otherwise by coding, while deeper codes and the existence of categories not previously conceptualised emerged from the data.

A major finding of this study was a new definition of a formative context as an open system of three levels – macro, meso and micro – each of which comprises several contextual factors. Findings also illustrated how meso level contextual factors, and particularly micro level contextual factors, had a much greater impact on sensemaking than macro level factors. The contextual factors were multi-faceted, subject to change, and highly connected in their capacity to impact sensemaking in negative and positive ways. Significantly, emotions and attitudes emerged as crucial to enabling or hindering sensemaking, while ethnic culture, group culture, spirituality and English not being most participants’ first language, all emerged as important contextual factors impacting participants’ sensemaking processes. Furthermore, the success of the program redevelopment was acknowledged by an authoritative source external to the institution.

The major outcome of this study was a holistic formative context framework. This framework contributes to sensemaking theory a utilitarian and adaptable means of generating a holistic explanation of a sensemaking event that may be relevant to both business organisations and educational institutions. Future applications of this framework to other contexts may add knowledge to sensemaking theory and literature, particularly in multicultural contexts.

There is a significant body of literature relating to the impact of change upon an organisation, presented from the managers’ perspective. By comparison, there is only a relatively small body of work focused on how organisational change impacts non-managers, even though they are most often the largest group affected. To address this imbalance, this research explores the perspectives of both the managers and the non-managers in an Australian public sector organisation during a period of significant organisational change. Specifically, this study explored the influencers on job satisfaction, a positive outcome measure, related to job engagement, positive employees, and positive organisational change (Amiot, Terry et al., 2006; Avey, Wernsing, & Luthans, 2008; Nguyen, Teo, & Pick, 2017; Teo, Pick, & Xerri, 2016); rather than focusing upon negative outcomes such as change resistance. The study adopted a conceptual model considering the influence of organisational context, employees’ attitudes, organisational processes and hierarchical level. A concurrent mixed-methods approach was adopted for the research. Quantitative data were generated by means of a survey, which focused on personal factors that influenced job satisfaction, whereas qualitative data, collected through interviews, were generated by the respective interviewees’ change analysis frameworks. The quantitative data were statistically analysed, and relationships explored using Structured Equation Modelling (SEM), and the qualitative data were analysed according to the general principles of grounded theory. The quantitative data and SEM analyses found that both managers and non-managers reported relatively high levels of job satisfaction during this period of significant organisational change. It was also found that the associations between the context, personal attitude and attribution factors, and job satisfaction were strikingly similar for the different hierarchical levels. The qualitative phase of the study identified five organisational influencers upon job satisfaction for both managers and non-managers: communication, connectedness, standardisation, customer orientation, and leadership. There were, however, subtle differences between how these influencers impacted job satisfaction for each of the hierarchical levels. The identified hierarchical differences in job satisfaction influencers were seen to be linked to their respective job roles, and the hierarchical similarities to be associated with common organisation-wide roles. The research results suggest that acknowledging and working with these hierarchical differences and similarities has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of change initiatives.

This doctoral dissertation describes a qualitative grounded study that examines the lived experience of teenage Alternative Entry Program (AEP) students, using data from two male and two female participants enrolled in an AEP at a private college of higher education (now a university college) in regional New South Wales. From the literature, it is evident that age tends to be an impediment to the academic progress of such students, with younger age being associated with higher attrition rates. Having a better understanding of the causes might make it possible to address the attrition and improve the performance of younger AEP students, thereby producing savings in time, money, and resources. The findings of the study show that teenage AEP students can perform effectively from Day One even after two years out of school, and despite not having completed Years 11 and 12. This success appears to be independent of their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), but closely linked to agency, which receives impetus from student goals. Success is likely to follow when career goals have been explored, matched to self-recognised potential, committed to, and then converted to strategic study goals. The research design is a bricolage of paradigms (constructivist-interpretivist and narrative), methodologies (mini-case study and grounded theory), and methods (narrative). The data were constructed, using reflective documents written by the participants, interviews, and researcher observations. The more successful participants were goal-driven and agentive. They engaged in study from Day One, having processed the experience of past academic underperformance and brought to the AEP new attitudes to study. Less successful students appeared to learn less from their initial self-analysis, to undervalue the AEP, and to resist taking responsibility as agents. The plans that teenage students institute in the orientation phase of an AEP set the tone for their unfolding semester. Making a positive start enables them to consolidate in the middle phase, where they grow in confidence and self-efficacy through interacting in the educational interface, and end the semester well, feeling satisfied—even excited—to be a step closer to commencing a degree program. The study fills several gaps in the literature, including the need for qualitative studies that feature the teenage voice, including the male voice. It reinforces the point that ATAR has limited value as an indicator of academic potential. And it demonstrates the value of second-chance education for teenage AEP students, providing evidence that not all the students with academic potential are identified in senior high school.

People in the world are suffering from poor levels of wellbeing ("Beyond Blue," 2016; "Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders: Global Health Estimates," 2017). A contributing factor is the decrease in social and spiritual connectedness currently experienced by many people. As intergenerational relationships are also in decline, this study explored how intergenerational Christian congregations could provide a potential avenue for connectedness. A mixed-method research approach was adopted to answer the question, how is a person’s wellbeing impacted by their level of social and spiritual connectedness as they are discipled in an intergenerational congregation?

The sample for the quantitative data set comprised of 545 participants from five generations from 11 New South Wales Christian congregations. Ten of the congregations were of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination and one was of the Church of Christ denomination.

A questionnaire comprising of 117 items was used to gather the quantitative data. The scales used included an Intergenerationality Index that was created for the study, and a Discipleship assessment tool. Semi-structured interviews with 14 participants from four of the congregations were also undertaken, which lead to the compilation of 496 minutes of discussion.

The study found that intergenerationality positively influenced both wellbeing and discipleship and further discipleship also positively impacted wellbeing. The findings of the study add weight to the argument that intergenerational Christian congregations can act as a positive contributor to a person’s wellbeing, as well as an ideal context for social and spiritual connectedness through discipleship.

Despite the increasing proliferation of Christian early childhood education and care centres for pre-school aged children in Australia and internationally, it would appear that the Christian aspect of the leadership and management of these centres has not been thoroughly investigated. This research project explored the beliefs, values and practices of four leaders of Christian early childhood education and care centres in New South Wales, Australia from four different denominational groups. Using the tools of grounded theory in a three-round hermeneutic dialectic interview process, the leaders’ perceptions of the integration of Christian faith into their practice was examined. The results uncovered a deep individual commitment to a God-centred approach in all areas of their daily practice. The leaders’ faith relationship with God, led them to a dynamic worldview that compelled and empowered them to relate to children, staff, families and their communities in a loving, holistic, compassionate, respectful and supportive manner. The detailed results of the findings are presented as case studies, with the subsequent analysis leading to the development of a grounded theory of Christian early childhood education leadership.

Adolescent health is a major worldwide concern and is central to a number of current global health challenges. There is growing awareness that the factors influencing adolescent health are multi-dimensional and encompass a broad network of interrelated determinants. Although studies have explored the influence of selected determinants on adolescent health, few have explored the relative importance of the various determinants and the relationships that exist between them. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), this thesis empirically investigates the complex network of factors that concomitantly predict health behaviours and health outcomes in adolescents. The thesis centres on data collected from a comprehensive health and lifestyle survey administered to 1734 adolescents (mean age = 14.5 ± 1.6 years; 54% males) attending 21 Seventh-day Adventist (Adventist) schools in Australia. The research findings are presented as a coherent series of five studies for publication in peer reviewed journals.

Study 1 focused on the self-rated health (SRH) status of the adolescents and investigated the association of a multitude of determinants including personal demographics; background factors such as childhood family dynamics (CFD) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs); and selected health behaviours and health measures. The findings of Study 1 confirmed the complex relationship between these determinants and highlighted their respective relationships. Particularly noteworthy in this study was the relative high degree of association of mental health, body mass index (BMI) and ACEs on SRH. The findings from Study 1 formed the basis for Studies 2 to 5 which more extensively explored particular aspects of the model developed in Study 1.

Extending upon the observation in Study 1 of the significant influence of mental health status on the SRH of the adolescents, Study 2 examined the predictors of mental health in greater detail. The model developed in Study 2 through SEM analyses revealed that CFD was the strongest predictor of the adolescents’ mental health status, followed by having a sense of meaning and purpose, perceived social rejection and school academic performance. Multi-group analysis for gender found significant differences. The mental health of males was more greatly affected by physical activity, whereas the mental health of females was more greatly affected by sleep duration.

Another significant finding of Study 1 was the influence of BMI, a measure of overweight and obesity, on SRH and this formed the focus of Study 3. Compared to national norms, lower rates of overweight and obesity but higher rates of underweight were observed in the study, which was explained by the unique characteristics of the school system the study cohort was drawn from. BMI was lower among the young members of the cohort, as well as those who more regularly ate breakfast, consumed less soft drink and had a regular exercise program.

In Study 1, alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with self-rated health; however, a low rate of alcohol consumption was observed among the study cohort. Study 4, therefore, aimed to better understand the factors influencing alcohol consumption among this unique cohort. The findings of Study 4 indicated that adolescents’ intentions to consume alcohol were the greatest predictor of alcohol consumption. Consistent with the Theory of Reasoned Action, intentions to consume alcohol was influenced by their attitudes towards alcohol consumption and subjective norms surrounding alcohol consumption.

Finally, Study 5 focused on the unique faith-based aspect of the cohort to ascertain the influence of religious affiliation on the various health behaviours and health outcomes examined in Studies 1–4. The study found that adolescents who identified themselves as Adventist (57% of the total cohort) reported significantly better health behaviours than the other Christian and non-religious adolescents. This was especially significant among older adolescents (16–18 years). However, these better health behaviours did not translate to improved health status.

The findings from this thesis provide for the first time, a comprehensive picture of the complex network of factors associated with the health outcomes of adolescents attending Adventist schools in Australia. The findings support the need for age and gender appropriate multi-component interventions and prevention initiatives to promote positive health outcomes in adolescents, with an emphasis on prioritising not only modifiable health behaviours but upstream factors such as CFD and ACEs.

The most pressing contemporary version of the problem of evil is called the evidential problem of evil. No clear theodicy has yet emerged for the evidential problem. This study seeks to find out how a theological metanarrative of a Great Cosmic Controversy between Christ and Satan functions as a theodicy in response to the evidential problem of evil.

The first chapter develops a map of how major theodicies resolve or respond to the evidential problem. This map highlights the importance of the free will and greater good defences to theodicies. The strength of these defences, criticisms of them, and the recent quest for alternatives is analysed.

The second chapter analyses the innovative Cosmic Warfare Theodicy of Gregory Boyd. Boyd’s theodicy is studied because of its similarities to the Great Controversy metanarrative and because it interacts with the contemporary discussion. This analysis forms the basis of a comparative evaluation in the fourth chapter.

The third chapter develops an initial analytical, descriptive, and constructive outline of the Great Controversy as a theodicy. The Great Controversy is revealed to have a uniquely narrative approach to the problem of evil centred in a cosmic political and ideological controversy overs God’s love, law and government. This metanarrative approach contrasts sharply with the typical reliance on metaphysical approaches.

The fourth chapter is a comparative evaluation of both Boyd’s (chapter two) and the preliminary Great Controversy theodicy (chapter three) in light of how each resolves the evidential problem of evil and handles the major problems specific to their shared cosmic warfare framework. Special attention is paid to the coherence of free will models and ethical theory within these two theodicies. Further constructive revision and refinement of the Great Controversy Theodicy is made possible.

The fifth chapter applies the refined Great Controversy Theodicy directly to the evidential problem of evil. Two complementary modellings of the Great Controversy are offered to demonstrate how it functions as a theodicy. Use is made of the Doctrine of Double Effect and a modified form of virtue libertarianism to resolve ethical and free will problems that warfare theodicies face when dealing with the evidential evil.

The sixth chapter concludes by finding that the Great Controversy Theodicy builds on the free will defence, and cosmic warfare theodicies like Boyd’s, but goes beyond both of them with its unique narrative approach. This narrative approach offers unexamined and new ways to respond to the difficulties the evidential problem of evil places on traditional theodicies. The new responses of the Redeemed Good Defence based in a Felix Soter theodicy stand in direct contrast to traditional greater good defences and represent a genuinely new alternative approach to theodicy.

The Australian University Accounting Academic (AUAA) is located in an environment which is undergoing constant change and impacts AUAAs in a variety of ways. These create pressure points that AUAAs experience and which they value, are challenged by, or affects their outlook. AUAAs are frequently not fully informed about these changes, and may not fully understand them and, as a consequence of not having the power to hold back these changes, AUAAs have little option other than to adapt. These changes challenge the traditional perception of a university accounting academic, which can cause role conflict for those AUAAs who hold onto that perception of the traditional academic role, which may not align with the expectations of the role held by other parties (e.g., university administrators or students). Where this perception is not in conflict with the changing requirements of the AUAA’s role, there is enjoyment and satisfaction.

This study considers the context of AUAAs and the impact this context has on the work of AUAAs, using a lived experience study to understand how the changing environment is effecting these academics. A hermeneutic phenomenological methodology was utilised so as to more fully understand the lived experience of AUAAs, using a multi-methods qualitaitve research approach. Role theory was used as a theoretical framework for considering the lived experience of AUAAs, and noted the role strain from potential role conflicts and role ambiguity arising from the AUAAs’ perceptions of what their role includes, and what they perceive students and university administrators expect of them, through the development of the TRAC framework of expectations.

The aspects of their work AUAAs value most are students who are well prepared for studying accounting at university and are engaged in their learning. They also value fair and manageable workloads and having freedom to research topics of personal interest. Alternatively, AUAAs encounter some challenges such as changing modes of teaching, research expectations, students’ ‘consumer/customer’ perspective and limited publishing opportunities. The projected outlook of AUAAs include continued growth in international student numbers, having to adapt their means of engaging with students and ongoing dissatisfaction with workload and research expectations.

The original contribution of this study is in adding to the knowledge around role theory by using a lived experience methodology and situating it within the university discipline of accounting. The study describes the AUAAs’ lived experience by giving them voice to share their outlook, and the issues that they value and are challenged by, rather than merely reporting their views on predetermined issues and topics.

AUAAs, like most academics in the Australian university system, are confronting an ever-changing landscape. This study demonstrates the need for the AUAA to adapt to the new vista that is the environment of the lived experience of AUAAs.

Educational research literature indicates that minimal time is spent planning for future school leadership, but unplanned school leadership succession can have significant repercussions on school improvement initiatives. The role and expectations of school leaders, and the school principal in particular, have been increasing in intensity and complexity, causing many to question why they should continue in their roles, and reducing the number of potential applicants who aspire to such positions. This lack of school leadership aspiration is exacerbated by the increasing number of retirements experienced both nationally and globally in educational leadership. The overwhelming majority of educational leadership succession research is explored from a systemic viewpoint, focusing on the administrators’ involvement in the process. To add to the educational succession literature, this study will add the teacher’s voice, which remains essentially unexplored. It draws on the experience and perceptions of employees within the faith-based Adventist Schools Australia (ASA) education system at three different hierarchical levels: classroom teachers, school-based administrators, and system-based administrators. This study made use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Particular emphasis was given to exploring the perceptions of drivers and barriers to aspire to ASA school leadership positions, and the perceptions of current and ideal succession practices within ASA. Very low levels of active aspirants existed amongst ASA employees, indicating future risks to ASA leadership sustainability exist. Even though hierarchical level perceptions differed in magnitude, results indicated that a perceived lack of work-life balance was the predominant barrier to applying for school leadership positions, while ‘calling’ and the opportunity to positively contribute to the school and community were the predominant drivers in the decision to apply for school leadership positions. All hierarchical levels perceived that current succession practices need improving but had different emphases for this improvement. For the classroom teachers, their ideal succession model would be a formalised and communicated model, for the school-based administrators it would include input from all hierarchical levels, while the system-based administrators saw the ideal as a consistent and nationally implemented succession model. These results indicate ASA can improve current succession practices, and in doing so, ensure educational system sustainability by involving all hierarchical levels in succession practice design and development, and importantly younger generation classroom teachers, which will assist in the attraction, development and retention of high-quality future educational leaders.

The Levitical Day of Atonement (DA) was a day of penitence, confession and restoration for Israelites of loyal character and a day of covenant renewal for Israel. On this day, sin was removed from the sanctuary through sacrificial blood and the dismissal of the goat for Azazel which carried all sin away and rendered the people of Israel "clean before the Lord" (Lev 16:30).

As it became ingrained in the Jewish consciousness, the DA continued to reverberate in the Jewish pseudepigraphal literature making its way into the writings of the NT, where its typology is illuminated by "the Christ event." Surprisingly, despite its central place in the life of Israel and its impact on the NT, almost no scholarly attention has been dedicated to exploring the intersection of the DA and the book of Revelation. By utilizing a coherent inner-biblical hermeneutical method, this study explores how the themes surrounding the DA helped shape Revelation's message. In Revelation ₁ , Jesus is introduced as a high priest wearing DA clothing; the visions then move to the theme of holiness vs. uncleanness which suffused the DA's rituals and provide a framework for the letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3); the DA blood of the Lamb (Revelation 4, 5) whitens the robes of the saints (Revelation 7, 14); the intercession at the altar of incense (Revelation 8-9) protects the followers of the Lamb while unleashing judgement on defiant mankind (Revelation 6, 15, 16); the ritual of the goat for Azazel functions as a type of the eschatological judgement on the dragon and his minions (Revelation 17-20) and the final eradication of sin. Finally, the descent of the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21) - whose square shape parallels the earthly Most Holy Place - inaugurates a new earth free from sin where, like the high priest on the DA, "his servants will worship him", dressed in white before the heavenly "mercy seat" and "reign for ever and ever" (Rev 22:3, 5).

This study systematically examines the impact of an overseas professional teaching experience on pre-service teachers as they seek to learn how to become authentic teachers. It articulates the principles and processes involved in pre-service teachers developing new and connected personal and professional identities (Shonia & Stachowski, 2014), referred to as stories of self (Connelly & Clandinin, 1999).

While there is little debate surrounding the importance of quality teacher education, there is a call for improvements in the preparation of pre-service teachers for their role as 21st century educators. Many suggest that a more authentic approach to teacher education is needed, with the inclusion of professional teaching experiences that connect the personal and professional identities of pre-service teachers (Palmer, 2007; Rodgers & Scott, 2008; Roffey, 2015). Overseas professional teaching experiences show promise for facilitating this connected identity, and for developing pre-service teachers’ cultural competence, and yet, it has been recognised that more research needs to be undertaken in regard to overseas professional teaching experiences. This study responds to this dearth of research and, importantly, moves beyond the assumption that all overseas experiences are inherently transformative.

The study involved four pre-service teachers situated in a remote village school in Mahendra Jyoti in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. It utilised a qualitative methodology that employed a combination of narrative and grounded theory. The overarching paradigm for the research was constructivist, which allowed for the emergence of multiple realities, and allowed the design of the research project to accommodate findings in progress. A model was developed to illustrate and inform the mentioned principles and processes inherent in the development of stories of self of pre-service teachers working overseas.

The results of the study suggested that overseas professional teaching experiences that successfully incorporate challenge, freedom and belonging can provide a growth-fostering environment in which pre-service teachers are supported in renegotiating their stories of self, through a destabilising, questioning and rebuilding process.

The findings of the study are relevant to the current Australian tertiary sector, as overseas professional teaching experiences appear to be disappearing from teacher education programs within Australian universities (Cruickshank & Westbrook, 2013). Representing a single case study, the model developed in this dissertation depicts one example of the essential elements involved in the formation and merging of pre-service teacher personal and professional identities. Acknowledging this case has one site only, this study sought a depth of understanding and not a breadth, and represents a stepping stone in the body of knowledge that may help inform best practice in the design and delivery of quality professional teaching experiences.