Background: Existing literature has documented relationships between personality traits and academic achievement as well as some of the mechanisms underlying these links. However, the pathways by which personality traits are associated with achievement during stressful educational circumstances require further investigation. Aims: This study…

This study examined at two Australian university campuses the types of problems that prompt international students to seek counselling services. The concerns reported by ninety students fell within three broad categories; adjustment issues, academic concerns and psychosocial problems. Follow-up interviews with a subset of these students (21) were…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the voice of Chinese and Vietnamese international students through studying the similarities and differences in their learning experiences and the reasons underlying their experience. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 57 Chinese and Vietnamese international students participated in focus groups…

In Australia and many other countries, the provision of the healthiest possible start in life for all children has been a priority for government. Evidence to support the importance of the early years for future development has accumulated over the past two decades [1]. Patterns of childhood development predict health, wellbeing, learning and…

Students making the transition from high school to university often encounter many stressors and new experiences. Many students adjust successfully to university; however, some students do not, often resulting in attrition from the university and mental health issues. The primary aim of the current study was to examine the effects that optimism,…

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) is used broadly and inclusively to describe communities with diverse language, ethnic background, nationality, dress, traditions, food, societal structures, art and religion characteristics. Domestic CALD people are either refugees or voluntary migrants and have obtained permanent residency or…

The School to University Pathways for Refugee Students (SUPRS) project was a two-year case study conducted with seven schools and three universities across urban and regional Australia that investigated the enablers and constraints faced by refugee background students transitioning from high school to university. Focus groups and interviews with…

Facebook status updates provided the data for a study about the transition learning experiences of 1st-year university students. Strict ethical guidelines were proposed by the PhD researcher from the outset of the study. Anonymity was considered important for the approved ethical clearance for both the university and the participants.…

Children should be active participants in the environments in which they engage. However in the prior to school setting, it is not necessarily clear to educators how children understand their role and place within that community. Lave and Wenger's (2005) situated learning theory provides a useful frame to consider this developing sense of…

The aim of this study is to develop a multidimensional measure for assessing children's personal agency to handle parental conflict through their coping self-efficacy beliefs (Bandura, 1997). Coping self-efficacy beliefs are individuals' perceived ability to motivate themselves, access cognitive resources, and perform the actions required to take…

There is a growing consensus amongst policy makers, education professionals, researchers, and the public that a modern education system should develop a 'whole child' providing a balanced set of cognitive, social and emotional skills to face the challenges of an increasingly uncertain and volatile world. Social and emotional development are…

It is commonly recognised that health and well-being are influenced by social conditions, such as the transition to higher education. This study explored student perceptions and experiences of factors that impacted on health and well-being during the first year of university studies. Data for this study were collected via an online student…

High rates of mental illness among students and discontinuation with university studies are regularly reported. The current study sought to explore relationships between motivation, university adaptation and indicators of mental health and well-being and academic performance of 184 first-year university students (73% female, mean age?=?19.3…

Transitioning to a new school is often challenging for students with autism spectrum disorder. Few studies have examined the transition needs of students with autism spectrum disorder or the benefits of specific supports. This review synthesizes research findings on the "difficulties" that school transitions pose for students with autism…

We examined the relationship between university outcome expectations and student adjustment using 2 samples of business students. Study 1 (N = 135) reveals that, for students with high academic self-efficacy, outcome expectations had a positive association with satisfaction; in contrast, for students with low academic self-efficacy, outcome…