Wellbeing is a well-used but ill-defined term in youth research. This paper describes research that explored the ways in which young people and youth workers define wellbeing. The findings suggest that both groups agreed that wellbeing was a multidimensional concept; however, the young people were more likely to consider wellbeing to be influenced…

Background: Quality mental health care for adults with an intellectual disability (ID) depends upon the availability of appropriately trained and experienced psychiatrists. There have been few surveys of psychiatrists working with this population. Method: This Australian study obtained psychiatrists' attitudes to and perceptions of the mental…

Explores the relationships of caregivers of mentally ill people with professional mental health providers since the introduction of community-based services. Respondents perceived mental health workers to be professional, friendly, respectful and positive in outlook. However they indicated dissatisfaction with accessibility, communication about…

Seventy-seven directors of childcare centres and 77 childcare staff were surveyed about their training to work with children with a disability, experience with these children, attitudes to disability, inclusive practices and barriers to inclusion. General support was expressed for the inclusion of children with a disability in child care,…

Surveyed day-care workers on effects of accreditation. Most respondents agreed that accreditation ensures high-quality care but they found the process difficult, mainly due to time constraints. Work conditions had not changed for half; half did not agree with the staff-child ratio; and three-quarters were not satisfied with their awards and wanted…

Examined family day care providers' views on training. Found that some providers view family day care as a professional service requiring training and providing a career path, whereas others view their services as an extension of their own home duties and oppose formalization of family day care through training. However, pay and status concerns…

Action Learning is now a well established strategy for reflective inquiry in healthcare. Whilst a great deal is know about action learning there has been inadequate research on the process of learning that takes place, and the impact that this holds for individuals, groups or organisations. This article reports on the findings of 15-month action…

As part of a larger project begun three years after the adoption of the Australian Early Childhood Association (AECA) Code of Ethics, this study sought practitioners' views about formal enforcement of a code of ethics for early childhood personnel. Questionnaires were sent to directors of 200 early childhood services in New South Wales; about 225…

Surveyed Australian child-care workers on job satisfaction. Found that although 80% indicated satisfaction with their job, 40% said they frequently thought of quitting. Found a past and projected turnover rate of about 30%; although workers' qualifications and skills base have increased significantly in the past decade, the accreditation process…

Reviews findings of studies investigating the perceptions of child care coordinators in Victoria (Australia) about leadership attributes and skills related to effective leadership of early childhood centers. Finds a general and common understanding of leadership characteristics, roles, and responsibilities, with few differences in perception…

Purpose: To examine whether awareness of the source of sun protection campaigns in New South Wales, Australia was associated with message recall and sun protection knowledge and behaviours. Design/methodology/approach: Telephone surveys of random samples (n = 800) of parents and other carers of children under 12 years of age were conducted before…

This study examined the needs of beginning early childhood teachers in their first year of work in primary schools, kindergartens, or child care centers in Australia. The study surveyed teachers in 1988, 1989, and 1990; this paper discusses the results from the 1990 survey. Subjects were 31 teachers who responded to a questionnaire that concerned…

Forty-eight toddlers aged 17 to 31 months attending long-day childcare participated in this project, which examined some of the influences of the day-care context on their emerging pretend play. Ninety minutes of video-taped observations were collected for each participant as they engaged in free play with their same-age peers and their…

Staff members working in early childhood services have enormous potential to influence young children's developing attitudes toward cultural diversity and gender equity. This issue of the Australian Early Childhood Association Research in Practice Series focuses on how early childhood staff can work productively through the challenges of achieving…