The Role of Speech Rhythm Sensitivity in Children's Reading Development

This thesis examines whether speech rhythm sensitivity is related to children's reading development, phonological awareness, and non-speech rhythm sensitivity, whether children at risk of reading difficulties have a specific speech rhythm sensitivity deficit, and whether speech rhythm sensitivity is predictive of children's reading development over time. Study One investigated the relatedness of speech rhythm, non-speech rhythm, reading ability and phonological awareness. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that non-speech rhythm sensitivity was unable to predict unique variance in reading attainment after controlling for speech rhythm sensitivity and phonological awareness. In contrast, sensitivity to speech rhythm was able to predict a significant amount of unique variance in reading attainment after age, vocabulary, phonological awareness, short-term memory, and non-speech rhythm had been accounted for. These results suggest that speech rhythm sensitivity is not merely an aspect of general phonological awareness or rhythmic appreciation; it is a skill that is explaining new variance in reading ability. Study Two investigated whether a measure of speech rhythm sensitivity administered to 5 to 7-year-old children could predict the different components of reading ability one year later. A series of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that speech rhythm sensitivity was able to predict a significant amount of unique variance in word reading, reading comprehension, and the phrasing component of a reading fluency measure after controlling for receptive vocabulary, age and phonological awareness. Study Three investigated whether apparent speech rhythm sensitivity deficits in young poor readers represent a specific deficit in these children who were at risk of reading difficulties. It was found that after controlling for receptive vocabulary and phonological awareness, the 'at risk' children were outperformed by their chronological-age matched controls. but not by their reading-age matched controls on measures of speech rhythm sensitivity. This is suggestive of a maturational lag as opposed to a specific deficit in speech rhythm sensitivity. The overall findings from these concurrent, longitudinal, and cross-sectional data suggest that speech rhythm sensitivity is an important, yet neglected aspect of English-speaking children's phonological representations, which needs to be incorporated into theoretical accounts of reading development

Exploring Primary School Teacher Perspectives on Adaptability and Its Links with Classroom Management and Psychological Wellbeing: A Qualitative Inquiry

Teacher shortage is a major concern for educational institutions. One key psychological resource for teachers that may reduce teacher shortage (e.g., prevent burnout, improve wellbeing) is teacher adaptability (i.e., the capacity to adjust to situations of novelty and change). Indeed, teacher adaptability is known to be associated with positive functioning and wellbeing. However, little qualitative research has been conducted exploring how adaptability may be experienced by teachers. The present study set out to explore the unique perspective of a sample of teachers on their adaptability and its links with classroom management and wellbeing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four primary school teachers and thematic analysis was adopted to interpret their experiences in greater depth. Four superordinate themes were identified: Experiences of adaptability: “teaching’s constantly adapting”; Learning to adapt: an active process; adaptability and organisational culture; and adaptability and teacher wellbeing: a cyclical relationship. The findings suggest that teachers may develop and improve their adaptability via engagement with reflective practices

Student Adaptability and Achievement on a Psychology Conversion Course

Adaptability refers to an individual’s cognitive, behavioural, and emotional adjustment in the face of novel, changing, or uncertain situations. A growing literature has demonstrated the influence of adaptability on students’ academic outcomes at primary, secondary level, and more recently, tertiary levels; however, its influence on students’ academic outcomes on postgraduate psychology conversion courses – who are typically transitioning back into education and focusing on a different academic discipline – has yet to be examined. In this study, students enrolled on a postgraduate psychology conversion course in higher education were assessed for their adaptability, academic motivation, and academic background in semester 1. Their academic achievement (grade point average) was then obtained from the Student Records System, along with demographic information at the end of semester 3 upon course completion. Bivariate (zero order) correlation analyses revealed that only adaptability and disability status were significantly associated with academic achievement. A multiple regression analysis revealed that adaptability was the strongest predictor of academic achievement. These findings have important implications for researchers and educators seeking to understand students’ adjustment to university –and postgraduate psychology conversion courses in particular – and its influence on academic outcomes

Adaptability, Personality, and Social Support: Examining Links with Psychological Wellbeing Among Chinese High School Students

The first year of boarding senior high school marks a period of great change for students. The extent to which students are able to adjust to successfully navigate this change (adaptability) likely has an impact on their psychological wellbeing. It has also been theorized that students’ personality traits and perceived social support may impact upon their adaptability and, directly and/or indirectly through adaptability, influence their psychological wellbeing. However, the literature examining independent and mediating effects of adaptability on psychological wellbeing is sparse particularly among students from non-Western cultures. In the present study, 102 grade-one high school students in China, were surveyed for their personality, perceived social support, adaptability, and psychological wellbeing (life satisfaction, mental well-being, and psychological distress). Findings showed that adaptability (along with neuroticism, extraversion, and social support) made a significant independent contribution to students’ psychological wellbeing. Further, adaptability was found to fully mediate the relationships between personality (conscientiousness and neuroticism) and psychological wellbeing, and to partially mediate the relationships between extraversion and psychological wellbeing, and social support and psychological wellbeing. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications for researchers and educators who are seeking to support students’ adjustment to boarding senior high school

The role of health demands, health resources, and adaptability in psychological strain and life satisfaction

The present study harnessed job demands-resources theory to identify key predictors of psychological strain (feeling overwhelmed by one's problems) and life satisfaction among a sample of 1060 adults randomly selected from the Australian electoral roll. The investigation sought to ascertain: (a) the relative contribution of health demands (e.g., inadequate health treatment) and health resources (e.g., access to helpful health-related information) in predicting psychological strain and life satisfaction, (b) the extent to which a recently proposed personal resource—adaptability—explained variance in wellbeing beyond individuals' health demands and resources, and (c) the role of psychological strain in predicting life satisfaction in the context of these demands and resources. Applying structural equation modelling we found that contextual health demands predicted greater psychological strain, individual health resources and adaptability both predicted lower psychological strain and greater life satisfaction, and psychological strain predicted lower life satisfaction. Notably, the adverse effects of health demands reduced significantly when health resources and adaptability were entered into the modelling. Taken together, the findings offer support for a health demands-resources framework that may be applied to better support individuals to respond to the stressors in their lives and in turn boost their sense of subjective wellbeing

Does having a school-based wellbeing dog influence children’s socio-emotional development and learning? A thematic analysis of parent perspectives

This qualitative study explores the influence of having a ‘newly acquired’ school-based wellbeing dog on children’s socio-emotional development and learning, as reported by seven parents of children at a participating school. Results revealed three superordinate themes: Social Communication; Management of Emotions; and Attendance and Engagement. Parents held positive views towards the newly acquired wellbeing dog, especially regarding its role in their child’s socio-emotional development as well as their school engagement. The findings add to sparse literature, advocating for a wider distribution of wellbeing dogs in mainstream schools to support the mental health and wellbeing of children