Completed Projects (2021)

Project TitleLead/Funding BodyResearchersCompletion DetailsProject InformationLink to Related Publication
Do Tertiary Institutions' Goals Change? A Delphi Follow-Up StudyCERCWilf Rieger2021This research investigated the 'use-by-date' of Delphi study outcomes - an area overlooked in Delphi literature. The findings signposted the continuing relevance and importance of high priority goals (HPGs) formulated for an educational institution more than two decades ago.Teach Journal 15(1)
Critical Reflection - Impact and Implementation Considerations in Early Childhood Education and CareCERCPeter Beamish

Australian Christian Early Education
Debra Gaye Williams
2021The National Quality Standard (NQS) is the benchmark for quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) within Australia. This paper reports on a research study that explored the impact and implementation of critical reflection as part of the NQS in ECEC.Teach Journal 15(1)
School Leader Identification: Perceptions of Australian Faith-Based Education System EmployeesCERCPeter Williams2021This article aims to contribute to the literature on school leadership identification. It adopts an Australian faith-based education system case study to explore classroom teacher and school-based administrator perceptions of both current and future school leadership identification practices.Teach Journal 15(1)
An Evaluation of Teacher Stressors in an Era of COVID-19: An Initial AnalysisCERC/
Adventist Schools Australia
Peter Kilgour,
Maria Northcote,
Jason Morton,
Kirsty Pearce
2021School lockdowns prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic has required teachers to work in a climate of rapid and significant adaptation. In this paper, which is part of a larger study, we provide a summary of the effects the COVID-19 school lockdowns in 2020 had on teacher stress.Teach Journal 15(2)
Where to go for a Christian research degree? [Part 1]CERC/
CASTL
Maria Northcote, Peter Kilgour, Carolyn Rickett2021In this mixed methods research project questionnaires and interviews were used to determine what is valued by current and past HDR candidates of Avondale and which areas of our HDR programs need further development. This is the first of two papers that report the findings of the Why Avondale? research project.Teach Journal 15(2)
Mathematics from the ground up: an emerging model for enriching mathematical learning for children aged 4–12 using a school garden programCERCPeter Williams,
Jason Morton,
Bev Christian
2021Meaningful and enjoyable experiences are important in the education of children. In this qualitative case study, the garden program (incl. market garden shop, garden care, Kid’s Kitchen, and chicken coop) in one Australian primary school was explored to determine its impact on the mathematical learning of children.Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education
Leading Change Without Formal Authority: The ICC Model for the 21st CenturyCERCHoma Freeman,
Lisa Barnes,
Warrick Long
2021Women face a diverse range of difficulties in today’s workplace, and therefore this study aims to focus on the phenomenon of leading change without formal authority and develop a model for women to bring about change within their working climate. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal Article
Purpose Built Offices Replaced by Work from Home (WFH) in a Time of Business Disruption: Hybrid Office Model (HOM)CERCLisa Barnes,
Warrick Long,
Peter Williams
2021This research looks at the current office space that employees use in a Higher Education Provider and compares it to the work from home (WFH) space, while discussing the challenges and opportunities of WFH. Frontiers of Contemporary Education Article
Disruptive Changing Higher Education Ecosystems: Have University Academics Been Gazumped?CERCWarrick Long,
Lisa Barnes,
Maria T. Northcote,
Anthony Williams
2021Continual reforms in the Australian Higher Education Sector result in ongoing significant changes to the experiences of the Australian academic. The Australian University Accounting Academic (AUAA) faces ongoing challenges and opportunities within this dynamic academic environment, and this study explores these challenges in relation to teaching themed issues that confront the AUAA.Frontiers in Education Technology
Merger, Acquisition or Takeover: How Trust is Both the Driver and Inhibitor in Not-for-profit Sector Growth StrategiesCERCLisa Barnes2021This research is a case study based on the “lived experience” of two not-for-profit organisations wanting to create synergies and efficiencies in back office operations and to increase the offerings of services to existing clients by joining together as one business unit.16th EIASM Interdisciplinary Conference on Intangibles and Intellectual Capital - Sustainability and Integrated Reporting, Governance and Value Creation
Company Directors Behaviour is "Mad Hatters Tea Party", Curiouser and CuriouserCERCLisa Barnes2021This research looks at the type of case law issues of corporate governance in Australia and in particular accountability, and relates the case law to the Corporations Act (2001) to find where company directors are getting corporate governance wrong. 16th EIASM Interdisciplinary Conference on Intangibles and Intellectual Capital - Sustainability and Integrated Reporting, Governance and Value Creation
Why Stay for Less Pay? An Exploratory Study into the Motivations of Accountants in a Faith-Based, Non-Profit Organization in AustraliaCERCBernadene Erasmus,
Keith Howson
2021Retention of top talent represents a critical challenge for non-profit organizations restricted by limited resources. Factors impacting intention to leave have been widely studied. Far less attention has been given to individual work motivation in specific context. This study explored the motivation of accountants in an Australian faith-based non-profit organization to further understand the factors that impact satisfaction with employment and intention to remain.Psychology
Model of Mitigation: Strategies to Utilise Unique Insider Research OpportunitiesCERCNerolie Dever, Lisa Barnes, Warrick Long2021Insider research has in the past challenged researchers in terms of blurred lines, objectivity, bias confidentiality and maintaining professional working relationships. The opportunities it presents however, include access to information, trust in the data collection, insider and intimate knowledge, and the ability for rich inside data collection. This paper discusses these opportunities and challenges, then makes recommendations for ten strategies to assist in data collection by an insider researcher. International Journal of Emerging Trends in Social Sciences
School ClimateCERCKeith Zullig,
Kevin Petrie

Creative Research Solutions
Molly R. Matthews-Ewald
2021School climate is a general construct used to define a child’s subjective school experience across numerous dimensions including physical, social, and emotional. These dimensions are shaped by multiple areas of school life including relationships, teaching and learning, social environment, and safety.Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research (2nd Edition) Book Chapter
What Five Students of the Encounter Adventist Bible Curriculum Taught Us about their SpiritualityCERC/SSSRCBarry Hill,
Phil Fitzsimmons
2021The concept of spirituality is a vital element of Adventist education… The following case study explores how student spirituality has manifested itself in one school in response to the intentions of curriculum developers and Bible teachersThe Journal of Adventist Education
Revealing Jesus in the Learning Environment: Evidence & ImpactCERCEditors:
Beverly Christian,
Peter Kilgour
2021Book Published by Avondale Academic Press
Revealing Jesus in the Learning Environment: A Look Through the Lens of Teacher DispositionsCERCG. Adelle Faull2021This chapter argues that the issue of teacher dispositions is an important consideration that needs to be included in studies of teacher impact on student learning and proposes the Dispositional Cluster Model (DCM) (Faull, 2008) as a suitable instrument for exploring this often-neglected aspect of teacher impact.Book Chapter
Was Jesus a Fence Sitter? How Christian Teachers can Negotiate Conservatism and Liberalism in the Twenty-first Century Learning EnvironmentCERCPeter Kilgour2021Presents a case for a Christian approach to teaching and learning that aims to conserve many Christian beliefs and traditions that have served us well over many years. It also challenges us to be open-minded enough to adapt our biblical principles to a changing culture.Book Chapter
"In Green Pastures" The Impact of One School's Gardening Program on Children's Perceptions of God and JesusCERCBeverly Christian,
Sandra Ludlow,
Karyn Cameron
2021Explores the metaphor of Christian educators as under-shepherds who both protect and nurture their students. Using current research, it identifies how learning in a garden setting nurtures students’ physical, intellectual, and social-emotional wellbeing.Book Chapter
Student Peer Bullying in Christian Schools: Is there a Difference?CERCKevin Petrie2021Student peer bullying is acknowledged as a significant issue in schools, with data indicating both its prevalence and its negative impact on student outcomes. However, less is known about the prevalence of bullying in Christian schools and how this compares to the level in the general school population. In this study, data was collected from seven schools, one of which was an independent Christian school, in an urban region of Australia.Book Chapter
Exploring Spiritual Intelligence: Are there Implications for Classroom Practice?CERCJill Pearce,
Anthony Williams
2021Christian educators strive to provide classroom environments that tap into all recognised intelligences that have the added incentive of helping prepare their students for a relationship with Jesus Christ. This chapter provides information pertaining to the intelligence that is most important in the Christian School context.Book Chapter
Reflections of Community in the Learning EnvironmentCERCDon Roy2021This chapter explores the concept of community and its relevance in understanding the character of authentic Christian schools.Book Chapter