Nicola S. Schutte

This methodological reflection examines the practical and ethical experiences of applying a constructionist methodological approach in a higher degree research project exploring Australian early childhood educators’ understanding of emotional intelligence (EI) and how it relates to their daily practice. Three key reflections emerged: navigating ethics approval, using social media as a recruitment tool and managing micro-ethical dilemmas related to geo-location and participant interactions in online environments. These challenges highlight broader issues identified in literature regarding ethical complexity, researcher reflexivity and navigation of digital spaces (Buchanan & Zimmer, 2012). The online ethics application presented additional layers of procedural nuance, providing an opportunity for professional learning. The use of social media was advantageous in reaching a wide range of early childhood education and care workforce, aligning with literature that digital recruitment can enhance accessibility (Gelinas et al., 2017) however complicated the intended scope and raised issues of clarity of selection criteria and management of participants. Given the content of the survey addressed sensitive topics around emotional strain, stress and burnout, the research underscored the importance of maintaining transparency and reflexivity when interacting in digital spaces. These insights contribute to existing discussions about ethical practice in early childhood research and the digital research context, particularly for novice researchers and research supervisors.

Competence is defined within the International Declaration of Core Competence in Professional Psychology as “a combination of practical and theoretical knowledge, cognitive skills, behaviour, and v...

This study consolidated the association of mindfulness with perceived stress found across studies. A meta‐analysis examined the relationship between mindfulness and perceived stress in 56 samples, which included a total of 24,494 participants. The weighted effect size of r (55) = −0.40, 95% CI [−0.36, 0–44], p = 0.0001, showed that greater mindfulness was associated with less perceived stress. Studies assessing mindfulness using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale or the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire showed substantial effect sizes, as did studies assessing stress using the Perceived Stress Scale. Even though the present meta‐analysis does not show causality, the results suggest a possible bidirectional relationship between mindfulness and perceived stress. The nonjudgmental awareness comprising mindfulness may facilitate an appraisal of life events and challenges that results in events and challenges as being perceived as less stressful. Lower perceived stress may free cognitive resources that promote mindfulness.

Simulation-based learning (SBL) is increasingly utilised across various health disciplines to develop clinical competencies to enable students to experientially practice their skills with represent...

Objective: Self-reflection is widely recognised as an essential skill for health professionals across the world. Models and accreditation standards highlighting psychology competencies have shared the view that self-reflection sits alongside other competencies such as assessment and intervention. However, there is limited research to date exploring the experience of self-reflection for psychologists, particularly research through a cognitive and metacognitive lens. This study aimed to explore the cognitive and metacognitive processes, and barriers, for psychologists when engaging in self-reflection.Method: Reflexive thematic analysis with a hybrid inductive/deductive approach was used to analyse 12 interviews with psychologists who shared their experience of self-reflection.Results: The analysis identified an overarching theme of interaction between the personal and professional self, and five subthemes of 1) attentive and responsive to cues, 2) personal and contextual barriers to self-reflection, 3) intentionally overcoming barriers, 4) meeting immediate motivations and 5) reflection for learning.Conclusion: This research adds to the current literature on self-reflection, with added depth of understanding through a cognitive and metacognitive lens, and provides evidence for the applicability of elements of existing models of self-reflection to psychologists.

Practica are an integral component of postgraduate psychology training. Traditional face-to-face practica, however, have experienced challenges such as struggles to ensure students are exposed to a broad range of common mental health conditions, limited practicum availability, and student barriers to completing psychology practica, such as geographical location. Fully simulated practica represent a novel training approach that may address the challenges identified in face-to-face practica. The present study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of postgraduate professional psychology students completing a fully simulated practicum. Seven semi-structured focus groups were conducted, in which students (N = 30) shared their perspectives of competency development within a simulated practicum, benefits, and challenges, of a simulated practicum. Reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the data and two thematic maps were developed to represent the findings. The first thematic map "Evaluating My Competence in a Simulated Environment" explored students' perspectives on increased competence as a result of the practicum. Students reported that their competence increased across a range of domains but that they may not have developed skills for responding to challenging client scenarios and expressed concerns that completing a simulated practicum might influence others' perceptions of their competence. The second thematic map "There are Unique Benefits and Challenges to a Simulated Environment" outlined safety, accessibility, the capacity to target and scaffold competency development, and peer interaction as unique strengths of a simulated learning environment. Students also identified challenges of skills practice within a simulated environment, such as inaccurate depictions of clinical presentations due to student actors' lack of familiarity with different diagnoses, and a struggle to understand the expectations of their role in a new learning environment. The results of the present study suggest that a fully simulated practicum may increase accessibility of psychology training programs and address a range of challenges present in face-to-face practica.

This study addresses a gap in understanding the relationship between eco‐emotions, mental health and pro‐climate actions among adolescents living in rural Australia. A mixed methods approach was used to triangulate survey data ( N = 145, mean age = 13.09 years, SD = 0.73) and photo‐elicitation focus groups ( n = 21, mean age = 12.95 years, SD = 0.58). Bivariate and moderation analyses of the survey revealed that a stronger connection to nature moderated the relationship between eco‐anger and mental ill‐health symptoms and pro‐climate actions, respectively. Thematic analysis of the focus group data provided deeper insights, showing that participants with a connection to nature felt a sense of responsibility and willingness to engage in pro‐climate actions. Triangulation of the data revealed a gap between awareness and action. While survey data indicated low levels of individual and collective action, qualitative findings provided an explanation that although many participants expressed a desire to be involved in climate action, they identified a need for more practical support and guidance from adults. The study provides insights into the need for practical, targeted interventions that support mental health and encourage constructive climate‐related behaviours, particularly by leveraging the protective role of connectedness to nature.

The Recovery Knowledge Inventory (RKI) has been used widely across various settings to measure mental health professionals' and students' knowledge and attitudes about recovery. However, evidence suggests that this measure lacks sound psychometric properties and may not fully capture the multidimensional nature of recovery. This study aimed to adapt and establish the psychometric properties of a modified version of the RKI, resulting in both a long and a short version. An exploratory sequential mixed-method design was employed in this study. In the first phase, qualitative interviews were conducted using a semi-structured guide to explore participants' understanding of mental health recovery. Their responses informed the development of a new survey tool used in the second phase. In total, 173 respondents were recruited via Qualtrics to complete an online survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted, including exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, Spearman correlation, and the Mann–Whitney U test. The 52 self-reported items were administered to 115 professionals and 58 students to assess the psychometric properties of this adapted measure. Exploratory Factor Analysis resulted in the removal of 14 items with low factor loadings, retaining 38 items in the long version of the newly adapted measure, the Recovery Knowledge and Attitude Scale (R-KAS). Also, a short 21-item version was developed. Both versions consist of three subscales namely Competence, Roles, and Responsibilities, and Process. Both the long and the short versions had good to excellent factor loadings (range .60 to.81) and high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha 38 items; α = 0.95, 21 items, α = 0.93). Known-groups validity was supported, as professionals who had received mental health recovery training scored significantly higher than those who had not. Adapted from the original RKI and refined with input from consumers, the newly developed R-KAS tool appears to be psychometrically sound for assessing recovery knowledge and attitudes among professionals and students. Initial findings indicate that the R-KAS is a reliable and valid measure that may better reflect recovery-oriented practices in contemporary mental health settings.