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Associate Professor and Educational and Developmental Psychologist
Dr Kelly-Ann Allen
Chapters
Allen, K., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Waters, L. (2017)
Chapter: School belonging and the role of social and emotional competencies in fostering an adolescent’s sense of connectedness to their school: P.83-99. In E. Frydenberg & A. Martin. Social and Emotional Learning in the Australasian Context. Melb AU: Springer Social Sciences
Around the globe, there is a growing awareness of the importance of addressing students’ social and emotional development and wellbeing during schooling. Although the bulk of the work in this area has been conducted in North America and Europe, there is now a burgeoning interest in this topic in Australia and the wider Asia Pacific. This book is the first ever to provide a timely and important collection of diverse perspectives on and approaches to social and emotional learning in the Australian and Asia Pacific context. Adopting a broad view of social and emotional learning, the book explores positive psychology, belonging, teachers’ professional development, pre-service training and post-initial training in Australia and in neighbouring communities such as China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Fiji, and other Pacific nations.
Click here for a full list of publications
This chapter highlights the importance of effective communication to build alliance and establishing clear intervention planning. Jenny presented for counselling on recommendation from her general medical practitioner, for symptoms of low mood and anxiety over past three years. Jenny experienced depressive and anxiety symptoms, on a daily basis, for the past two years. She also reported feeling fatigued, unmotivated, sadness, poor concentration, and hopelessness on most days. Depressive symptoms, including fatigue and poor concentration, affected Jenny's work performance. A detailed risk assessment revealed that Jenny has never engaged in deliberate self-harm (DSH). Clinical research, including meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials demonstrate that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an effective intervention for supporting the treatment of depression in adults. Behavioural Activation (BA) is a core component of CBT, found to effectively treat depression. Given the level of her distress, Jenny was diagnosed with mild anxious distress; and late onset. Jenny attended 12 sessions and showed a willingness to engage in therapy.
Allen, K., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Waters, L. (2017)
Chapter: School belonging and the role of social and emotional competencies in fostering an adolescent’s sense of connectedness to their school: P.83-99. In E. Frydenberg & A. Martin. Social and Emotional Learning in the Australasian Context. Melb AU: Springer Social Sciences
Around the globe, there is a growing awareness of the importance of addressing students’ social and emotional development and wellbeing during schooling. Although the bulk of the work in this area has been conducted in North America and Europe, there is now a burgeoning interest in this topic in Australia and the wider Asia Pacific. This book is the first ever to provide a timely and important collection of diverse perspectives on and approaches to social and emotional learning in the Australian and Asia Pacific context. Adopting a broad view of social and emotional learning, the book explores positive psychology, belonging, teachers’ professional development, pre-service training and post-initial training in Australia and in neighbouring communities such as China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Fiji, and other Pacific nations.
Chapter: Specific Learning Disorder with Impairment in Reading and Writing Expression (pp. 150-163). In N. Pelling & L. Burton (Eds.), Elements of Psychological Case Report Writing in Australia. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Specific learning disorders (SLDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders involving biological origins, which disrupt the normal acquisition of learning. SLDs are caused and influenced by factors such as genetic predisposition, neurological processing patterns, and environmental factors. The learning and emotional challenges associated with SLDs can be successfully managed if individuals are provided appropriate accommodations and support, and if their achievements in other areas are nurtured and celebrated. Ben was born in Sydney. Ben's developmental milestones were reported to be within normal limits. Ben's performance indicates problematic reading fluency. Reading and spelling difficulties may lower motivation to practice reading and spelling outside the classroom, reducing opportunities to improve literacy skills. Observing Ben's performance on the administered tests, it appears that Ben demonstrates reasonable phonological processing skill. The Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory is an empirically validated psychometric theory of cognitive abilities. Many assessment tools are limited in measuring CHC abilities identified as important factors in literacy acquisition.
This chapter brings together the main themes and findings from all the studies in this book. Boyle and Allen re-emphasise the collective considerations of many leading academics in school belonging and discuss them in relation to the wider literature. Taking cognisance of various findings, it is clear that, across many geographical boundaries, there is little emphasis and understanding as to the consequences of a lack of belonging in school for many students. Building psychologically robust students is a task undertaken by many people and agencies but, there can be no doubt, that this should be a kernel objective of the school, and rightly so.
This chapter provides an overview of school belonging through a review of literature that describes the current context, trends and relevancy for future research. Most notable in this chapter is a discussion of school belonging in the university context. Given that the overarching school belonging literature is mainly concerned with issues in primary and secondary schools, this chapter is unique in exploring new ground in tertiary settings. There is a dearth of academic research in this area, and this chapter provides a solid foundation from which to build upon a discussion of current research trends that follow-on in the next section.
This chapter aims to distil the research on school belonging and re-frame it into an applied practical format that can be used by school leaders and practitioners. In their chapter, Rethinking school belonging: A socio-ecological framework, Allen, Vella-Brodrick and Waters present a socio-ecological framework for schools. The authors argue that school leaders and educators should be encouraged to foster students’ sense of belonging by building qualities within the students and by changing school systems and processes. The framework represents the importance of whole school approaches by discussing the role of governmental, organisational, relational and individual level variables in influencing school belonging.
This chapter brings together the main themes and findings from all the studies in this book. Boyle and Allen re-emphasise the collective considerations of many leading academics in school belonging and discuss them in relation to the wider literature. Taking cognisance of various findings, it is clear that, across many geographical boundaries, there is little emphasis and understanding as to the consequences of a lack of belonging in school for many students. Building psychologically robust students is a task undertaken by many people and agencies but, there can be no doubt, that this should be a kernel objective of the school, and rightly so.
Abnormal Psychology in Context is a practical and contemporary handbook for both students of abnormal psychology and allied mental health practitioners. This text is one of the first of its kind, providing a specific focus on abnormal psychology from Australian and New Zealand - rather than US - perspectives. Nadine Pelling and Lorelle Burton have crafted a highly relevant resource, showcasing the most recent Australasian research in a clear format designed for ease of use. Written by leading researchers from Australia and New Zealand, each chapter examines a particular psychological disorder, details symptoms and responses, and includes relevant statistics, case studies, further reading and links to community resources. The chapters give equal weight to Australian and New Zealand experiences in abnormal psychology matters. Succinctly written yet richly detailed, Abnormal Psychology in Context is an essential resource that students can carry from the classroom into the workplace.
BOOK DESCRIPTION: In the Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 series, international experts introduce important themes in psychological science that engage with people’s unprecedented experience of the pandemic, drawing together chapters as they originally appeared before COVID-19 descended on the world.
This book explores how COVID-19 has impacted our relationship with media and technology, and chapters examine a range of topics including fake news, social media, conspiracy theories, belonging, online emotional lives and relationship formation, and identity. It shows the benefits media and technology can have in relation to coping with crises and navigating challenging situations, whilst also examining the potential pitfalls that emerge due to our increasing reliance on them. In a world where the cyberpsychological space is constantly developing, this volume exposes the complexities surrounding the interaction of human psychology with media and technology, and reflects on what this might look like in the future.
Featuring theory and research on key topics germane to the global pandemic, the Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 series offers thought-provoking reading for professionals, students, academics and policy makers concerned with the psychological consequences of COVID-19 for individuals, families and society.
BOOK DESCRIPTION: Strategic Corporate Communication in the Digital Age explores how contemporary communication approaches are crossing boundaries as innovative media formats and digital transformations offer new challenges and opportunities to academia and practitioners. New technologies have empowered various organisations and their stakeholders. The digital and social media are central to the process of building trust, reputation and support, as online users can use them to scrutinise and influence corporate decisions and actions.
This authoritative book features a broad spectrum of theoretical and empirical chapters on topics relating to organisations' interactive engagement with stakeholders during COVID-19. It sheds light on dialogic communications through different digital media, the utilisation of mobile learning technologies for corporate training and development, corporate disclosures of CSR practices, communications of small and medium sized businesses, and provides a taxonomy of online marketing methods, among other topics. This title is a premier reference source and a valuable teaching resource for courses in marketing, communications, strategy and organisational behaviour.
Recognising the importance of teacher attitudes to inclusion is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of inclusive education in the school and/or community. It has been reported that teachers who are more positive to inclusion have more controlled learning environments compared to teachers with more negative attitudes to inclusion. The role of teachers is understated in many studies that have investigated inclusion and student experiences. It is important to understand the vital roles of teachers in fostering inclusive classrooms, and while inclusion in schools begins with the teachers, it is imperative that teachers themselves are supported by the education system through access to appropriate resources, and the provision of supportive leadership and effective policy.
Social skills are an essential component of most healthy human relationships. For students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), impaired social functioning is a common problem. Despite possible social skill deficits, many individuals with ASD desire social interactions. Improving the social skills of students with ASD is a necessary facet of inclusive education and multi-systematic approaches provide the most suitable vehicle to do this.
Abnormal Psychology in Context is a practical and contemporary handbook for both students of abnormal psychology and allied mental health practitioners. This text is one of the first of its kind, providing a specific focus on abnormal psychology from Australian and New Zealand - rather than US - perspectives. Nadine Pelling and Lorelle Burton have crafted a highly relevant resource, showcasing the most recent Australasian research in a clear format designed for ease of use. Written by leading researchers from Australia and New Zealand, each chapter examines a particular psychological disorder, details symptoms and responses, and includes relevant statistics, case studies, further reading and links to community resources. The chapters give equal weight to Australian and New Zealand experiences in abnormal psychology matters. Succinctly written yet richly detailed, Abnormal Psychology in Context is an essential resource that students can carry from the classroom into the workplace.
Abnormal Psychology in Context is a practical and contemporary handbook for both students of abnormal psychology and allied mental health practitioners. This text is one of the first of its kind, providing a specific focus on abnormal psychology from Australian and New Zealand - rather than US - perspectives. Nadine Pelling and Lorelle Burton have crafted a highly relevant resource, showcasing the most recent Australasian research in a clear format designed for ease of use. Written by leading researchers from Australia and New Zealand, each chapter examines a particular psychological disorder, details symptoms and responses, and includes relevant statistics, case studies, further reading and links to community resources. The chapters give equal weight to Australian and New Zealand experiences in abnormal psychology matters. Succinctly written yet richly detailed, Abnormal Psychology in Context is an essential resource that students can carry from the classroom into the workplace.
Abnormal Psychology in Context is a practical and contemporary handbook for both students of abnormal psychology and allied mental health practitioners. This text is one of the first of its kind, providing a specific focus on abnormal psychology from Australian and New Zealand - rather than US - perspectives. Nadine Pelling and Lorelle Burton have crafted a highly relevant resource, showcasing the most recent Australasian research in a clear format designed for ease of use. Written by leading researchers from Australia and New Zealand, each chapter examines a particular psychological disorder, details symptoms and responses, and includes relevant statistics, case studies, further reading and links to community resources. The chapters give equal weight to Australian and New Zealand experiences in abnormal psychology matters. Succinctly written yet richly detailed, Abnormal Psychology in Context is an essential resource that students can carry from the classroom into the workplace.
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