This project explores music, time, and timelessness identifying various forms and techniques by various contemporary classical composers, and asks how a composer can utilise these and what impact do works created with them have on listeners perceptions of temporality in my electronic, acousmatic compositions. A number of defining texts outlining some of the seminal approaches to music, time and temporality are reviewed and the forms and techniques are identified. Works that provide examples of the forms and techniques are noted.

Through my compositional practice and working within the ambient genre, I employ some of these forms and techniques, creating works that impact on listener’s perceptions of time. As an outcome of this project a portfolio of six works is created and provided to a listening community to engage with and comment on. This offers a better understanding of the impact of these forms and techniques on listeners perceptions of temporality.

The project is associated with practice-led research and is located within the fields of creativity, phenomenology and lived experience. Surveys are implemented to support engagement with and through review and classification of data gathered a deeper exploration of the impact of each work upon the listening community occurs. The use of technology and its role within project is examined, highlighting the role of the computer and its application and use in the creation of the six works is undertaken within the project.

Discussion of each work within the portfolio is undertaken, noting the inspirations, the techniques and form of the work and a presentation of the listeners reactions to each work in relation to temporality, emotional, images and narrative perceptions occurs. In a broader and more holistic manner further discussion of the survey responses and the works is undertaken in a investigating the similarities and differences across the works. The outcomes from this project demonstrate that for many listeners there is an impact on their perceptions of temporality. Finally, the project is placed within the wider research space and a number of future directions are briefly canvassed.

High-meat consumption negatively impacts our planet and our health, especially in high-income countries where this eating pattern is the norm. Shifting peoples’ eating patterns to align with a plant-rich diet is now considered crucial to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from agricultural production and improve human health and animal welfare. This thesis presents research that aims to: (1) explore which plant-rich diet to promote to Australian adults; (2) understand the barriers and drivers to the target plant-rich diet; and (3) develop and test an intervention to increase uptake of the target plant-rich diet, based on the barriers and drivers identified in the previous study.

In the first study, we assessed a range of plant-rich diets (Mediterranean, flexitarian/semi-vegetarian, pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan) using the community-based social marketing framework (CBSM) (McKenzie-Mohr, 2011). Each diet was assessed using three metrics, the first relating to the environmental, human health, and animal welfare impact of each plant-rich diet, with the second and third metrics being self-reported data (N = 253 Australian adults) on current adoption and willingness to adopt each of these diets, respectively. Following the CBSM calculation for impact, the Mediterranean diet was identified as the target plant-rich diet, as it had the greatest projected positive impact score.

Using a combination of different research methodologies, the next two studies assessed the barriers and drivers to Mediterranean diet adoption using the capability-opportunity-motivation model of behaviour (COM-B) of the behaviour change wheel (BCW) (Michie et al., 2011). The first study was a qualitative study whereby 16 Australian adults who ate an omnivore or plant-rich diet were interviewed. Inductive and deductive analyses were applied using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019; Braun et al., 2022) and the COM-B, respectively. Key barriers identified were: 1) changing ingrained meat habits; 2) lack of physical and mental availability; 3) household influences; 4) meat perceived as tasty and Mediterranean diet foods as bland; and 5) minimal knowledge of the nutritional benefits of Mediterranean diet foods.

The next study was a quantitative study. Informed by the qualitative study results, an online sample of 443 Australian adults was surveyed to assess predictors of Mediterranean diet adoption. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four main factors (Lack of Time and Knowledge, Food Allergies and Clean Eating, Meat Dependence, and Household Dietary Preferences), that together with Mediterranean Diet Familiarity and Not Having to Cook for Others, predicted 44% of the variability in Mediterranean diet adoption. Assessing existing eating behaviours also highlighted that omnivores, on average, ate red meat more often, and legumes less often, than their meat-reducing counterparts.

The final study involved the development and evaluation of 11 legume-focused message attributes to increase legume consumption intentions within a sample of 201 Australian residents. Multilevel modelling revealed that message attributes referencing taste and convenience significantly increased intentions to consume legumes. In contrast, for high meat eaters, message attributes promoting enablement strategies or referring to health and financial benefits significantly decreased (and may be detrimental to) legume consumption intentions.

Overall, it can be concluded that shifting people from eating a high-meat diet to eating the Mediterranean diet requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses one’s capability, opportunity, and motivation. Creating greater systemic opportunities for sustainable eating environments also needs to be considered in addition to promoting individual behaviour change.

This research investigates the language-based challenges faced by primary school teachers when teaching science to English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) students, specifically focusing on Arab migrant students in Australian primary independent schools. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews. Six primary teachers from independent Australian schools participated and provided their perspectives on the specific language-based challenges they encountered, such as students’ limited scientific vocabulary and difficulties with complex scientific texts. Using frequency counts and thematic analysis, the research identifies key non-language-based challenges, such as limited reading habits and poor analytical skills, which often co-exist and interact with language-based challenges. Employing a dual-theory framework encompassing social constructivism and Bernstein’s pedagogic discourse, the study situates these findings within broader educational theories to provide a deeper understanding of the role of language in science teaching and learning for Arab migrant learners. Building on these findings, recommendations are made regarding the development of research projects, targeted resources and training, and reforming policies.

Defining breeding objectives in chickpea breeding involves deriving economic weights of economically important traits to select varieties that offer improved economic benefits. This process quantifies the economic benefits of genetic improvement by combining multiple traits into a breeding objective used for selection. Although this method is widely used in animal breeding, its application in plant breeding has been limited. This study aims to explore the utilisation of economic weights in plant breeding and to derive the economic weights of grain yield based on economic input parameters and taking genotype by environment interactions into account to improve chickpea breeding objectives.

In Chapter 3, a systematic review was exploring the methodologies for the derivation of economic weights in plant breeding. It identified two primary approaches, a subjective and an objective approach. The subjective approach relies on the opinion of experts, which assign a weight to a trait based on their subjective opinion. In contrast, the objective approach assesses the relative importance of traits using factors like the coefficient of genetic variation, coefficient of environmental variation, heritability and index coefficient for crop breeding. This objective approach does not consider economic parameters, including price and cost of production, which were used to calculate economic weights for pasture and tree breeding. This approach based on economic parameters is recommended to chickpea breeders to prioritise traits taking into account the dynamic nature of the market, evolving consumer needs, and grower challenges in chickpea production.

In chapter 4, economic parameters like production cost and grain price were used to derive the economic weight of grain yield, which were based on economic parameters forecasted for the year 2030. The economic weights, calculated as the first partial derivative of the profit function with respect to grain yield, amounted to AU$730.2 per ton per hectare, since grain yield is evaluated on a land area scale and expressed in tons per hectare. This economic weight of grain yield was further used to calculate the economic differences of chickpea varieties, considering the breeding value of grain yield across distinct interaction classes (iClasses) of northern and southern growing regions of Australia. The iClass refers to the group of environments with minimal variety by environment interaction within environmental groups and maximal between environmental groups. The variation in estimated breeding values of grain yield between varieties across iClasses influenced economic differences between varieties for each growing region. The chickpea varieties were ranked across iClasses and growing regions based on their economic benefits concerning grain yield. Overall, PBA Drummond emerged as the top-performing variety, while PBA Seamer was the least preferable variety due to low consistency. This framework offers a valuable tool for chickpea breeders, facilitating systematic variety selection aligned with economic priorities across diverse environments.

The results highlighted the potential of incorporating economic parameters in describing breeding objectives for genetic improving of chickpea varieties. This study outlines new avenues of determining economic weights for traits, like grain yield, ascochyta blight and phytophthora root rot. When using economic parameters for the derivation of economic weights, challenges remain, such as avoiding double counting in calculating economic weights for complex traits and understanding market fluctuations and emerging trends. However, assessing the implications during the development of breeding objectives can help foresee and address potential issues. As research progresses, the use of economic parameters will become valuable in optimising chickpea breeding, aligned with market trends and opening up further opportunities for improvements.