Graduate Research Degree Awarded - Petrea Cahir

Congratulations to Petrea Cahir - Graduate Research Degree Awarded 28 March 2024.

Degree: PhD
Supervisors: Stephanie Brown, Sheena Reilly, Edith Bavin, Elisha Riggs
Advisory Committee: Harriet Hiscock (Chair), Karen Glover, Gillian Wigglesworth

Thesis Title: Oral narrative skills of 5- to 7-year-old Aboriginal children growing up in South Australia.

Thesis Summary: This cross-sectional study describes the oral narrative production skills of 5–7-year-old Aboriginal children (N=72) growing up in metropolitan, regional and remote South Australia. Using varieties of English, children told fictional stories to Aboriginal community researchers in response to a wordless picture book. Group comparisons identified substantial linguistic variation (e.g., features of Aboriginal English varieties); age-dependent progression of narrative coherence skills (plot structure and organisation); and substantial variation of temporal cohesion skills (tense use, temporal connectives). Associations between maternal/family factors and narrative outcomes were also examined and discussed. Being the first detailed description of Aboriginal children's language and narrative development in south-eastern parts of Australia, findings increase the knowledge base available to educators and clinicians working in intercultural contexts.

Date awarded: 28th March 2024