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Natasha Pearce

Honorary Research Associate

Natasha Pearce

Honorary Research Associate

PhD (Public Health), PostGrad Dip (Health Promotion), BApp Sc

natasha.pearce@telethonkids.org.au

Dr Natasha Pearce is a health promotion researcher focused on the translation, implementation and scaling-up of evidence to achieve wellbeing and social impact for children, families and communities. An Honorary Research Associate within the Health Promotion and Education Research team at The Kids Research Institute Australia, her work involves applying the principals of translation and implementation science in a range of health and education practice and policy settings. Specifically, her research has involved developing and evaluating a range of school and community-based interventions aimed at improving child and adolescent wellbeing with government, industry and research partners. Current work involves supporting government agencies in the uptake of evidence and providing system-level implementation support as well as the development and testing of interventions.

Her work covers a range of child and adolescent health issues including mental health, socio-emotional wellbeing, learning and behaviour, bullying and cyber bullying prevention, healthy eating and weight, drug, alcohol and road safety in schools. Dr Pearce has played a significant role within the research team responsible for the development, testing and dissemination of Friendly Schools: the most evidence-based whole-school bullying prevention intervention in Australia. With an educational background in public health and health promotion, Dr Pearce holds a strong interest in the field of prevention and implementation science and is committed to bridging the evidence to practice gap in getting what works to those that need it.

Projects

Empowering school communities to Support Student Mental health and Wellbeing: Development and Testing of the Online Assessment, Support and Implementation System (OASIS)

Published research

Movement behavior policies in the early childhood education and care setting: An international scoping review

Meeting 24-h movement behavior guidelines for the early years is associated with better health and development outcomes in young children. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is a key intervention setting however little is known about the content and implementation of movement behavior polices in this context. To inform policy development this international scoping review examined the prevalence, content, development and implementation of ECEC-specific movement behavior policies.

School Built Environments and Bullying Behaviour: A Conceptual Model Based on Qualitative Interviews

Interest in how the school built environment impacts bullying behaviour has gained momentum in recent years. While numerous studies have identified locations within schools where bullying frequently occurs, few studies have investigated the potential conceptual pathways linking school locations to bullying behaviour.

How does the school built environment impact students’ bullying behaviour? A scoping review

School bullying is a public health concern affecting the physical and mental health of children and young people. While school-based interventions to prevent bullying have been developed internationally, the effectiveness of many interventions has been mixed and modest.

‘It’s All About Context’: Building School Capacity to Implement a Whole-School Approach to Bullying

Student bullying behaviours are a significant social issue in schools worldwide. Whilst school staff have access to quality bullying prevention interventions, schools can face significant challenges implementing the whole-school approach required to address the complexity of these behaviours.

Gender-Neutral Toilets: A Qualitative Exploration of Inclusive School Environments for Sexuality and Gender Diverse Youth in Western Australia

School toilets have been identified by sexuality and gender diverse (SGD) students as the least safe spaces in educational institutions. They are sites of verbal, physical and sexual victimisation.

Educators’ Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity Policy Implementation in the Childcare Setting: Qualitative Findings From the Play Active Project

We explored childcare educators’ perceived barriers and facilitators to policy implementation in order to inform the development and implementation of an early childhood education and care (ECEC) specific physical activity policy. This study was part of the Play Active (2019-2023) project which aimed to develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based physical activity policy to improve physical activity levels in children attending ECEC.

Strengthening student social and emotional wellbeing and preventing bullying behaviours: Insights from 20 years of Friendly Schools research in Australian schools.

Strong evidence supports our current understandings of student bullying behaviours and ways schools can prevent and respond effectively to bullying behaviour. In the late 1990’s, however, little was understood about the most effective ways to reduce bullying in Australian schools. In response to schools’ need for evidence-informed action, a pipeline of research called Friendly Schools was initiated in 1999 which for the past twenty years, has provided robust whole-school evidence-based knowledge and skills to support policy makers, school staff and other practitioners working in schools and families across Australia.

Leading excellence through equity: Social emotional learning for a Fair Go

Australia likes to call itself the land of the "Fair Go". But what does a Fair Go mean for students from backgrounds of deep disadvantage? The UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 aim to ensure "inclusive and equitable quality education and [to promote] lifelong learning opportunities for all" (United Nations, 2015).

Friendly schools’ bullying prevention research: Implications for school counsellors

Bullying varies in frequency, intensity, duration and hence severity, and contributes uniquely and directly to mental health problems, with severe and long-lasting consequences. Almost a half of school-age students report being bullied in the past year.

School-based bullying intervention programs in Australia and New Zealand

Education and Qualifications
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Public Health), 2010, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia 
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Health Promotion, 1994, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
  • Bachelor of Applied Science, 1992, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia  
Awards/Honours
  • 2010-2011, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY). Awarded position (one of ten) on the New Investigator’s Network for Prevention Science, Melbourne, Victoria
  • 2011, Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research (Child Health Promotion Research Centre), Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia
  • 2002-2007 - Healthway, PhD Scholarship, Perth, Western Australia