title: How Does Television Represent Science?

subject:
Television - Science
Science Education

abstract:
This thesis examines the relationship between science and television by working within the framework of Grounded Theory, extracting data from a literature review and a series of interviews with scientists, television scientists and broadcast science producers, and then examining the collected data through a perspective provided by the works of Noam Chomsky, Marshall McLuhan and George Lakoff. My analysis of the data concludes that science as represented by scientists and science as represented by television production are two solitudes. In spite of the fact, that both scientists and science broadcaster/producers work within a milieu each group defines as "science", neither understands the perspective or the concerns of the other. In addition, generally, there is a marked distain between the two groups based on the other’s perspective of what is considered to be science. Each group works within an institutional framework that is self serving and isolated from the other.
Though there have been efforts to bring these two groups together to find common ground, they are marked more by their failures than their successes. The major science issues facing us as a society, especially with crises such as anthropogenic global warming, underscore the seriousness of this divide as it relates to the public’s general low level of science, the growing lack of appreciation of the importance of science
education and the loss of respect for scientists and science.These findings are helpful in getting a better understanding of the oft overlooked place
that science has in society and its importance to the health of our society. If common ground can be found, not only scientists and science broadcaster/producers, but society has a lot to gain. These two groups are encouraged to connect with each other and find solutions to bridging the divide that has grown between them.


title: Celiac Disease: The challenges of affording a gluten-free diet

publisher:
Mount Saint Vincent University
Mount Saint Vincent University

subject:
Celiac disease
Gluten-free diet
Food security

abstract:
Treatment of celiac disease is a strict gluten-free diet for life. The gluten-free diet is a
complex, socially restrictive and significantly more expensive diet than a regular wheat-based
diet. There are both social and physical consequences to celiac disease. Social consequences
include difficulty dining out and traveling as well as the negative impact on family life created by
adherence to a gluten-free diet. Physical consequences related to non-adherence to the dietary
treatment of celiac disease include malabsorption and malnutrition. Barriers to adhering to a
gluten-free diet include limited availability of gluten-free food and the increased cost associated
with purchasing gluten-free food. Food security encompasses physical and economic access to
food for the dietary needs and requirements for the individual; therefore, it is important to
determine how individuals with celiac disease experience and manage the dietary requirements
of the disease and the costs associated with its treatment.
The objectives of this thesis are to examine how families experience and manage the and
nutritional and financial requirements of celiac disease, to discover enablers and barriers to celiac
disease, to explore strategies that would aid in the nutritional and financial management of the
disease, and to determine whether families experience food insecurity. Understanding family
experiences with celiac disease and a gluten-free diet will help in developing strategies to
improve affordability and hence adherence to the gluten-free diet.
Participants in this study were primary food providers of children 16-years-of-age and
younger with biopsy-confirmed celiac disease who were on a gluten-free diet for at least six
months. A phenomenological approach was used to examine how families experienced and
managed the nutritional and financial requirements of celiac disease. Bronfenbrenner’s socialecological
systems theory provided a model to examine participants’ barriers and enablers to
managing celiac disease in reference to the five layers of their environment (micro-, meso-, exo-,
macro-, and chronosystems) that mediated their behaviours and experiences. Data were collected
through semi-structured interviews with participants and through the administration of the
Household Food Security Survey Module to determine food insecurity.
Ten primary food providers (mothers) participated. How participants experienced celiac
disease was greatly dependent on how knowledgeable they perceived the general population to
be about the disorder. Positive experiences occurred when the participants met someone who
knew about celiac disease or was interested in knowing about it. Negative experiences occurred
when participants felt frustrated due to poor understanding of celiac disease in the general
population and a perceived lack of seriousness of the disorder. Frustration was also observed
through participants’ struggles with gluten-free food, specifically the cost. Though the
participants were not found to experience food insecurity using the Household Food Security
Survey Module, it was clear that many struggled with the cost of gluten-free foods and displayed
characteristics of food insecurity. Most participants felt a lack of food choices, anxiety over
eating away from the home due to fear of gluten contamination, and worry over the financial
responsibility of a gluten-free diet.
Families with celiac disease are struggling with both lack of availability and high cost of
gluten-free diet. Knowledge of celiac disease is felt to be poor amongst the general public.
Improving awareness of celiac disease and making gluten-free foods affordable through income
supports should be high priorities for the public policy makers and health care professionals.


title: Nova Scotia Senior High School Principals as Instructional Leaders

subject: Educational leadership

subject: High school principals

subject: Educational change

subject: High schools - Nova Scotia - Administration

abstract:
In the wake of the current myriad of external large-scale reforms that senior Nova

Scotia high schools are encountering, the concept of instructional leadership is being

advocated as the approach school leaders may consider to promote a culture of change

within their schools in order to improve student learning. This qualitative study

examined how five senior high principals interpret and enact their roles as instructional

leaders within their schools.

The five participating senior high school leaders were selected from a list of potential

principals who were known to be experimenting with instructional leadership practices

within their schools. The research design employed qualitative, semi-structured, audiotaped

interviews. The analysis of findings was based on grounded theory methodology.

Analysis of the findings resulted in two key theoretical constructs of how instructional

leadership is enacted by the five participating senior high school principals: leadership as

a relational process and relationality as the foundation for professional learning as they

are related to educational leadership. The study concludes that the current notion of

instructional leadership must be reconstituted to allow for the use of relational leadership

to build learning organizations within the senior high school structure.


title: Effect of sugars in solution on subjective appetite and short-term food intake regulation in normal weight 9 to 14 year old boys

subject:
Sugar intake
Short term food intake
Nutrition - children

abstract:
To examine the hypothesis that the physiologic regulation of short-term food intake (FI)
in boys is affected by sugars source, the following study was conducted. The objective was to
describe the effect of consuming 200 kcal of glucose, high-fructose corn syrup-55 (HFCS-55)
and sucrose 60 min before a pizza meal on subjective appetite and short-term FI regulation
compared to a Sucralose® control. On four separate mornings, fifteen normal weight (NW) boys
received in random order one of the four equally sweetened sugars solutions 2 h after consuming
a standardized breakfast. Food intake at an ad libitum pizza meal was measured 60 min after
each treatment. Subjective appetite was measured at 15 min time intervals until the test lunch and
immediately after. Only glucose resulted in a statistically significant decrease in FI (975 kcal ±
58) compared to the Sucralose® control solution (P<0.01). Mean FI after sucrose and HFCS-55
were not statistically different. Caloric compensation, a measure of FI regulation, after the
glucose, sucrose and HFCS-55 solutions were scored 76%, 26% and 26%, respectively, but did
not differ (P=0.07). Average appetite (AA) was higher after the HFCS-55 solution compared to
glucose (P<0.05). Change from baseline AA scores following sucrose were significantly higher
compared to the other three treatments (P<0.01), which suggest that hunger returned more
quickly after sucrose. The energy content of the preloads, expressed as per kcal/kg body weight
(BW), inversely associated with FI after sucrose and HFCS-55 (P<0.05), but not after glucose
(P=0.09), suggesting dose was less of a factor after glucose compared to after sucrose and
HFCS-55. Fat-mass (FM) positively correlating with FI after the control, sucrose and HFCS-55
solutions (P<0.05) suggests body composition is also a factor of FI regulation. In summary, only
glucose suppressed FI at a test meal 60 min later, as a result of greater physiological effects on FI
compared to isovolumetric and isocaloric solutions of sucrose and HFCS-55. In conclusion, the
short-term regulation of FI in NW 9- to 14-year-old boys was affected by sugars source,
treatment dose and body composition.


title: "Sometimes I like to see what I'm doing": Children's voices in outdoor play pedagogical documentation

format: Full-text application/pdf

abstract:
This qualitative research was designed to explore how children respond to and think about their outdoor play pedagogical documentation, and how they engage in outdoor play experiences after they have conversations about their outdoor play pedagogical documentation. The purposive sample of six children was bounded in a single-case program in Nova Scotia, Canada. Six children were directly observed during their outdoor play time, and were individually interviewed face-to-face. A typological analysis model was used to analyse the collected data (Hatch, 2002). The research questions predetermined three typologies, children’s reaction, children’s perceptions, and children’s outdoor play engagements. These typologies were examined to determine themes for each typology. The final data analysis concluded with four generalization statements and a case study report.
The children perceived their outdoor play pedagogical documentation as a tool where they can revisit, interpret, and reflect on their previous outdoor play experiences. The children believed that the purpose of outdoor play pedagogical documentation is for sharing with their families, friends, or other people who visit their child care centre. It was also found that the children demonstrated their confidence after their outdoor play pedagogical documentation was provided. Merely displaying outdoor play pedagogical documentation outside did not influence the children’s outdoor play experiences; however, having conversations about outdoor play pedagogical documentation allowed the children to express their emotions, articulate their thoughts about previous outdoor play experiences, and provoke and implement outdoor play ideas. This case study revealed children’s understanding about their outdoor play pedagogical documentation and this understanding can be incorporated in the practice of early childhood education in order to increase access to outdoor play and enhance the quality of outdoor play. This case study is limited to one-single case with a focus on each individual child rather than a group of children. This case study yields some implications for early childhood educators, educational institutions, and the community. Recommendations for future research are discussed.


title: Through the looking glass and into the classroom: A narrative inquiry into student-to-teacher experiences of becoming and in-betweenness

subject: Student-to-teacher experiences, preservice teachers

abstract: The purpose of the present study is to inquire into the experience and knowledge of preservice teachers in a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) program using a narrative inquiry research methodology. This study explores experiences of two B.Ed. student participants, Tom and Carly, in addition to references to my own experience in the teacher education program. Through a narrative inquiry approach, each participant shares their stories in semi-structured interviews involving open-ended and guided questions on their experiences in deciding and becoming a teacher. The main research question asks about stories of in-betweenness of participants’ experiences as they are educating themselves to become teachers. Subsequent questions explore experiences in the decision to teach and to enter teacher education; whether significant others influenced their decision or their continuous pursuit, and who these people are; and, how the image of a teacher and their role change after a practicum experience. The significance of this study may help inform those who are influential and engaged in the education of these individuals who decide to teach.


title: “I may be lost but I know how to find my way.”: The “Lived” Experiences of Filipina Caregivers in the Live-In Caregiver Program in Halifax

abstract:
To date there has been no research completed on live-in caregivers, in particular
women from the Philippines, who are in the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) in
small urban centers in Canada. This research is attempting to fill this gap.
This research explores the ‘lived’ experiences of Filipinas who are recently, or
currently in the LCP in Halifax Municipality, Nova Scotia. The data was collected
through in-depth qualitative interviews with five Filipino women who have come to
Canada as live-in caregivers. Given the overall low immigrant densities in the
Atlantic region of Canada and the relatively small size of ethno-cultural
communities, in combination with the isolating conditions of caregivers’ work,
Filipina live-in caregivers in Halifax are experiencing stressful working and living
environments. Nevertheless, Filipina caregivers are negotiating their position
between borders of citizen and non-citizen, worker and non-worker, maid and
madam, caregiver and mother in hopes and future goals of becoming a
permanent resident of Canada and reuniting with their family.


title: Inclusive Sexuality Education for Children in the Early Years: Perceptions of Family Resource Centre Staff

subject: sexuality education, sexual development, risk reduction, prevention

abstract: Children’s sexual development is often ignored in developmental discourse, which can impact a child’s healthy sexual development, inclusion in sexuality education, and their risk of experiencing sexual abuse. There exists in the early years an opportunity to focus on foundational knowledge that will contribute to healthy sexual development across the lifespan. Education and intervention can help to address each risk-reduction (i.e., focus on the potential victim), prevention (i.e., focus on the potential perpetrator), and healthy relationships. However, sexuality education often reinforces hegemony, reflecting elements that serve to reinforce disparities in race, age, ability, gender, sexual identity, and access to knowledge. Whereas family resource centres build family capacity and engage with other community supports in enhancing child development, their perspectives were sought with regards to the provision of family-centered, inclusive sexuality education in the early years. Five family resource centre employees completed an online survey to answer the question of how family resource centres are supporting families in their provision of inclusive sexuality education to their young children. Results indicated gaps existed in opportunities for both pre-service training and ongoing professional development on the topic of children’s sexual development in order to best support families with their children’s healthy sexual development. Furthermore, though resources and materials were indicated, it would appear that there is a need for more developmentally appropriate and inclusive sexuality education materials and resources.


title: Exploring the Link between Food Insecurity, Social Stigma and Social Marginalization among Low-income Lone Mothers

subject: Food insecurity, social stigma, social marginalization


title: An Analysis of Racial Bias in Newspaper Coverage of “Bloody Sunday” and the March for the Right to Vote

subject: Bloody Sunday, race theory, news framing theory, American newspapers

abstract:
This study analyzed newspaper coverage of Bloody Sunday and the Selma-to-Montgomery march for the right to vote for Black Americans. Through critical race theory, news framing theory, and the theory of Orientalism, I conducted a content analysis of two American newspapers (one published locally in Alabama and one major-city newspaper) to determine the similarities and differences with respect to representation of race in the news media. Results demonstrate that the Alabama newspaper, the Montgomery Advertiser, reported on this event with more racial bias than did the major-city newspaper, The New York Times. The two newspapers also covered similar stories in different manners, with the major-city newspaper being predominantly supportive in tone and the Alabama newspaper being predominantly oppositional in tone. The New York Times reported significantly more slurs (all through quotes) while the Montgomery Advertiser reported significantly more stereotypes (primarily through journalistic prose). This finding showed bias in reporting as The New York Times quoted slurs to tell the story, while the Montgomery Advertiser stereotyped black people while telling the story. The findings point to more differences than similarities in how the two newspapers covered the events and inform the main conclusion that the Montgomery Advertiser reported the event with more bias. This conclusion is significant because the content of a news story and the tone
through which a newspaper reports a story—specifically the marches for the right to vote—is the message the readers receive.


title: Parent perceptions of full inclusion for their children with disabilities

subject:
Children with disabilities
Education
Education (primary)
Education (preschool)
Nova Scotia
Social sciences
Special education
Inclusive education
Parents
Psychometrics

abstract:
This study examined parent perceptions of full inclusion in the school system, and

perceived impacts of this practice on their child with disabilities. Participants whose

children were in either preschool or school settings were compared across perception

variables (e.g., overall view of full inclusion, perceived effectiveness of this practice, and

preferred level of inclusion for their child). Results indicated not all parents endorsed the

full inclusion of their child in general education. While approximately half of all parents

reported positive views of full inclusion and preferred full-time inclusion placements for

their child, a significant number of parents indicated a preference for part-time inclusion

(1 to 4 hours per school day).

In addition, parents of younger children had more positive views of full inclusion.

Those parents who reported higher levels of education in the household, agreed more

strongly that their child’s academic and behavioural needs could be met in a full inclusion

classroom, and were satisfied with the acceptance of their child by school peers, were

more likely to prefer full-time inclusion placements. Negative views and ratings of

effectiveness were associated with concerns regarding class size and feeling limited by

educational options. As well, the more severe parents rated their child’s disability, the

less effective they believed full inclusion would be in meeting their child’s needs.

Findings are discussed within the context of the literature on parent perceptions of

inclusion.


title: Sixty years of the Nova Scotia math curriculum: What’s changed?

subject: Nova Scotia, math curriculum

abstract: The Department of Education is currently in the process of revising the educational curriculum to align with the Western and Northern Canadian Protocol (WNCP). This change was motivated by concerns that the curriculum objectives had become too numerous and too difficult to teach to. Prompted by this, the present retrospective review explores the ways that the NS curriculum has changed over the past 60 years in terms of: number of curriculum objectives, whether those objectives are well-defined, and their cognitive characteristics as defined by the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy of learning objectives. Findings suggest that the NS math curriculum has been shifting from concrete and practically oriented to increasingly abstract and conceptually oriented objectives, but that this shift to conceptual understanding is not necessarily accompanied by an increase in vague or ill-defined outcomes.


title: Conflict during adolescence: exploring affect and regulation as predictors of conflict

subject:
conflict
conflict resolution
inhibitory control

abstract:
This study investigated the correlations between affect and regulation to see if they act as viable
predictors of how adolescent students (ages 12-15) approach conflict and handle conflict
resolution. Affect, in this study, is composed of positive affect and negative affect, as outlined by
Watson and Tellegen (1988). This study examined regulation through two component factors:
attention and inhibitory control. Three different scales—and their subscales—were used to
measure these factors. Statistical analysis of the data included T-tests, Pearson correlations, and
multiple regressions. Results are discussed in terms of statistical correlations to conflict and
showed affect had strong statistical significance in how adolescents approached conflict, whereas
regulation did not have the same statistical weight. Results were interpreted through the use of
current research in the fields of conflict, affect, and regulation.
Keywords: conflict, conflict resolution, affect, negative affect, positive affect, regulation,
attention, inhibitory control, correlation


title: Aboriginal children's perceptions of their urban living environments

subject:
Indigenous children
Halifax
Micmac Indians

abstract:
Contemporary research in the field of child and youth study continues to examine the experiences of children living within urban environments. This research has
tended to examine challenges to child development present within city living, such as freedom of movement and mobility, use of built space, and safety concerns related to strangers. A recent trend within this research has been the increased inclusion of children's voices and perspectives in discussions related to the planning of urban environments, and of municipal programs and services for children and their families. Lacking within recent study, however, has been the inclusion of the perceptions of urban Aboriginal children related to their lived experiences within Canadian urban centres. Given the historical context in which this population exists, as well as the contemporary context including, a relatively young, growing population, increased urbanization and high birth rates, it is apparent that a consideration of the place and space available to Aboriginal children within cities is of growing concern and significance. The present research, utilizing qualitative inquiry, elicited the views and perspectives of Aboriginal children currently residing within the Halifax Regional Municipality, for the purpose of exploring, discovering, and understanding their perceptions of their outdoor living environments. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven children of various First Nation affiliations, between the ages of 8-12 years. Children were given personal, single-use cameras to document their neighbourhoods and outdoor experiences over the course of one week. Photographs were used during individual interviews as a resource for children to describe their thoughts, feelings, meanings and understandings related to their daily living experiences. Interviews were audio-taped and collected data were transcribed and analyzed using systematic, cross-comparative methods that resulted in the identification of four major organizing categories: Neighbourhood Characteristics;
Neighbourhood Activities; Neighbourhood Safety; and Neighbourhood Mobility. Recommendations are presented for future research, parents and families, child and
youth care providers, governments, and community planners and developers.


title: Social-Emotional Predictors of Teacher Well-Being

subject: emotional experience, educators, classroom

abstract: There is a paucity of research examining teachers’ emotional experiences within the classroom and whether these experiences relate to their health. Using a novel approach to measuring emotion that considered a broad range and frequency of teachers’ positive and negative emotional experiences, the objective of the present study was to examine how teachers’ emotions relate to their perceptions of collegial social support and mental health. Survey data from 60 teachers in an Atlantic Canadian province were collected. Results indicated that teachers’ emotional load was not related to perceptions of social support. Additionally, there was no relation between negative emotional load and mental health, and positive emotional load was not found to moderate this relation. These findings suggest that teachers’ emotional experiences within the classroom context may not be as much of a burden on their mental health as previously anticipated, and that workplace or personal factors outside of the classroom could better linearly predict teachers’ low levels of self-reported mental health. Implications for further research are discussed.


title: Steering the ship: a dramaturgical analysis of political rhetoric contained in media reports regarding the Yarmouth Ferry

subject: Yarmouth ferry, dramaturgy, Nova Scotia, Government

abstract:
Using the lens of Goffman’s theory of dramaturgy and its social framework as the case study lens, this paper explores reports between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2014 in Nova Scotia’s provincial news publication, the Chronicle Herald, about the Yarmouth ferry.

The ferry linking the south coast of Nova Scotia to the United States has been a part of provincial infrastructure since the 1800s. Generations of residents navigated changes in government at all levels and their corresponding focus in order to retain the link, the jobs it produced and the resulting pride it offered its community. However, none of this came without a cost to taxpayers. It is this cost that helped set-up the case for this study.

In 2009 Nova Scotia’s first NDP government made a monumental decision to cancel the subsidy the province had been giving to the Yarmouth ferry service provider resulting in the cancellation of the service. This decision caused a barrage of news reports that are examined in this study using Goffman’s frames of fabrication, misframing, keying, frame disputes and frame breaks.

This application of Goffman to the drama that is the Yarmouth ferry contributes to communication studies research by offering an empirical example of frame analysis. It also brings additional focus to a theorist who is underrepresented in communication-related literature despite his influence on other academics as is apparent in the literature review. Although Goffman is present in communication studies his work is more prevalent in sociological study.

In addition to contributing to communication studies, the analysis of this data helps inform our understanding of political communication; in particular the rhetoric produced by politicians and reproduced by reporters.


title: Pinterest as a Resource for Health Information on Learning Disabilities (LD): A Social Media Content Analysis

subject: Pintrest, social media, learning disability

abstract: In the last decade, there has been a shift towards using online social networks to search for and consume health information. Pinterest, a social media platform that is frequently used by parents and teachers, provides a virtual environment where health information can be communicated and shared among users through images. Learning Disabilities constitutes the largest field of Special Education in North America, yet no study thus far has explored the accuracy of Learning Disabilities-related content on Pinterest. This study examined how information about Learning Disabilities is presented on Pinterest. Results indicated that there is a vast amount of Learning Disability content on Pinterest, although users have to sift through many irrelevant pins when using this platform to search for information about Learning Disabilities. Infographics were, by far, the most used visual communication tool to present Learning Disability content. Furthermore, the findings showed that a large majority of the Learning Disability information on Pinterest in scientifically valid, suggesting that Pinterest is a good source of information for LDs. These findings, along with possibilities for future research, and practical implications for health care providers are discussed.


subject: Housing security, older women, Nova Scotia

abstract:
Dimensions of Housing Insecurity for Older Women Living with a Low Income
Housing is recognized as an important social determinant of health, and the links between secure housing and health are well established. Limited attention in the current housing literature is given to the experiences of insecure housing among older women living with a low income, who, evidence suggests, are especially at risk. A feminist perspective, applied in this study, attributes the marginalized presence of older women in the literature to a pervasive invalidation of aging women within ageist and sexist social contexts. This qualitative study contributes to knowledge about the interrelationships of housing insecurity, health, and wellbeing among older women (age 50+) living with a low income in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). The overarching questions influencing this study were, “What are older low income women’s perceptions of their experiences of insecure housing? How do they understand the relationship between their housing and their health?” The research questions were explored through a cross-sectional study employing semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 11 older women and a thematic analysis of the collected data. The findings from this study point to an array of factors influencing women’s experiences of housing insecurity that are inseparable from the fundamental problem of living in housing they cannot afford. These factors encompass the quality of relationships they experience with those in close proximity to their housing—especially relationships with male partners, landlords and neighbours. Also influencing women’s perceptions of housing insecurity are their emotional responses to the places where they live, which sometimes stand in apparent contrast to perceived levels of housing precarity. A lack of privacy, autonomy, limited housing options, or access to information about housing supports may also help perpetuate housing precarity. Safety and comfort emerge as important concepts in being securely housed, as do the strategies women use to help them feel safe and comfortable within environments that may be perceived as less than secure. Also arising in the discussion of housing and health was the function of neighborhoods as extensions of the home that can support women’s wellbeing through meaningful community attachment. Other insights to emerge in this research described women’s understanding of the ways in which other social determinants of health like income, gender, and childhood experiences may influence their experience of housing precarity. Conversations with women in this study also helped problematize constructs of “resilience” as a means of deflecting attention from systemic barriers in place for older women in accessing secure housing. The findings presented here can help fill current knowledge gaps about the experience of housing precarity among older socioeconomically disadvantaged women. Creating space for women to talk about their experiences has the potential to create greater awareness of the broader social contexts within which housing insecurity occurs. The research also provides deeper insight for health and housing service providers and policy makers into the lived realities, influencing factors, and effects of insecure housing on the health and wellbeing of older women.


title: Coping, Peritraumatic Reactions, Negative Life Events, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: A Prospective Study of Adolescent Girls

subject:
Adjustment (Psychology)
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Dissociative disorders

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of High- and Low- magnitude Negative
Life Events (NLEs) among adolescent girls, and to investigate the role of coping and Peritraumatic
Reactions (PTRs) in relation to PTSD symptoms. Participants (N = 211) completed self report
scales at five intervals over a period of two years (grades 9 through 11). Trait coping was assessed
both at the beginning and end of the 2-year data collection period. At the end of this period,
history of negative life events was assessed; participants then selected the event that they
perceived as the most negative (MN-NLE) during this period and completed questionnaires about
PTRs, coping with the event (state coping), and post-event symptomology (PTSD symptoms). It
was hypothesized that: (1) that the relationship between PTRs, post-event state coping, and PTSD
symptoms would be moderated by whether the event was a High- or a Low-magnitude stressor; (2)
that PTSD symptoms would be related to PTRs and post-event state coping, and that these
relationships would be moderated by pre-event or trait coping styles; (3) that post-NLE state
coping would mediate the relationship between PTRs and PTSD symptoms; and (4) that exposure
to high levels of adversity during the high school years (Adolescent Adversity) would have a
negative effect on trait coping (i.e., decreased use of positive coping and increased use of negative
coping). Findings of the present study offered support for each hypothesis: (1) event magnitude
moderated the relationship between PTRs and PTSD; (2) baseline trait coping (Positive coping;
Externalizing coping) moderated the relationship between PTRs and PTSD; (3) State coping
(Internalizing coping, Externalizing coping, and Distancing coping) mediated the relationship
between PTRs and PTSD; and (4) Adolescent Adversity predicted changes in Trait Externalizing
scoping between baseline at the 2-year follow-up. Results are discussed in terms of PTSD
theoretical and clinical issues.


title: School Climate & School Size: Implications for the Role of the School Psychologist

subject:
Urban schools
Rural schools
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Research

abstract: Grade Seven, Eight and Nine students shared their perspectives on school climate and participation in extracurricular activities using quantitative and qualitative methods. Students attending both large, urban schools (N = 60) and small, rural schools (N = 32) completed the School Climate Inventory and School Participation Inventory. A subset of volunteer students (N = 5) were interviewed via the School Climate Interview Schedule, which more fully explored the survey items. Quantitative results indicated that Grade Eight small school participants had significantly more positive perceptions of school climate than all other participants. Results further indicated that small school respondents participate significantly more in extracurricular activities, specifically athletics, cultural activities and student government activities. Qualitative responses indicated that participants feel supported in school and for the most part, enjoy the manner in which they are taught. Implications include the need for school psychologists to become more visible within the schools that they service and be flexible in their models of service delivery.


title: Perspectives on Parent Participation in School Speech-Language Pathology Services: Need for Collaboration

subject:
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)
Parent involvement
Nova Scotia schools

abstract: This study utilized a questionnaire format to examine the perceptions of parents and Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) on various aspects of parent involvement in school-based speech-language pathology services. Participants were 39 SLPs working in Nova Scotia schools and 100 parents of students who received speech and language intervention during the 2004-05 school year in one Nova Scotia school board. Results found that nearly 40% of parents would like more help from the SLP on how to work with their child at home. The needs of parents of children in grades primary and 1 were significantly higher than those whose children were in higher grades. Although the SLPs looked favorably at providing education and training to parents via a workshop with other parents, the views of parents were significantly different, as most parents indicated they would not choose this option. The majority of parents indicated a preference for attending a therapy session at school with their child or having the opportunity to speak with the therapist on a regular basis. In contrast, both SLPs and parents confirmed that written communication was most frequently used. SLPs noted ongoing challenges in communicating and collaborating with parents and teachers. Slightly higher job satisfaction ratings of SLPs were correlated with increased collaboration with parents and teachers.


title: A cross-cultural assessment of the feeding environment and maternal-child interactions during breastfeeding in the first 6 months

abstract: Human milk is the sole recommended food for infants for the first 6 months of life. Despite this, little is known about whether breastfeeding practices, such as feeding responsiveness, differ across cultures. Responsive feeding practices are based on the cues and responses of a caregiver and infant and are associated with more intuitive eating patterns later in life. However, economic, cultural, and sociodemographic differences between high- and lowand middle-income countries may result in differing responsiveness of caregivers. However, there is a lack of cross-cultural research on responsiveness, particularly among infants under six months.


title: Reporting or Reinforcing Rape Culture? A Discourse Analysis of Media Coverage of the Saint Mary’s Rape Chant

subject: Rape culture, postfeminism, media coverage,

abstract:
In September 2013, students at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia
chanted about the rape of underage girls, an incident that garnered national and
international media coverage. Utilizing feminist poststructuralist discourse analysis, this
study examines a selection of media articles published in the weeks after the rape chant to identify the discursive context and the implications for students on campus. This study
identifies a complex process where the media coverage that attempted to critique rape
culture instead reiterated harmful discourses of youth, gender and sexuality. An
alternative approach that offers a more nuanced analysis of these types of incidents is
encouraged – one that considers the standpoints of the participants in addition to the
context of university life, rape culture and postfeminism.


title: A Case Study Evaluation of a Local Fruit and Vegetable Snack Pilot: Recommendations for Future Program Planning

subject:
Nutrition
Human nutrition
Nova Scotia
Evaluation
School children

abstract:
Purpose: Using a case study process evaluation of the Eating Well, Learning Well: Fruit and Vegetable Snack Pilot’s program planning, strengths of this collaborative effort as well as a vision for future collaboration on fruit and vegetable snack programs, as identified by the stakeholders was used to inform the development of recommendations

for future program planning.

Methods: Guided by appreciative inquiry and clinical inquiry, interview scripts were developed and interviews were held with eight key stakeholders from both government and industry sectors involved in the Fruit and Vegetable Snack Pilot. Categories were identified using open systems theory as a guide and allowed the data to be organized as it related to participants’ perceptions of the Fruit and Vegetable Pilot as well as to their visions for future program planning. Themes and sub-themes were then identified from analysis of the interview transcripts. Results: Stakeholders responses to questions were summarized by sector, category,

theme and/or sub theme, and by each phase of program plannin (inception, planning, implementation, evaluation). The research findings show that there is currently a stable

and supportive environment for local foods programming in schools, and that

stakeholders from both government and industry sectors have a strong desire to

collaborate on local foods initiatives. Although accessibility to local produce is good, delivery of these foods to schools can present challenges. Funding options must be examined if these programs are to remain sustainable.

Conclusions: The Food and Nutrition Policy for Nova Scotia Public Schools allows for

many opportunities for the collaboration between government and industry sectors on local foods programming in schools. The recommendations for future fruit and vegetable program planning will serve to enhance collaboration on, delivery of, and sustainability of these initiatives.


title: Immigrant Parents’ Experiences Engaging with Schools when their Children require Specialized  School Support

subject: Immigration, children, school, school support

abstract: Canadian schools are becoming more diverse due to increasing immigration rates. With the influx of immigrant children in schools, school staff must recognize their experiences and help facilitate a positive transition, especially when they require specialized services. Research has identified barriers related to communication challenges and knowledge-based obstacles for immigrant parents with a child who needs specialized support. This study adopted a case study approach to examine immigrant parents’ experiences engaging with schools when their children require specialized school support. Two case profiles were created based on interview data with mothers in Nova Scotia. The barriers experienced differed greatly depending on the support they received, highlighting inequities across the schools in the province. When barriers exist, parents may have difficulties connecting to school staff. On the contrary, when communication is accessible to immigrant families, school staff can achieve higher levels of parent engagement.


title: Adverse Childhood Experiences: Early Childhood Educators Awareness and Perceived Support

subject: Research Subject Categories::INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS::Children

subject: Adverse Childhood Experiences

subject: Early Childhood Educators

subject: Stress

subject: Nova Scotia

abstract: Introduction: Research suggests that early childhood is a sensitive and influential period in a child’s development. Experiencing stressful experiences during this developmental phase can cause unfavourable outcomes for children and their future development. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are experiences that can impact a child prior to the age of 18. ACEs can provide toxic stress to children and their developing brain, causing a permanent change in brain chemistry. Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) are individuals who work to support the development of children between their most malleable ages of 0 to 5. Although important for future behaviour and development, there is limited research regarding ECEs and their awareness or perceived support related to supporting children who have experiencing, or are experiencing, ACEs. Methods: A Qualitative Description approach was used in order to portray participants experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ECEs working for regulated child care centres through Nova Scotia. Results: Thematic analysis was completed and resulted in useful insight into ECEs awareness and perceived support relating to ACEs. ECEs described their awareness of ACEs, receiving this awareness from parent and educator communication, child behaviours, community location as well as barriers to this awareness such as varying comfort levels of parents and stigma. Educators suggested that creating supportive relationships and environments were important when supporting children who have been through ACEs. Additionally, educators spoke to their community’s ability to support them in supporting ACEs. Educators suggested that factors such as increased training opportunities and professional development would help support children. Significance: This research begins to fill the gap between ACEs and early childhood education. This research also provides insight into future supports needed to support ECEs.


title: Influence of Role Models and Mentors On Female Graduate Students’ Choice of Science as a Career

subject:
Role Models and Mentors
Science as a Career
Female Graduate
Academic and Career Decisions Scale

abstract:
The purpose of the present study was to examine the source, nature, and degree
of influence that role models/mentors have had on female graduate students’ choice of
science as a career. Also explored was the question of whether the influence of role
models/mentors differed between male and female science graduate students in general
and within the biological and physical sciences A related purpose o f this study was to
test the validity and reliability o f the adapted version of the Influence of Others on
Academic and Career Decisions Scale (lOACDS, Nauta & Kokaly, 2001) on a graduate
student population. The results of the factor analysis on the lOACDS adapted version
corroborated Nauta’s finding that role models and mentors are two distinct entities that
influence students in distinctly different ways. Significant gender, area of study, and
undergraduate country differences were found on the adapted version of the lOACDS as
well as for the types of role models/mentors identified.


title: Trying to Help: A Consideration of how Non-Aboriginal Educators Working Among First Nations Populations may be Particularly Susceptible to the Effects of Culture Shock.

subject:
Ethnopsychology
Cross-cultural orientation
Educational anthropology
Aboriginal peoples
First Nations
Attitudes
Culture shock
Psychology
Teachers
Canada
Education
Indigenous peoples

abstract:
A review of a variety of literature related to the topic of culture shock was carried out.

This information, including such things as models, definitions, causes and cures was then

considered in light of literature and personal reflection on teaching in First Nations

communities as a non-Native educator. Evidence is provided to support the notion that

non-Native teachers working among Aboriginal populations may be very susceptible to

the onset of culture shock. Recommendations are made based on this evidence for teacher

educators, teacher sojourners, and First Nations communities.


title: A Critical Assessment of the Development Process for a HACCP  Implementation Manual for a Healthcare Foodservice Operation -  The Dartmouth General Hospital

subject: The Central Regional Health Board (CRHB)

subject: The Capital District Health Authority (CDHA)

subject: Healthcare foodservice operation

abstract: The use of a food safety program in a healthcare foodservice operation is instrumental in safeguarding the health and welfare of patients, their families and staff from foodbome illness. The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system has become the most widely accepted program for controlling food safety. HACCP was designed by the food industry; however implementation of a HACCP program is relatively new to the foodservice industry. Objectives: To assess the HACCP readiness of the six sites comprising the Central Regional Health Board (CRHB), now known as the Capital District Health Authority (CDHA); to assess the food safety knowledge and practice of foodservice employees; to develop a HACCP implementation manual and HACCP education and training materials for the pilot site - Dartmouth General Hospital; to determine the relevance of the change management approach to HACCP implementation. Subjects There were five managers who participated in the study. A total of 78 questionnaires were distributed throughout the CDHA; 35 were completed and returned yielding a 45% response rate. Experimental method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the managers of each foodservice operation, followed by an on-site audit of each facility according to HACCP prerequisite guidelines. A practice and knowledge questionnaire was developed and administered to the foodservice staff of CDHA to determine their current food safety knowledge and practices. Findings & statistical significance: All sites were investigated on a site-by-site basis, and there were inadequacies detected in each area of the HACCP prerequisite programs. If HACCP certification were sought at the point in time when the on-site audit was conducted, no site would have satisfied the requirements. There was no formal sanitation program in place at any facility of the CDHA, nor was there a policy on training and/or retraining of employees in terms of food safety, hygiene and sanitation. There was no significant difference between both average practice and average knowledge scores at each site. Ninety-seven percent of respondents had completed the provincially recognized safe food-handling course. There were HACCP implementation tools developed to help ease the transition into a HACCP compliant establishment. Conclusions & implications: Based on the findings of this study, there needs to be an in- depth review of each site’s prerequisite programs, as they comprise 70% of an effective HACCP program. There also needs to be a sanitation program developed and implemented to protect against areas of contamination that may not be corrected or prevented by a HACCP program. The change management approach involves introducing a substantial change in the working environment of employees; therefore education, training and employee input are essential keys to success and compliance of the program. The more they participate, the more pride they will have in their HACCP program, therefore making the transition easier.


title: Teacher perceptions of children with recurrent headache pain

contributor:
King, Sara
Christine, Chambers

abstract:
Teachers’ understanding of and response to students with recurrent pain may affect
academic and pain related outcomes. This research examines the effect of communication
from a medical professional on teacher perceptions of a student experiencing recurrent
headache pain. Participants were 106 teachers (88 women and 18 men) from elementary,
middle, and high schools in the Halifax Regional School Board and the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board [mean teaching experience = 11.75 years (SD = 8.39);
mean grade level taught = 6.21 (SD = 3.41)]. Participants completed an online survey in
which they were presented with a vignette describing a hypothetical student with
headache pain. Fifty-five teachers were randomly assigned to read a letter from a
hypothetical medical professional detailing the symptoms and effects of recurrent
headache pain, whereas 51 teachers were randomly assigned to a control condition in
which they were provided with basic information about the IWK Health Centre.
Participants rated multiple dimensions of the student’s pain and provided open-ended
responses regarding their current knowledge of pain, as well as areas in which they would
benefit from further training; these responses were analyzed qualitatively using a content
analysis approach. Results indicated that teachers who received the letter perceived a
higher degree of pain severity than those who did not. Teachers who received the letter
were more likely to reduce the student’s workload and alter deadlines for tests and
assignments. Qualitative analyses indicated that teachers require more information and/or
training regarding the nature of recurrent pain in children (i.e., prevalence, symptoms,
medical management), as well as more information with respect to the types of physical
and academic accommodations appropriate for students with recurrent pain. This research
suggests that both education and health care professionals would benefit from more open
communication regarding the management of students with recurrent pain. The school
psychologist is in a unique position to facilitate communication and act as a liaison
between children and families and the various professionals involved in their care. As
such, school psychologists would benefit from training and education in the management
of health-related concerns among students.


title: Shoptalk: What More Can Be Done Within P.E.I.'s Public School System to Promote Females in Non-Traditional Skilled Trades?

contributor:
Dr. Andrew Manning
Dr. Saad Chahine

subject: women in skilled trades, recruitment, P.E.I., female role models, career and technical education, professional development

abstract:
The skilled trades have historically been dominated by men. Jobs in areas such as carpentry, welding, electrical work and plumbing have seen far more male participation than female. This is despite the fact that females have many strengths to lend to the industry. Beyond this, female participation can have positive effects on the economic welfare of families, communities, and provinces in Canada. There will be an increase in need for skilled trades workers in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) and the rest of Canada in coming years. Supporting the argument of encouragement for female youth to pursue skilled trades work, research has demonstrated that there is a high level of satisfaction that females (and males) can derive from working with their hands and producing tangible products. This study centred around the present state of public education in P.E.I. with regards to recruiting and retaining female talent in skilled trades training. This research project utilized surveys to measure the opinions of secondary Career and Technical Education (C.T.E.) teachers and school counsellors to identify initiatives these educators believe might be useful to improve recruitment rates. The resulting responses reflected the strong value participants place on access to female role models for students within the province, through various avenues such as media, course instructors who are female, and female guest speakers. Additionally, there
was a theme of support for tapping in to the potential for peer influence, through facilitated peer shadowing and groups. Many participants in this study expressed a desire for specific professional development to better equip them to meet the needs of female students, and to deepen their understanding of skilled trades (counsellors). Furthermore, there was strong support evident in responses for all-female classes, especially at the introductory level. This research discovered that a stigma remains firmly attached to trades work within the province, and this is evident within the educational system. These recommendations are important considerations in the endeavor to improve female involvement in the trades within the public educational system in P.E.I..


title: Effect of sugars-sweetened commercial beverages on subjectivity appetite and short-term food intake regulation in normal weight and overweight/obese 9 to 14 year old girls

subject:
Obesity - girls
Short term food intake
Beverages

abstract:
The following study was conducted to examine the hypothesis that 1% chocolate milk suppresses
short-term food intake (FI) to a greater extent than other sugars containing beverages, but the
effect will be diminished in overweight and obese (OW/OB) girls. The objective was to
determine the effect of isovolumetric drinks of (350ml) 1% chocolate milk, fruit drink, and cola
60 min before a pizza meal on subjective appetite, and short-term FI compared to a water control
in 9-14 year old normal weight (NW) and OW/OB girls. A decrease in FI after 1% chocolate
milk occurred in NW (n=12) but not OW/OB (n=11) girls. None of the other beverages
suppressed FI in either group. In the pooled sample (n=23) a decrease in FI occurred after cola
and 1% chocolate milk but not fruit drink, which suggests macronutrient composition was the
major determinant on FI suppression. Lower prospective food consumption (PFC) and desire to
eat (DTE) scores in NW girls after 1% chocolate milk, when corrected for the energy content of
the preload, suggests that 1% chocolate milk is a potent regulator of appetite and FI in NW girls.
Subjective appetite, body composition, or cognitive restraint, were not strong determinants of FI.
In conclusion, most sugars containing beverages suppressed FI, but the response was affected by
macronutrient composition, energy content of the beverages, and body weight status.


title: Predictors of Different Types of Decision-Making in Adolescence

abstract:
The present study compared the performance of adults and adolescents on two
types of decision-making tasks (intuitive vs. deliberative), as well as a number of
psychosocial variables, to investigate whether different factors may predict different
types of decision-making. Participants were divided into three groups: young adolescents
(13-15 yrs), older adolescents (16-17 yrs), and adults (19 + yrs). The Iowa Gambling
Task (IGT) measured intuitive based decision-making and a recent decision description
task measured deliberative based decision-making. Results indicated a relationship
between age with both decision-making tasks, as well as emotion regulation. As
hypothesized, deliberative decision-making was predicted by future oriented thinking,
independent of age. Intuitive decision-making ‘under ambiguity’ was predicted by age
and sensation seeking. These results provide evidence of the existence of different types
of decision-making and the idea that different factors predict each type.


title: “Key to the Past”: Community Perceptions of Yup’ik Youth Interaction with Culturally Relevant Education

subject: Culturally relevant education, cultural identity, Yup’ik, Indigenous youth, mental health

abstract:
European colonization has dealt crippling blows to the psyches of Indigenous peoples across the world by devastating and, subsequently, marginalizing their cultures. This cultural trauma contributes to the poor mental health outcomes experienced by many Indigenous peoples today. Because Western education curricula and pedagogy perpetuates Indigenous cultural trauma by legitimizing Western colonial dominance, some researchers have proposed culturally relevant education (CRE) can help ameliorate mental health outcomes in Indigenous communities. I conducted ten interviews with community members (i.e., elders and caregivers) and program planners (e.g., educators and archaeologists) in Quinhagak, Alaska to assess their perceptions of Yup’ik youth outcomes following engagement with a series of unique CRE programs that have grown from the Nunalleq Project (a nearby archaeological excavation). Community members and program planners in Quinhagak attribute numerous social and psychological outcomes to youth engagement in CRE. Specific CRE outcomes included teaching youth practical skills (e.g., skills necessary to survive in the wilderness, as well as skills more relevant to Western culture, such as how to use a digital camera and edit film), teaching youth to value their heritage (e.g., teaching them about the struggles their ancestors overcame), and psychological outcomes (e.g., improving youths’ self-esteem). The results of this study provide A) a framework for researchers to directly systematically assess CRE outcomes in Quinhagak and B) guidance for program planners in the village wishing to implement additional CRE for local youth. Specific recommendations for
planning future CRE programs for youth in Quinhagak are discussed.


title: Mental Time Travel: Is Experience Everything?

subject:
Memory
Episodic memory
Temporal direction

abstract:
According
to
research
on
mental
time
travel,
differences
between
episodic
memory
and
episodic
future
thought
are
due
to
temporal
direction
(i.e.,
past
vs.
future).
Recently,
it
has
been
suggested
that
it
is
familiarity
with
memories
and
associated
details
that
may
affect
such
differences.
Following
the
recombination
methodology
of
Addis,
Pan,
Vu,
Laiser,
and
Schacter
(2009),
participants
(N
=
27)
were
asked
to
recall
episodic
memories,
and
to
imagine
episodic
events
in
the
past,
present,
or
future
using
memory
details
ranked
for
level
of
familiarity
collected
prior
to
the
experiment.
Data
on
both
self-‐report
(e.g.,
vividness,
effortfulness)
and
objective
(e.g.,
level
of
detail,
coherence)
characteristics
of
the
remembered
and
imagined
events
were
collected.
It
was
predicted
that
familiarity
with
memories
and
associated
details,
not
temporal
direction,
would
account
for
the
differences
between
episodic
memory
and
future
thought.
Results
did
not
support
this
hypothesis,
but
demonstrated
that
the
variation
between
episodic
memory
and
episodic
future
thought
is
due
to
the
relationship
between
remembering
and
imagination.
Suggestions
are
made
to
(a)
change
conceptualization
of
episodic
future
thought
such
that
the
focus
is
on
the
process
of
imagining
and
not
on
mental
projection
into
the
future,
and
(b)
replicate
the
current
design
with
a
false
memory
condition
to
validate
and
expand
upon
the
findings.


title: Adolescent Friendships and School Experiences:  Perspectives of African Nova Scotian Youth

subject:
Black Educators Association (BEA)
School Experiences
Black youths’ friendship
African Nova Scotian adolescents

abstract: In research exploring adolescent friendship, relatively little study has focused on Black youths’ friendship patterns or, more specifically, the role that these relationships have in their everyday experiences as students within their respective school environments. Understanding the interpersonal peer attachments of Black youth, as they exist within their daily school lives, provides valuable insight into the role that such relationships may play in, among other areas, the social competencies and academic performance of Black learners. The present exploratory study obtained the perspectives of African Nova Scotian adolescents related to the role that friendships play in their daily school experiences by utilizing qualitative methodology and approaches. Focus groups (one with males, one with females, and one mixed gender) and three individual interviews were held with adolescent Black learners, accessed through the Black Educators Association (BEA), an organization committed to the equitable education of Black learners and a major resource to students, parents, educators, and other members of the community. All interviewed students were enrolled at various area junior high schools (grades 7- 9) within the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. Transcribed interviews (data) from these discussion sessions were systematically analysed employing discovery-based, cross-comparative data analysis commonly associated with grounded theory methodology. Results of the analysis were organized by four major descriptive categories namely. Friendship Formation and Development, Friendship Quality and Function, Friendship Maintenance, and Friendship Enhancement/Support. Findings of the research provided enhanced understanding of the nature and meaning of friendship relationships within the school experiences of adolescent Black learners and provided for recommendations to support the development, maintenance, and enhancement of such critical relational attachments.


title: La contribution d'une entreprise d'économie sociale à l'alimentation de proximité et à la sécurité alimentaire selon les principes du développement durable: Le cas de la RCN sud-est du Nouveau-Brunswick

subject:
natural resources
community mobilization
New Brunswick

abstract:
MÉE Thesis :
Michaud, D : 2010.
(Maîtrise en études de l'environnement, Université de Moncton)


title: Exploring perspectives toward establishing a creative arts therapies association

subject:
Creative arts therapies
Therapists
Therapies

abstract:
Creative arts therapies [CATs] represent a collection of techniques utilizing one or
several elements of creative arts as the main tool within the therapy and are becoming a
popular alternative to traditional therapies and medications for a variety of conditions.
This thesis examines the awareness of creative arts therapies within a community, and the
interest level in the establishment of a practitioner association by gathering data from
practitioners in related fields. Sixteen practitioners in the community of focus completed
an interview or survey. Two sets of questions were designed; one set for participants
specifically engaging in creative arts therapies for their work, and one set for those who
utilize elements of the creative arts in their work without therapeutic intent. Participants
answered between 16 and19 questions about their work-based affiliation to CATs, their
knowledge of creative arts therapies, and their potential interest in an association for
practitioners. Results indicated the majority of participants were unaware of services
available in the community, and were unable to fully define the term creative arts
therapies. All but one participant indicated some level of interest in a practitioner
association, yet most expressed concerns or conditions to accompany their interest.


title: The Link Between Literature and Empathy: Exploring the Capacity for Indigenous-authored Literature to Foster Change

subject: Indigenous Canadians, Indigenous literature, empathy,

abstract:
The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experience of non-Indigenous readers as they engaged individually and collectively with an Indigenous-authored fiction novel. The aim was to investigate an area of reader response theory that has not been excavated in light of the current political, cultural, and social climate in Canada with respect to the relationship between non-Indigenous and Indigenous peoples. The central focus of this qualitative phenomenological inquiry was on the meanings participants ascribed to the experience. The findings identified salient categories of meaning while rendering the complexity of the experience. Participant reading journals, a transcript of the observed book club discussion, and transcripts of individual interviews provided the text for analysis.

According to the research process applied, I conclude the Indigenous-authored novel Indian Horse transported non-Indigenous readers into a narrative experience marked by empathy, reflection, new perspectives, and prosocial behaviour. Engagement in the novel triggered autobiographical memories, and the binding of lived experience to abstractions in the fiction narrative transported readers into the story, creating an experience that was a hybrid of both. Participants then infused the book club discussion with their reading experience and personal life experience. New awareness garnered from the book combined with reflection on personal experience to culminate in moments of reflexivity in the book club discussion. Participants experienced an affective response to the novel characterized by empathic distress, expressed as shame, horror, and sorrow. For some, the book both signalled and mediated change, and the social forum of the book club became the epicenter for cultural work enacted as prosocial behaviour in their daily lives.


title: The Development of Rapport with Children and Families in Hospital Settings

subject:
Child life specialists
Rapport
Hospitals

abstract:
The focus of this research study was to interview child life specialists in order to a) better
understand the meaning of the concept of rapport, b) identify ways in which rapport is
established and maintained, as well as c) determine the purpose and outcomes following the
establishment of rapport between child life specialists and children. Relationships that have
established a level of rapport are described as comfortable, supportive and welcoming (Gurland
& Grolnick, 2008; McCue, 2009). Twelve certified child life specialists participated in the
interview process. Thematic analysis was used to review the qualitative data for basic and
organizing themes which resulted in the development of global themes. The six global themes
identified are 1) academic and childhood experiences, 2) description of rapport, 3) initiation of
rapport, 4) maintenance of rapport, 5) indicators of rapport, and 6) rapport is essential.
Respondents agreed that building rapport is an essential foundation for establishing and
maintaining relationships between child life specialists and children. The study results may be
used by students, clinicians and academicians to initiate the discussion on the concept of rapport
within the child life context. Research in a variety of clinical settings with child life specialists of
varying years of experience is needed in order to better understand the role that rapport has in
child life practice. Additional research methods such as face-to-face interviews or clinical
observations may also provide opportunity to expand the findings of this study.


title: An Exploration of the Factors That Influence The Practice Choices of Family Medicine Residents

subject: Family medicine -- Maritime Provinces

subject: Physicians -- Vocational guidance -- Maritime Provinces.

subject: Residents (Medicine) -- Maritime Provinces -- Attitudes

abstract:
Background and Objective: Comprehensiveness of practice is declining among family
physicians. This study was undertaken to discover what educational factors might influence
family medicine residents to undertake a more comprehensive practice.

Method: A survey was administered to first year residents at the beginning of their residency
asking them: their intentions to include 11 clinical and 4 non-clinical aspects of family medicine
in their future practice; the reasons for these choices and which province, type of community and
type of practice they envisioned for their future. They were also asked to rank the importance of
a series of factors influencing choice of community. A model of career (practice) choice was
developed from the literature, which infomned survey development and interpretation of the
survey results.

Results: The response rate was 80% or 36/45 residents. Many aspects of the proposed career
choice model were supported by the survey results. Influences on practice choice included:
resident attributes (personality, values, background), significant others, educational and life
experiences and aspects of future practice that were viewed as attractors or detractors. A
definition of comprehensive practice was created. Fifteen (47%) of the respondents intended to
undertake comprehensive practice and a further l4 (32%) were undecided (i.e. could still be
considering comprehensive practice). Twenty-seven (75%) intended to practice in the Maritimes
at some time and l2 (33%) were planning a rural practice. Employment for their spouse was the
most important factor in choosing a community for all respondents. The practice aspects were
sorted into two clinical groups: practice core and clinical challenges and a third non—clinical
group. Respondents chose many reasons to include the practice core and clinical challenges. At
the same time residents indicated that the clinical challenges could interfere with their family
lives, be too stressful and they feared not being well trained by the end of residency. Among the
non—clinical aspects of practice, teaching was viewed very positively and administration very
negatively.

Conclusion: Based on the survey results, the proposed career choice model and the literature,
recommendations for changes to family medicine residency programs to encourage graduates to
undertake a more comprehensive practice are suggested.


title: Examining the Relationship Between Metacognition and Anxiety with the Flow Experience

subject: Anxiety, Metacognition, Flow experience, Quantitative research

abstract:
Flow is described as a state that occurs when an individual is fully engaged in an activity or task,
where that person experiences intrinsic motivation to complete the activity because it is perceived
as being rewarding in and of itself. The present study sought to examine how anxiety might be
related to the flow experience, and if metacognition might moderate this relationship. Forty
individuals were asked to play two games of Tetris: the first game was designed to create a
mismatch between skills and task demands to increase feelings of anxiety in some participants,
and the second game was designed to create a match between skills and task demands to help
induce flow. Using this experimental paradigm, the present study was able to provide support for
previous correlational research regarding the relationship between anxiety and the flow
experience. However, no support was found for the role of metacognitive ability in moderating the
relationship between either anxiety and experiences of flow, or anxiety and game performance.
Implications and directions for future research are discussed.


title: Mapping the social relations of violence and homelessness in the everyday lives of women: An institutional ethnography

subject:
Intimate partner violence
Homelessness -- women

abstract:
Intimate partner violence against women is still a common occurrence and it leads
to women being vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. This study mapped the social
relations organizing women’s everyday experiences with homelessness after leaving an
abusive relationship.
Institutional ethnography directed this research. Data collection consisted of three
components. The first component was five face-to-face unstructured, interactive
interviews with women who left an abusive relationship and experienced homelessness.
The second component was 13 face-to-face semi-structured interviews with service
providers from organizations the women indicated they utilized. This component
explicated how the service providers organized the women’s everyday experiences with
securing housing. The third and final component was a textual analysis of the policies
and programs from the organizations identified by the women.
Results identified the ruling relations that coordinated the women’s homelessness.
The interviews indicated that money was the main organizing factor in coordinating their
homelessness. The other coordinating factor was limited amounts of affordable, adequate
housing. Findings suggest many organizations are coordinating the homelessness
experienced by women leaving abusive relationships. Lines of fault were discovered
between the women’s everyday experiences and the organizations and service providers
in place to address homelessness. These lines of faults are maintained through ruling
relations which prevent women from participating in the development of policies and
programs they will be utilizing.The consequences of homelessness have serious implications for both women and
society. Changes that are implemented must focus on long-term change and be inclusive
of the individuals experiencing homelessness. Recommendations from this study are
directed at government, service providers, and society in general. The results will inform
policy and program changes within government and non-government organizations that
support women leaving abusive relationships.


title: Eating Habits of Nova Scotia Preschoolers Registered Full-Time in Regulated Child Care

subject:
Nova Scotia
Child care centres
Children
Nutrition

abstract: The development of healthy eating habits established in early childhood is crucial for growth, development, and health outcomes, both short- and long-term. The connection of lower quality diets high in sugar, sodium, and fats to negative health outcomes of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers is well-established.  National survey results and recent studies indicate that Canadian children may not be meeting the current Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide (CFG) recommendations.  Further to this, data indicate that diets of most Canadian children are high in sugar and sodium.  To support the development of healthy eating behaviours in early childhood, the Standards for Food and Nutrition in Regulated Child Care Settings were implemented in Nova Scotia in 2011. This thesis is embedded in the larger Nutrition Standards in Child Care Project (NSCCP), which explored the impact of these Standards on preschooler eating habits in the child care and home.  This study examined preschooler diets to determine if Nova Scotia children registered full time in licensed child care centres meet CFG recommendations, and to compare home and child care environments.  Four-day food records of 79 children ages 3 to 5 years old were examined for quantity and quality using The Classification of Foods in the Canadian Nutrient File According to Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide (CNF/CFG).  Results indicate that many preschoolers are not meeting CFG recommendations for quantity and quality for the four main food groups and their directional statements.  Overall, 55.7%, 82.3%, 65.8%, and 74.7% of children met recommendations for vegetables and fruits, grains, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives, respectively.  Findings also identified that substantially fewer 4 and 5 year old preschoolers met recommendations for the vegetables and fruits group (30.3%) compared to the 3 year old preschoolers (60.9%), and fewer 4 and 5 year olds met grain recommendations on days at home (48.4%) compared to days including child care (83.3%).  Additionally, vegetable and fruit intakes, as well as grain intakes are mostly in line with CFG guidance for quality; however, milk and alternatives intakes and meat and alternatives intakes are lower in quality.  Children also consumed higher mean intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages and “other” foods on days at home (p<0.001).  This study shows that food and beverage standards in the regulated child care environment do impact preschooler diets compared to CFG recommendations; however, many children in Nova Scotia are not meeting CFG recommendations for quantity and quality.


title: Evaluation of a Demystification Workshop for Adolescents with ADHD

subject: Nova Scotia

subject: Education (Middle school)

subject: Treatment

subject: Attitudes

subject: Education

subject: Evaluation

subject: Behavior modification

subject: Attention-deficit/hyper-activity disorder

subject: Study and teaching

subject: Attention-deficit disorder

subject: Children

abstract:
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a
demystification workshop for adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD). The goal of the workshop was to increase adolescents’ knowledge of ADHD
and enhance opinions of evidence-based treatments. Twenty-five grade seven to nine
students participated in the study. Main findings showed that adolescents’ knowledge of
treatments for ADHD significantly increased and their opinions of pharmacological
treatments were more favorable immediately following the workshop. Follow-up
analyses revealed that gains in knowledge were maintained over a period of one to two
weeks, while changes in opinions were not. Following the workshop, adolescents were
able to identify (1) more environments wherein ADHD made it difficult for them to stay
out of trouble, (2) a greater number of adults in their lives who are able to help them with
their ADHD, and (3) more ways they can help themselves manage their ADHD
symptoms. These findings were still evident at follow-up. Overall, most participants rated
the workshop as a positive learning experience. The demystification workshop was an
effective means of sharing information about ADHD with adolescents; however, more
research is needed to determine how to maximize the amount of information acquired by participants and maintain gains over time.


title: Paradigm Lost (and Found): A historiographical review of the application of systems theory to public relations since 1975.

subject: System theory, public relations,

abstract:
This study is a critical assessment of the application of systems theory to the study
of public relations between 1975-2016. I devise and follow a grounded theory method to
deconstruct a representative sample of academic literature, which in turn allows for
thematic analysis of the texts. From this I develop a historical-critical periodization
framework demonstrating how the early application of general systems theory has now
evolved into a rich array of theoretical approaches that consider public relations as a
social phenomenon. I document how researchers have assessed public relations from
many vantage points, in particular the organization, organization-public relationships, and
more recently a system-wide view, and conclude that the role of the individual has been
undertheorized. Accordingly, I undertake a preliminary analysis of the individual as a
system actor, arguing that the ability to reflect on the perspectives of other system actors
is essential to effective systems thinking. The degree to which individuals actively
demonstrate systems thinking will in turn determine the degree to which the practice of
public relations can help balance an organization’s pursuit of its strategic interests with
its responsibility to consider interdependencies with other system actors. Finally, I
present an updated conceptual model of the public relations system as a heuristic
intended to reinforce these points.


title: Not All Positive: A Feminist Phenomenological Analysis of Women’s Experiences of Botox Treatment and Other Injectable Facial Fillers

subject:
Non-cosmetic procedures
Aging
Facial rejuvenation -- Risk factors

abstract: Non-cosmetic procedures to the face (e.g., Botox and other injectable fillers) have been widely popularized in the media for how they reduce facial signs of aging, yet significantly misunderstood with respect to their impact on women, particularly those who have negative experiences. To fill this research gap, seven women who had negative or mixed emotions about having had Botox or other facial injectables were interviewed. The women were from Canada and the United States, and ranged in ages from 38 to 62 years old. Data was analysed using feminist moral theory and a hermeneutic phenomenological method, focusing on corporeal modes of being, as well as temporal and relational modes. Four women had serious physical and psychological side effects (e.g., heightened sensitivity to noise, anxiety, problems sleeping, and depression) (The Fractured Body), and others had impacts ranging from minor and unwanted physical skin changes to fear of potential, future side effects (e.g., fear of potential addiction) (The Reflective Body). Participants acknowledged influences of sexism and ageism and recognized the impact of patriarchal and capitalistic ideologies (The Commodified Body). Questionable ethical practices were evident in the medical profession, plastic surgery industry, and pharmaceutical industry (The Abandoned Body). Results also explore their transformations in terms of their relationships to their bodies and themselves (e.g., guilt over having had the procedure done yet a more positive outlook on aging), to others, to society (e.g., trust in the medical profession), and to the future (The Transformed Body). Although most people seem to not have negative side effects, there needs to be more room for these women’s voices, as well as a responsive and supportive medical industrial complex, rather than one that silences them.


title: Saudi Students’ Experiences of Learning English in English as a Foreign and Second Language Settings

subject:
Saudi students
EFL and ESL
attitude
motivation
performance
experiences

abstract: This study aims to shed light on the reasons that influence Saudi students’ learning experiences, self-esteem, and attitudes in English language education in the EFL context as linked to their language proficiency. However, Saudi students’ experiences differed in the ESL context, as the study’s findings revealed. This study was conducted to understand the students’ perspectives about their different language learning experiences in ESL and EFL settings. The participants in this study were ten students who had learned English in both EFL and ESL classrooms, which gave the study a clear understanding of the English language learning circumstances in both environments. A qualitative approach was used in this study to enable the researcher to discover the participants’ English language learning experiences and to assist the researcher to learn extensively about those experiences. Moreover, the data analysis revealed that the students’ experiences were influenced by certain factors in the EFL context. The data findings showed that the Saudi students’ experiences in EFL differed from those in ESL in terms of their self-esteem, attitude. The students reported that each learning context contributed to their learning in a different manner. EFL contributed to their basic English to some extent, regardless of its accompanying negative factors; however, ESL contributed more effectively to their language acquisition, with positive factors that they found more relevant to their success in the language.


title: Breastfeeding Mothers’ Experiences with Infant Feeding: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

subject:
Breastfeeding
Infants
Nova Scotia
Child care centres
Responsive feeding

abstract:
Introduction: Responsive feeding is a reciprocal relationship between infant and caregiver
whereby the baby’s feelings of hunger and satiety are recognized and responded to effectively. Responsive feeding and breastfeeding are accepted as ideal feeding methods by the NS Standards for Food and Nutrition in Regulated Child Care Settings and the World Health Organization. With an increasing reliance on child care, early child care centres may have an impact on infant feeding outcomes. The objective was to learn about the infant feeding experiences of mothers with infants in child care centres.
Methods: This was a qualitative research study using an interpretive phenomenological
approach. Purposive sampling was used to recruit six mothers of children between the ages of six and 18 months attending a child care centre in Halifax. The mothers all attempted breastfeeding and their child was already introduced to complementary foods. Data was collected through semi-structured interactive interviews.
Results: Thematic analysis was used to analyze data with the support of MAXQDA. Five themes emerged from the mothers’ stories: infant feeding burden, weaning stress around the “first-year”, resources and recommendations, children’s agency, and child care centre partnership.
Conclusion: The areas needing further research and exploration are identified as well as
recommendations for current practice.


title: How Canadian Adult Education Professors Perceive Neuroscience Research in Relation to Educational Practices

subject:
Adult Education
Neuroscience

abstract:
Numerous studies and recent publications have focused on the understandings of brain function
as it relates to teaching and learning within the area of adult education. The purpose of this
research study was to understand how adult education professors from post-secondary
universities across Canada perceive neuroscience research related to educational practices. This
research study utilized the internet as a tool to conduct qualitative e-mail interviews with 22
Canadian adult education professors. The interview consisted of 9 structured open-ended survey
questions and 1 follow-up question. The results of this study gave insight into how aware adult
education professors in Canada are of neuroscience research and education. The results of this
study also report on whether adult education professors in Canada are currently enhancing their
educational practices with neuroscience research evidence, whether they believed neuroscience
research could enhance educational practices, and if given the opportunity to talk with a
neuroscientist what their topic of interest would be. It is my hope that this research exploration
will contribute to the dialogue between neuroscientists and educators and be beneficial to their
merging community.


title: An exploration of discursive framings of body weight

abstract: Body weight can be a hot topic not only in today’s society, but also particularly in healthcare related fields of study. This is especially true with movements that call into question, resist, critique, and problematize popular historic science on body weight emerging and gaining popularity among healthcare practitioners, such as Health At Every Size®. Organizations like Obesity Canada have large platforms that include student-led Chapters that are typically affiliated with health professional programs within universities that are also discussing body weight within their contexts. The move to medicalize body weight and redefine obesity as a chronic disease differs greatly when compared to movements like Health At Every Size®, and the work of fat studies scholars and activists. Both can be seen as such differing viewpoints which can create turmoil in this area of research, while it is unclear which method is “right.” This research paper will explore discourse as a method to analyze two paradigms of thought that are contributing to the “turmoil” in weight related research. This paper unfolds in three main sections. First, medicalization will be discussed, and explored in regard to body weight. Second, discourse analysis will be explored as a method. The methods will be detailed in this Part 2 for a discourse analysis that will be conducted in Part 3 of this paper. Third, I will present results of my discourse analysis that was used for text-based qualitative research (in the context of a directed study) on two websites that each represent diverging ideological views of body weight; Obesity Canada and the Association for Size Diversity and Health. In this paper, I aim to provide insights into the competing discourses that exist on body weight in research, healthcare, and society.


title: Nursing Home Physical Design and Homelikeness: How Does It Impact Quality of Life for Long-Term Care Residents in Nova Scotia?

subject: Nursing Home Physical Design, Homelikeness, Quality of Life,  Long-Term Care Residents in Nova Scotia

abstract:
Understandings of quality of life in nursing homes often include the importance of
homelikeness but not necessarily from the resident’s perspective. This research explored
nursing home physical design and its role in residents’ perceptions of homelikeness and
quality of life. It involved a secondary analysis of data collected as part of the Care and
Construction study, including 15 in-depth interviews with residents from three nursing
homes in Nova Scotia. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory techniques
(Corbin & Strauss, 2008). Ecological theories were utilized as a conceptual framework
for understanding nursing home residents’ relationships with, and perceptions of, the
physical environment.

Three overarching themes emerged from resident interviews: (a) renegotiating
relationships, (b) having autonomy and choice and (c) experiencing homelikeness, and
these themes were woven together by the common thread of continuity. Continuity
represented various aspects of how residents talked about the home and its homelike (or
unhomelike) characteristics: the importance of continuity of care; facilitating a
continuation of residents' hobbies, preferences, and lifestyle from before they were living
in the home; and the ability to maintain existing relationships and develop new
meaningful relationships. The theme addressing autonomy and choice suggests the
importance of a nursing home that is person-centered in its design and practices, while
the theme addressing homelikeness and relationships highlights dimensions of
homelikeness and their relationship to physical design features and the social
environment. Physical design contributed to residents’ perceptions of homelikeness in
conjunction with other factors, but it does not appear to be in itself what determines what residents perceive as homelike. It was more the physical environment in general those
residents referred to which suggests that the physical design of the nursing home does not
necessarily limit the likelihood of a home being perceived as homelike. It seems more
likely that the physical design sets the stage for other characteristics to be present, which
appear to be more of what residents have identified as homelike to them. Physical design
lays the groundwork both literally and figuratively for certain policies, practices,
relationships, and choices to be carried out and appears to play both direct and indirect
roles in residents’ perceptions of homelikeness.

Homelikeness from the resident perspective shares many qualities with the
International Resident Assessment Instrument’s (interRAI) quality of life domains
(Kehyayan et al., 2016), suggesting that homelikeness may be an important aspect of
quality of life for residents. Nursing home residents’ voices should be honoured in order
to capture the complexity of notions such as homelikeness and inform more personcentered long-term care policy and planning, including design guidelines.


title: "I'm a Princess": The Gendered Marketing of Children's Clothing

subject: Gender, gender marketing, The Children’s Place,

abstract: The focus of this research was to examine the messages conveyed about gender through children’s clothing. Content analysis was used to analyze graphic t-shirts from a popular children’s clothing store, “The Children’s Place.” The graphic t-shirts available on the stores website were analyzed in terms of colours, decorations, images, text and other points of interest. Data was taken from the girl, baby girl, and boy sections within the graphic t-shirt section of the website. The data was analyzed for similarities and differences that were present within each gendered category, and whether they were congruent or noncurrent with traditional gender stereotypes. The themes that emerged from the data collection were discussed in regards to the messages the clothing sends to children about their gender identity. Another aspect of this research was to study how clothing stores market gender through the clothing, as well as through the set-up of their stores in gendered ways. The physical space of “The Children’s Place” was examined on one subsequent visit to document how the store’s space sets up a divide between the genders making it virtually impossible for adults and children to make non-gendered purchases. The theoretical framework of discourse analysis was used to discuss the pressures adults face to make appropriate clothing choices for their children, as well as the pressures children face to wear gender appropriate clothing.