title: The Discursive Construction of ISIS Identity: A Critical Discourse Analytic Study of ISIS Textbooks

subject: ISIS, terrorism, media discourse

abstract:
Over the last few years, ISIS terrorism has been the subject of a growing interdisciplinary
scholarship, one that was disproportionately focused on the group‘s media discourse covering topics such as ISIS propaganda, its recruitment and communication strategies, the group’s use of digital technologies and social media, among others. However, unlike its media discourse, ISIS textbook discourse received scant research attention. The present study seeks to address this gap by shifting the analytic focus to the group’s curricular materials. The purpose was to explore the ‘pedagogic’ dimension of ISIS terrorism through the study of ISIS textbooks using an identitybased critical discourse analytic framework. To this end, five ISIS textbooks were analyzed. Analysis was conducted at two levels: the narrative level and the discursive level. Findings highlighted three main identity models embedded in ISIS textbook discourse: the collective identity model, the religious identity model, and the jihadi identity model. Drawing on the interpretative framework of social identity theory, these models were found to be at the core of a divisive social categorization process used the by the terrorist group to create an antagonistic and dichotomous worldview, one in which the Other is demonized and vilified. ISIS terrorism, this study concluded, is identity-based and draws on the canonical power of a highly religious curricular discourse to indoctrinate young learners and to manufacture future jihadist.


title: Kindergarten Teachers’ Knowledge of Incoming Students’ Readiness in Mathematics

subject: Kindergarten mathematics

subject: Mathematics readiness

subject: Early Elementary Literacy

abstract:
This study contributes to the specific area of mathematics readiness in Kindergarten. The
purpose of surveying teachers was to determine how individual teachers currently assess their students’
literacy readiness and mathematics readiness and whether there is, indeed, a gap in resources available
to support mathematics readiness. Data on early elementary readiness was collected with an online
survey. For statistical analysis purposes, information was collected on literacy and mathematics
readiness; data was analysed with mathematics readiness as the focus. To secure a large sample,
teachers in a variety of teaching positions completed the survey, and Kindergarten teachers (along with
participants who indicated that they have previously taught Kindergarten) were isolated for analysis
purposes. Results indicated that teachers, and particularly Kindergarten teachers, perceive prior
knowledge as the most important indicator for school success; however, no Kindergarten teacher
reported the use of any standardized mathematics assessment, and many reported that they do not use
informal methods for collecting this information. Results also indicate that Kindergarten teachers have
unique challenges in instruction and assessment methods; many Kindergarten teachers prefer working
with students in centres or small groups for instruction, and assessment should follow this practice.
Implications from the results of this study indicate that Kindergarten teachers would benefit from a
creative and specifically tailored Kindergarten mathematics readiness assessment tool. This study
provides important insight into the type of mathematics readiness assessment tool that would provide
teachers with the necessary information to help them plan more effectively, improving and informing
their instructional practices. Based on results from this study, such a mathematics readiness
assessment tool should be task-based, versatile enough to be adapted to centres, and manageable for
implementation at any point in the school year. Teachers require more support to assess mathematics
readiness, and guidance to inform instructional planning. In addition to the specific research are of early
elementary mathematics readiness, results from this study may also be of interest to researchers in the
areas of mathematics curricula design and implementation, and the areas of Kindergarten school
readiness, and early elementary literacy.


title: An Ecological Examination of Housing Situations and Preferences of Atlantic Canadian Senior Aboriginals, Individuals with Disabilities, and Persons of Ethnic Minority Status

subject:
Older People with Disabilities
Atlantic Provinces
Housing
Minorities
Elderly Aboriginals

abstract:
There are a growing number of seniors in the general population, and a portion of those
older adults are considered vulnerable. This research specifically examines housing issues of
Atlantic Canadian Aboriginal Elders, seniors with a disability and older individuals of ethnic
minority status whose needs differ from that of the Canadian senior population. Secondary data
provided a sample of 1,702 seniors randomly selected from the Atlantic Canadian population
who completed a survey and 123 focus group participants considered to be vulnerable. Using a
mixed methods approach, an ecological perspective was applied to the data to determine the
characteristics, situations, and preferences of vulnerable older adults in Atlantic Canada, and the
linkages between housing choices and environment.
Qualitative results of the study indicated that many vulnerable seniors felt disrespected by
society, and were fearful with regards to the future. Current homes were inappropriate and many
vulnerable seniors desired an affordable, spacious, accessible, and energy-efficient home, in an
attractive environment, and close to services. Support of family, friends and neighbours, and
having adequate finances were found key to allowing seniors to age in place. Furthermore, the
availability of services can positively or negatively affect the ability of vulnerable senior to
remain independent and age in place. Quantitative data showed that the majority of vulnerable
seniors investigated have an affordability problem since they require repairs to their home, and
spend 30% or more of their income on housing costs. It was further discovered that a significant
portion of Aboriginal Elders and persons with a disability spend 40% or more on housing costs.
Seniors’ Housing iii
While some findings were consistent with that of previous research, two unique findings
for these susceptible groups were forced relocation and the effect of events in the exosystem
such as: government regulated policies, programs, grants and fixed incomes; community
organizations and services; advocacy for seniors; and safety in the community. Research findings
and subsequent recommendations can be used to develop appropriate, suitable and affordable
housing in future years.


title: Code-Mixing in the Bilingual Preschool Child: Understanding the Communicative Purpose

format: Full-text application/pdf

subject:
code-mixing
preschool
bilingual
bilingualism
languages
child development

abstract: This study aimed to identify the social functions and purposes to the commonly misunderstood act of code-mixing among bilingual preschool aged children, and to support its acceptance as a valid stage towards becoming bilingual. Current research in the field of bilingual language acquisition and development supports that preschool aged children are not only able to learn two languages simultaneously, but are further capable of differentiating and manipulating both languages given the social and communicative context (Genesee, 2008; Nicoladis & Genesee, 2007; Paradis & Nicoladis, 2007). Other research has demonstrated that code-mixing follows a specific syntactic pattern of production among emerging bilinguals (Woolford, 1983); however, there is limited evidence towards determining the purpose of the act, specifically from a Canadian English-French bilingual context. Bilingual language proficiency for the preschool students in this study were established through a Family Language Use Survey, a Classroom Language Use Survey, as well as a Bilingual Questionnaire designed to measure both expressive and receptive language skills in both languages for 12 English-French bilingual preschool students (aged 3-5). Interactions between participants were recorded and analyzed to first identify 186 incidences of code-mixing, which were then transcribed and coded based on communicative purpose (Brown, 2007), function of language use (Halliday, 1973; as cited by Brown, 2007), as well as for parts of speech (Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman, 2015), in determining the functional and social purpose in language choice. This study hoped to demonstrate not only that bilingual preschool aged children’s use of code-mixing serves as a stepping stone towards becoming bilingual, but that it further holds a real communicative and social purpose as well.


title: Development of a Workshop for Pre-Service Elementary Teachers: Cognitive Processes in Early Reading Development

subject:
Reading development
Reading instruction
Pre-service teachers

abstract: Phonological, morphological, and orthographic awareness are cognitive processes that have been identified as strong predictors of successful reading development. Research has shown that instruction that explicitly teaches phonological, morphological, and orthographic awareness is most effective. Research has suggested that in order to provide effective reading instruction, teachers must not only be able to read well, but they must also have an explicit understanding of the cognitive processes that play a role in reading acquisition. Research has also indicated that pre-service teachers’ lack explicit knowledge of phonological, morphological, and orthographic awareness and how to provide the instruction to facilitate their development. The focus of this thesis was the development of a workshop to provide pre-service elementary teachers with information about reading instruction that is grounded in research. The workshop highlights the implicit knowledge that pre-service teachers likely have about phonological, morphological, and orthographic awareness and expands their explicit knowledge in those areas


title: Barriers and Enablers Affecting Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates Among Mothers in Nova Scotia

creator:
Millar, Alyssa
MacEachern, Emily
Manning, Caylene

subject: Breastfeeding, motherhood, Nova Scotia

abstract:
The World Health Organization currently recommends that mothers breastfeed their infants exclusively for the first six months, and to continue to breastfeed for up to two years [1]. These recommendations have been accepted by Public Health Canada, the Canadian Paediatric Society, the Breastfeeding Committee of Canada, and the Dietitians of Canada [1]. However, the current national rates in Canada established by the Canadian Community Health Survey do not reflect these recommendations [2]. In Nova Scotia, there are two databases that collect information on breastfeeding rates; although, due to the sampling profiles used, these rates are not representative of the population [3].
	It is widely portrayed in research that exclusive breastfeeding positively impacts both maternal and infant health [4]. Various initiatives have been created to encourage exclusive breastfeeding practices and provide support for mothers; however, the effectiveness of these initiatives is unknown due to the unavailability of current data [3].
	Despite the many benefits provided by breastfeeding, a number of intrinsic and external barriers act to prevent mothers from breastfeeding [5]. These barriers negatively impact the current rates of breastfeeding in Nova Scotia and need to be addressed via breastfeeding policies and initiatives to improve the current rates. The purpose of this project is to establish current rates on breastfeeding in Nova Scotia and identify barriers and enablers which affect these rates.


title: Literary self-awareness for lifelong reading in young adults

subject:
Books and reading
Middle school students
Reading (Middle school)
Kanata, Ontario

abstract:
A reading interest survey focusing on habits, interests and opinions

was administered to 225 children in grades four to eight. All children were

students at an affluent elementary school in Kanata, Ontario, a suburb of

Ottawa. This study differs from similar work in the field in that its subjects

are Canadian children and the emphasis of the survey is on students' personal opinions, expressed in an open-ended questioning format rather

than closed or scaled questions. Students were asked several open-ended

questions regarding their opinions about books they read for pleasure in

order to evaluate their literary self-awareness.

It was found that many students were able to express their ideas

about books effectively. In doing so, students expressed that the books they

disliked most were required reading for school. These findings indicate a

need for teachers to investigate their students' opinions in order to provide

more compelling reading materials in their classrooms and promote lifelong

reading. It was also found that, though a majority of students surveyed

considered themselves to be readers, many of the self-identified nonreaders

were not as reluctant as they first appeared. Most nonreaders were not

adverse to the idea of reading for pleasure, but expressed an inability to find

what they considered "good" books. This indicates an important opportunity

for the educational community to help these students build positive reading

experiences by showing them how to find consistently good reading material.


title: Exploring Handwriting Use, Handwriting Instruction, and Handwriting Quality of First-Year University Students

subject: Handwriting use, handwriting quality, handwriting instruction, teacher education, school psychology

abstract: Handwriting is perceived by some individuals to be a “dying art” (Sharp & Titus, 2016), despite its cognitive and academic benefits over typing (e.g., Mueller & Openheimer, 2014). Twenty-nine students completed paper and pencil tasks where they were asked to form upper- and lower-case print and cursive letters, copy sentences using their typical handwriting, only print, and only cursive, and questionnaires about their handwriting and typing use and their handwriting instruction. Results indicated that students used handwriting more frequently than typing for academic tasks overall and for most categories of specific academic tasks, and they reported using handwriting or a variety of tasks at work and at home. As well, results indicated that students are less legible when forming cursive letters compared to print letters, and less fluent with cursive handwriting compared to print and a mix of the two styles. Finally, students reported receiving a high number of components of evidence-based handwriting instruction but reported a perception that their handwriting was inadequate. These findings, along with possibilities for future research, and practical implications for teachers, educational policy makers, teacher education programs, and school psychologists are discussed.


title: It's all a matter of "retrospective": Links between parenting and developmental outcomes

subject:
Teenagers
Motivation in education
Parenting

abstract:
This study examined the relationships between parenting and adolescent social support and
academic motivation. Among other hypotheses, it was hypothesized that adolescentsâ   learning
strategies and academic motivation would be predicted by their perceived parentsâ   parenting
style and social support. Specifically, via a retrospective approach, it was predicted that
authoritarian or neglectful parenting styles would predict low perceived social support and
academic motivation. In addition, authoritative parenting styles would predict higher levels of
perceived social support and academic motivation. A sample of 73 first and second year
university students completed three questionnaires (Parental Authority Questionnaire, The Child
and Adolescent Social Support Scale, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire). Results
revealed multiple statistically significant correlations and multiple regressions. Authoritarian
parenting styles of mothers espouse less academic motivation in their children. Adolescents with
authoritative mothers and fathers are more likely to have higher learning strategies, and will seek
social support from family and other adults. Additional hypotheses were analyzed and
discussed. Results are elaborated on in terms of the links between various parenting styles and
specific developmental outcomes and applications to Child and Youth Study are discussed.


title: Booze and CHAT: The Value of using Cultural Historical Activity Theory to Contextualize Alcohol Drinking throughout the Lifespan

subject:
Alcohol
Cultural historical activity theory
Drinking
Society

abstract: The activity of alcohol drinking is omnipresent in society. The tools of alcohol use surround us on a daily basis, impacting our lives and our culture. Few have not been touched by the power of alcohol. Yet, the way in which alcohol drinking develops as a learned behavior through the lifespan is still not properly understood and the current means of contextualizing alcohol drinking through the lifespan are lacking. This thesis argues that cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) is superior to individually biased philosophies (IBP) and socially biased philosophies (SBP) in examining the multitude of vectors that converge to create alcohol drinking activity throughout the lifespan. Through the analysis of three distinct alcohol drinking activity case studies, it is demonstrated that IBP and SBP lack the depth and breadth to bring a detailed understanding of what is happening. Then through the analysis of the same three distinct alcohol drinking activity case studies it is demonstrated that CHAT is the greater means of analysis.


title: Teacher attitudes toward inclusion practices

format: Full-text Full-text application/pdf

subject:
Inclusive classrooms
Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial

abstract:
Students
in
Nova
Scotia
are
taught
in
inclusive
classrooms,
meaning
that
students
with
special
needs
learn
alongside
their
typically
developing
peers.
The
purpose
of
this
study
was
to
identify
the
attitudes
of
teachers
in
Nova
Scotia’s
French--language
school
board,
the
Conseil
scolaire
acadien
provincial
(CSAP),
toward
inclusion
practices
and
to
examine
the
factors
that
influence
these
attitudes.
CSAP
teachers
were
invited
to
respond
to
an
online
questionnaire
to
share
their
views
on
inclusion.
Findings
revealed
a
combination
of
positive
and
negative
attitudes
toward
inclusion.
Teachers’
attitudes
were
found
to
be
related
to
their
beliefs
regarding
school
factors,
including
support
from
administration
and
access
to
adequate
professional
development.
Furthermore,
teachers’
attitudes
were
found
to
be
more
positive
when
teachers
had
greater
knowledge
and
training.
Positive
attitudes
toward
inclusion
were
more
common
among
teachers
in
elementary
and
P--12
schools
than
teachers
in
high
schools.


title: Making Sense of Computer-Mediated Communication in Online Learning

subject:
Web-based instruction
Distance education
Public relations
Telematics

abstract:
The objective of this thesis is to understand how students make sense of online learning. I set out to explore questions like: Do students make sense of online courses as meaningful? What factors influence students‟ sensemaking of online education? A review of the literature revealed that many people avoid online learning because they believe they will perform poorly in this environment. It also found that students who took an online course were often satisfied with their experience despite their initial resistance to this form of learning. What is interesting is that there is very little research about the process students go through to achieve this new acceptance. My own experience as a student was consistent with what I found in the literature which prompted me to explore this topic.
To try and understand more about the process leading to acceptance, PR graduate students from Mount Saint Vincent University were interviewed about their experiences with online learning. This qualitative approach allowed students to reflect on their own journey and provided rich interviews for analysis. Weick‟s (1995) sensemaking provided a theoretical framework which allowed me to analyse the process students underwent to accept online learning as meaningful and effective. Throughout the students‟ journey the seven psychosocial sensemaking properties (Weick, 1995, 2005) were evident, some more prominent than others. Participants clearly articulated their sensemaking process as rooted in identity construction. This property was evident in student interviews about their own presence as students, their identities as students as defined through relationships with classmates, and the ways in which they attributed identity to their professors. In discussing their initial resistance to online learning, participants also demonstrated properties of retrospection, plausibility, and the extraction of cues from their environments. As well, in discussion of their overall experiences with online learning participants highlighted the social and ongoing nature of sensemaking.
At the end of their journey to make sense of online learning, students believed that online learning was as effective as traditional face-to-face learning. Expanding our understanding of this sensemaking process as educators and communicators may allow us to support students in their journey to make sense of online learning more effectively.


title: The Filipina Bordadoras and the Emergence of Fine European-style Embroidery Tradition in Colonial Philippines, 19th to early-20th Centuries

subject: Embroidered textiles, Philippines, historical art

abstract: This thesis examines three anonymous embroidered textiles from the Philippines, created in the nineteenth century and collected by museums in Great Britain and Spain. These textiles, pañuelos (shawl) and handkerchief, are made of piña and intricately embroidered by young women in beaterios (convent schools) and asilos (orphanages) run by the Catholic Church. I argue that the study of these objects reveals three important new ways to discuss textile production in the Philippines through art historical and material culture lenses: first, an analysis of social class differences between the embroidered textile works of privileged young Filipina women which were authored and acknowledged by collecting institutions, and those like the pañuelos which were created by anonymous working class Filipina women. Second, the importance of acknowledging the works of hybrid or mixed race artists whose blending of cultures is still unrecognized and/or unclassified within major international museums. Third, the tension between displaying and categorizing textile works by non-European artists as ethnographic curiosities and those of European artists displayed as works of art.


title: "What is Readiness?" Examining Views of School Readiness and Prosocial Outcomes in Children

subject: Teacher perceptions, school readiness, school-entry skills, parent views, attitudes, prosocial outcomes

abstract: Beginning kindergarten is an important milestone for children, their families, and schools. The purpose of the present study was to quantitatively examine parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of school readiness based on five core domains of school readiness: (a) physical well-being and motor development, (b) emotional maturity or social and emotional development, (c) approaches to learning, (d) language development and emerging literacy, and (e) cognition and general knowledge. Kindergarten teachers (n = 53) and parents of preschool children (n = 8) completed a questionnaire assessing their views on school readiness. The study aimed to answer four research questions: (1) Do parents perceptions of school readiness influence childhood prosocial outcomes? (2) Are there differences between teachers and parents' views of school readiness? (3) What school readiness skills do teachers and parents view as most necessary to succeed in kindergarten? and (4) Do teachers differ in their perceptions of school readiness? Parents rated all domains of school readiness significantly higher than teachers. These findings suggest that teachers and parents hold different beliefs regarding the overall importance of school readiness skills. Among teachers, level of education and years of teaching experience did not impact teachers’ perceptions of school readiness. Teachers and parents agreed that having basic needs met were imperative to a child’s readiness for kindergarten.


title: How are the Students Doing? An Investigation of Nova Scotian Youth Mental Well-Being

subject: Mental health, student well being, pandemic, Covid-19

abstract:
How are the students doing? Of particular concern during the Coronavirus global
pandemic, mental health crises are occurring worldwide, affecting individuals in a variety of
ways. The objective of this study was to provide a starting point of descriptive statistics and descriptive qualitative representation of students’ voices to understand how the students are doing. In an effort to promote youth MWB, the current study sought to answer: 1. How does selfreported Mental Well-Being vary across participants’ identities both from within school and general life self-reports? 2. What are youth’s experiences coping with the global pandemic in relation to their MWB? We anticipated that Nova Scotian youth would report low levels of MWB, specifically in relation to the ongoing global pandemic. Participants consisted of 29 Nova Scotian youth between the ages of 16 and 19 years old, who were registered in a Nova Scotia high school. The survey included the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) and qualitative questions to capture student experiences. Results of WEMWBS highlighted that although some Nova Scotian students are doing well, there are many students who reported not doing well. Qualitative findings demonstrate that students are experiencing emotional distress, and signs of lower levels of mental well-being, in many domains of their lives. As anticipated, overall findings suggest that not all students are doing okay during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has created significant stressors and barriers to basic psychological needs for MWB. Our youth are not doing okay and we can do better to support them.


title: What More Could a Woman Ask For? Issues of Gender Equity in the Canadian Forces

subject:
Canadian Armed Forces
Women
Military
Sex Discrimination Against Women

abstract:
This research provides a discursive analysis of contemporary Canadian Forces [CF]
recruitment materials, written policies, and procedures that are aimed at gender equity. The
analysis and discussions are grounded within a feminist perspective that realizes and questions
the socially constructed relationships between men and women. A critical discourse analysis
uncovers the degree to which selected CF discursive genres have represented and reproduced
women as unequal members within the CF. The CF has implemented singular strategies that are
aimed to accommodate the physiological differences between men and women but have not
considered women’s unique situation in order to facilitate gender equity goals.
CF recruitment materials were examined to reveal patterns in how men and women are
represented in CF culture. Organizational policies that address maternity and parental leave
entitlements, pregnancy, and family care responsibilities were analysed for their ability to address
the career needs of pregnant members, and mothers. Discursive genres have been accessed
through public domains, and include application materials made available from the Canadian
Forces Recruiting Centre. Supplementary materials were used for clarification and explanation.
I determined that the CF uses an androcentric perspective to delineate codes of behaviour
and acceptance within the organization and define what it considers to be ‘good’ CF membership.
Besides endowing positions of power to men, Bem (1996) points to the important assumptions
about this perspective as what truly enables it to maintain the status quo by transforming male –
female differences into female disadvantage. Personal truths within this perspective are
understood to be universal by defining others as either the same or different in relation to the self.
Those who are different from one’s self are categorized as non-normative and their function is
depicted and valued in relation to the dominant group. A feminist perspective has determined a
male centered perspective by revealing the CF’s failure to adequately anticipate the needs of
women, in particular, its pregnant members and mothers. The recruitment materials and policies
represent an understanding of women as helpers and supporters within the organization, and
failure to significantly represent them as active participants of its Institutional (combat) culture.
The language within the textual hierarchy generalize and regulate member’s lives in a way
that reveals dominant beliefs and discourses about women in productive work and women in the
military, particularly with regard to maternity, identity formation, and assimilation into CF
culture. Macro level texts focuses on how texts are to be understood and acted upon in order to
influence broader societal outcomes while meso and micro-level texts are active in the production
and consumption of the text as well as their syntax and language that determine the specific
outcomes of local level work (Howitt, 2007; Smith, 2006). These textual levels within the CF
inform dominant institutional discourse in a way that renders women’s specific needs and
experiences as marginal or ‘other’. The organization does not acknowledge within its texts the
ways in which gender enacts differences in women’s lives in way that limit women, in particular,
those who are mothers, from joining the organization’s highest positions and achieving full
membership and fair representation within the Canadian Forces and international security.


title: Adolescents’ Willingness to Seek Help for Bullying Problems

subject:
Cape Breton Island
Adolescence
Adjustment Psychology
Psychology
Abused teenagers
Help-seeking behavior
Psychological aspects
Nova Scotia
Schools
Bullying

abstract:
The study examined adolescents’ willingness to seek help from peer,

parent/guardian and teacher/professional helpers in physical, verbal and relational

bullying situations. Questionnaire data were collected from 169 students (M age= 13.7

years, SD = 1.01; 88 females, 81 males). Factorial and Univariate Analyses of Variance

(ANOVAs) were conducted to examine differences across gender, grade, school location,

family status, recent experience with bullying and previous help-seeking. Results

revealed significant main effects of previous help-seeking, school location, family

structure, and Helper x Gender interactions. With respect to gender differences, females

were significantly more willing to seek help from friends for bullying than males. It was

also found that adolescents’ willingness to seek help for bullying varies based on type of

bullying, helper, and previous help-seeking. Adolescents living with a father or living in a

rural community were also more willing to seek help. Results are discussed in terms of

the impact of these variables upon adolescents’ willingness to seek help.


title: Waking Up: An Exploration of Filmmaking as Awareness Practice

format: Full-text application/pdf application/octet-stream application/octet-stream video/quicktime

subject: Awareness, Buddhism, Arts-based research

abstract:
This research study describes my exploration of the art of film as an inner awareness
practice from the view of the Buddhist yogic tradition. In the initial pre-production and
production phases of this research, formless Mahamudra meditations were most
important. A camera lens was employed as a cue or reminder to practice the lens of
awareness while capturing moving images. In the post-production phase, the creative
meditations within Buddhist yogas became a major reference point: visualization, ritual
practice, narrative text, and embodied energy practices. This present thesis-text arose
as reflections and observations within every stage of the process, inseparable from the
meditation and art, and was then edited into its current form. The research study
included a series of meditation retreats with a schedule of visualization practices,
formless meditation, mahamudra meditation-in-action, illusory body practice, and dream
yoga. In between retreats the practice of lens art and meditation continued as a walking-photography practice. The final stages of the research process centered around work in
the post-production studio: editing film into timelines using improvisation and chance
operation. Improvised music and sound design were then woven into the fabric of the
video edit. Two films linked here, Dreamsign and Holofractals, artifacts of this process, are
included through various links in this thesis-text. All blue text in this document is linked
to these films, or fragments of these films. The research questions of this study include:
In what ways can contemplative film practice reveal and enhance the practice of self-awareness as articulated in the non-dual Buddhist tradition? How do the meditative and
artistic aspects of contemplative film practice balance one another in different
approaches to film? Current contemplative arts-based research influenced this research
study from beginning to end. Connections are made between this research and the
Vajrayana practice of sadhana.


title: Images of Accessible Spaces in Children’s Picture Books: A Content Analysis 2007-2017

subject: Children picture books, accessibility, learning environment

abstract: Picture books can act as mirrors and windows for children. Children can see themselves in picture books, as well as gain an understanding into the lives of others. However, little is known about what environments look like in picture books and what messages they are portraying, particularly regarding children with disabilities. With increased attention on inclusive practices in Canada, it is unknown whether environments in picture books follow a similar trend. Using a deductive content analysis method, examples of universal design were coded in a sample of 106 picture books from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre collection. Frequencies of the elements of universal design were also calculated and the five most frequent elements were identified. These elements included smooth floor/path, clear pathway, space for a wheelchair, seating present, and seat with a back. When comparing the number of elements over time, no consistent pattern was found. A Resource for ECE’s using Picture Books to Support Discussion of Universal Design was created to assist those reading to children in identifying examples of universal design within books. This tool can also be used by critical thinkers and researchers who wish to expand upon the topic. Based on findings and previous research, additional strategies for reading books to children are also recommended.


title: Perceptions of Empathy and Opinion Leadership in Organizational Communication

subject: Empathy; opinion leadership; empathetic organizations; organizational culture; organizational communication; two-step flow; grounded theory

abstract: This graduate research project was undertaken with a number of objectives in mind: to define empathy in a communication context; to identify the relationship between opinion leadership and empathy in an organizational context; to identify the role of empathy in organizational communications; to develop a tool to assess perceived online opinion leadership; to develop a tool to measure perceived empathy in online communications; and, to test these tools in organizations to determine reliability and validity while gathering data to answer the proposed research questions. Through a partnership with three distinct organizations, a sequential mixed methods study design was selected involving 18 qualitative, in-depth interviews of organization members followed by a quantitative survey of a larger sample of organization members. Findings suggest that organizations may be considered empathetic if they make an effort to comprehend the experiences, thoughts and emotions, of their stakeholders while still meeting business goals; empathy in organizations has social, strategic and communicative functions, and it is perceived to positively impact opinion leadership of organizations.


title: Vulnerable Children: Law and Policy in Nova Scotia School Boards

subject: Vulnerable children, Nova Scotia, child abuse,

abstract: The Children and Family Services Act (1990) requires all professionals, who work with children, including teachers and other school personnel, to report suspected child abuse to a child protection agency. The Education Act (1995-1996) requires that public school boards within the province create policies aimed at protecting school community members from abuse and harassment. With these considerations, public school boards in Nova Scotia are responsible for creating their own policies, administrative procedures, and professional development on reporting child abuse, which may lead to inconsistencies in policy content across the province. Clearly outlined school board policies, however, can aid school personnel in making informed decisions about detecting and reporting suspected child abuse. This research presents an analysis of Nova Scotia public school board child abuse reporting policies and examines their alignment with federal and provincial legislation. All boards had established reporting child abuse policies, but the information contained within the documents and the accuracy with which they reflect federal and provincial legislation varied across the province. Between boards, there was an inconsistent application of provincially legislated reporting guidelines and an absence of clear expectations with respect to training school personnel to report suspected child abuse. Policy recommendations are proposed and areas of future study are suggested based on the findings.


title: Parental Moral Socialization and Child Temperament in the Prediction of Child Antisocial Bahavior

subject: Moral development, parental moral socialization, child antisocial behavior

abstract: Previous researchers studying children's moral development and parental moral socialization have documented the relation between parenting, children's internalization of parental values, and subsequent moral competence. Children's early moral competence has positive implications for children's psychosocial adjustment and prosocial behaviors. The present study examines the relationship between parent socialization of morality, child temperament, and child moral behavior. In the present study, parents and/or guardians of children between 3 and 8 years of age were asked to respond to questionnaires addressing child temperament, parent moral socialization practices, and child moral behavior. Results indicate that child temperament and parental moral socialization efforts differentially contribute to, and are of value in prediction of, children’s subsequent moral behaviors. Results also provide promising evidence for children’s internalization of moral values, or development of a ‘moral sense of self’, as children were found to demonstrate some aspects of moral affect and behavior, even in absence of parental input. These findings, along with possibilities for future research, and practical implications for teachers, educational policy makers, teacher education programs, and school psychologists are discussed.


title: Using evidence-based nutritional science methodology to facilitate knowledge translation in pediatric nutrition intervention development and evaluation in Gastroenterology

subject: Nutritional science, pediatric nutrition, Gastroenterology


title: Naming My Privilege, Reclaiming My Voice: Enhancing professional judgement with personal privilege awareness through the narrative art of autoethnography

subject: Privilege, privilege awareness, marginalisation

abstract:
This thesis explores a personal narrative of my journey, as a privileged member of
my community, to become aware of the impact of privilege on myself and others around
me. It documents conditions needed to support the environment that helped me overcome
internal rage and grief that were part of the price of becoming privilege. The process of
privilege awareness changed the way I experience the world as I reclaimed my voice and I believe it also changed the way the world experienced me.

The reflective processes that were used for writing this thesis, through
autoethnography, made visible the connected oppressions (within myself, in others and
within social structures) that were part of the structures of my personal privilege. Repeated reflections and actions in my life, that were discovered in the research, were the praxis (Freire, 2000) that helped me name my privilege, own it and transform it. The new
awareness guided me to discover ways to more fully relate with others in many varied ways of being. This ultimately brought new understanding that enhanced my professional
judgement as an early childhood educator.

Although issues of marginalisation may not be particularly new knowledge but
knowledge on how the privileged become aware of their privilege and its connection to
marginalisation of others is still new and this is where this thesis offers new understanding.


title: Social class in medical school: Teaching and learning in the formal curriculum

subject: Social class, medical school, social backgrounds

abstract: We know that individuals receive different healthcare depending on their social class (e.g. upper, middle, lower). Formal medical school curricula may not help students to effectively learn about patients from all social backgrounds and circumstances, or how these backgrounds may interact with generic medical treatments. When knowledge or truth about social class is included in any medical school curricula, this knowledge may inadvertently include stereotypes that show certain classes in a negative light, possibly perpetuating inaccurate information to medical students about certain individuals in our society. Given that most medical students are from middle to upper class families, these students may come to medical school with limited knowledge about (and comfort with) social backgrounds that are unlike their own. In addition to learning about the social class of others, students must gain awareness of their own social class, including possible privileges they enjoy that are not accessible to all members of society. Through a Foucauldian-influenced “discourse analysis” of a sample of medical school curriculum at one university, I analyzed what constitutes knowledge and truth about social class in this curriculum and how this knowledge may result in power outcomes as some individuals from certain social classes are depicted as less favourable than others. My analysis will include interviews with second-year medical students as well as reviews of the case studies from the curriculum used by these same students. Formal medical school curricula have an obligation to provide education about medicine that is representative of individuals in our current society, taking into consideration the social determinants of health, to ensure that equality and quality exist in medical education, furthering its integrity as a discipline.


title: Returning to Our Natural Roots: Learning to Love Nature with Children (A Workshop Series for Early Childhood Educators)

subject:
play
child development
physical health
mental health
early childhood education
early childhood educators

abstract:
Play is essential for the health and development of young children. The environment where children play can influence the quality of their play experience. The health and cognitive benefits afforded to children while playing in natural settings are well-documented. The forest, with its many natural features, is an ideal location for children’s play. It provides opportunities for a variety of beneficial play experiences. Other outdoor spaces containing natural elements are beneficial for play, provided there are natural features that children can explore. Young children are not getting enough time to play outside in nature. Many factors contribute to children losing time to play in natural settings. Access to outdoor spaces has become limited for children and adults who care for children are reluctant to take them to places with natural elements. Children are becoming more and more sedentary, and are viewing screens from electronic devices for up to seven hours per day. Child physical and mental health has been negatively impacted because of the steady decline in outdoor play. Early childhood educators
[ECEs] can help reverse this trend by providing the children they care for ample opportunities for unstructured play in natural areas. Many ECEs feel uncomfortable outdoors, and as a result, provide limited opportunities for play in nature. Early childhood professionals need knowledge about the benefits of play in nature, as well
as skills to increase their confidence when taking children to outdoor play spaces. ECEs can play a valuable role in improving the health and wellness of children, by providing them with opportunities for play in natural spaces. They need training to ensure they have the ability, knowledge, and desire to take children to natural spaces frequently. There are limited opportunities for ECEs in Nova Scotia to become trained in the knowledge and skills needed to provide high-quality outdoor play experiences for children. This workshop series will help ECEs in Halifax who are reluctant to take children to wilder places feel more comfortable and confident doing so. The six sessions will take the participant from simple to more challenging activities when working with young children outdoors. The desired outcome for this series of workshops is that ECEs will gain skills and confidence taking children to natural play spaces.


title: Crowdfunding: A Healthy Practice?

subject:
crowdfunding
digital fundraising
non-profit
health organizations
institution theory

abstract:
With the growing shift to digital fundraising within non-profit organizations, the crowdfunding model is increasing in popularity. Given that crowdfunding platforms are not fully understood, this study applied institution theory to help explain the adoption of crowdfunding practices in non-profit health organizations in Canada. More specifically, can institution theory offer insight into the adoption of crowdfunding platforms by non-profit health organizations in a Canadian context?
Through qualitative interviews at the organizational level, this study collected information on the decision-making process of individual organizations and the logics that ultimately led them to launching crowdfunding campaigns. Factors that contributed to the successes and failures of individual campaigns were also discussed in detail.
The researcher concluded that institution theory could in fact offer insight into the adoption of crowdfunding platforms. Participants not only acknowledged the importance of their organization’s digital presence but also its potential impact on future organizational success. This included the organization’s ability to appeal and attract a younger demographic of donors (i.e. Generation Y). Although crowdfunding offers a unique and cost-effective solution to non-profit organizations, participants acknowledged that significant resources are required to ensure success.


title: Parent-mediated Intervention and the Expression of Positive Emotion in Toddlers With Suspected Autism

subject: Autistic children

subject: Autistic children - behavior modification

abstract:
This case study examined whether shared positive affect increased between 4
toddlers with suspected ASD and their mothers, during the follow-up treatment phases of
a parent–mediated PRT program. Video recordings of 10 minutes were rated for the
occurrence of smiles between the parent and child. Results indicated that there was no
significant increase in shared positive affect. More specifically, for 2 of the 4 children
increased in rates of smiling, 1 decreased and 1 slightly decreased in their rates of
smiling. Respectively, 2 parents increased in their rates of smiling, 1 decreased, and 1,
slightly increased. The variability between each of these cases was attributed to the
briefness of the training program and that greater focus was on encouraging the child’s
language. Perhaps future programs could introduce more strategies designed to
enhance shared positive affect between parent-child dyads.


title: Weight stigma as biopedagogy: The experiences of fat students in accredited, undergraduate, dietetic education programs in Canada

subject: Weight stigma, weight management, dietetic students,

abstract:
Weight management has long been a focus of dietetic practice. Some have argued
that thinness is a hallmark of dietitians’ professionalism and expertise. Dietetic students and practicing dietitians have been found to hold stigmatizing beliefs about fat individuals. Research indicates that dietetic students often feel pressure to be thin, and are at significant risk of disordered eating and eating disorders. In addition, research shows that post-secondary students face various forms of weight bias, not exclusively in dietetic programs. Hence, it is likely that fat dietetic students are subject to weight bias within their educational environments, which may be intensified by the weight biased attitudes that exist in the profession generally. However, the experiences of fat students of their education has yet to be explored in the dietetic context. My research explores the experiences of fat students who are, or were previously, enrolled in accredited, undergraduate, dietitian education programs in Canada. Specifically, I explored students’ experiences of their dietetic education with particular attention to curriculum, faculty interactions, and physical environment, as well as how the dominant messages around weight in dietetics influences fat students’ perceptions of their body and health.


title: Mobilities and Infectious Disease: ‘Othering’ in Canadian Political Discourse of Ebola

subject: Ebola, Canadian political discourse, West Africa

abstract:
A review of relevant literature demonstrates that discourse often constructs the
population from countries dealing with an infectious disease outbreak as a risk. Government measures to manage and prevent the spread of infectious diseases are predominately border measures that limit or restrict the movement of migrants from regions experiencing an infectious disease outbreak. Using a critical discourse analysis approach with combined research tools of Norman Fairclough and Edward Said, this is the first known study to analyze Canadian political discourse regarding the 2014 travel restrictions on three West African countries – Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Examining the effect of border measures as a pandemic management strategy and the consequences for mobilities, this study aims to explore how political discourse produces certain meanings and representations of infectious diseases. Results of the analysis show that West African individuals are symbolically constructed as threats of spreading Ebola into Canada. Subsequently, the restrictions on West African individuals traveling to Canada are represented as ensuring the protection of the Canadian people’s health and safety. Conclusions drawn from this research demonstrate that the implementation of the measures ignored scientific process and expert consensus that travel restrictions are ineffective.


title: Entangled in teaching and learning within adult higher education: A life history study of a professor

subject: Adult education

subject: Arts-informed research

subject: Life history methodology

subject: Teaching and Learning (Higher education)

abstract:
I conducted a life history study of a professor of adult education that is situated in a context of
higher education. In this work I examine the contextualized life experiences of Dr. Jake Roberts,
a professor of adult education, in order to present an in-depth picture of who he is as a teacher,
including the teaching practices he uses in the classroom. Life history methodology is
appropriate for this study because it is broadly qualitative and involves collecting and
reconstructing stories of individuals’ lived experiences within broader contexts. Therefore,
through the information gathered about Jake’s life it is possible to gain insight into his individual
experiences in the university in which he works. Telling Jake’s story also allows me to
understand teaching and learning in higher education more broadly. Two interrelated questions
undergird this study. First, how do diverse life experiences shape adult education professors’
views about teaching and learning, and their overall teaching practice? And second, what is the
university’s role in particular in supporting their teaching? These questions support the broader
purpose of this life history work, which is to explore how adult education theory and teaching
practices can provide leadership and guidance related to teaching and learning in higher
education. This study also serves as an expression of personal critical reflection on the
development of my own teaching practice, in relation to retelling Jake’s story of entanglements
in teaching and learning. I demonstrate this last purpose in the various personal narratives that I
interweave throughout the work.


title: The Relationship Between Selective Aspects of Metalinguistic Awareness and Degree of  Second Language Acquisition in Emergent Readers

subject:
Second Language
Awareness Skills
Literacy Instruction

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether knowing a second language
would be related to having greater phonological and word awareness skills than their
monolingual peers. Three groups of kindergarten children, of varying levels of second
language experience participated in a variety of tasks examining their phonological and
word awareness skills. One group was fluent in French and English (bilingual), one
group was in a French immersion program (immersion), and the other group spoke
English and had no exposure to a second language (monolingual). Results indicated
similar abilities among the three groups of children in terms of their phonological
awareness abilities, with the exception of segmenting syllables and phonemes. The
bilingual group scored significantly higher than the immersion group when manipulating
syllables and the immersion and monolingual group scored significantly higher than the
bilingual group when manipulating phonemes. In the “moving word” word awareness
task, both groups of children with a second language background performed
significantly better than chance, whereas the monolingual group did not differ from
chance. The findings suggest that by the end of the child’s first year of formal literacy
instruction, second language advantage may only exist in the area of manipulating
syllables and increased awareness of print. Therefore, children possessing a second
language have some increased metalinguistic skills which may be beneficial in learning
to read.


title: The Role of Spirituality and/or Religion for Queer Individuals Negotiating Homonegative Beliefs and Values in Coming Out

subject: Queer theory, transformative learning theory, unlearning, spirituality, homonegative Christian religion.

abstract:
This dissertation investigates how out individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer who have been raised in a homonegative Christian faith and have experienced internal conflicts between their sexual identities and religious and/or spiritual identities learned homonegative beliefs and values, and how they negotiated those beliefs and values during their coming out processes. It also explores the role of spirituality and religion during the coming out process.
The data for this research were gathered through interviews with eight individuals who grew up in homonegative Christian environments and made the decision to come out as lesbian, gay, or queer. The dissertation draws upon transformative learning theory as a framework to analyze and discuss the learning processes involved in coming out. Queer theory, transformative learning theory, feminist theory and critical theory provide the framework for analyzing the participants’ coming out narratives. Despite enormous pressures from their families, religious communities, peers, and the broader culture to conform to heterosexual norms, through a complex learning/unlearning process, participants disentangled themselves from oppressive values and beliefs, and began aligning their outer lives with their inner realities. The findings of this study demonstrated the learning processes and the specific intrinsic and extrinsic factors that facilitated and enabled those processes. This thesis explains how participants moved from uncritical acceptance of external authority to self-authorship.
This research will be useful to faith communities, families, friends, allies, and helping professionals, including educators to support queer members, and to queer communities to support the spirituality of their members. It will also be helpful to educators interested in understanding issues related to identify conflict, particularly for lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer persons.


title: Psychosocial Adjustment, Emotion Understanding, and Emotion Regulation in Young Children with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities

subject: Nonverbal learning disabilities

subject: Learning disabled children -- Psychology

subject: Adjustment (Psychology)

abstract:
This study compared 10 children between the ages of six and nine identified as having
Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD) and ten normally achieving controls in terms of their
psychosocial functioning, emotion understanding, and emotion regulation. Parents completed
scales assessing participants’ level of social, emotional, and behavioural competence, and
emotion regulation. Children’s recognition of basic emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, and
fearfulness) was assessed through nonverbal channels (pictures of facial expressions, postures,
and tone of voice). Children’s understanding of simultaneously experiencing two conflicting
emotions (mixed emotions) and ways to express emotions (display rules) were assessed through
vignettes that depicted social situations. The results indicated that parents of children with NLD,
compared to children without NLD, rated their children significantly higher on scales of
internalizing (i.e., Affective and Anxiety Problems) and externalizing (i.e.,
Attention/Hyperactivity and Oppositional Defiant Disorder Problems) difficulties, and
significantly lower on a scale of emotion regulation. Compared to children without NLD,
children with NLD were significantly less accurate in identifying happiness through facial
expression, but not through tone of voice or posture. On the vignettes, children with NLD
demonstrated significantly poorer performance on identifying mixed emotions, but not display
rules, compared to children without NLD. These results help to delineate the psychosocial
profile of young children with nonverbal learning disabilities.


title: Examination of the Ginseng Utility from the Perspective of the Nutrition Professional

subject: Ginseng, type 2 diabetes, Korean white ginseng,


title: Teacher attributions for the behaviour of students with ADHD: The role of student likeability

subject: Attention Deficity Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

subject: Student behaviour

subject: Learning disabilities

subject: Classroom management

abstract:
This study examined the effect of child behaviour (i.e., ADHD-hyperactive/impulsive vs. ADHDinattentive
vs. control) and child likeability (i.e., likeable vs. unlikeable) on teacher attributions
for behaviour in a sample of 31 elementary and high school teachers. Teachers were asked to read
vignettes describing a hypothetical likeable or unlikeable student exhibiting behaviours consistent
with ADHD or no ADHD. Teacher responses to the hypothetical student were assessed using (a)
attribution ratings on the dimensions of locus, control, and stability, (b) ratings of helping
behaviours with respect to referral, accommodations, and perceived manageability of student
behaviour, and (c) an open-ended response section in which teachers could provide rationale for
their responses to items on rating scales. Results partially supported previous findings of adult
attributions for the behaviour of children with ADHD. Teachers rated ADHD behaviour as more
externally caused, uncontrollable, and unstable and indicated that they would be likely to refer
students with ADHD for further services and would be more likely to provide accommodations
for these students. Finally, teachers indicated that they felt less confident in their ability to manage
the behaviour of students with ADHD. Student likeability interacted with student behaviour on
some attributional dimensions but not others, suggesting that more research is needed to elucidate
the impact of this personality factor on teacher perceptions of students with ADHD. Implications
for teacher education, student success, understanding the role attributions in classroom
management of ADHD, and future directions are discussed.


title: Coping Strategies and Successful Intelligence in Adults with Learning Disabilities

subject:
Learning disabilities
Education
Intelligence levels
Psychology
British Columbia
Learning disabled

abstract:
For many individuals with learning disabilities achieving success in adulthood is

challenging. This lack of success has a detrimental effect on both the individual and

society. This exploratory study into the positive coping strategies and life experiences of

six successful individuals with learning disabilities reveals insight into educational

practices that worked for them and those that did not. In addition, these highly successful

individuals showed evidence of successful intelligence as described by Sternberg’s

theory. Through practical and creative solutions they were able to modify and adapt to

their environment and persevere despite adversity. Time management and organizational

skills were essential to managing their disabilities for long term success. Academic

milieu management was central in obtaining both high school and post secondary

education.


title: The effect of dairy and non-dairy snack products on glycemic regulation in normal weight children

subject:
Greek Yogurt
Childhood obesity
Snacking
Glycemia in children

abstract:
Increased snacking in children is associated with higher energy and sugar intake, known risk
factors for obesity and diabetes. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dairy
and non-dairy snacks on glycaemia in children. Methods: In a repeated measures crossover
design, normal weight (5th-85th BMI percentile) children (n =11, 5 boys and 6 girls; age: 9-14
y), were randomly assigned to consume one of two treatments: Greek yogurt (171 kcal) and mini
sandwich type cookies (175 kcal). Both treatments contained 25 g of available carbohydrates.
After an overnight fast, children consumed a standardized breakfast in the morning, two hours
before arriving at the lab. Venous blood samples were collected for glucose and insulin at 0 min
(immediately before the treatment), and at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min. Results: There was an effect
of treatment, time and a time by treatment interaction (P<0.0001) on blood glucose and insulin
over 120 min. The Greek yogurt treatment resulted in lower glycaemic and higher insulin
responses compared to the cookies treatment (P<0.0001). This effect can be explained by the
higher content of protein in the Greek yogurt treatment (17 g) compared to the cookies treatment
(1.3 g). Conclusion: The available carbohydrate content is not the only predictor of postprandial
glycemia but rather the macronutrient composition of a snack predetermines its glycaemic
response in children.


title: Case study in media bias: Racism and online news comment boards

subject:
Online news
Comment boards
Racial discrimination
Critical race theory

abstract:
There is a gap in current critical media literacy studies, in that the vast majority of
studies focus exclusively on critique of national print media outlets. The internet has recently
provided a new medium in the form of online mainstream national news media comment boards,
where consumers of the news are allowed to post anonymously their opinions about topics in the
news. The purpose of this research is to analyze a selected content of comments left on online
mainstream national news media comment boards contained on Canadian national news media
websites to determine the nature of democratic discourse that occurs, specifically asking whether
these comments are potentially harmful and racially discriminatory to marginalized groups.
Central to the theme of this research is determining what constitutes acceptable speech versus
what could be considered hate speech. This research considers the media’s role in giving
consumers of the media an opportunity to post unsavory viewpoints using a pseudonym.
Grounded in critical race theory, this research uses critical discourse analysis to examine the
contents of online mainstream national news media comment boards for racist content. It uses
analytical methods that determine whether a statement is a reasonable argument or a persuasive
opinion that is harmful or discriminatory toward marginalized groups. A news story from recent
history has been used as the subject of this analysis. Central to education, themes of racial
discrimination are examined as an argument for teaching students to be critical while promoting
citizenship education.


title: Unpaid and Paid Supports in the Lives of Family Caregivers of Adults with Disabilities: Mapping Social Relations

subject: Caregiving, intellectual disability, developmental disability, family

abstract:
Caregiving for an adult family member with intellectual and developmental
disabilities (IDD) is understood to have both positive and negative effects on a family
member’s quality of life. Little is known however, about how family caregivers
experience social supports when supporting a family member with IDD. Social supports
are comprised of both unpaid and paid supports; these function to strengthen, build
capacities, address needs, and sustain the well-being of individuals, as well as their
families. The research explored how unpaid and paid supports are socially organized
within the everyday lives of family members supporting a family member with a
disability. A critical-ecological framework served as the conceptual foundation for the
study and was informed by the institutional ethnography (IE) methodology. Study
participants were 5 family caregivers supporting a family member with IDD between the
ages of 25-40 living in the family home or a community-based setting at the time of the
research.

This study illustrates analyzing the immediate and broader environments in which
family caregivers’ lives are situated in are necessary to understand how unpaid and paid
supports ‘work’ in family caregivers’ everyday lives. Support networks were found to
vary widely depending on family dynamics, abilities of their family member and
considerations of changes over time and geographical distance. In a critical approach, this
study exposed the social relations, structural power relations (ruling relations) and the
line of fault present in family caregivers’ lives. During interviews, the interdependent
nature of unpaid and paid supports in family caregivers’ lives became apparent. However,
it was found unpaid and paid supports ‘work’ in different ways, through distinct mechanisms in family caregivers’ lives. To meet the needs of their family members,
advocacy for paid supports was necessary by family caregivers. This involved family
caregivers working within the system of paid support, governed by policies with
institutional and ideological priorities that contrasted their own. Families prioritized
support that upheld the rights of their family members through inclusive and accessible
quality relationships, activities, and suitable provisions of paid support. Implications and
recommendations for policy are articulated, supported by pre-existing findings in the
Nova Scotia and broader disability support context. More research is needed with larger
sample sizes to explore the topic further. Future directions for research regarding family
caregivers accessing unpaid and paid support to live quality lives as they support family
members with IDD are discussed.


title: The Effect of Acute Exercise on Attentional Processes in Typically Developing Children and Youth

subject:
Exercise intervention
Children - physical activity

abstract:
Previous research has found that a variety of exercise interventions result in improved
neurocognitive functioning and attention in typically developing and clinical populations.
This was a preliminary study to examine whether an acute exercise intervention (i.e., 30
minutes of vigorously intense cardiovascular exercise) improves attention, as measured
by the Test of Everyday Attention in Children (TEA-Ch). It was hypothesized that there
would be differential improvements across various attentional processes (i.e., selective
attention, divided attention, sustained attention, attentional control/switching). Results
indicate that the exercise intervention lead to significant for attentional control/switching.
This study adds to previous research by giving a more thorough examination of how an
exercise intervention impacts various attentional processes. Findings support
recommendations to use exercise interventions, alone or in combinations with other
supports, to reduce inattention at home and in the classroom.


title: Body esteem, eating attitudes, and adherence in adolescents with cystic fibrosis from Atlantic Canada.

subject:
Psychological aspects
Nutrition
Adolescence
Body image
Atlantic Provinces
Patients
Children
Cystic fibrosis

abstract:
A study was conducted to investigate the influence of body esteem, nutritional status,

nutritional intake, and eating attitudes on adherence to dietary therapy and enzymes in

adolescents and young adults with cystic fibrosis. Nine adolescents aged 12.5 to 18 years

from the CF clinics at the IWK (Halifax, NS) and the Janeway (St. John’s, NL)

participated in the study. The participants completed the following surveys/tools: a

Three-Day Food Diary, The Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), The Body Esteem Scale

for Adolescents and Adults (BES), and The Adherence Survey.

Nutritional analysis determined that study participants had an average caloric intake

of 2174 Cal. Only one participant met the adjusted Estimated Energy Requirement (EER

+ 20%), and was classified as being adherent to dietary therapy. The average Body Mass

Index (BMIp) was at the 52nd percentile, and the average percent Ideal Body Weight

(%IBW) was 100. None of the participants were classified as stunted, according to their

height-for-age, but one was classified as wasted, according to his/her BMIp value.

BES scores determined that participants have a relatively positive body esteem, with

a mean score of 52.67, 57.25% of the highest possible score. Eating attitudes were also

positive, for the most part. However, EAT-26 scores did reveal that one participant was at

risk of developing an eating disorder, having a score over 20.

In the study, adherence was defined as taking the same dose, or more, of a treatment

as prescribed by a doctor and/or dietitian. Adherence to vitamins and nutritional

supplements, when prescribed, was extremely poor, at 0%. Adherence to enzymes taken

with meals and snacks was similar to rates in the literature, with 56% being adherent.

Common reasons cited for non-adherence included forgetfulness, an absence of positive

results, time and effort consuming, and a dislike of taking the treatment in front of others.

Due to the small sample size, two-tailed independent sample t-tests revealed no

statistical significance between adherence, body esteem, eating attitudes, caloric intake,

BMIp, and %IBW. Therefore, results of the study indicate that in the population of all

adolescents with CF, based on the results of this study, one cannot predict differences in

BES, EAT-26, EER, BMIp, or %IBW based on the individuals’s adherence category.


title: Goffman’s Dramaturgy: A case study analysis for potential inclusion in communication theory studies

subject:
Erving Goffman
Dramaturgy
Communication theory
Critical Discourse Analysis
Lac-Mégantic

abstract:
This thesis presents Erving Goffman’s dramaturgy as a useful framework to advance our
understanding of the functionality of communication. While Goffman’s work has been
acknowledged and accepted as contributing to the understanding of interactive
communication, often a comprehensive understanding of Goffman’s dramaturgy is absent
from communication theory textbooks. In this thesis, Goffman’s dramaturgy is applied to
an act of public communication to provide a strong argument for an increased and more
comprehensive inclusion of his work in the field of communication studies. Using a critical
discourse analysis (CDA) methodology coupled with Goffman’s dramaturgy, this thesis
examines the performance of Ed Burkhardt during an impromptu press conference held in
Lac-Mégantic, after the train derailment. It finds the CEO’s performance is strained by his
selected role, normative pressures to conform to audience expectations, and a failed
attempt to influence the frame. CDA is discovered to be a suitable methodology to be used
with Goffman’s dramaturgy because it encourages the researcher to include contemplations
at both a micro and macro level.


title: “That's definitely a part of who we are”: Nova Scotian mothers managing embodied identities and navigating expectations via dual modality feeding

abstract:
Human milk is considered to be the optimal food for infants due to associated
health benefits. With that, feeding human milk is frequently equated with breastfeeding, despite the growing prevalence of human milk expression in high-income countries and the known impact of feeding modality on health outcomes. Little is known about the experiences of mothers who breastfeed, and express and bottle-feed human milk (i.e., practice dual modality feeding). However, the experience of dual modality feeding is likely unique, and situated differently within the pervasive culture of intensive mothering, as well as external and internalized expectations that women negotiate.


title: “Conversations that Matter”: Child and Youth Study Students’ Perspectives on the Professional Status of Early Childhood Education

subject: Early childhood education, professional status perspective,

abstract: The focus of this research was to gain an understanding of how students enrolled in Mount Saint Vincent University’s Bachelor of Arts (Child and Youth Study) program perceive the professional status of Early Childhood Education, and the impact the professional status of ECE may have on future career choices. Qualitative data was gathered using the World Café dialogue method. Data was collected from nineteen participants through audio-recordings, participant-written notes, and notes recorded by a note-taker. Thematic analysis, as described by Attride-Stirling (2001) and Braun and Clarke (2006), was used to identify themes in the data. Two global themes were identified: value placed on the knowledge and role of the early childhood educator, and early childhood education as a career option. The results of this study indicate that students in the Child and Youth Study program perceive Early Childhood Education to be a low-status occupation. Participants expressed concerns over the lack of professional compensation, the absence of a standard of credentialing, public disregard for the knowledge of ECEs, and the public perception of ECE as “babysitting” rather than education. Of the nineteen participants in this study none intended to work as an early childhood educator upon completion of the Child and Youth Study program, either in a childcare centre or in the newly-established pre-primary program. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations for policy makers are: develop a recruitment strategy for the field of Early Childhood Education, provide professional compensation for ECEs, ensure all individuals who hold the title of Early Childhood Educator hold either a diploma in Early Childhood Education or a degree in Child and Youth Study, and develop a public-awareness campaign on the value of early childhood education.


title: Exploring How Consumers Compare and Respond to Food Products Based on a Multiple Traffic Light System that Includes Positive Nutrient Indicators

contributor:
Glanville, Dr. Theresa
Wegener, Dr. Jessica

subject:
multiple traffic light system
food standards
labels
effective design
consumer reaction
positive nutrient indicators

abstract:
Objective: The United Kingdom’s Food Standard Agency developed the Multiple Traffic
Light (MTL) system to help consumers better understand the nutritional value of a food
product. This study investigates Canadians’ response to the MTL system. Additionally,
it explores how consumers make food decisions using a dichotomous MTL system that
contains positive and negative nutrients.

Methods: A qualitative research design was used to explore this topic and convenience
sampling was used to recruit participants. Participants were asked to partake in a 1-1.5
hour long focus group interview session, which assessed their responses to mock food
labels. Five focus group interview sessions were conducted throughout Spring, Summer,
and Winter of 2015. Focus group interview sessions were documented, audiotaped, and
transcribed verbatim. The MAXQDA software was used to code data to help generate
themes.

Results and Conclusion: A total of 20 adult participants from Toronto, ON and Guelph,
ON participated in the study and they differed by age and gender. Seven female
participants aged 18-29, four female participants aged 30-40, and three female
participants aged 50+ participated in the study. In addition, three male participants aged
18-29 and three male participants aged 30-49 participated in the study. No male
participants were aged 50+. Two distinct themes emerged from data collected: 1)
Success of the MTL system is dependent on education and design of the label and 2)
Consumers compare food products based on levels of negative nutrients, nutritional
attributes, expectations, and importance of nutrients in their diet. No distinct differences
were observed between age and gender groups in regards to interest in negative nutrients. The findings also suggest that the colours and text on the MTL system have more impact on food decisions compared to its numerical information.

Recommendations: Further research is required to explore consumers’ responses to label alterations (e.g., design, content, separating nutrients, etc.) in comparison to new FOP labelling systems (e.g., 5-CNL), as the most effective design has not been established. Research should also be conducted to determine the most effective method to clearly educate the public about the MTL system. Researchers should also collect a larger and more diverse sample to re-examine how age and gender impact responses to dichotomous labelling schemes. Finally, the concepts of expectations and nutrient trade-offs should be further analyzed because they appear to significantly influence food decisions.


title: Patterns and predictors of home care utilization in Eastern Canada: Analyzing changes over a 5-year period (1996 - 2001)

subject:
Home care
Eastern Canada
Hospitals
Cost-effective demands

abstract:
Research on home care is relevant and important to the health of Canadians.
Home care provides services that allow individuals to remain within their own homes for
as long as possible by maintaining their physical, mental, social, and emotional wellbeing,
preventing the deterioration of health and the need for institutionalization and
substituting acute care services provided within hospitals. Given the relative value and
priority being placed on home care programs to meet cost-effective demands, it is
important to understand home care usage.
The goal of this research project was to analyze trends in the utilization and
composition of government-supported home care services in Eastern Canada in 1996 and
in 2001 using a behavioral model developed by Andersen (1968). Secondary data from
the 1996/97 National Population Health Survey and the 2000/01 Canadian Community
Health Survey were analyzed to address four main research questions: (a) What are the
socio-demographic and health characteristics of home care users in 1996 and in 2001, and
has that profile changed over time; (b) Has the proportion of users for each type of
service received (including nursing, other health care, personal care, homemaking, and
respite) changed between 1996 and 2001; (c) Has the pattern of usage (e.g., the number
of different types of services an individual received) changed between 1996 and 2001; and (d) What are the predictors of home care utilization in 1996 and in 2001 and have
they changed over time?
Results revealed that over time home care user characteristics associated with
nursing service use (i.e., younger age, higher income, recently hospitalized) have become
more dominant. These changes correspond to a substantial increase in the proportion of
home care users receiving nursing services and a simultaneous decline in the proportion
receiving homemaking services over the same time period. These findings which support
Andersen’s model, suggest that essential components to predict home care service usage
in Eastern Canada should include need factors (needing assistance with activities of daily
living and instrumental activities of daily living and hospitalization), which were the
greatest predictors of home care use, followed by predisposing (age), and enabling factors
(income).
These results can be explained by the current political context in which the need
to provide cost-effective services has resulted in the prioritization of short-term acute care
services, often at the expense of long-term chronic care services. As this trend continues,
in combination with population aging and the limited availability of caregivers, the
demand for home care services could be exponential. Decision makers within
government must act to ensure that the care needs of all clients, acute or chronic, are met
and that the initial foundation on which home care programs were built be maintained
and strengthened.


title: Nutritional intake and quality of life after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

abstract:
Obesity has become an increasing health issue over the past several years.
Weight loss surgery such as the Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) is the only
effective long term treatment option for morbid obesity. The nutritional intake and quality
of life after LSG is not well known as it is a relatively new weight loss surgical
procedure.
Nutritional intake and quality of life after LSG was investigated to determine the
nutritional intake and adequacy of diet in patients >1 year after LSG and the effect
quality of life has on nutritional intake and percentage weight loss. Nutritional status was
measured through the use of four day food records, nutritional related laboratory
parameters, and reported nutritional vitamin supplement intake. Diet quality was
measured using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Quality of life was measured using
Bariatric Quality of Life (BQL) questionnaire.
Participants were recruited through the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences
Centre, Weight Loss Surgery Program, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Seventy-two patients who
had the LSG between September 2008 and March 2010 and were able to read and
write English were forwarded packages containing four day food record and Bariatric
Quality of Life (BQL) Questionnaire.
Food intake was analyzed using a nutrient analysis program. Food record data
were used to calculate HEI scores and individual risk of micronutrient adequacy.
Cronbach’s alpha was used to measure internal consistency of the BQL questionnaire.Variables pertaining to socio-demographics, laboratory parameters, quality of life, diet
quality, and dietary intake were included in the statistical analysis. Pearson Correlation
analysis was used to measure associations between continuous variables and twotailed
t-tests were used to measure relationships between age group and continuous
variables. Variables were dichotomized and Chi square test for independence was used
to analyze categorical variables. Statistical significance was defined as p<.05.
Nineteen adults completed the four day food records and BQL questionnaires
giving a response rate of 26%. Average percentage weight loss was 26.1+/-10.6% 13
months after LSG. Average energy and protein intakes were 1256 +/- 384.5 kilocalories
and 77.3+/-17.5 g per day respectively 22 months after surgery. Participants <50 years
of age lost more weight, had higher BQL scores, and consumed less energy than those
>50. Mean BQL and HEI scores were 78.1+/-14.0 and 60.4+/-8.8 respectively 22
months after surgery. All participants were at risk for at least one inadequate dietary
micronutrient intake. The prevalence of nutrient deficiency was 10.5% with vitamin B12
being the only micronutrient deficiency. Ninety-five percent of participants reported
taking a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement.
Nutritional intake after LSG does not appear adequate to meet needs and multivitamin/
mineral supplementation seems effective at preventing nutritional deficiencies.
Risk of inadequate dietary micronutrient intake appears to be related to the number of
food guide servings consumed. Quality of life is acceptable and is dependent on weight
loss. There is no relationship between nutritional intake and quality of life. Diet quality scores are considered “needs improvement” which is comparable to the rest of the
Canadian population.
A combination of tools should be used when assessing the nutritional status of a
population and more research is needed on the long term nutritional status after LSG. It
is recommended to use tools that are specific to the bariatric surgery population when
measuring quality of life.


title: Teaching Handwriting in the Classroom: Research-Based Recommendations and Commercially Available Programs

subject: Handwriting, teaching, Nova Scotia,

abstract: Despite ever-evolving technological advances, writing in many settings, including school, still involves paper and pencil or pen. Writing skills have been positively linked to academic achievement at school, especially reading. Therefore, how students are taught handwriting is important, but in Nova Scotia, guidelines for this are not in the curriculum. The Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) Program and the Center on Accelerating Student Learning (CASL) Handwriting Program are two handwriting programs that have been shown to be effective. These programs were compared on five important elements (four founded in research, one of importance to teachers and school boards) of handwriting programs. It was concluded that to teach according to the most effective elements, the CASL Program, which is available for free on the internet, would be recommended to teachers as it better addressed more of the key elements. Limitations of the study are discussed as well as suggestions for teachers, school boards, and school psychologists.


title: Exploring the constitution of Canadian-born working-class women’s subjectivities in higher education through Collective Biography

subject: Canadian women, working-class women, education, Canada

abstract: This thesis takes up a gender and class focus to explore the following research questions: What does it mean to be a working-class woman in higher education in Canada? How are working-class women’s sense of self shaped in the higher education milieu? I explore these questions through feminist poststructural theory and the feminist methodology of collective biography (Gannon & Davies, 2006; Gonick & Gannon, 2014). Through an analysis of memory stories written by six working-class women, including myself, about our experiences in university, I show how dominant discourses around smartness, contemporary femininity, neoliberalism, race, geographical differences, value, and respectability, and the affective responses produced by these discourses intersect with gender and working-class identity to produce particular subjectivities. I also explore how these discourses play out in the psychic and relational realms, informing the subject positions assumed by working-class women in higher education. My analysis reveals that Canadian-born working-class women take up a range of subject positions in university, including ones that reflect and resist the dominant middle-class discourses found within the discursive field of the university.


title: Using CHC-based Strengths and Difficulties to Communicate Assessment Results to Teachers

subject:
Neuropsychology
Report Writing
Psychology Tests
School Psychologists
Elementary School Teachers

abstract: The effectiveness of supplementing a psychoeducational report with a CHC-based listing of a student‟s cognitive strengths and areas of difficulty was examined. Elementary-level school teachers read a psychoeducational report, either with or without the supplemental listing, and developed intervention ideas for various school assignments, based on the assessment results. Results indicated no significant differences between groups regarding number of interventions developed. Teachers were, however, significantly more satisfied with the way information was presented in the report when it was supplemented with the CHC-based listing.


title: The Perceptions of Nova Scotia School Psychologists regarding their Roles

subject:
Psychoeducational Assessment
Nova Scotia School
School Psychological Services

abstract:
For a number of years, it has been proposed that the scope of school
psychological services be expanded beyond assessment to include other activities such as
consultation, prevention, and research. Despite school psychologists’ reported desires to
expand their roles, change in this direction has been slow (Braden et al, 2001; Fagan,
2002). Many practitioners have found their roles restricted to that of “testers” and
reported discrepancies between their actual and desired practice (Curtis et al., 2002;
Desimone, 1999; Hanson, 2004; Jones-Wilson, 1994; Fevinson, 1990; Reschly &
Wüson, 1995).
This study was conducted to examine the perceptions of psychologists practicing
in Nova Scotia schools regarding their actual and desired role functioning, the
establishment of their activities, the challenges to achieving their desired practice, and the
influence they feel they have over the activities in which they engage. The intent of this
research was to provide insight into the current practices and perceptions of school
psychologists in the province.
Thirty-four psychologists responded to this study, a 63% response rate, resulting
in 32 usable surveys. Findings suggest that many factors influence how school
psychologists enact their roles, such as the needs of different schools, school teams,
school administrators, the prioritization of psychoeducational assessment, and
individual school culture. Respondents spent the most time engaged in
psychoeducational assessment, followed by report writing, behaviour assessment, and
consultation. Significant differences were found between actual and desired role
functioning, with psychologists wanting more time for counselling, inservicing, and
prevention oriented activities and less time conducting psychoeducational assessments,
writing reports, and travelling. Respondents identified a number of barriers/ challenges
to their desired functioning, including heavy caseloads, others’ lack of awareness of
psychologists’ expertise, the focus on psychoeducational assessment, and issues
associated with working in a non-psychology environment. They also described
strategies that enable them to gain some control over their activity allocation, such as
open communication/ negotiation, educating others, and participating on school teams.
Respondents reported having a wide range of influence over their activity allocation,
from very low to very high.


title: A Teacher’s Investigation of Critical Incidents and the Re-Cognition of His Practice

subject:
Action Research
Education
Elementary School Teaching
School Improvement Programs
Leadership
Nova Scotia

abstract:
This thesis employs teacher research as a methodology and uses critical incidents
as a data source. These incidents were collected by an elementary school teacher over a
school year and recorded in a personal journal. In this thesis many of those critical
incidents are chronicled, reflected upon, and analyzed. The three central themes, and
subsequent chapters that emerge, are about teacher collaboration, accountability, and
leadership. The school involved was simultaneously participating in a compulsory
province-wide initiative called School Accreditation. Under this initiative the staff of the
school jointly read a text, On Common Ground by DuFour, Eaker and Dufour (2005).
The findings and conclusions offer a teacher’s perspective on the day-to-day life
of an elementary school as the staff attempts to become more of a Professional Learning
Community.


title: Cross-Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Training in the Communications Management and Recruitment and Retention of International Students in Atlantic Canadian Universities

subject:
communications
international centre
cross-cultural awareness
sensitivity training
recruitment and retention
international students
Atlantic Canada
universities

abstract: With the growing numbers of international students coming to study in Canada, cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity training in Canadian universities is increasing in importance. Despite the range of research in cross-cultural training, there remains a gap in the research of cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity training in communications management for multinational institutions, namely universities, within Canada, and how this training—or lack thereof—could affect the recruitment and retention of international students in the Canadian post-secondary education system. Focusing on Atlantic Canada, this study explored what cross-cultural training is currently offered and what sort of training should be offered to communications, marketing and recruitment teams that work to recruit international students and to International Centre staff and International Advisors that support these students. Through electronic survey research, this study aimed to compare the services offered and to share the opinions of communications, marketing, and recruitment staff members; International Advisors and International Centre staff members; and international students at targeted universities on the services that Atlantic Canadian universities do and should offer. Overall, the participants of all three survey groups claimed that there is a need for cross-cultural training through continuing professional development for communications, marketing, and recruitment staff; International Advisors and International Centre staff; and also for staff from other departments across the universities as international students do interact with faculty and staff other than International Advisors and International Centre staff throughout their time studying in Atlantic Canada.


title: How Diversity and Anti-Oppression Educators Handle the Emotional Challenges of Their Practice

subject: Anti-oppression education

subject: Canadian Diversity

subject: Education - Diversity and anti-oppression

abstract: Diversity and anti-oppression education is a popular strategy used to negotiate the complexities of identity by trying to bring people together and raise socio-cultural sensitivity among employees, clients and citizens. This study investigates the perspectives of diversity and anti-oppression educators working in the non-profit, settlement and education sectors in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Toronto, Ontario. Using semi-structured interviews, the researcher explores how Canadian diversity and anti-oppression educators handle the emotional challenges of their practice especially when considering Mark Bracher‟s (2006) notion of identity needs within these emotionally charged learning environments. This paper explores how language, identity and teacher recognition impact the learning process, and highlights the imperfect yet courageous practice that the diversity and anti-oppression educators in this study embark upon when facilitating discussions about diversity and oppression.


title: Helping for the sake of helping: Can altruism be predicted from a child’s temperament, selfesteem, and parents’ meta-emotion?

coverage:
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia - Annapolis (County)

subject:
Altruism in children
Temperment in children
Self-esteem in children
Parenting

abstract:
Altruism is a voluntary prosocial behaviour with the intention of benefiting another
person (Kakavoulis, 1998). Multiple factors may be related to altruism, such as a child’s
temperament, parental emotional style, and self-esteem. The present study aimed to assess the
relative contributions of these factors to children’s altruistic behaviour. Children, aged 11 and 12,
and their parents, participated in the study. Children completed self-ratings of altruism and selfesteem
while parents completed ratings of parental meta-emotion and children’s temperament. It
was expected that children with high self-esteem and who were high in sociability but low in
shyness, and who had parents that espoused an emotion-coaching parenting style would rate
higher on altruistic tendencies than children who had lower self-esteem, were lower in
sociability, higher in shyness, and had parents who espoused a dismissing parental emotional
style. Emotion-coaching and emotion-dismissing parenting styles were found to be related to
each other. Shyness was negative correlated with sociability and positively correlated to self-esteem.
No variables were significantly correlated with children’s altruistic tendency. Results
are discussed in terms of all children displaying a tendency to be altruistic and relevance to the
school setting.