title: An Exploration of Self-Concept, Parent Education, Parent and Student Attitudes towards School, Study Habits and Achievement of Junior High Students

subject:
Junior High Students
Student attitudes
Academic achievement
Academic Self-Concept

abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between self-concept and academic self-concept, parent education, parent and student attitudes towards school, study habits and student achievement in a group of junior high students. This study investigated whether student achievement scores varied significantly by ratings for various aspects of self-concept as well as global self-concept, parent educational levels and gender. As well, the study examined how student and parental attitudes towards school correlated with each other. A third aspect of the study was an exploration of the best predictors for achievement in math, English and overall average academic. Sixty-nine grade six students participated in this study. Student responses to the Battle (2002) Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventory and researcher developed scales to examine student attitudes towards school and study habits were collected. Student achievement scores on English and math tests for the last two terms of grade six were obtained fi-om the cumulative records of the students. A parental attitudes towards school questionnaire developed by the researcher and a demographic data form designed to obtain selected background information including parental education attainment were completed by consenting parents and returned to the school along with consent forms for their children to participate in the study. ANOVA, t-test, correlational and regression analysis were performed on the data and produced the following major findings. Student groups with above-average Global and Academic Self-Concept achieved significantly higher scores in English and math than groups with lower Global and Academic Self-Concept ratings. However, gender had little or no effect on the achievement levels. Relative to the correlations among the variables. Global Self-Concept and Academic Self-Concept ranked among the top three with a positive correlation with the achievement variables. A surprising finding was that parent attitudes towards school was negatively correlated with parent education. Of all variables entered for predicting the achievement levels of the students. Academic Self-Concept turned out to be the strongest predictor for English and also the only predictor for the math and the average academic achievement scores. Parent education was the second strongest in predicting the English scores. All the other variables including Global Self-Concept played little or no part in predicting the performances on any of the achievement measures. These results were discussed in light of the literature, their implications for further research and for practice.


title: Gestational weight gain among women from low income communities: What are the associated factors and what are the subsequent weight status consequences for these women and their children?

format: Full-text application/pdf

subject:
Gestational Weight Gain
Better Begginings Better Futures

abstract:
This study explored individual and interpersonal characteristics and demographic factors
related to gestational weight gain (GWG) and examined the relationship between GWG and
infant birth weight, child weight status at four years of age, and maternal weight status
longitudinally. Data come from the Better Beginnings, Better Futures (BBBF) project, a primary
prevention project conducted in economically disadvantaged communities in Ontario. A total of
562 participants provided data necessary for the calculation of GWG and were included in the
study. Additional data were collected on demographic, physical, mental health and lifestyle
topics at approximately three month, 1.5, 2.5, 4 and 8 year intervals.
The Social Ecological Model was used as a tool to select variables and to create a
framework for examining the interconnectedness of these variables. Between 9.6% and10.8% of
the variability in GWG was attributable to the women’s country of birth, age, pre-pregnant BMI
and the ability to afford food and living expenses. Being Canadian born significantly increased
GWG by 7.17 lbs to 7.99 lbs. Increasing pre-pregnant BMI was associated with lower GWG and
women classified as obese prior to pregnancy had a lower GWG by 10.88 lbs on average,
compared to women with lower BMIs. Lack of money for food and living expenses was
associated with a lower average GWG by 3.43 lbs to 3.59 lbs. Each year of age decreased GWG
by an average of 0.22 lbs to 0.28 lbs. Pre-pregnant BMI, country of birth, age, lack of money,taller height and smoking status were predictors of GWG above 2009 Institute of Medicine
recommendations (i.e. high GWG). Women overweight or obese prior to pregnancy had more
than three times the odds of having high GWG compared to underweight and normal weight
women. Taller women were more likely to have high GWG (OR 1.68) as were Canadian born
women (OR 2.44), women less than 20 years of age (OR 1.53), and women who were former
smokers (1.48). Lack of money for food and living expenses decreased the odds of high GWG
(OR 0.641).
GWG was a predictor of birth weight after controlling for pre-pregnant BMI, maternal
smoking status and infant sex with each one pound increase in GWG associated with an average
0.17 lb increase in infant birth weight. Despite a significant association between GWG
classification and average weight-for-height z-score and weight status among the participants’
children at four years of age in bivariate analysis, GWG was not a significant predictor of
childhood weight status in multivariate analysis.
Over the eight years that the women were followed average weight increased by 16.88
lbs and average BMI increased from 23.29 kg/m2 (normal weight) prior to pregnancy to 25.34
kg/m2 (overweight). GWG was a significant predictor of BMI at four and eight years postpartum
when all of the women were examined together. When examined by pre-pregnant BMI status,
GWG predicted higher BMI only among normal weight women. In both cases, GWG was
attributable to only a small part of the variation in BMI.


title: Observations of Preschoolers’ Health Care Play

subject:
play-based childcare
Medical play

abstract:
The focus of this study was to extend health care play opportunities and observe the play created by the children in a child care setting. Medical play is an intervention commonly observed in health care settings where professionals such as child life specialists use play as a healing modality. Although play-based child care programs offer opportunities for the development of a variety of play scenarios with children, the documentation of health care play specifically has been minimal. In order to address this gap in the literature, the researcher undertook a research study using participant observation to support the introduction and documentation of health care play activities. The researcher attended a local child care centre classroom for 10 consecutive days to introduce and observe the interactions of children as they engaged in free play. Parents of 28 preschoolers gave consent for their children to participate in the interactions with the researcher. Field notes, photographs and Learning Stories comprised the data collected. A thematic analysis was completed; 22 basic themes and six organizing themes comprised the global theme, Health Care Play. Additionally, interviews of two early childhood educators resulted in the identification of a single global theme, Perceptions of Health Care Play (Attride-Sterling, 2001). Results indicate the children engaged readily with a range of health care materials and demonstrated each category of medical play as described by McCue (1988).
Future research should continue to initiate health care related play environments for children to increase their exposure to medical information, further promoting diverse play opportunities.


title: The Use of Restorative Justice in the Youth Criminal Justice Act: A Multiple Stakeholder Perspective

subject:
Youth Criminal Justice Act
Canada
Restorative Justice
Juvenile Delinquents
Rehabilitation
Administration of Criminal Justice

abstract:
The use of restorative justice in the youth justice field has increased significantly since the enactment of the Youth Criminal Justice Act in 2003 (Thomas, 2008). Legislation within the Youth Criminal Justice Act requires incarceration to be employed as a last resort leading to increased reliance on extra-judicial programs (Department of Justice Canada, 2009 September). Research into restorative justice use has highlighted a need for standardization of restorative justice programs and has identified ambiguity surrounding the term "restorative justice" (Johnson, 2003). Additional research into restorative justice stakeholder perceptions is essential for the advancement of restorative justice programming. Determining stakeholder motivations, beliefs and implementation practices will provide a better understanding of the standard of programming being provided.
The current research study used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to identify restorative justice stakeholder beliefs, values and attitudes regarding restorative justice. Four stakeholder groups were identified within a large urban municipality in Nova Scotia. These stakeholders consisted of restorative justice caseworkers, restorative justice volunteers, mental health professionals and police officers. Surveys were distributed to three of these stakeholder groups (restorative justice caseworkers, restorative justice volunteers and mental health professionals). A total of eight surveys were returned from these three stakeholder groups. Seven interviews were also conducted with individuals from the fourth stakeholder group (police officers) and restorative justice administrative figures.
Results from the current study found that many restorative justice stakeholders identified restorative justice as a specific program for youth in conflict with the law. Very few respondents understood restorative justice to be a philosophy and unique way of looking at criminal offending. Gaps in restorative justice programming within the researched municipality were also identified. A need for higher standards of communication across all stakeholder groups was identified as an important feature to address. Research respondents further highlighted the need for additional community and societal support in the restorative justice field. Participants identified that increased funding for training opportunities and additional community programming would assist restorative justice in increasing its effectiveness. Restorative justice stakeholders require adequate training, funding and knowledge in order to implement high standard restorative justice programming for victims and youth within Nova Scotia.


title: Parents', Early Childhood Educators' and Grade Primary Teachers' Perceptions of School Readiness

subject:
Preschool children
Readiness for school
Early childhood education

abstract: This research proposes to examine the views of Grade Primary teachers, early childhood educators and parents as they relate to school readiness. A review of the literature has revealed that research considers the idea of school readiness as complex. The issues are explored in a discussion of various points of view, which challenge for the correct response to the question of whose responsibility it is to provide for school readiness in preschool age children. The questions, namely, are whether the child itself should be the target of appropriate programmes resulting in his or her preparation for integration into the formal education system; or should the school be readying itself for the child; or finally whether the responsibility falls on society to provide appropriate programmes that support the readying of both the child and the school system jointly. The central themes that arose in the literature review were used to compile a series of questions, which sought to extract the perspectives currently held by Grade Primary teachers, early childhood educators and parents on the topic of school readiness and the contending schools of thought mentioned above. These questions were asked of a random selection of Grade Primary teachers, early childhood educators and parents, in an interview setting, who expressed an interest in participating in this study. The process of interviews generated data, which in turn was analysed to reveal a qualitative reflection of the views of Grade Primary teachers, early childhood educators and parents with regards to school readiness. In order to accurately analyse the data, the thematic questions were supplemented by a series of general information questions that were intended to place respondents within a demographic context. 2 Results of this study may serve to aid those professionals responsible for policy changes, transitioning policies, early childhood education policies and curriculum building. It is anticipated that the information gathered, together with the thematic issues discussed, will lead to informed policy decisions that ensure the best possible services are provided to pre-primary age children and their families and guarantee optimal school readiness.


title: Gender-free education in Japan: Postmodern feminist approaches to knowledge construction in classrooms

abstract: This research examines how an ongoing educational challenge in Japan for removing gender inequality from the hidden curriculum, called “gender-free education”, has brought confusion to Japanese societies and the learning environments. Although female teachers’ are struggling for creating gender equalities in the classrooms through gender-frecurriculum, their practices have supported producing male normalized context, since gender equality in the classrooms is still represented as the sameness and fairness of boys and girls. This study illustrates that gender-only and gender binary conceptions of equality achievement are easily recuperated into dualistic hierarchical discourse, and consistently conceal how the self and others are positioned multiply privileged and oppressed. Creating gender-sensitive perspectives based on experimental curriculum, which requires questioning our positionalities and internalized gender biases is considered.


title: Talking Big About Small Talk: A Contemporary Theoretical Model for Phatic Communication

subject:
small talk
Online communication
Phatic communication

abstract:
This thesis views phatic communication as a discursive mechanism relevant to the
establishment and maintenance of social bonds, even in contemporary times. The
theoretical framework that guides this research is Thomas Scheff's sociological Bond
Theory. Through it, the functional significance of phatic communication in interpersonal
relationships and society at large is characterized. Further attention is given to phaticity in
social media, where online social platforms are used to establish and maintain bonds
through different mechanisms. The framework for this purpose comes from the work of
sociologist Vincent Miller and his concept of phatic culture. A theoretical model for
phatic communication is elaborated through a classificatory scheme that identifies the
formal and structural characteristics of phatic communication and phatic gestures. In
consort with this process, representative illustrations of phatic communication are
presented and explained from fabricated and secondary data. Sources for analysis include
social occasions, such as greetings and spontaneous conversation in transient space,
dialogues in work places, and exchanges in private contexts.


title: The Dalhousie University Medical Humanities Program

subject: Medical education, Canada, Medical humanities programs, Medical schools

abstract:
Although interest in the role of the humanities in medical education is increasing
in Canada, literature on the subject is scanty.

The following is a case study that describes and analyzes the Dalhousie Medical
Humanities Program. The aim of this study is to add to the literature on the humanities in
medicine; provide information for others elsewhere in Canada and internationally who
would like to develop their own medical humanities programs; illustrate the benefits of
the program to encourage ongoing support for the program; and enable participants to set
new goals for the program.
Review of the literature reveals a renewed interest in the medical humanities. This
thesis identifies reasons for, obstacles to, and models for introducing the medical
humanities into medical curricula.
A detailed description of the history and components of the Medical Humanities
Program at Dalhousie University illustrates that, in keeping with the trend elsewhere in
the world, there is a strong presence of the medical humanities at Dalhousie University.
The program was the first of its type in Canada, and the only program in the world that
boasts a well-developed medical music program.
Review of the results of a survey of the medical community on their awareness of,
involvement in and opinions on the program, shows that among the responders there was
great enthusiasm for the program. Survey participants felt that the program was excellent
and essential. Dalhousie was seen to be a national leader in the medical humanities, and
the program is a great attraction for some prospective medical students. Compared to other medical schools in Canada, Dalhousie is indeed a leader in the
medical humanities in Canada.
Future opportunities for the program include developing a stronger presence of
the history of medicine in the medical curriculum; developing a master’s program in the
medical humanities; and formal evaluation of the program.
A more in-depth study of medical humanity activities at other medical schools is
needed in order for us to place ourselves in the context of our peers, and for us to learn
from one another in order to continually improve the quality of medical education in
Canada.


title: The Effects of Acute Stress on Executive Functioning in a School-Age Population

subject: Acute stress, academic achievement, executive functions

abstract:
Acute stress appears to impact academic achievement in part by impairing executive functions. Executive functions are cognitive processes that help to control our attention, working memory, planning and organizing skills. Researchers investigated the effect of increased stress during working memory performance in male and female grade 11 students. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a psychosocial stress (experimental) group and a non-stress (control) group. Attempts to induce acute stress for participants in the experimental group were made via instructions from the Trier Social Stress Test and physiological responses to stress were measured by pulse (beats per minute). Participants completed two tasks measuring their working memory function: Digit Span and Symbol-Digit Modalities Test. Based on the literature, we hypothesized that increased stress would impair working memory performance. No significant differences were found for performance on Digit Span tasks between the control and experimental group. However, a moderate effect size for performance on Digit Span-Backward was noted. Additionally, a moderate effect size was indicated for baseline (pre-test) heart rate.
Results indicated significant differences for performance on Digit Span-Forward between males and females. Finally, strong positive correlations were found for participants in the experimental group between trait anxiety and Digit Span-Forward, as well as between state and trait anxiety scores. These findings are consistent with the Yerkes-Dodson Law, indicating students who experience a mild stressor and have higher trait anxiety are more likely to achieve an optimal level of success.


title: Extracurricular Activity Participation in Elementary School Children: Links to Well-Being and Academic Achievement

subject:
Parent participation
Elementary
Education
Academic achievement
Children
Self-perception
School children
Newfoundland and Labrador
Student activities

abstract:
In the current study correlations between extracurricular activity participation,
parental involvement, well-being, and academic competence in elementary school
children were examined. In addition, interactions between activity and parental
involvement in the prediction of well-being and academic success were explored.
Seventy-two children (M age= 10.9 years, SD = 0.85) and 53 parents participated.
Results indicated significant correlations between support, pressure, well-being, and
academic competence. Results also revealed 4 significant interactions: 1) parental
pressure x activity participation in the prediction of well-being, 2) parental pressure x
activity participation in the prediction of academic competence, 3) parental support x
activity participation in the prediction of well-being, 4) parental support x activity
participation in the prediction of academic competence. Follow up analyses were
conducted to establish differences between children who participate in low versus high
numbers of activities. Results are discussed in terms of how extracurricular activities and
parental involvement in activities impact upon positive outcomes in childhood.


title: Buffering...Please Wait... Policy as a Barrier to Effective Technology Integration in School

contributor:
Clarke, Dr. Carolyn
Manning, Dr. Andrew

subject: technology, educational spectrum, students, technology integration, contextualization, policy, barrier

subject: technology

subject: educational spectrum

subject: technology integration

subject: contextualization

abstract: Technology in our lives is pervasive. We rely on technological tools to perform many of our daily activities, from professional tasks and personal finances to transportation and social networking. So too, this pervasiveness finds its way into the educational spectrum. Students and educators alike find it within the halls of schools and hands of students in classrooms. To this end, the integration of technology in the learning environment has long been a topic of controversy and disagreement. Studies have pointed out a number of barriers associated with the successful integration of technology in school, such as time, money, resources, professional development and, attitudes and beliefs. The research presented here focuses on policy as a barrier to effective technology integration. Four documents from regional school districts are analyzed using a qualitative content analysis (QCA) method. The documents are coded under three main categories: use, responsibility and other. Major themes that emerge are: the contextualization of technology as separate from education, policy documents as admonitions, technology as a liability and, technology as a privilege.


title: The Effect of Total Milk Protein, Casein and Whey Protein Ingestion on Blood Glucose and Insulin in Rats

subject: Rats, dairy, postprandial glycaemia

abstract: Dairy product consumption is highly associated with reduced postprandial glycaemia. Dairy proteins, including caseins, and whey protein, have been found to reduce postprandial glucose response and increase insulin response. However, the effect of milk protein fractions on short-term blood glucose control is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the acute effect of total milk protein (TMP), micellar casein (CN), and whey protein (WP) on blood glucose and insulin in rats. The rationale for this study is based on the fact that dairy products have a different protein composition determined by their natural and added content of milk proteins and therefore the glycaemic control provided by dairy products is particularly determined by their protein composition. The hypothesis of this study was that TMP, CN and WP may have a distinct effect on short-term blood glucose and insulin response.


title: Preschool and Kindergarten Teacher's Views on School Readiness: A Comparison between Silkeborg, Denmark and Truro, Nova Scotia

subject: Silkeborg, Denmark

subject: Early childhood teachers -- Nova Scotia

subject: Early childhood education -- Cross-cultural studies

abstract:
The question of which skills children should possess upon entrance into the public school

system has been a topic of much debate for decades (Elkind, 2006; Katz, 1996). Due to beliefs

and values held by many individuals in North American society, parents often feel pressured to

help their children have an edge over other children when it comes to academics and therefore

feel the need to expose their children to academic materials from a very young age. Other

parents, however, feel that children are best prepared for a successful transition into kindergarten

by having lots of opportunity to play, explore and be creative in their formative years. These

divergent views often place early childhood educators in a difficult position. They must decide

how they will help foster children's growth and development based on what they have learned,

what they believe to be true, what they feel parents are looking for in terms of early learning

experiences, and which skills teachers expect children to possess when they enter kindergarten.

Therefore, this research looks at preschool and kindergarten teachers' views on school

readiness in Silkeborg, Denmark and Truro, Nova Scotia. It explored the notion that teachers' perception of readiness can, and do vary, depending on the beliefs and values held by the society

in which the teacher lives. It also takes a look into what teachers feel is currently working within

their respective settings, how much support they feel they are receiving, and where they would

like to see change. Preschool and kindergarten teachers in both communities were sent research

packages via their principal or director. Each package contained: 1) a letter outlining the purpose

of the research, 2) a demographic survey, 3) a School Readiness Surveys, 4) a consent form to

complete if they were willing to participate in an individual interview, and 5) a return envelope.

Approximately 60% (n = 93) of the surveys were returned. Eight teachers were interviewed, two

preschool teachers and two kindergarten teachers from each community for a total of eight.

Results from the survey analysis and the interviews were consistent, indicating few

differences by professional group but philosophical and functional differences between responses

from teachers in Silkeborg in comparison to teachers in Truro. It appears that both preschool and

kindergarten teachers in Silkeborg feel relatively well supported and content. They have a

holistic view of children and feel it is their responsibility to keep children engaged in learning.

They believe in preschool teachers, teachers parents and communities working together to help

make a child's transition into school run smoothly. Conversely, teachers in Truro felt

substantially under resourced and often unsupported. They struggle to maintain balance between

academics and other skills related to the overall well-being of the child such as social skills,

independence and emotional competence. Developmentally appropriate practice seemed to be

well understood and often talked about, but not always practiced.

Teachers in Truro indicated that they would like to see more support provided to them

from their respective government departments. In-service training opportunities should be

offered on topics such as developmentally appropriate practice so as to raise the general public

awareness regarding how children learn, and therefore lead to a broader understanding of which

skills are most valuable for children to possess upon entrance into the public school system.


title: Investigating the Dualistic Nature of Empathy and Empathizing

subject:
Roots of Empathy Program
empathy

abstract:
Empathy is often regarded as a warm feeling or experience towards others: just one. While this is
correct, the literature points to two types of empathy that have different origins. In an attempt to
reveal the two kinds of empathy, an expounding of the etymological and historical roots of
empathy was resorted to. To explain how interrelated and often interchangeable the concept of
empathy is in relation to other words of inter-subjective feeling such as pity, compassion and
sympathy, the meanings of all four words were discussed. For an exploration of the implications
of the new understanding of empathy on practice, the Roots of Empathy Program was selected.
The theoretical basis for the program was then compared to two models presented in this
paper. The two models represent processes resulting from cognitive and affective empathy.
Content information from material pertaining to the program was plotted on two matrices : one
for each model. Upon analysing the data, it was determined that the Roots of Empathy Program
makes the assumption that knowledge of a "target's" situation automatically leads to concern. It
was also determined that the program resorted to "perspective taking", and did not include
"perceived similarity" in its implementation. Benefiting from the proposed models in this thesis
could be helpful in introducing "perceived similarity" into empathy related practice.


title: Making Sense of NB Power's Energy Efficiency Change: Will Customers Get on Board?

subject:
energy efficiency
customer engagement
Excellence Theory

abstract:
The electricity landscape is changing from one where utilities build their infrastructure to meet peak demand to using technology and communications to be more energy efficient. Paramount to utilities achieving this goal of energy efficiency is changing their
relationship with customers from a service provide to energy partner. This change in
customer behaviour and attitude requires a transformational change strategy for utilities.
Much of the literature suggests best practices that mirror the characteristics of Grunig’s
Excellence Theory of communications, as utility and customer must be aligned and work
together. As a vertically-integrated, publically owned utility, NB Power provides an
interesting case study into energy efficiency campaign. It is in the first three years of a
ten-year partnership with Siemens Canada to implement Reduce and Shift Demand, a
program to investigate potential technology to be more energy efficient that runs in
parallel with a promotional campaign to engage customers. A qualitative analysis of the text on NB Power’s website, as seen through the analytical constructs of Weick’s Sensemaking properties and benefits and barriers, and demonstrated by Fisk’s Theory of Responsible Consumption and Throne-Holst et al.’s Barriers to Energy Savings Solutions, provides insight into how NB Power perceives their customer, their objectives and themselves.


title: May I Have Your Attention Please. Morning Announcements: Using Discourse Analysis to Investigate an Everyday School Experience

subject: Communication in education -- Evaluation

subject: Elementary school principals -- Identity

subject: Elementary school administration -- Evaluation

subject: Toronto Catholic District School Board

abstract: This thesis examines the discourse used during morning announcements by elementary principals at three separate schools in the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). Using the theoretical frameworks of institutional ethnography and discourse analysis, this data is analyzed to examine whether principals use morning announcements primarily as an information sharing exercise or they use announcements to serve other purposes as well. My analysis of the data concludes that principals not only use morning announcements to share information and manage the day-to-day business of running a school. Principals also use morning announcements create for themselves (either consciously or unconsciously) what I call a "principal" identity. Thematic and structural analysis is used to analyze the data in order to better understand a common structure of delivery evident in all three schools. This serves to underscore the concept of ruling relations; a notion used by institutional ethnographers to demonstrate how everyday experiences within institutions are mediated by an internally coordinated complex of administrative, managerial and discursive organization that often remain hidden. Thematic analysis is also used to highlight key themes within the content of the announcements. Three key themes of Safety/Rules, Personal Connections and Spiritual Education are examined. This study uses discourse analysis to reflect on how language does the work of several building tasks; those of identity, relationship and politics are the most relevant to this analysis. The findings are helpful in giving a better understanding of the often-overlooked everyday practice of delivering morning announcements in elementary schools. Principals are encouraged to consider how this practice offers them an important opportunity to connect with students and demonstrate positive models of leadership.


title: From University to Employment: Chinese International Students’ Strategies for Integration and Settlement in Nova Scotia

subject: Chinese international students, permanent residency, Nova Scotia

abstract:
In recent decades, Canada has attracted an increasing number of international students from all over the world. Among those international students studying in Canada, students from China make up the majority of the population. Even though Nova Scotia is a smaller province located in the East coast of Canada and had been ignored by Chinese international students and Chinese immigrants in the past, the number of Chinese international students enrolling the universities in Nova Scotia has increased in recent years. Meanwhile, Nova Scotia is in need of more skilled international students to promote the economic growth and prosperity of the province because of a declining birth rate and an aging population. Existing research tends to explore the current situation of international students studying and living in Canada and also tends to examine their difficulties and challenges staying in Canada; studies about the successful transition from
international students to permanent residents in Canada are limited. This study focuses on Chinese immigrants in Nova Scotia to explore the successful transitional journeys from
international student to permanent resident in Canada. Data were collected through in-depth interviewing of eight participants who had already graduated from universities in Nova Scotia, and were employed in jobs which met the criteria of Citizenship and Immigration Canada to get permanent residency status in Canada. In this qualitative study, the researcher draws on transformative learning theory and self-directed learning theory to contribute to the analysis of the participants’ lifelong learning experiences after arriving in Canada. The findings of this research not only uncovered the positive successful integration experiences of the participants but also have important implications for retaining more skilled international students to meet the demand of the Nova Scotian labour market.


title: The influence of role-playing games on perceived social competence:

subject: Role-playing games, social competence,

abstract: This study examined the relation between tabletop role-playing games and social competence in young adults. A mixed methods approach was used to extend previous research in this area. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to assess perceived social competence from participants and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect detailed qualitative data about experiences with role-playing games. Six young adults (3 men, 3 women) between the ages of 19 and 24 (M = 21.2, SD = 2.6) participated. Responses on the SDQ indicated that people who play role-playing games have typical strengths and difficulties with respect to social competence. The qualitative description indicated the emergence of four themes: Content Focus, Social Focus, Creativity Focus, and Identity Focus. These themes are consistent with findings from previous case study research, in that role-playing games may have the potential to improve social competence.


title: Restorative Justice and Family Violence: Youth-to-Parent Abuse

subject:
Nova Scotia
Treatment
Children
Violence
Problem youth
Problem children
Restorative justice
Abused parents
Abuse
Family violence

abstract:
Youth-to-Parent abuse is a form of family violence that has received

minimal attention both at a societal level and in the academic literature. Researchers are

unable to say with any degree of certainly if or how youth-to-parent abuse is different

than spousal/partner, child or elder abuse. The Restorative Justice Program in Halifax,

Nova Scotia receives approximately sixty such cases a year. Using a qualitative

phenomenological approach that incorporated feminist-informed research principles, this

study investigated the experiences of six parents, four mothers and one couple. All five

cases involved families where the youth had acted out violently against his/her parents.

Subsequently the parents called the police and in all cases the youth were referred to the

Restorative Justice program for resolution. Participants took part in audio-taped

interviews that lasted from ninety minutes to two and a half hours. A semi-structured

interview with open-ended questions encouraged parents to reconstruct their experiences

as narratives. The findings were analyzed using a reflective structural analysis

(Moustakas, 1994) and Kirby & McKenna’s (1989) adaptation of the constant

comparison method.

Parents’ descriptions of their youths’ behaviors met the definition of youth-toparent

abuse. The findings are organized around five focus areas: Power Struggles,

Parents’ Construction of their Children’s Problems, Parents’ Perceptions of Their Roles

and Responsibilities, Negative Responses from the Systems and Positive Responses from

the Systems. Themes emerged from each focus area and include: negative school

experiences, family influences, labeling, cultural influences, negative peer influences,

setting limits, persuasive talks, ambivalence, never give up, blaming the parents,

vii

ineffectual solutions/band-aid solutions, some solutions made the problems worse, not

taking the problem seriously, parents felt heard, non-judgmental, help provided for

parents and youth, complex solutions, hopeful futures.

A nested ecological theoretical model (Cottrell & Monk, 2004) captured the

myriad of influences found to contribute to youth-to-parent abuse. Four levels contribute

to the model: Ontogenetic (individual characteristics), Macrosystem (media images),

Exosystem (social services, schools, peers), and the Microsystem (family influences).

The findings supported that a complex interrelatedness between the four levels influenced

the youths’ behavior. The findings of this project illuminate the need for an integrated

holistic approach when providing support to parents who suffer youth-to-parent abuse.

Implications for future research highlight the need for research that investigates

individual characteristics of the youth such as early aggression, mental health issues, and

substance abuse. Further investigation into how negative school experiences affect youth

and what role power dynamics play on the family warrant exploration.

An integrated approach to youth-to-parent abuse is suggested where a familysystems

modal of intervention addresses individual needs separately and family’s need

simultaneously. The Restorative Justice process was successful from some of the parents’

perspective because the needs of the youth (offender) and the victims (mothers) were

addressed.


title: The Politics of Omission: Religion in Women’s Studies

subject:
Religion
Women's Studies

abstract:
In this thesis I attempt to uncover how religion is included as a topic of discourse
in Introductory Women’s Studies courses across Canada. This examination is framed by
theories on difference and the relatively new field of epistemologies of ignorance. More
specifically, I discuss the relationship between ignorance and what is included in
curriculum, as well as how religion, as a particular kind of difference among women, is
treated within women’s studies. In order to examine the discourse around religion in
Introductory Women’s Studies I looked at the textbooks and syllabi used in these courses.
This data was collected through website searches and e-mailed surveys. This
examination concludes with two case studies (one on Muslim Women in Canada, the
other on the same-sex marriage debate) which work to draw out particular discourses
occurring in the textbooks used in the courses. Additionally, the case studies point
towards directions one could take in order to more knowledgeably include religion as a
topic of discourse.


title: Social-Cognitive Processing and Biases in Children with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities

subject:
Social learning
Patients
Nonverbal
Psychological aspects
Social perception
Attitudes
Toronto
Ontario
Children
Learning disabilities

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between hostile

attribution bias and social-emotional functioning in children with nonverbal learning

disabilities (NLD). A subset of the data collected by Tanya Galway, a University of

Toronto doctoral student, was examined. Sixteen children with NLD and sixteen

normally achieving controls between the ages of 9 and 16 were given the Social Problem

Solving Measure (Galway, 2007) to examine hostile attribution bias, and parents and

teachers of the children completed the Achenbach System of Empirically Based

Assessment (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) to examine social-emotional functioning.

Children with NLD were rated higher than normally achieving peers, by both parent and

teacher informants, on the anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, internalizing,

aggressive and externalizing scales. Parents of children with NLD rated their children

higher than teachers on these scales. Children with NLD differed from normally

achieving peers on a measure of hostile attribution bias more frequently endorsing that a

story character was being mean. Group differences in hostile attribution bias were

accounted for by individual differences in depression and aggression, but not by

individual differences in anxiety.


title: Can Adolescents' Attentiveness be Predicted from Emotion Regulation and Personality Characteristics?

abstract:
This study examined the attentiveness levels of 58 adolescent students between the ages
of 12-15. All students were surveyed using three measures: Conners Rating Scale-
Revised, Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised and the HEXACO-60.
The CRS-RS was used to measure participants’ attentiveness, while the EATQ-R
measured how well each participant regulated their emotions. The HEXACO-60
measured the participants’ personality factors. Results indicated that male participants
had significantly higher levels of inattentiveness compared to female participants.
Further, correlations were noted among personality factors, and inattention was
negatively correlated with emotionality and conscientiousness. Finally a regression
analysis revealed that personality factors significantly accounted for variance in attention
levels, and emotionality was a significant predictor. Personality factors may play a key
role in predicting adolescents’ attentiveness in the classroom.


title: A study of Gaelic language and culture in Cape Breton's Barra Gaidhealtachd

subject:
Social life
Study and teaching
Scottish Gaelic language
Scots
customs
Dialects
Intellectual life
Cape Breton Island
Nova Scotia

abstract:
The purpose of this study of Gaelic language and culture in Cape Breton's

Barra Gaidhealtachd is to discover trends in the loss of the Gaelic language and culture

in this community and to identify what will be lost as a result. While estimated numbers

of Gaelic speakers indicate that in the 1800s there were approximately one hundred

thousand speakers, today there are few living people for whom Gaelic is a first language

in Nova Scotia. The type of Gaelic most commonly spoken in Cape Breton is Scottish

Gaelic which is currently an endangered language. This study focuses specifically on

communities in Cape Breton which were settled by people from Barra, Scotland, but the

research has implications for the Gaelic community of Nova Scotia as a whole. For this

investigation, five Gaelic speakers from Cape Breton's Barra Gaidhealtachd were

interviewed and extensive archival research was conducted at the Beaton Institute in

Sydney, Cape Breton. Four trends that contributed to the decline of the Gaelic language

include: government policies towards Gaelic language, depopulation of rural areas, the

movement of English into Gaelic communities, and the passing of the last Gaelic

monolinguals. Much more then a language stands to be lost if the Barra dialect dies out

in this community. For example, language loss is connected to the loss of worldview and

culture and also to the blas (taste) of the language. The impact of the outside English

world on Gaelic speakers' confidence in the language is explored, as is the role of the

Nova Scotian government, in terms of its support of the language and lack thereof at

different historical moments.


title: Cursive or Right Click? A Critical Analysis of Lifelong Learning and Cursive Writing

subject: cursive writing, handwriting, curriculum

abstract:
Cursive writing is a skill that contributes to learning, yet in an age of increasing technology it is no longer being considered as an integral aspect of the school curriculum. Cursive writing helps in terms of cognitive development, improves literacy skills and the aesthetics of handwriting and provides a foundation for lifelong learning. In this thesis I use Boyer`s (1990) integrative scholarship approach to draw upon different theoretical perspectives such as the pedagogy of multiliteracies, my experiences as a Waldorf educator, and various empirical research studies that follow the evolution of handwriting to current brain-based research on cursive writing. I argue that there are multiple benefits and reasons for retaining cursive writing as part of the curriculum in schooling. I further examine the ways in which neoliberalism shapes the decision-making process of educators, parents, and policy-makers, to weaken critical discourse that should inform important decisions in schooling, such as whether or not cursive writing is a valuable and important aspect of the curriculum. I assert that informed decision-making is key, and the main driving force behind it should provide very clear ideas of what people need to help them survive in the globalized educational context. I contend that the decision regarding dropping cursive from the curriculum was implemented without considering potential detrimental consequences. I also debate how this decision-making takes place.

In order to give the reader a better appreciation of cursive I provide a historical background of handwriting. Then I look at the literature on Waldorf schooling, to point out the  connections between embodied and aesthetic learning and to explain why it is that cursive is so integral to the curriculum. The pedagogy of multiliteracies explains why we need more than one  approach to literacy and that learning should be about inclusion not exclusion. Brain-based research describes what cognitive psychologists have to say about the importance of cursivewriting and intellectual development. In this thesis I scrutinize the notion of choice and express my concerns with regard to providing all children with equitable resources for growth and learning – we make these decisions as adults in our roles as parents, teachers and policy-makers so we have a responsibility to carefully assess options not just based on immediate job needs or  economic expediency. I argue that our society is full of risks and what we need to do in such an environment is to realize that there are a number of variables that affect our learning trajectory; we must therefore learn to navigate based on the decisions we make and choices we elect. To find answers to my inquiries I considered it important to pull together the abovementioned aspects of research and theory to provide a cohesive argument for the importance of cursive writing, and to theorize from existing adult education literature.


title: Consultation Practices of Nova Scotia School Psychologists

subject:
Counselors
Teachers
School psychology
Nova Scotia
School psychologists

abstract:
School psychologists engage in consultation practices to better serve the

psychological and educational needs of their students (Siegel & Cole, 2003). School

consultation has been described as a collaborative and interdependent problem-solving

process between consultants and consultees for the purpose of exchanging information.

Consultants provide specialized knowledge to others while consultees seek information

or assistance from others (Zins & Erchul, 2002). This model of consultation is

appropriate for the school setting because consultants and consultees form a partnership

and share responsibility for student outcomes (Erchul & Myers, 1996; Henning-Stout &

Bonner, 1996). Consultation may be particularly important for school psychologists who

work in rural communities as research has suggested that rural school psychologists

encounter challenges that are unique to working in more isolated areas such as

professional isolation, lack of available or accessible resources, and having to assume the

role of a generalist.

This study was conducted to identify and compare rural and urban Nova Scotia

school psychologists’ consultation practices in their roles as consultants and consultees. It

also explored what they perceived as some of the barriers and facilitators to effective

consultation practices, and examined whether these differed for psychologists in urban as

compared to rural settings.

Surveys were sent to 66 school psychologists believed to be practicing in Nova

Scotia. Thirty-eight, or 58%, were included in the data analysis. Most respondents had

limited experience in the field. Fifty percent of participants had been practicing for five

years or less and 92% had been practicing for 15 years or less. Findings indicated that

Consultation Practices III

many school psychologists who were practicing in Nova Scotia engaged in consultation

practices, as consultants and consultees, on a regular basis. Significant positive

correlations were found between how often school psychologists acted as consultants and

consultees with various others suggesting an interdependent and reciprocal relationship

between school psychologists and other professionals and non-professionals. Participants

viewed working collaboratively with others to solve problems and gathering and

receiving knowledge and support as important to them in their practice. Most consultation

appeared to be occurring at the school-level with participants reporting that they

consulted most often with school personnel and parents. School psychologists reported

consulting most often for academic and behavioral issues and most reported being

confident or very confident in their ability to act as a consultant for these issues.

Although most participants indicated they were somewhat satisfied or satisfied

with their current level of consultation, almost three quarters of all respondents reported

they would like to spend more time on consultation. Respondents indicated the most

significant barriers to effective consultation were heavy caseloads, doing too many

psycho-educational assessments, and servicing too many schools. Facilitators to effective

consultation were administrative support, time allocated for consultation, common

planning time with staff, flexibility in scheduling, promoting the role of the school

psychologist, effective communication, parental involvement and participation in sitebased

and program planning teams, being a regular presence in schools, and shifting from

a psycho-educational assessment focus to a comprehensive service delivery model.

Few significant differences in consultation practices were identified among rural,

urban, and combined rural and urban school psychologists. Urban participants were more

Consultation Practices IV

likely than rural and combined participants to act as a consultant for family doctors.

Urban and combined participants were more likely to provide information to social

workers. Rural participants reported being sought out more often than urban and

combined participants for assistance with social-emotional issues and rated gathering

information for social-emotional issues as more important. No significant differences

were identified with respect to barriers or facilitators to effective consultation. The lack

of significant differences may have been a result of the small number of participants in

the urban and combined rural and urban groups.


title: Barriers for Women in Accessing Primary (Family) Health Care in Nova Scotia

subject: Heath care, Nova Scotia, Indigenous women, women of colour, immigrant women

abstract:
This thesis explores the barriers that women face in accessing primary (family) health care in Nova Scotia, Canada. Specifically, this study is concerned with the barriers that Indigenous women, women of colour and immigrant women face in accessing primary care. Twenty-eight Nova Scotian primary care physicians completed an online survey regarding their perspectives on barriers that women may face in accessing primary care (numerous other physicians answered part of the survey but did not complete it). One-hundred-ninety-three Nova Scotians who have experience accessing primary care services completed a separate online survey regarding their experiences with family medical care in Nova Scotia, and the barriers that they have faced in accessing care. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses revealed that Nova Scotian patients
and physicians alike believe there are barriers to primary care access (especially for women). Indigenous women, women of colour and immigrant women populations identified particular barriers not expressed by participants who belonged to other groups.


title: The Effects of Lexical Knowledge on Nonword Repetition

subject:
School children -- Psychology
Memory in children -- United States
Word recognition -- Ability testing

abstract:
The present study examined the influence of long-term lexical memory on young

children's performances on nonword repetition tasks. Children's responses on a nonword

repetition task from a prior study (Metsala, 1999) were analyzed for 3 age groups (Mage =

51, 70, and 78 months). Syllables from 2-, 3-, and 4-syllable nonwords were entered into

a database to determine the lexical status of each syllable (word or nonword) and

neighborhood densities (number of similarly sounding words for a target syllable). In

addition, errors made on the nonword syllables were analyzed to determine error types

(word substituted for nonword target or nonword substituted for word target) and error

densities. Findings supported the position that lexical memory influences nonword

repetition across the four main hypotheses. First, word syllables within nonwords were

repeated correctly more often than nonword syllables for the longest nonwords. Young

children were less accurate than the two older groups at repeating nonword syllables, but

there were no developmental differences for word syllables. Second, the young and

middle groups of children more frequently substituted a word for a nonword target than a

nonword for a word target; however, this effect was absent for the oldest group of

children. Third, children were more accurate at repeating syllables from dense than sparse

neighborhoods for 3- and 4-syllable nonwords. Finally, the mean density of children's

errors across each target syllable was higher than the target densities. Results are

discussed within the broader context of lexical development and provide further support

for the proposition that individual differences on nonword repetition tasks are largely

accounted for by children's vocabulary knowledge.


title: An Exploration of Clinical Instructors' Experiences and Perceptions of the Physical Therapy Clinical Performance Instrument

subject:
Clinical instructors
Physiotherapy clinical instructors
Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI)

abstract:
Clinical education is an essential component of the preparation of physiotherapy students for their readiness to practice. Education and evaluation of students’ clinical performance is carried out under the guidance of qualified physiotherapist clinical instructors who have had varying amounts of preparation for their roles. Clinical instructors observe physiotherapy students’ behaviour within the complex context of patient care and interpret their performance as it relates to defined evaluation criteria. Canadian physiotherapy programs use The Physical Therapy Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI) to evaluate students. The CPI was developed as an evaluation tool that would be widely accepted and applicable to a broad range of clinical environments.
The purpose of this study was to explore the shared experiences of physiotherapy clinical instructors using the CPI and their perceptions of its relevance to clinical practice and student evaluation.
Three focus groups were assembled using a purposeful sampling approach. Physiotherapy clinical instructors from three tertiary healthcare facilities affiliated with Dalhousie University participated. Verbatim transcripts of the focus group discussions constituted the research data. A qualitative data-analysis revealed five themes: CPI for summative evaluation, CPI for formative evaluation, training to use the CPI, shared learning, and practicality of the CPI.
The clinical instructors described factors that influenced their perception of the value of the CPI as well as their application of it. The strength of the CPI was considered to be its use as a tool to promote dialogue and learning. Its use for summative evaluation was perceived to be problematic due to inconsistent application across clinical instructors. Training to use the CPI was useful and was considered a positive influence on the clinical instructors’ understanding of it. The language, irrelevance of some performance criteria, and excessive overall length of the CPI were found to have a negative impact on its practicality.
This exploratory study indicated challenges and the potential impact that inconsistent understanding of the CPI can have on the clinical evaluation of physiotherapy students. Further study is required to determine the impact that training has on clinical instructors’ application and satisfaction with the CPI.


title: “Set our spirits free: Exploring the role of spirituality as an anti-oppressive agent in the formal education of African Nova Scotian learners”

subject: Spirituality, education, African Nova Scotian learners


title: Teacher perceptions of written expression: Adaptations used in the classroom for struggling writers

subject:
Written expression
Teaching methods - writing
Executive function

abstract:
This study examined how teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia adapt teaching
methods in the writing process to accommodate students who struggle with writing. Self-reported
responses focused on feelings of preparedness to teach writing and writing strategies, specific
writing adaptations being used, confidence to implement different strategies, and specific challenges
encountered from 27 elementary and high school teachers were examined. Teachers were asked to
complete a survey indicating specific strategies used to teach the writing process and adaptions used
when students display writing difficulties. Teachers were also asked to rate their level of confidence
to implement various strategies and concepts and to determine the level of importance for each in
their own classroom while teaching the writing process. Teachers were also asked to include
demographic information pertaining to gender, teaching experience, educational qualifications, etc.
Open-ended responses were analyzed qualitatively to determine common themes among
participants. Results indicated that teachers are using evidence-based interventions to teach the
writing process and help struggling students. However, the study did not inquire about frequency for
each strategy. Most teachers indicated that not enough time was being spent teaching the process of
writing. There were a number of strategies where participants indicated a higher level of importance
than their confidence to implement the strategy, suggesting that more research is needed to clarify
those reasons. Implications for teacher education preparation programs, high school teachers,
understanding the increased demands of writing in other subject areas, and future directions are
discussed.


title: Examining the Relationships Between Parental Meta-Emotion Philosophy, Child Temperament, and Children’s Peer Relationships

subject: Parental meta-emotion philosophy, child temperament, children peer relationships,

abstract: The present study aimed to build upon the growing body of research on parental meta-emotion philosophy, child temperament, and children’s peer relationships. Past researchers indicate that an aspect of parental meta-emotional philosophy, emotion coaching, and child temperament, have implications for children’s outcomes. Though the literature provides insight to how these factors may be related to children’s peer relationships, some aspects remain unclear. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to examine these relationships and evaluate the predictive ability of the parental meta-emotional philosophy of emotion coaching and child temperament on children’s peer relationships. 45 parent-child dyads, comprised of children between 9-12 and their mothers and fathers, completed the Parental Emotional Styles Questionnaire, the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised, and the People in My Life Questionnaire. Results indicated that in the present sample, the parental meta-emotion philosophy of emotion coaching and peer relationships were not significantly correlated. Additionally, emotion coaching was also found not-significantly related to child temperament domains. However, a significant correlation was found between the temperament domain of negative affect and children feeling dissatisfied and alienated from their friends. A significant interaction was also found in a regression model including emotion coaching, negative affect, and alienation. Post-hoc analyses revealed that this may be primarily due to the effect of negative affect on one’s feelings of alienation and dissatisfaction with peers. Results of the present study continue to emphasize the importance of considering the impact of child temperament and call for continuing research to build a fuller picture of the relationships that may exist within parental meta-emotion philosophy, child temperament, and children’s peer relationships, provides considerations for the importance of considering parenting and children’s temperaments when psychologists work with students and their families, and helps clarify recommendations for school psychologists.


title: Social problem strategies of junior high school students with and without learning disabilities

subject:
Social skills in children
Learning disabilities
Self-esteem in children
Learning disabled children

abstract:
This study provides an examination of self-esteem and social problem solving among adolescents with and without learning disabilities. Research (Zeleke, 2004; Bear, Minke, & Manning, 2002; Grolnick & Ryan, 1990; Renick & Harter, 1989) has indicated that individuals with learning disabilities have a lower self-esteem with regards to academics when compared to individuals without learning disabilities. It has also been shown that there are difficulties identifying social problems, generating solutions, and reaching goals among individuals with learning disabilities. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine whether junior high students with and without learning disabilities have differing levels of self-esteem and social problem solving strategies.
Fifty-nine junior high school students in grades seven to nine from the Tri-County Regional School Board participated in this study. Twenty-two of the students had learning disabilities and thirty-seven were classified as having no identified learning disability. Each student was presented with the Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventory- Third Edition (CFSEI-3) and three social problem solving scenarios that were school related.
Results revealed that all participants were in the average range in all areas on the CFSEI-3. There were no significance differences of self-esteem between individuals with and without learning disabilities. For academic, personal, and global self-esteem, grade seven students indicated significantly higher self-esteem scores than grade nine students. Males were found to have a higher self-esteem on the Personal domain of the CFSEI-3 than females. When identifying the problem to the presented social situation, students with learning disabilities were more likely to look for answers on the content of the situation and had more appropriate responses. Students with learning disabilities also tended to note simplistic emotions for the characters in the scenarios, whereas female students without a learning disability indicated more complex emotions. When participants were asked to provide a solution to the social problem situation, participants without learning disabilities were more likely to state that they would seek help form an authority figure. Individuals with learning disabilities tended to provide solutions that were egocentric or avoided the problem situation such as asking for special conditions like extra time for the quiz. Females were more likely to choose a direct role of seeking others to help with the problem when developing solutions whereas males were more likely to choose an indirect solution of having themselves deal with the situation such as walking away from the situation. When asked to note what steps would be involved to obtain the solution they generated, students with learning disabilities had difficulty developing the steps involved in the process.
The results of this study imply that students with learning disabilities have difficulties understanding social problem solving situations when compared to their nondisabled peers. They had difficulty identifying social problems, understanding the emotions of the characters in the scenarios, generating effective solutions to the social situation. School staff need to be encouraged to take a direct role in helping students with learning disabilities employ more effective strategies to better deal with social problem solving situations and interventions are needed for these students to lead more productive lives in the classroom.


title: “WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE?” EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXERCISE ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

subject: Exercise, cognitive functioning, academic performance, engagement

abstract: The present study examined the benefits of exercising and the direct effects of acute exercising on students’ cognitive functioning in the classroom. The researcher was interested to find out if short bouts of exercise have a positive effect on concentration and cognitive performance in the classroom. Furthermore, the researcher was interested to find out if acute exercise results in an increase of learning. It is important to understand the benefits of physical exercise especially for students who are easily distracted or students who experience challenges with learning and academic performance. The study aimed to answer three questions: (1) Do students perform better on a cognitive test after a period of acute exercising? (2) Does acute exercise increase attention, memory, response time and processing speed? (3) Are students more motivated and engaged in the classroom after having exercised? First, it was hypothesized that exercising increases cognitive functioning. Second, it was predicted that acute exercise contributes positively to memory, attention, processing speed and response time. Last, it was hypothesized that student’s level of motivation and engagement increases while participating in class instruction following an exercise class. Support was found that exercising increases cognitive functioning and specifically short bouts of vigorous exercise increase attention, memory, response time, and processing speed. Support was also found for increased motivation and engagement after exercising. A series of statistical analysis were conducted to test the research questions. Study contributions as well as limitations are discussed and included in this study.


title: Play at Work, Work at Play: Play Based Relationship Building in Child and Youth Care

subject: play, play as therapy, healing, relationship building, residential treatment

abstract:
A critical self analysis of fifteen years experience of using play as a therapeutic avenue for
healing and relationship building in a Residential Treatment Centre.


title: Contributing Factors Impacting Incoming Grade 10 Students’ Mathematics Achievement

subject:
Mathematics
Middle School Study and Teaching
Academic Achievement


title: Evidence based best practices in the teaching of written expression: Implications for the atlantic provinces educational outcomes

subject:
Language arts curriculum
Primary education - writing

abstract:
This thesis examined evidence-based best practices in the teaching of written expression
in two phases. The first phase, linked evidence-based research on writing instruction directly to
Atlantic Canada Curriculum outcomes (Grades 4-6) in writing. In the second phase, the Teaching
in Action document (Nova Scotia Department of Education, 2007) was analyzed to determine the
nature of evidence for the components of effective instruction as explained by the Learning
Oriented Teaching (LOT) model (Cate, Snell, Mann, & Vermunt, 2004). Effective components
in instruction include the development of basic writing skills, metacognitive skills, motivation
and the gradual release of responsibility from teacher to student. This thesis can benefit Nova
Scotia teachers as it can serve as a clear and simple reference that links empirically supported
teaching practices to curriculum outcomes. It also provides recommendations to enrich outcomes
within the English language arts curriculum.


title: The Effect of Mixed Meals with Added Pureed Beans and Peas on Satiety and Food Intake in Children

subject:
Satiety
Food intake

abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cooked, pureed navy beans (NB) and yellow peas (YP) on satiety, subsequent food intake and subjective appetite over two hours in 9 to 14 year old children. Methods: In a within-subjects randomized single-blinded controlled cross-over design, 25 children (10 boys and 15 girls) were randomly assigned to consume one of the three isocaloric treatments (250kcal) at each session: 1) pureed NB added to cooked durum wheat pasta with tomato sauce (331.56 g, 12.98 g protein, 14.99 g fibre, 0.83 g fat, 47.37 g carbohydrate); 2) pureed YP added to cooked durum wheat pasta with tomato sauce (322.58 g, 12.66 g protein, 11.59 g fibre, 0.88 g fat, 47.56 g carbohydrate) and 3) additional cooked pureed pasta added to cooked durum wheat pasta with tomato sauce (394.32 g, 10.41 g protein, 5.42 g fibre, 0.78 g fat, 29.79 g carbohydrate). Pureed NB, YP and pasta were added to the meal as 44% of energy. Subjective appetite and gastrointestinal comfort were assessed at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 150 min throughout the study session. Results: Due to the variability in age, weight status and pubertal stage, participants were separated into 1) younger group (9.8y-12.6y) and older group (12.7y-14.8y); 2) lighter-to-normal weight group (underweight and normal weight) and heavier group (overweight and obese); 3) pre-menarcheal and post-menarcheal for girls, and group I (Tanner’s stages 1 & 2) and group II (Tanner’s stages 3 & 4) for boys. There was no effect of treatment on subsequent ad libitum food intake at the test meal 120 min later both in terms of weight and energy. There was a significantly higher solid cumulative food intake (treatment + test meal) in weight with the control treatment compared to that of both NB and YP treatments (P=0.001). When adding the volume of the water provided at the treatment meal to the solid cumulative food intake, there was no significant difference in weight among the treatments (P=0.4). Younger children and lighter-to-normal weight children had significantly lower food intake compared to their older (P=0.001) and heavier (P=0.007) counterparts, respectively. Pre-menarcheal girls had significantly lower food intake both in weight (P=0.03) and energy (P=0.04) compared to post-menarcheal girls, boys at Tanner’s stages 1 & 2 had significantly lower food intake in energy (P=0.04) than those at Tanner's stages 3 & 4. Analysis of subjective appetite measures showed lower average appetite after the control compared to both pulse treatments (P=0.02), there was lower hunger after the control compared to YP (P=0.03) and a lower prospective food consumption after the control compared to NB (P=0.01). Analysis of gastrointestinal comfort indicated a lower average physical comfort (P= 0.006) and higher flatulence (P=0.02) after YP compared to both NB and control, there was also a higher stomach discomfort after YP compared to NB (P=0.03). All differences of gastrointestinal parameters were in the lowest decile (<10%), which was not clinically meaningful. Adding pulses to pasta and tomato sauce did not change the pleasantness, taste, mouthfeel, flavour and sweetness of the treatments. Conclusion: Cooked and pureed pulses added to pasta and sauce were well tolerated, led to similar suppression of short-term food intake as the pasta control, had acceptable palatability and resulted in increased fibre intake.


title: Facebook Privacy Crisis and its Impact on Organizational Trust

subject: Facebook, social media, privacy, organisational trust

abstract: This study examines the impact of 2018 Facebook privacy breach crisis on users of Facebook and how it affected their trust in this organization. Situational crisis communication theory and social mediated crisis communication theory were used as theoretical frameworks. Quantitative research design was adopted, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Participants of this study were 312 students, alumni and faculty members from a Canadian university. They were mostly between the ages of 19-25 (52.88%) and majority were student (92.95%). The findings of the study revealed that the participants perceived the breach of data to be an important crisis. As a result of this crisis, they did not trust Facebook and its leadership. However, they did not deem it a big enough reason to quit using social media. This research calls for the education on data privacy breaches so that people will know its implications if not taken seriously.


title: Autism and Employment: Youth YouTube Vloggers' Perspectives

subject: YouTube, autism, employment opportunity

abstract:
This research focused on young people with autism spectrum (AS) who share their first
voice perspectives in relation to employment as described on their YouTube channels. Previous research shows that people with AS experience unemployment or underemployment, including a paucity of workplace accommodations. Therefore, there is a requirement to explore employment outcomes for this marginalized group in order to increase their quality of life, economic independence, and social integration and ultimately benefit both employers and employees. This thesis examines YouTube videos of youth vloggers (15-24 years old) who identify as autists and whose content is in English. The thesis uses a media content analysis (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) to collect data from the YouTube social media platform and examines youth vloggers’ experiences with employment using an inductive approach by coding and categorizing the data. The popularization of the Internet allows people with AS to be heard and it is a valuable
source to listen to their lived experiences. The findings show that the youth in this study
experience workplace barriers, such as: standardized interview process, lack of workplace
accommodations and societal discrimination. These challenges led to various mental health problems, job termination and decreased quality of life. However, the youth vloggers also discuss different coping techniques for positive employment outcomes, including the option of self-employment. While contributing to the existing literature, this study also demonstrates the importance of accessing the first voice perspectives of youth with AS to ensure equitable access to their employment.


title: School Performance and Weight Status among Low-Income Canadian Children and Adolescents

contributor:
Rossiter, Dr. Misty
Blum, Dr. Ilya

subject:
health care
obesity
children
adolescents
overweight
low income
education

abstract:
Increasing health care costs combined with climbing rates of child overweight and obesity are of significant concern worldwide, and in particular, Canada. Existing evidence shows clear linkages between child weight status and poorer health outcomes in adulthood, but results are conflicting regarding the association between childhood obesity and educational outcomes, which may mediate this relationship.
Our study therefore intended to explore relationships between school performance and weight status and to determine predictive factors among a cohort of disadvantaged children in the context of their ecological environments. A Social Ecological Model (SEM) viewpoint employing Social Cognitive Theory formed the basis of the approach taken, in the context of the Child Development Framework which also describes “development as a function of interaction” within several concentric layers of environmental influence.
Longitudinal data from the Better Beginnings Better Futures (BBBF) research demonstration project from eight low-income Ontario communities was used for this study. A total of n=1014 cases were included from among the older cohort of children aged 4 to 8 years at the start of the study. Child height and weight were both self-reported, and measured according to established guidelines, in grade 6 and 9, but were self reported in grade 12. Parents also self reported height and weight.


title: Holistic Face Processing in Children and Adults Along the Autism Spectrum as Measured by the Complete Composite Face Test

contributor:
McMullen, Dr. Patricia
Bowering, Dr. Elizabeth

subject:
holistic face processing
autism spectrum disorder
complete composite face task

abstract: The current study aimed to investigate the development of holistic face processing in individuals with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To date, the literature is unclear as to whether there are impairments in the way that individuals with ASD process faces holistically and whether any differences are qualitative or quantitative. Holistic processing was assessed by the Complete Composite Face Task (CCFT), the best known experimental paradigm for assessment of holistic processing, in both children and adults with ASD and compared their performance to age-matched control groups of children and adults. The results reveal that holistic processing is evident in adults with ASD but not in children with ASD. In contrast, typically developing children show evidence of holistic processing that remains qualitatively unchanged through to adulthood, only improving quantitatively. This pattern suggests that there is a developmental delay in holistic processing in ASD relative to typically developing individuals, where holistic processing is evident in typically developing children but not in children with ASD. Additionally, holistic processing of a larger magnitude in adults with ASD relative to control adults suggests that while holistic processing is present in ASD by adulthood, it is possible that the type of holistic processing that emerges in ASD is qualitatively different than that in typically developing individuals, as indicated by atypical performance in misaligned trials.


title: Recycled Motherhood: The Lived Experiences of Grandmothers Parenting Their Grandchildren

subject:
Grandparenting
Grandmothers
Grandchildren
Nova Scotia

abstract:
Grandmothers, as primary caregivers for their grandchildren, are increasing in direct response to problems encountered by their adult children. It is the societal problems of drug/alcohol addictions, incarceration, neglect or abuse of children that are directly impacting the stability and safety of children and enlisting aging women as second time parents. For some grandmothers it begins with no preparation time. There is a crisis situation and then the choice becomes – do I become a second time parent and raise my grandchildren or will my grandchildren be raised in foster care?
This study is about the lives of seven aging women living in different parts of Nova Scotia. Each grandmother took the challenge of becoming primary caregiver for their grandchild/grandchildren. Their narratives are different but all provide great insight into their purposeful role that does not have any other contextual name then grandmother. What evolves through their own discussion is how they developed their own self-efficacy in raising children at risk; yet at the same time they outline the gaps and lack of resources that are required to assist them.
It is the hope that this study will encourage more research on this population of grandmothers in this “off-time” role as second time parents. More research will enable policies to be made to assist in developing the resources required for these women and their grandchildren.


title: The Menstrual Cycle, Caffeine, and Verbal Working Memory

subject: Verbal working memory, caffeine, menstruation,

abstract: Verbal working memory is a domain of cognition critical to educational success. It is influenced by caffeine, with moderate doses generally resulting in improvements as measured by behavioural performance, as well as electroencephalographic (EEG) and functional MRI (i.e. neural) measures. Verbal working memory performance is also known to vary with fluctuations in sex hormones (i.e. estrogen and progesterone) such as those seen across the menstrual cycle. Generally, when estrogen levels are higher, so is performance on working memory tasks. To the best of our knowledge, the interaction between the menstrual cycle, caffeine, and verbal working memory has not been examined, despite there being individual relations between these variables. Employing a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, the present study examined EEG-derived event-related potentials (ERPs) to assess the effects of 200mg of caffeine (vs. placebo) across the luteal and menstrual phases of the menstrual cycle. Specifically, 16 participants completed the verbal n-back task and their corresponding P300 waveforms were analyzed. Results showed an overall effect of menstrual phase, due to quicker reaction times in the luteal (vs. menstrual) phase; this was predominantly observed during the 3-back task. Caffeine only improved reaction time during the 3-back task for participants in the menstrual phase. Participants in the menstrual phase had a larger P300 amplitude in response to the 1-back, while participants in the luteal phase displayed a greater P300 latency in response to the 1-back. Collectively, results showed a task dependent relation between caffeine, verbal working memory, and phases of the menstrual cycle.


title: Investigating Knowledge, Motivational and Behavioural Effects of Providing Oral Health Information to Pre/Post Natal Parents

subject: Oral health information, pre/post natal parents, dental decay

abstract:
Despite an improvement in oral health status in recent decades, dental decay is
still the most common preventable chronic childhood disease worldwide. Decay-causing
bacteria can be transferred from parent to child within the first two years of a child’s life.
Left untreated, decay can result in pain, speech disorders and tooth loss, problems with
chewing and damage to the adult teeth. Early intervention may be improved by
understanding the effects of oral health education on the knowledge, motivation and
behaviours of pre/postnatal parents.

The purpose of this study was 1) to investigate whether providing an oral health
educational intervention results in improvements in oral health knowledge among
pre/postnatal parents and caregivers, and 2) to explore the motivations and attitudes of
parents towards oral health.

This research used a mixed methods design that included a pre-post intervention
component and a semi-structured interview. The study was conducted in two phases. In
Phase I, participants attended an oral health education session where oral health
knowledge and attitudes were assessed prior to and immediately following the education
session. In Phase II, participants were offered a free dental cleaning and invited to
participate in a brief semi-structured interview regarding their oral health motivations and
behaviours. Phase II participants also completed a second postquestionnaire assessment of oral health knowledge and attitudes.

Thirty-three participants attended the oral health educations sessions and
completed Phase I; of these 33 participants, five chose to complete Phase II. The
education session was effective at improving participants' total knowledge scores. Scores
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on the 13 questions increased significantly, from 7.70±2.64 (mean±SD) (median 7)
before the education session, to 11.24 ±2.27 (mean±SD) (median 12), immediately after
the session (Wilcoxon test; p<0.001). The knowledge was retained into Phase II. The
overall themes that emerged from interviews are 1) participants are knowledgeable about
the importance of oral health, 2) they believe that their teeth and their children’s teeth are
important, however 3) factors such as income, education, and social support influence the adoption of positive oral health behaviours.

In summary, oral health education is successful at increasing parents’ knowledge
but provides minimal increases to motivation and changing attitudes. More research
needs to be conducted on ways to increase parent and patient motivation towards
improved oral health behaviours. Collaboration between medical and dental health
practices may be one way of increasing parent’s awareness of their options and duties in
providing oral health care to their children.


title: Correctional Education: A Theoretical Analysis for Change

subject:
Long Kesh (Prison)
Correctional Service Canada
Social learning
Prisoners

abstract:
This thesis examines correctional education in Canadian federal prisons. A
critical analysis of Social Learning Theory, which informs current correctional practices
implemented by the Correctional Service of Canada, is conducted and identifies the
problematic nature associated with the personal focus on criminality. A synthesis of
criminological theories including Differential Association, Marxism, and critical
educational frameworks, set the basis for arguing the need for changes in the current
implementation of correctional education. These changes should include a more social
focus, both in theory and practice. Crime and education are recognized as being
commodities in a capitalist society and to challenge this, offenders need to critically
examine their place in society through a dialogical and reflective educational opportunity.
This opportunity should lead to a change in perspective and comprehension, resulting in
personal and potential social transformation. This thesis calls for reformation due to the
prescriptive nature of the current curriculum and recommends a more holistic approach to
pedagogical style and course offerings within Canadian correctional education
classrooms.
An argument will be made that offering offenders simple adult basic education
and employability skills in the areas of cleaning and maintenance are only preserving the
socio-economic hierarchy and maintaining the status quo; not helping offenders become
autonomous, empowered, and active citizens. This thesis will compare the technical
rational approach to correctional education to the approach offered in the Irish prison
service, where education is inarguably more holistic and liberal. Critical adult educators
such as Paulo Freire, Jack Mezirow, and Michael Collins advocate this critical approach
and their contributions to the field are examined.
An example of practical critical pedagogy, which occurred in Long Kesh prison in
Northern Ireland, will demonstrate the authenticity of education for social action and
active citizenship. In addition, examples from the field of correctional education will
reveal how critical education can be implemented in institutional classrooms while
recognizing that barriers to this do exist.


title: "You can't be a Goan and not eat Goan food." The Intersection of Gender, Food and Identity: A Case Study of Goan Women in the Greater Toronto Area

subject:
Goans
Women immigrants
Cookery, Goanese
Toronto region

abstract:
Food, perhaps because of its association with women's work, has often

been overlooked as a signifier of identity. This qualitative study examined the

role of Goan women in Toronto in creating and maintaining Goan identity

through food. Catholic Goan identity, borne from Portuguese colonization,

fosters a strong set of cultural values and is often seen as devoid of unique

symbols and markers other than its cuisine. Food plays a crucial role in Goan

identity. The thirteen first-generation Goan women interviewed maintained that

being Goan is inextricably linked to Goan food. They saw their role in foodwork

as having "currency"   within the family and community, a role that fosters and

supports Goan identity. As a diasporic and racially marginalized group in

Canada, often grouped with other South Asians, these Goan women lived within

a "Goancentric" world that supported and celebrated their Goanness; Goan food

was central to that identity.


title: Food-related Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge, Eating Patterns and Intended Classroom Food Practices of BEd Students

subject: Food related beliefs, eating patterns, classroom food practises.

abstract:
Children and youth are at an impressionable age, and their eating habits and
nutritional health are influenced by a variety o f people in their immediate environment.
Children and youth learn by example and the eating habits they acquire early in life are
often carried into adulthood. Teachers are key role models for children and youth, and
through daily routines they are given the opportunity to model and communicate valuable
nutrition information. It is important to focus on Education students as they will become
role models for children and youth. It is crucial to raise awareness o f how their own
healthful habits can have long term benefits on the health o f children and youth.

This research project explores the association between the food related beliefs,
attitudes, knowledge, eating patterns and intended classroom food practices o f BEd
students. Each o f these factors can potentially affect the development o f healtli behaviors
o f children and youth. Teachers have the ability to play an important role to better the
students’ day-to-day lifestyle at school. However, since health courses for education
students are elective; many future teachers must rely on their previous knowledge and
values for this important issue, whatever their perception may be.

One hundred and three students (79% response rate) enrolled in both the
elementary and secondary BEd program at Mount Saint Vincent University completed a
self-administered questionnaire adapted from the TEENS Teaching Staff Survey.
Univariate statistics were used to describe the variables involved, while mixed model
analysis of variance was used to examine tlie association between the variables.

Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological
model provided a theoretical framework for understanding the influence of socialenvironmental factors on the development o f health behavior.

Study findings show that although 93% BEd students confirmed the importance
of a healthy school food environment, two-thirds intended to use unhealthy classroom
food practices (candy in particular), 65% reported high-fat or very high fat intakes and
most (72%) respondents had mid-to-low nutrition knowledge levels. Respondents who
demonstrated ‘less support for a healthy school environment’ were more likely to
promote unhealthy classroom food practices. As well respondents who had high fat
intakes and low perceived health were approximately 3 times as likely to use the
cafeteria, canteen or vending machines than those with low fat intakes and high perceived
health. Overall, results suggest that BEd students in this study recognize the importance
of a healthy environment; however, they report knowledge, attitudes and behaviors which
may act as barriers to their having a positive impact on student’s eating habits in their
future role as teachers.

It is important that school and health professionals continue to campaign for the
development and implementation of policies and programs that support teachers in
creating a healthy school environment. Research suggests that attention to the health
related needs o f teachers is required if significant and sustainable changes in the
comprehensive school food environment are to be achieved. It is also important that
teachers succeed as positive role models and contribute to normative practices that
support the development of healthy eating behaviors. Study findings reinforce the need to
have policies and programs that support teachers in establishing healthy classroom
practices and compulsory nutrition education training for BEd students.


title: The Role of Mi’kmaw Art and Lifelong Learning in Sustaining Mi’kmaq Culture

subject:
Mi’kmaq
Mi’kmaq art
Arts-based research
Nova Scotia
Mi’kmaw culture

abstract: I remember living in a house with no running water, no electricity and only a wood stove in the kitchen. In late summer, just before I started school, we moved into a new home. In the new home, my father provided for his family by relying on his artist talents. In this thesis, I discuss how artistic talents are innate for the Mi’kmaq but were suppressed or lost due to the injustices placed upon our people through the ethnocentric lens of the newcomer’s government. However, these artist talents are being regained. My study demonstrates how the artistic knowledge and today’s art reflect our ancestors, current issues, and self reflection from a Mi’kmaw perspective. Coming from an arts-based approach with a critical theoretical perspective, I explain how art is used as a strength for our people. It is an aspect of maintaining our culture. It has provided a livelihood since time immemorial, and it provides an underlying self therapy towards addressing the injustices that had and continues to be placed upon our people. I argue that Mi’kmaq arts-based perspectives are needed in the lifelong learning for connecting our cultural past to enrich our present and future. I used qualitative methods, including one -to-one interviews, and a questionnaire. Twenty-seven Mi’kmaw participants from all thirteen Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia were involved in my study. I audio and video recorded some of my interviews with verbal and signed consent from my participants. The video compilation is part of my thesis and can be found at Mount Saint Vincent University Library, at Cape Breton University Unama’ki College, and in all of the thirteen Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia.


subject: Religion, spirituality, resilience, youth

abstract:
The current research investigated ‘The Role of Religion/Spirituality in Fostering
Resilience Among At-Risk Youth in the Halifax Metropolitan Region.’ Five (5) female
youth (4 African-Nova Scotian and 1 Filipino-Nova Scotian) between the ages of 19 and
25 participated in this study. They were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling
methods. Participants were from two low-income areas in the HRM, and attended, or
were attending university and/or gainfully employed. A phenomenological approach was
used as a framework for conducting this research. Bronfenbrenner’s Social Ecological
model was utilized as a theoretical framework for analyzing the results. Thematic
analysis and in vivo coding were used for analyzing the data. The results have indicated
that religion/spirituality plays a significant role in helping at-risk youth to rise above their
difficulties. The findings also showed that resilience in these youth was not simply a
product of individual qualities or traits, but also the result of supportive relationships
from others such as peers, friends, parents, close family members, religious leaders, and
other church members.


title: “We Couldn’t Do This Without You”: The Filmmaker Experience Engaging, Co-Creating, and Building Community with Their Audiences

subject: Collaborative filmmaking, crowdfunding, narrative research, autoethnography, filmmaking practices, participatory culture.

abstract:
This research looks at four different case studies of filmmaker-audience collaboration
using narrative and autoethnographic methods. Each separate narrative outlines the individual filmmaker’s experience and provides a voice for filmmakers in the research. Analyzing the cases together, an understanding of how filmmaking with an audience differs from other types of filmmaking begins to form. I argue that the main differences in this kind of collaborative filmmaking are: (1) the idea of keeping the actual versus imagined audience in mind, (2) knowing how and when to incorporate audience feedback, and (3) the performance of a number of communications and public relations skills that would not necessarily be a part of a regular independent film project.