title: The effect of dairy and non-dairy snack products on glycemic regulation in overweight and obese boys

subject:
Dairy snacks
Glycemia
Childhood obesity

abstract:
The rise in childhood obesity is associated with an increase in T2DM in children in
Canada. An increase in snacking associated with higher energy and sugar intakes and a
shift in consumption of traditional food groups have been identified as risk factors for
both obesity and diabetes in the pediatric population. The objective of this study was to
determine the effect of dairy and non-dairy snacks on glycemia in over weight and obese
boys. Methods: In a repeated measures crossover design,
over weight (85th-95th BMI percentile) and obese (95th-99th BMI percentile) boys (n =7,
age: 9-14 y) , were randomly assigned to consume one of two treatments: Greek-style
sugar-sweetened yogurt (198.9 g, 171 kcal, 0 g fat, 26.1 g total carbohydrate, 23.9 g
sugar, 1.1 g fibre, 17 g protein) and mini sandwich type cookies (37.5 g, 175 kcal, 7.5 g
fat, 26.3 g total carbohydrate, 15 g sugar, 1.3 g fibre, 1.3 g protein). Both treatments
contained 25 g of available carbohydrates. After an overnight fast, children consumed a
standardized breakfast in the morning, two hours before arriving at the lab. Venous blood
samples were collected for glucose, insulin and C-Peptide at 0 min (immediately before
the treatment), and at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min. Insulin secretion was calculated from
deconvolution of plasma C-peptide and hepatic insulin extraction was calculated as mean
C-peptide divided by mean insulin. Results: There was no difference between treatments
in baseline glucose and insulin values. There was an effect of treatment (P=0.05) and
time (P<0.0001) on glucose over 120 min but there was no time x treatment interaction
(P=0.3). There was an effect of treatment (P=0.0001), time (P<0.0001) and a time x
treatment interaction (P<0.0001) on insulin over 120 min. Mean two hour concentrations
of glucose and insulin were 5% lower and 46% higher after the treatment with yogurt
compared to the treatment with cookies, respectively. Pre-hepatic insulin secretion was
not different between treatments (P=0.017) however, there was an effect of treatment
(P=0.001) and a time x treatment interaction (P<0.05) on hepatic insulin extraction. At 30
min (P<0.05) and 60 min (P=0.05) the dairy snack resulted in lower hepatic insulin
extraction compared to the non-dairy snack. The higher content of protein in the yogurt
treatment (17 g) compared to the cookies treatment (1.3 g) may explain the observed
difference between the treatments. Conclusion: In 9-14 y old over weight and obese boys
a dairy snack reduced glycemia and increased circulating insulin levels by a reduction in
hepatic insulin secretion 120 min after consumption compared to a non-dairy snack
matched for available carbohydrate without affecting subjective appetite and subsequent
food intake.
3


title: Impact of Culture on Resident Centered Care and Meal Satisfaction in Long Term Care

format: Full-text application/pdf

subject: Resident centered care, meal satisfaction, long term care

abstract: Introduction: As the population of senior and elderly immigrants increases, those living with health difficulties and functional impairments may require long-term care (LTC). Research shows that culture and cultural preferences during mealtime are an important resident-centred care concept. Unmet cultural food and dining preferences are one of the risk factors for weight loss and poor food and fluid intake in seniors and elderly living in LTC. Individual cultural preferences are likely linked to familiarity and sensory acceptance of foods, yet limited research has been conducted in this area. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences and what they mean to senior and elderly immigrants about food and mealtime practices in LTC, assisted living and retirement living.


title: Striking the Balance: Exploring executive directors’ learning trajectories through life history

subject: Executive directors, learning trajectories, learning

abstract:
When Executive Directors take on leadership roles at non-profit organizations, they
quickly learn there are numerous tasks ranging from those that are more directly related to
carrying out the mission of the organization to others that are focused on the business or
technical aspects of the work. Mission can be defined as the purpose of the organization to help address a social inequity experienced within the community. For many Executive Directors, the initial motivation to work in the nonprofit sector entails a sense of passion and commitment to social justice which has been developed from lived experience as well as a desire to improve the wellbeing of others. At the same time, Executive Directors are organizational leaders who must also learn the business and technical work to meet the demands of leading a nonprofit. They must handle budgets, seek funding, and oversee staff while carrying out other managerial duties. Increasingly, within the nonprofit sector the need for Executive Directors to have expertise in these areas is emphasized in their day to day learning and tasks which reflects the increase of neoliberal values on the sector that emphasize competition and accountability. Due to limited time, money and resources for education, many Executive Directors will often learn both mission and business skills informally rather than through structured educational opportunities. Understanding how Executive Directors negotiate the tension and strike a balance between the learning required to carry out both the mission and business aspects of their work as a part of their leadership role is the focus of this thesis.


title: Perfectionism in the classrom environment: An examination of the roles of teaching styles and percieved teacher self-efficacy

abstract:
The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between teaching styles,
personality traits associated with perfectionism and the perceived sense of teacher efficacy.
Teachers (N=52) completed three questionnaires administered via online survey service
(FluidSurveys.ca). These three questionnaires were; Grasha’s Teaching Style Inventory 3.0
(Grasha, 1996), which identifies five teaching style clusters; The Frost Multidimensional
Perfectionism Scale (Frost et al, 1990) which indicates levels of perfectionism associated with
positive or negative characteristics associated with perfectionism; and the Teachers’ Sense of
Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) which measures individual teaching
assumptions in relation to perceived efficacy. Correlations, a T-Test for demographic variables
and a multiple regression analysis were conducted to provide information in relation to the
three questionnaire responses and to identify associations between perfectionism, teaching
styles and perceived teacher efficacy.
Results indicated significant correlations between Teaching Styles and Teachers’ Sense
of Efficacy. The Facilitator teaching style was found to be significantly correlated with Student
Engagement (r (52) = .35, p< .05). and ClassroomManagement (r (52) = .29, p< .05). The
Delegator teaching style was found to be significantly correlated to Engagement (r (52) = .36, p<
0.01 and Management (r (52) = .28, p<.05. Significant Multiple Regression results occurred
where the Grasha’s Teaching Styles significantly predicted the Frost Multidimensional
Perfectionism Scale subset Concern over Mistakes (F5, 46 = 2.5, p< .05). The Facilitator Teaching
Style held the strongest predictive value.
A hallmark of positive or adaptive perfectionism relates to problem solving in a sound and
healthy manner (Fedewa et al, 2005). The Facilitator teaching style appears to coincide with this sound and healthy approach by incorporating collaborative problem solving between a teacher
and student (Grasha, 1996). The Frost perfectionism subset Concern over Mistakes reflects
negative reactions to mistakes, a tendency to interpret mistakes as equivalent to failure, and a
tendency to believe that one will lose the respect of others following failure (Frost et al, 1990).
High endorsement on this subset may be a predictor of maladaptive perfectionism (Frost et al,
1990).
The Facilitator teaching style and the perfectionism measure Concern over Mistakes
appear to reflect conflicting constructs. This supposed conflict is discussed along with other
considerations associated with perfectionism, teaching styles and perceptions of teacher selfefficacy.


title: Second Degree Dialectics: Learning and David Harvey’s Dialectics

subject:
David Harvey’s theory  of dialectics
spatio-temporality
Second Degree Dialectics
Learning

abstract: This thesis argues that our world is based in process. Through acts of learning, we are able to create permanencies to understand these processes. This movement of the creation of permanencies is a dialectical movement explained by David Harvey’s theory of dialectics. The dialectical movement that is learning becomes the differentiation between space and time, which allows us to form spaces and times for being in the world. In this way, spatio-temporalities find their genesis in the act of learning. It is important to note that these spatio-temporalities are not indeterminate, but are constrained by causal mechanisms and generative processes that are real (i.e. exist in a way that is not totally dependant on agency). Because of this, learning beings (animals, humans, etc.) create a spatio-temporality for themselves individually. Humans, though, have the added ability to share their spatio-temporalities and their meanings with each other. This aspect of human learning creates an understanding between multiple spatio-temporalities to allow a shared cultural meaning of the world. This cultural act of human learning is a dialectical method engaged with a dialectical world, or, what is called here, second degree dialectics. This allows human learning the opportunity for political action, whereby we can learn and then act collectively in non-violent and emancipatory ways.


title: Truth Be Told: The Effects of Sexual Orientation on the Lives of Lesbian Educators

subject:
Teachers
Homosexuality
Social aspects
Psychological aspects
Sexual orientation
Fiction
Education
Lesbian teachers

abstract:
This work investigates the lives and experiences of lesbian educational leaders in

a variety of settings in an effort to gain insight and understanding into the ways in which

they balance their personal and professional lives, the ways in which their experiences of

providing leadership are affected, negotiated, and/or regulated by their sexual

orientation, and the coping strategies they use to manage the complexities associated

with being a lesbian educator.

This work is the result of a qualitative research study using participant interviews

to gather data, and is informed by a critical theoretical perspective. Patterns of recurring

ideas, common themes and critical incidents that emerged among the participant

interviews were identified and then included in a fiction that weaves the stories of the

participants into the lives and stories of several composite characters.

The story follows the life of Toni Morgan from the discovery of her sexual

orientation as a teenager, through her struggles with regard to coming out, finding selfacceptance,

beginning a teaching career and eventually becoming a school administrator.

The story explores many issues and difficulties related to being a lesbian in a public

school system.

This work also includes a preface that provides a rationale for presenting

research in the form of a fiction, as well as an overview of the research methods used.

An appendix includes a review of the literature as it pertains to gay and lesbian students

and educators.


title: Relational theory and critical race theory as social practice in school: The restorative approach

subject:
Relational theory
Critical race theory
African Nova Scotians

abstract:
This thesis presents a restorative approach in education as a relational, anti-racist and
culturally responsive way of being together in school communities. Through a theoretical
lens of relational theory and critical race theory, case study research was conducted on
the restorative approach at a diverse urban elementary school in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The questions this work addresses include: How does a restorative approach affect the
quality of relationships in school communities, particularly for people that have been
marginalized? And, what are some recommendations on how to best implement
restorative approaches effectively and sustainably? Participants in the case study include
students and staff at the school which serves a socioeconomically and culturally diverse
population, including an African Nova Scotian community. In addition, the reflexive
nature of the researcher is taken into account as she is a member of the school community
as both a classroom teacher and resident. Qualitative data was collected through group
talking circles with students and staff at the school and analyzed to reveal four themes
that are integrated around a core category of nurturing social culture change including 1)
strengthening social connection, 2) affirming identity, 3) fostering emotional
engagement, and 4) resolving and preventing conflict. Through an in-depth look at the
experience of “Halifax City School,” this study also provides recommendations on the
effective and sustainable implementation of restorative approaches in education,
including 1) understanding a restorative approach in theory and practice, 2) participating
in sustainable social opportunities to collectively develop, support and strengthen the
approach, 3) learning and collaborating in the broader community, and 4) ongoing
evaluation.


title: The Role of the Learning Environment in Study Circles for Adult Women Learners Studying French Vocabulary Learning Strategies

subject:
Canada
Education
Continuing education
Learning strategies
Women
Study and teaching
French as second language
Adult education
French language
Adult learning

abstract:
This qualitative study examined how the learning environment and diverse

language learning strategies affect a small group of adult women learners in their ability

to learn to speak French as a Second Language. The learning environment consisted of a

process of reflection through journal writing and dialogue in study circles. The learning

strategies involved, but were not limited to, flashcards, mnemonics, total physical

response, and word association. The study took into consideration the learnersâ   past

experiences with French language learning, participantsâ   social and recreational goals and

the learnersâ   awareness of various learning styles.


title: Conveying Mathematical Experiences: The Voice of a Child with Nonverbal Learning Disability

subject:
Study and teaching (Elementary)
Mathematics
Nonverbal learning disabilities

abstract:
This qualitative research study examines a student-participant's perceptions about mathematics.

Within this case study, one child a nonverbal disability, NLD shares his experiences in a

mathematics setting. The child with NLD's voice is not often reflected in the literature, as

clinical research traditionally characterizes the core deficits of this learning disability. Three

main questions guided this research: What does a child with NLD experience in a mathematics

classroom, how does he or she conceptualize mathematics, and what are some of the strategies

he or she employs in a mathematics setting?

The thematic analysis of the qualitative data gathered from observations in a classroom,

interviews with the student-participant, as well as mathematics interactions advanced the

generation of salient themes. The role of family, school, attitude and conversations about

learning, attention and persistence, and the study of error patterns emerged as the main factors

influencing the way in which a child with NLD experiences mathematics. I provide a model for

conceptualizing the data collected and suggest that a child's affect around mathematics may

provide considerable influence in the development of mathematics skill development. The model

is supported by the behaviours exhibited by the child with NLD in an in vivo mathematics

setting.


title: A Conceptualized Proposal for Reforming China’s Test-Driven Secondary Education: Integrating Academic and Vocational Education towards a Vocationalism

abstract:
Under China’s contemporary climate of reforming education, this research tries to
explore the necessities and means of introducing a vocationalism approach that integrates
academic and vocational education in China’s general secondary schools. Firstly studied
is the background of education in China. Subsequently, a discussion is developed
regarding the premise of students educated in the academically and vocationally
integrated courses are better prepared for their future lives and careers. The
aforementioned vocationalism approach is therefore suggested as an alternative path for
educational reform, which China’s general secondary schools may consider to
incorporate, so that 1) academically disadvantaged students are at least helped with their
post-graduate career choices and expected to successfully attain decent jobs; and 2)
students with academic advantages are not only prepared for further education, but also
for their career pursuits.


title: The effects of snacks formulated with wheat and lentil flour of similar particle size on food intake and satiety in young adults

subject: Wheat flour, lentil flour, snacking

abstract:
Lentils are sustainable and affordable food source for Canadians. The consumption of lentils is associated with nutritional benefits that may reduce the risk factors associated with chronic diseases. The objective of this study was to understand the short-term of effects partial and full replacement of wheat flour with lentil flour in snack bars in young healthy men. The hypothesis of this study was the replacement of wheat flour with lentil flour in the snack bars lead to a reduced energy intake and higher satiety. The study design was a single-blinded, within subject, randomized design with repeated measures. Twenty-five males aged 19-35 completed four randomized sessions with one treatment per session (water control (C), 100% lentil flour (LF), 50% lentil 50% wheat flour (MLW-F), or 100% wheat flour snack bar (WF). Participants filled out 100 mm VAS questionnaires assessing the appetite, physical comfort, and palatability of the treatments. Subsequently at 120 minutes, participants consumed an ad libitum pizza meal. Subjective appetite was affected by treatment (p=0.0001), time (p=0.0001), and treatment by time interaction (p<0.0001). The highest appetite suppression was observed for the LF treatment
compared to C, as revealed by average appetite scores and the total area above the curve over 120 minutes (p<0.05). This difference was driven by a significant effect of a treatment on such appetite components as the desire to eat (DTE) and hunger (p<0.05). There was no effect of treatment on food intake at 120 minutes or cumulatively over 120 minutes. There was an inverse relationship observed for metabolic equivalence (METS) and food intake (r=-0.39, p=0.05). In conclusion, the total replacement of WF with LF of the same particle size provided benefits for appetite control over 120 minutes. The partial replacement of WF with LF lead to the suppression of average subjective appetite compared to C. Although there was no reduction in subsequent FI after the treatment with LF, none of the caloric treatments contributed to a higher food intake cumulatively over 120 minutes.


title: Examining Nova Scotia‟s Learning Outcomes Framework and the Developmental Appropriateness of Specific Curriculum Outcomes

subject:
Outcome-based education
Learning outcomes
Education - Nova Scotia

abstract: In 1994, the Atlantic provinces came together to develop the Atlantic Canada Framework for Essential Graduation Learnings, an educational framework that aimed to improve the quality of education for students in Nova Scotia. Currently in Nova Scotia, 25-32% of students are not meeting academic expectations in math and literacy and students performed lower than several other provinces in Canada on standardized academic tests. Nova Scotia‟s Learning Outcomes Framework is rooted in outcome-based education (OBE), an educational framework that has little reported success in the public education systems of other countries. Members of the public, educators, and academics in Nova Scotia have voiced concerns about the Learning Outcomes Framework and its impact on student learning and teacher workload. One concern by Nova Scotians is the developmental appropriateness of the specific outcomes. The present study reviewed the literature on OBE and developmentally appropriate education. Following the reviews, select specific outcomes from the Learning Outcomes Framework were compared to a Piagetian theory of cognitive development to generate recommendations for educators and other educational professionals to improve student achievement in Nova Scotia.


title: “I want to look like her”: A cross-cultural analysis of White and Eastern Asian-Canadian  women’s perceptions of beauty through Instagram

subject: Self esteem, women, social media, body image, racial identity

abstract:
Researchers and the broader public alike have long been intrigued about the connection
between body image concerns among young women and the increasing proliferation of certain  social media platforms. Instagram, in particular, has become a common target of attention for those expecting to see a connection between participation on the platform and negative self-esteem (Fardouly et al., 2017). There is often a racial component to these assumptions, given that Eastern Asian women often face negative body self-esteem issues when confronted with mainstream beauty standards (Cheng, 2014; Smart et al., 2011). In an effort to ascertain the validity of these assumptions, this research has committed to a thorough investigation of self-perceptions among young women as it relates to their Instagram usage by exploring the research question: Is there a relationship between White and Eastern Asian-Canadian women’s self-esteem, ethnic and racial identity, and their Instagram use?

This study made use of quantitative data collected from participants from 16 universities
across Canada; 82 participants were surveyed to gauge their browsing habits on Instagram, as well as their self-image and internalization of Western beauty standards. An analysis of this data yielded a result which contradicted the popular assumption—among the White and Eastern Asian-Canadian women (ages 19-30) surveyed, there is no evidence of a relationship between Instagram usage and global self-esteem, body self-esteem, or racial identity. While this does not preclude the possibility that social media may be harmful to young women in other ways, there is little evidence from the present study to suggest that Instagram is responsible for deteriorating its users’ self-esteem.


title: Be messy: Seeing the ideal in teaching

subject:
Autoethnography, Ideal in education
Education

abstract: LC Subject: Education

abstract:
This autoethnography explores how a school district perceived the ideal student, given a close
reading of district documents; and how I, as a parent and teacher, responded to as well as
perpetuated notions of this ideal, much to the detriment of real parent involvement in the
education of children.
Keywords: autoethnography, ideal in education


title: Rethinking the Nature of Youth Smoking Behavior: Investigating the Biopsychosocial Factors

subject:
Biopsychosocial Factors
Influence Youth Smoking
School Programming

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the biopsychosocial factors that
influence youth smoking behavior. Sixty-four high school students completed surveys
for one phase of the study. Thirty-six other students participated in an interview phase,
which in addition to questions on the influence of biopsychosocial factors, included
questions pertaining to perceptions of other smokers and recommendations for school
programming around youth smoking. Analysis of the data indicated that a combination
of biological, psychological and social factors influence youth smoking behavior across
smoking classifications (current smokers, ex-smokers and nonsmokers) and across gender
although this was less apparent. Student perceptions of other smokers tended to focus on
the notion that smoking is a personal choice as well as on the reality of smoking’s
negative health effects. Student’s recommendations for schools centered on the
following themes: real life examples, prevention, and support during the quitting process.
The author also provides recommendations.


title: A Content Analysis: Investigating Adolescents’ Wellbeing under the COVID-19 Pandemic on the YouTube Platform

subject: COVID-19, YouTube, public health

abstract: This study focused on adolescents, to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic influences their wellbeing by analyzing the content on the YouTube platform. The study also investigated if YouTube provides a helpful way to help the public to provide protocol for young people dealing with public health emergencies such as COVID-19. This study tries to answer three questions by investigating YouTube video content: 1) How is the COVID-19 pandemic influencing the life of adolescents? 2)What are adolescents' feelings when they are in "quarantine," "self-isolation," or on "stay-at-home" orders, and, 3) What kind of coping strategies did they have for dealing with the negative influence of the COVID-19 pandemic? This study applied a content analysis as the research method. This involved collecting data from the public social media platform YouTube and analyzing it by using an inductive approach that facilitated the emergence of codes and categories from the data. This study demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic influenced adolescents' lives in different ways, including the change of education methods, the discussion of friendship, the loss of significant life events, and increased time of using technology. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affects the adolescents' emotions and feelings, including promoting a sense of fear, loneliness, and loss of motivation. However, most adolescents have found creative ways to cope with the limitations caused by the pandemic.


title: Exploring the Challenges of Incorporating Holistic Midwifery into the University Midwifery Education Structure in Ontario and British Columbia

subject:
Medical education
Sex discrimination
Holistic education
Midwives
Education
University
British Columbia
Ontario
Study and teaching
Midwifery

abstract:
The development of University Midwifery Education Programs (UMEPs) has been

a key component of the midwifery professionalization process in Ontario and British

Columbia. The choice to develop UMEPs has set a standard for professional midwifery

training which it is anticipated subsequently legislated provinces in Canada will follow.

The goal of this study is to highlight the gendered struggles of midwifery, as a femaledominated

and historically marginalized occupational group, in its attempt to integrate

into preexisting hierarchies of the university structure. This analysis has suggested that

other similarly located marginalized groups attempting integration into a university

structure are likely to experience similar exclusionary strategies related to factors

including gender, sexuality, ethnicity and race. Evident from this study are specific

challenges of this process including tensions around inter-professional collaboration and

faculty sharing with dominant disciplines such as Health Sciences and/or Medicine,

enculturation of masculine/feminine professional characteristics, struggles to value

practicum learning components, visibility/obscurity within the university, struggles for

achieving diversity in the student/client population, gendered dimensions of earnings

potential and labour mobility. Recommendations from the findings of this study

encourage future education design committees to take into consideration the economic,

cultural, material and ideological barriers and challenges facing women in the context of

practice as the predominant applicants, professionals and clients for this profession.


title: Shrines, Witches, and Explanations on Trial: The witchcraft cases of the Nae We shrine in Accra, Ghana

subject:
Witchcraft Trials
Nae We shrine - Ghana

abstract:
"In 2012, the British Library commissioned an archiving project entitled “Witchcraft and
Curse Trial records at the paramount shrines of Nai, Korle and Sakumo We, Accra, Ghana.” The
goal of this project was to preserve the hand written records of trials held at the Nae We shrine
between 1984 and 2013. The result was the digitization of over 12,000 documents, many of
which are related to accusations of witchcraft. These are the only extant documented accounts of
witchcraft trials in existence in Africa, and as such they provide a wealth of data to be analyzed
for the first time.
This thesis positions the data from these documents within the context of the
historiography of both modern African witchcraft, and the literature on Early Modern European
witch-hunts. It argues that there have been three models of academic thinking on modern African
witchcraft: The work of E.E. Evans-Pritchard, the Manchester school, and more recent
scholarship in which the work of Peter Geschiere has played a central role. This thesis will show
that the first two of these approaches to modern African witchcraft have been somewhat useful in
the past, but that they now represent an outmoded perspective. The third and most recent
approach champions the need for contextualization and rejects the use of large theoretical
frameworks to explain African witchcraft. It also positions witchcraft-related practices as a
distinctly modern phenomenon, one that dynamically adapts to changing local circumstances.
This thesis has been conceptualized largely within this school of thought, but with some
qualifications.Peter Geschiere and Adam Ashforth have argued that economic imbalances,
power relations, and kinship, play a central role in witchcraft-related accusations, but they have not had the benefit of any hard statistical data from which to confirm or deny their position.
Using documents from the Nae We shrine in Accra, this thesis will challenge these assertions
and show that witchcraft-related guilty verdicts can be better explained by the internal economy
of the shrine, the costs associated with being found guilty, and the completion rate of trials, than
by economic inequalities between participants, gender, or kinship relations." -- Excerpt from introduction.


title: Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions of Psychological Reports and Their Decision to Read Reports and Implement Recommendations

subject:
Elementary school teachers
psychological reports
Implement  Recommendations

abstract:
The current study used a questionnaire to explore 15 elementary school teachers’
perceptions of psychological reports. Teachers indicated the extent to which internal
variables (those inherent to reports, such as clarity) and external variables (those external
to reports, such as the school psychologist’s experience) impact their decision to read
reports and implement recommendations. Overall, teachers rated all variables as having
at least somewhat of an impact on their decision to read reports and implement
recommendations. As well, all teachers indicated that they perceive all sections of reports
as at least somewhat useful, and that they attempt to implement recommendations at least
some of the time. Most teachers reported typically reading entire reports, and all teachers
reported typically reading the majority of report sections. Teachers predominantly
mentioned external variables related to classroom workings when listing factors that
impact the frequency with which they attempt to implement recommendations.


title: Parenting Experiences of Chinese Immigrantswith School-age Children

subject:
Parenting
Chinese Family Relationships
Immigrant Children
Families
Chinese Canadians

abstract:
A growing number of Chinese immigrants come to Canada to better the future for
their children. While raising children can be demanding at times, the struggles resulting
from bicultural parenting may significantly increase the difficulties. To cater to the
growing cross-cultural parenting needs, this study explored how the unique challenges
such as race, culture, economic issues, language and social networks impacted the
Chinese immigrant parenting experiences.
Phenomenology was used as the strategy to guide the research. Semi-structured
interviews were used to discern how Chinese immigrants were making sense of their
bicultural parenting experiences. Ten Chinese immigrant parents (mother and father)
from five families were recruited as participants.
Ten main themes from “parenting philosophies, attitudes, and approaches of Chinese
immigrant parents” to “needs in raising the children” emerged from the phenomenology
data analysis.
In the main part of the Discussion, I used the phenomenological approach to describe
the meanings of Chinese immigrant parents’ parenting and investigated how these
meanings influenced the parenting methods they chose.
The study confirmed the significance of cultural and social systems of support for
Chinese immigrant parenting. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory served as a
foundation upon which the development and implementation of this study was built.
Finally, to initiate efficient programs for Chinese immigrant parents in the future, I
put forward the recommendations to all the stakeholders who are interested in the bicultural
parenting issues.


title: Equity for Student Parents: Toward Academic Culture and Policy Change

subject: Student parents, university policy, Nova Scotia

abstract:
This thesis discusses the experiences of undergraduate student parents with university
policies and expectations; the factors that affect their experiences; and recommendations
to make universities more accessible and inclusive. Data was collected from the websites
of seven Nova Scotia universities and through an online asynchronous text-based focus
group. The methodological and theoretical framework is based on Intersectionality-based
Policy Analysis, Institutional Ethnography, and Ethic of Care. I argue that the effects of
systems of oppression are a large factor in student parent experiences and that attempting
to address the hardships that many student parents share without attention to structural
forces and differential impacts limits the effectiveness of solutions. Recommendations
include policy changes to acknowledge the diversity of students and their circumstances,
more accessible social activities and events, and an expansion of childcare supports, as
well as cultural changes to begin addressing unwritten rules and assumptions.


title: Understanding the teaching experiences of new tenure track university professors

subject: Teaching, higher education, university, professors

abstract:
As universities face increased competition to attract and retain students, greater attention
is being paid to the quality of teaching in higher education. This thesis uses a small qualitative
study to explore how two new tenure-track professors in fields outside of Education describe
their experiences in learning to teach and navigate the first few years of a tenure-track position at
their small, undergraduate universities located in Atlantic Canada. Data from qualitative semistructured interviews were gathered and thematically analyzed. The participants’ perceptions of
learning to teach were explored by looking at how they acquired teaching and learning strategies,
interacted with students, navigated the tenure-track process, and managed the competing
demands of the job. This qualitative analysis drew upon critical theory to consider how higher
education contexts are shaped by neoliberal expectations. In addition, the analysis discussed the
importance of preparing faculty to address issues of diversity and inclusion in their teaching. The
nature of professorial work is demanding, and the teaching loads of those working in primarily
undergraduate universities in tenured or tenure-track positions are quite heavy. Therefore,
having prior practical teaching experiences and instructional opportunities from Teaching and
Learning Centres during their doctoral studies was beneficial to the new professors interviewed
in this study, since they had little time for professional development once hired to a tenure-track
position. As learning to teach requires some trial and critical reflection, new faculty would
benefit from a reduced teaching load. Rich insights were shared about the experiences of new
faculty learning to teach, which may further inform university centres for teaching and learning,
doctoral students considering professorial careers, and university policymakers and
decisionmakers.


title: Pride in Education: Conceptual Analysis of Pride in a Case Study

subject: Pride, education,

abstract: Pride may be a term in need of clarity, especially in consideration of citizenship and values education. This thesis outlines the background and etymology of pride from a modern western perspective and provides a conceptual analysis of the concept of pride, via Aristotelian, Christian and Tantra Buddhist perspectives, of a fictional narrative used as a case study. Implications of the research suggest modern research in western society may be inadequate to properly understand pride and a greater focus on virtue ethics may be warranted. This analysis offers itself as an apt example for how to inquire about pride in search of its meaning for oneself and others.


title: Teaching Students at Disadvantage: Successful Strategies Implemented  by Teachers in the Classroom

subject:
Classroom
Strategies
Administrators
Students at Disadvantage

abstract: This qualitative, phenomenological thesis investigated and examined successful strategies for teaching students at disadvantage in Nova Scotia classrooms. Three elementary teachers participated in this research study. These participants (a resource teacher, a resource / administrator, and a classroom teacher) were interviewed using a structured interview format and audio taped. Once transcribed, data was analyzed through qualitative means using the Grounded Theory Approach. My main focus was literacy instruction in the elementary school including grade primary to six. Across these grade levels, I inquired into how participants balance  their teaching strategies to include students at disadvantage, what successful strategies they found enhanced their learning, how they measured success for students at disadvantage, what these teachers thought the parent’s role was in their child’s education, what concerns or challenges these teachers faced in their classrooms on a daily basis, and what part administrators played in helping teachers cope with students at disadvantage. All three participants demonstrated mixed feelings about the word disadvantage.  The literature denotes several meanings. Participants agreed that respect for the learner was the first essential step in teaching students at disadvantage for success. All teachers felt it is a team effort including administrators, classroom and learning center teachers, parents, program assistants, specialists, outside agencies, including the health care system, working together for the success of students at disadvantage. Another factor important for their success was to allow them to become critical thinkers. I describe what participants do to recognize and teach students at disadvantage successfully in Nova Scotia classrooms. In other words, what constitutes exemplary practices being carried out in Nova Scotia classrooms?


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

subject:
Body Esteem
Atlantic Canada
The average Body Mass Index (BMIp)

abstract:
A study was conducted to investigate the influence of body esteem, nutritional status, nutritional intake, and eating attitudes on adherence to dietary therapy and enzymes in adolescents and young adults with cystic fibrosis. Nine adolescents aged 12.5 to 18 years from the CF clinics at the IWK (Halifax, NS) and the Janeway (St. John’s, NL) participated in the study. The participants completed the following surveys/tools: a Three-Day Food Diary, The Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), The Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BBS), and The Adherence Survey.
Nutritional analysis determined that study participants had an average caloric intake of 2174 Cal. Only one participant met the adjusted Estimated Energy Requirement (EER + 20%), and was classified as being adherent to dietary therapy. The average Body Mass Index (BMIp) was at the 52"‘' percentile, and the average percent Ideal Body Weight (%IBW) was 100. None of the participants were classified as stunted, according to their height-for-age, but one was classified as wasted, according to his/her BMIp value.
BBS scores determined that participants have a relatively positive body esteem, with a mean score of 52.67, 57.25% of the highest possible score. Eating attitudes were also positive, for the most part. However, EAT-26 scores did reveal that one participant was at risk of developing an eating disorder, having a score over 20.
In the study, adherence was defined as taking the same dose, or more, of a treatment as prescribed by a doctor and/or dietitian. Adherence to vitamins and nutritional supplements, when prescribed, was extremely poor, at 0%. Adherence to enzymes taken with meals and snacks was similar to rates in the literature, with 56% being adherent. Common reasons cited for non-adherence included forgetfulness, an absence of positive results, time and effort consuming, and a dislike of taking the treatment in front of others.
Due to the small sample size, two-tailed independent sample t-tests revealed no statistical significance between adherence, body esteem, eating attitudes, caloric intake, BMIp, and %IBW. Therefore, results of the study indicate that in the population of all adolescents with CF, based on the results of this study, one cannot predict differences in BBS, EAT-26, EER, BMIp, or %IBW based on the individuals’s adherence category.


title: Building Community Through Commerce: The Peterborough LETS Experience

subject: Local Economic Trading System (LETS), Globalization,  Capitalism, Theoretical Framework

abstract:
This thesis reports the findings of a single case study of a local currency system in Peterborough, Ontario. Founded in 1994, The Peterborough Local Economic Trading System (LETS) is one of approximately 800 LETS’ found throughout the world and, at one time, was the largest of such networks in Canada. Although interest in the LETS seems to have waned since its peak in the late 1990s, many members still use this currency to trade goods and services while circumventing the dominant marketplace. Community-based currency systems are designed to challenge the capitalist paradigm of globalization by demystifying money itself, re-relegating it to a means of exchange as opposed to a commodity in and of itself. In so doing, members are able to maintain capital within their local community and, potentially, address some of the inequities embedded in the marketplace by reassessing the value of their goods and services. In exploring the historical context of capitalism, this study shows how money has been transformed from a means of exchange to a commodity itself and explores some of the political and social consequences of this transformation. Using a theoretical framework shaped by the economic analysis of Karl Polanyi, the critical lens of Jürgen Habermas, and Miehael Welton’s advocacy of grassroots social movements as emancipatory learning sites, this thesis explores how members use the LETS as a learning tool to critically examine their soeial and economic realities and re-embed their economic exchanges within the social fabric of their community. The researcher used Participant interviews and observations from the field in order to explore six themes: opportunities and opportunity costs; similarity and divergence of members’ political views; recasting one’s own social safety net; revaluing skill; rebuilding social responsibility; and reestablishing trust through reciproeity. Findings suggest that members are often able to use their participation in order to reeonstruct their own sense of community through commerce. However, findings also suggest that members are motivated by a number of different reasons to become involved in local currency systems - namely, economic need or
political inclination - and that these may come into eonfliet with one another. Unless the system has a clear mandate and an accompanying capacity to educate its members, irreconeilable conflicts between members may well arise.


title: Eating the Forbidden Fruit: A Critical Race Theory Exploration of Black –White Interracial Couples in Nova Scotia

subject:
interracial partnerships
interracial couples
critical race theory
radical feminism
alienation theory

abstract:
This thesis examines the motivations behind Black-White interracial intimate partnerships in Nova Scotia. Negative societal perceptions and social sanctions against such unions are explored with five interracial couples in Nova Scotia. From a conceptual or theoretical framework of critical race theory, radical feminism, and alienation theory, and employing a qualitative methodology, I interviewed five interracial couples from different economic social backgrounds. I conclude that the motivations for Black-White interracial marriages range from shared social similarities, desires to move up the social economic ladder and an exoticization of the body of the other. Sameness and
difference both played roles in the motivations for these relationships. Social sanctions faced by these couples ranged from the stares of strangers, family rejection of the spouse, being ostracized by friends, and hearing negative or inappropriate comments about their marriage from both Black and White families and community members. The couples coped with these sanctions and negative comments by using a variety of strategies.


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

subject:
Learning Disabilities
Adulthood
Sternberg’s Theory
High school
Post-Secondary Education

abstract: For many individuals with learning disabilities achieving success in adulthood is challenging. This lack of success has a detrimental effect on both the individual and society. This exploratory study into the positive coping strategies and life experiences of six successful individuals with learning disabilities reveals insight into educational practices that worked for them and those that did not. In addition, these highly successful individuals showed evidence of successful intelligence as described by Sternberg’s theory. Through practical and creative solutions they were able to modify and adapt to their environment and persevere despite adversity. Time management and organizational skills were essential to managing their disabilities for long term success. Academic milieu management was central in obtaining both high school and post -secondary education.


title: The Role of Child and Youth Care Practitioners in the Treatment Planning Process

subject:
Qualitative Research
Treatment plan
Child and Youth Care Practitioners

abstract:
Many professions, whether implicitly or explicitly, claim a higher status than they
afford to child and youth care practitioners (Beker, 1976; VanderVen, 1991). However,
child and youth care practitioners have also contributed to this nescient view in not
understanding how profoundly they can affect the lives of others, or by not explaining the
depths to their practice. Whether for these reasons or others, Beker (2005) feels that child
and youth care practitioners are kept on the peripheral when it comes to treatment
planning. Moreover, although considerable research has examined these workers’
struggles to be seen as credible practitioners, minimal research has examined a child and
youth care practitioner’s role in treatment planning. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative
research was to explore the role of child and youth care practitioners within the treatment
planning process, their knowledge of and comfort with the process, and the areas in
which they feel capable or might want or need additional training. Data were gathered
through structured interviews from eleven purposefully selected child and youth care
practitioners with diverse backgrounds, though the majority had experience working in
settings such as schools, group homes, day treatment and private practice. Modified
grounded theory from qualitative methodology was used to analyze the data. Research
questions were broken down into three topic areas, general role, treatment plan role, and
perceptions of child and youth care practitioners. Results emerged around four
interconnected themes: giving the client primacy of focus, marginalization of the child
and youth care practitioner, a child and youth care practitioner’s desire for change, and
dynamicism of treatment plans. In a client-centred approach, the child and youth care
practitioner maintains the child as the focus of treatment, though other environmental
factors are taken into account and worked with, when possible, and there is a sense of
closeness to the client that other professionals may not have due to role constraints.
Secondly, marginalization restricts access to and input into treatment plans. The third
theme, desire for change, speaks to empowerment of the children and youth and giving
credence to the child and youth care profession. Lastly, is a focus on the treatment plan
itself and on the understanding that it is a working document that must be permitted to
change and grow according to the changing needs of, and demands on, the client.
However, a meta-theme emerges upon review of results. This theme is one suggesting
that structures and practices of power that are exerted on child and youth care
practitioners in their contact with other professionals, parallels those exerted on their
clients. The following questions arise: Where would full membership of the child and
youth care practitioner in the society of other professionals leave the relationship between
the child and youth care practitioner and the client? Where would it leave the client?


title: Residential Child & Youth Care Workers’ Perspectives of Job Stress and Knowledge of Interventions

subject: Residential youth care workers, mental health, youth care organizations, job stress

abstract:
Burnout has been proven to affect the psychological, emotional, and physical well-being of human service employees, organizations’ economic status, and those in care. Physical illness and mental health issues can be costs to individuals who provide care to others, with resulting increases to organizational overhead, and reductions of best-practices. This study seeks to provide information for Child and Youth Care educational institutions, Residential Child and Youth Care organizations, and individual Residential Child and Youth Care Workers about the importance of a unified awareness intervention to minimize burnout development and its effects. This qualitative study was developed to examine Residential Youth Care Workers perspectives of job stress, their knowledge of educational, organizational, and personal strategies available or practiced to deal with stress, factors that might contribute to stress development within their work cultures, and potential intervention(s) to assist decreasing burnout development. A semi structured interview format was utilized with recommendations for proactive strategies being
drawn from the analysis and previous research.


title: A Home- and Preschool-Based Positive Behavioural Support Program: Strategies Aimed at Improving Mealtime and Toileting Behaviours in 4-year-old Twins with Autism

subject:
Autism
Preschool
Mealtime and Toileting Behaviours

abstract: This study assesses the effectiveness of a multi-site (i.e., home-and preschool-based) positive behavioural support program for 4-year-old twins with autism. The program consisted of pre-intervention (2 weeks), intervention (9 weeks) and post-intervention (3 days) phases, in which the focus was on measuring mealtime and toileting skill development. Under the investigator’s guidance, the parents implemented interventions during meals that closely resembled mealtime routines at the preschool (where appropriate mealtime behaviour was observed and reported). In addition, the investigator, parents, and preschool staff worked collaboratively to implement interventions designed to encourage independent toileting skills. The target behaviours included leaving the table for more than 3 seconds during mealtimes and urinating in one’s diaper. During each of the pre-intervention, intervention and post-invention phases, behaviour and skill changes were monitored. Findings indicated clear increases from pre-intervention to post-intervention in the children’s tendency to sit in their seats for the duration of meals at home, as well as generalization to other settings. Also, for one child, independent toileting was established and maintained at post-intervention, and again generalization was demonstrated in other contexts. For the other child, toileting skills generally remained largely unchanged. Parent and preschool staff opinions of the positive behavioural support program and mealtime and toileting interventions were very positive. Discussion focuses on the potential of multi-site PBS programs for very young children with autism.


title: “Making Women Mad”

subject: Women's narratives, psychological oppression, madness

abstract: In this thesis, I look at the complicated business of “Making Women Mad” through a feminist and gender aware lens, with an interdisciplinary approach to examining women’s narratives of psychological oppression and resistance in an autobiographical short story and one book. I draw on women’s written experiences from the Victorian Era of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and her personal treatment by Silas Weir Mitchell’s “The Rest Cure,” Kate Millett’s personal narrative as told in her book having taken place in the 1970s and 1980s, The Loony-Bin Trip where she chronicled her struggle with navigating the social and healthcare system which was concerned with “madness,” and my experiences in the 21st century, living and working within the mental healthcare system with those charged with real mental illness and the social and cultural construct of “madness.” I base this on the theory of the “misbegotten man” and Aristotelian views that women possess innate flaws directly due to their defective biology from the moment of conception. These flaws and defects occur at every stage of women’s naturally occurring stages of biology, therefore their whole being has been pathologized. The new and emerging field of “Mad Studies” will be paid attention to, along with issues of violence and stigma. In conclusion, I present my personal remarks and a path forward as a way to provide information based upon experience and hope for the future of women’s healthcare and mental and physical well-being as a means of resistance, the restoration of agency, and empowerment.


title: The Role of Two Extracurricular Programs in International Students’ Informal Learning Experiences in Atlantic Canada

subject: International students, extracurricular programs, community engagement

abstract:
This thesis explores international students’ informal learning through two extracurricular
programs in Atlantic Canada, by focusing on their community involvement, volunteering, and social interactions. With the unique insight from an international student, program organizer, and practitioner in international education, this paper uses qualitative methodology to study the cases of two extracurricular programs, the Interfaith Engagement Program (IEP) in Halifax and the International Student Volunteer Program (ISVP) at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU). Ten international students from Halifax, the city with the most Higher Education institutes in Atlantic Canada, were involved in a focus group interview and a semi-structured in-depth interview. The research illustrates the values of community engagement and volunteering for international students in cross-cultural awareness, transferrable professional skills development, and network building. In the long run, the objective is to find ways for these prospective immigrants with Canadian credentials and experiences to integrate with the local community and contribute to the local economy, to solve the “triple glass effect” (Guo, 2013) problems for immigrants in the Canadian labour market, to retain more talented international young people, and to contribute to the economic and social development in Atlantic Canada.


title: Indigenous Families: Fostering Attachment Our Way

subject: Indigenous, attachment theory, child development,

abstract: Indigenous peoples worldwide have been colonized by the Western world. In the Canadian context, Indigenous peoples are the fastest growing, and youngest population. Indigenous children face greater health disparities compared to other Canadian children. Stemming from a Eurocentric perspective, attachment theory is a dominant framework for understanding early child development in Western society. In relation to Indigenous cultures, where beliefs, family structures and caregiver practices differ from those of Westernized practices, the theory’s relevance is questionable. The purpose of this research is to explore the meaning of attachment in the context of contemporary Indigenous families with the goal of better understanding how healthy attachment outcomes can be promoted for Indigenous children. Indigenous and Western knowledges are incorporated in this research project through the guiding principles of the two- eyed seeing approach, which considers the strengths of both ways of knowing. Indigenous caregivers share their stories about family through an Indigenous research method known as the Sharing Circle. Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model of Human Development is used as a framework for data analysis. Finally, the implications, limitations, and final thoughts are presented about attachment in the context of Indigenous families.


title: Human milk total thiamine concentrations among rural Cambodian women on various thiamine supplementation regimens in the exclusive breastfeeding period

subject: Human milk, thiamine, Cambodian women


title: Interprofessional Training in an Education Context

subject:
Interprofessional education
School psychologists
Preservice teachers

abstract:
Interprofessional education occurs when two or more groups of professionals learn with,
from, and about one another. The vast majority of the research on interprofessional
education has occurred in medicine. In a medical context, the objectives of
interprofessional education are to improve professional collaboration and the quality of
care. Medicine is not the only discipline where interprofessional education is important.
In education, professionals need to collaborate, consult, and communicate with other
professionals on a daily basis with a goal of improving the quality of education for
students. In order to build on the small amount of interprofessional education research in
an education context, past research has been reviewed and applied to a new context. The
current thesis develops a theoretically driven workshop for preservice teachers and school
psychologists with the objective of developing an interprofessional understanding and
proposes a method for pilot testing of this workshop.


title: The Power of Self Control: A Qualitative Analysis of the Influence of Industry on Dental Education Using Grounded Theory Methodology

subject:
Grounded theory
Attitudes
Faculty
Dental schools
Public opinion
Academic-industrial collaboration
Halifax
Nova Scotia
Study and teaching
Dentistry

abstract:
University based dental education experiences financial strain in its efforts to deliver
curriculum relevant to current dental practice. University-industry relationships are
becoming increasingly common to incorporate innovation and technology into
curriculum to enrich students learning experience. Such relationships may be problematic
as curriculum control is exposed to external influence. Thirteen dental faculty from
Dalhousie University participated in semi-structured interviews for a qualitative study
using constructivist grounded theory methodology to develop substantive theory.
Thematic analysis uncovered two primary  themes related to 1. tension between
authoritarianism and entrepreneurialism and 2. influence  of industry on pre-existing
educational dichotomies. Academe as stewards of the profession was the category central
to the theory The Power of Self Control and explained using a symbolic interactionist
perspective.


title: Gracing the Stage: Re-conceptualizing Theatre in Drama Education Through Principles from Cultural Psychology

subject:
Theatre
Drama Education
Cultural Psychology

abstract:
This thesis explores the meaning and use of theatre in drama education. The inquiry is grounded in a narrative of conversational interviews between myself and two other participants sharing a background in drama education and theatre production.
Narratives generated from these interviews serve as the basis for interpretation and analysis as well as a resource to illuminate my own ideas. I have drawn from the principles of cultural psychology, particularly Etienne Wenger’s ideas of communities of practice to re-conceptualize theatre as a culturally relevant site of practice in drama education.
Principles of cultural psychology are based on the premise that culture and psyche are co-constituting and that cognition is cultural and situated in practice; culture is the medium of thought and therefore it is the medium through which we learn. By building on the dual foundations of the narratives and the theories and principles of cultural psychology I attempt to create a hermeneutic dialogue that illuminates both particular and general concerns in drama education.
A critical look at relevant literature along with the discussions with the co-participants shows that drama education primarily presents drama as a means for personal development or as a pedagogical tool to be used across the curriculum. Within both these traditions drama and theatre have become dichotomized with much of theatre craft relegated to the sidelines of the drama classroom. However, viewed through the lens of cultural psychology, theatre, with its richness and variety of cultural practices becomes an important component of the drama classroom. It succeeds at this by providing a powerful framework for learners through its artefacts and dual processes of participation and reification. This framework is built upon an understanding of theatre as a learned craft that engages our intentionality and is malleable enough to foster creativity by permitting the student to negotiate meaning within practice.
The research findings point to the crucial need to reinstate art practices in drama education. In conclusion, dramatic art that allows for deep understanding of the dual nature of theatre and drama education is called for.


subject:
Youth
Teenagers
Children
Social work
Child welfare
Public opinion
Attitudes
Training
Workers
Child care

abstract: Many professions, whether implicitly or explicitly, claim a higher status than they afford to child and youth care practitioners (Beker, 1976; VanderVen, 1991). However, child and youth care practitioners have also contributed to this nescient view in not understanding how profoundly they can affect the lives of others, or by not explaining the depths to their practice. Whether for these reasons or others, Beker (2005) feels that child and youth care practitioners are kept on the peripheral when it comes to treatment planning. Moreover, although considerable research has examined these workers’ struggles to be seen as credible practitioners, minimal research has examined a child and youth care practitioner’s role in treatment planning. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the role of child and youth care practitioners within the treatment planning process, their knowledge of and comfort with the process, and the areas in which they feel capable or might want or need additional training. Data were gathered through structured interviews from eleven purposefully selected child and youth care practitioners with diverse backgrounds, though the majority had experience working in settings such as schools, group homes, day treatment and private practice. Modified grounded theory from qualitative methodology was used to analyze the data. Research questions were broken down into three topic areas, general role, treatment plan role, and perceptions of child and youth care practitioners. Results emerged around four interconnected themes: giving the client primacy of focus, marginalization of the child and youth care practitioner, a child and youth care practitioner’s desire for change, and dynamicism of treatment plans. In a client-centred approach, the child and youth care practitioner maintains the child as the focus of treatment, though other environmental iv factors are taken into account and worked with, when possible, and there is a sense of closeness to the client that other professionals may not have due to role constraints. Secondly, marginalization restricts access to and input into treatment plans. The third theme, desire for change, speaks to empowerment of the children and youth and giving credence to the child and youth care profession. Lastly, is a focus on the treatment plan itself and on the understanding that it is a working document that must be permitted to change and grow according to the changing needs of, and demands on, the client. However, a meta-theme emerges upon review of results. This theme is one suggesting that structures and practices of power that are exerted on child and youth care practitioners in their contact with other professionals, parallels those exerted on their clients. The following questions arise: Where would full membership of the child and youth care practitioner in the society of other professionals leave the relationship between the child and youth care practitioner and the client? Where would it leave the client?Many professions, whether implicitly or explicitly, claim a higher status than they afford to child and youth care practitioners (Beker, 1976; VanderVen, 1991). However, child and youth care practitioners have also contributed to this nescient view in not understanding how profoundly they can affect the lives of others, or by not explaining the depths to their practice. Whether for these reasons or others, Beker (2005) feels that child and youth care practitioners are kept on the peripheral when it comes to treatment planning. Moreover, although considerable research has examined these workers’ struggles to be seen as credible practitioners, minimal research has examined a child and youth care practitioner’s role in treatment planning. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the role of child and youth care practitioners within the treatment planning process, their knowledge of and comfort with the process, and the areas in which they feel capable or might want or need additional training. Data were gathered through structured interviews from eleven purposefully selected child and youth care practitioners with diverse backgrounds, though the majority had experience working in settings such as schools, group homes, day treatment and private practice. Modified grounded theory from qualitative methodology was used to analyze the data. Research questions were broken down into three topic areas, general role, treatment plan role, and perceptions of child and youth care practitioners. Results emerged around four interconnected themes: giving the client primacy of focus, marginalization of the child and youth care practitioner, a child and youth care practitioner’s desire for change, and dynamicism of treatment plans. In a client-centred approach, the child and youth care practitioner maintains the child as the focus of treatment, though other environmental iv factors are taken into account and worked with, when possible, and there is a sense of closeness to the client that other professionals may not have due to role constraints. Secondly, marginalization restricts access to and input into treatment plans. The third theme, desire for change, speaks to empowerment of the children and youth and giving credence to the child and youth care profession. Lastly, is a focus on the treatment plan itself and on the understanding that it is a working document that must be permitted to change and grow according to the changing needs of, and demands on, the client. However, a meta-theme emerges upon review of results. This theme is one suggesting that structures and practices of power that are exerted on child and youth care practitioners in their contact with other professionals, parallels those exerted on their clients. The following questions arise: Where would full membership of the child and youth care practitioner in the society of other professionals leave the relationship between the child and youth care practitioner and the client? Where would it leave the client?


title: Dietary Habits, Health Beliefs and Quality of Life among Chinese-Canadians

subject: Quality of life

subject: Health attitudes

subject: Food habits

subject: Chinese-Canadians

abstract:
Chinese are the largest Asian subgroup in Canada and to varying degrees have adopted eating and lifestyle patterns of North Americans (e.g. high-fat, low fruit/vegetable diets; sedentary). They may therefore be more susceptible to higher rates of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and/or certain types of cancers. Very few research studies have examined the relationships between dietary habits and health beliefs among Chinese immigrants in North America, and virtually no research has been done to determine how either of these factors affects quality of life.
The purpose of this study is to identify the dietary habits, health beliefs, and quality of life of Chinese immigrants residing in Toronto, Ontario, and to determine the effects of these dietary and health-related practices on subjective quality of life. The WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment model, with the incorporation of a diet-related index, was used as a theoretical framework for this study. Using a probability sampling method, subjects were recruited from five of more than 50 organizations serving Chinese immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area. The study population consisted of 106 healthy immigrants originating from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, ranging in ages from 45 to 64 years. A telephone interview (15-20 minutes) employing a cross-sectional questionnaire was used to solicit information regarding dietary habits, health beliefs and perceived quality of life. Each interview was conducted in participant’s native language (Cantonese or Mandarin). All data were analyzed through SPSS statistical software. MSVU Ethics Review Board approved the ethical issues of this research.
This study indicated that dietary acculturation is a gradual and continuous process, which does not occur at the same rate for all immigrants. While breakfast was the first meal to be “Westernized” after immigration, largely for reasons of convenience, about 72% and 98% of the subjects chose Chinese staple foods (rice, stir-fry, noodles, and soups) for lunch and dinner, respectively. Contrary to traditional Chinese habits, 62% of participants snacked between meals. Participants reported regular intakes of fruits and vegetables (87%), and frequent practice of fat- reduced behaviours (70%) in their diet. Most participants (79%) incorporated both Chinese and Western foods and cooking methods in their diets.
Traditional Chinese health belief acculturation is also a continuous process. Traditional health practices of food modification during and after illnesses, seasonal adjustment of foods, and the balance of ‘cold’ or {Yin) and ‘hot’ (or Yang) foods to promote good health were very prevalent. Participants commonly used foods such as ginger root, ginseng, Chinese black mushroom, walnut, bitter melon, pork liver, and sea cucumber for preventing and treating illnesses. Participants were also categorized into one of three groups; those exhibiting the strongest levels of agreement with the traditional Chinese health belief questions were categorized as THB- Strong. The other two groups were THB-Moderate and THB-Weak. Compared to THB- Moderate and THB-Weak, subjects in THB-Strong group less frequently reduced the amount of added oil in cooking and/or trimmed visible fats from meat, but were more likely to reduce the intakes of deep-fried and fried foods, replace high fat foods with lower fat alternatives, and reduce meals consumed at Chinese restaurants. This finding agrees with traditional Chinese cooking in that oil and fat are considered important components of flavour, and that traditional Chinese health belief emphasizes on avoid eating deep-fried and fried foods.

A substantial number of participants were satisfied with their overall quality of life (75%) and general health (60%), had good perceived physical (84%) and psychological health (68%), social relationships (80%), and environmental well-being (76%). Simple regression models revealed that overall quality of life could be predicted based on participants’ perception of their physical state, psychological well-being, and environmental conditions, and was positively associated with the length of residency in Canada (p = 0.001), English language proficiency {p = 0.006), and moderate degree of traditional health beliefs (p = 0.04). General health can be predicted based on participants’ perception of their physical health, psychological well-being, and social relationships, and was positively associated with the male gender (p = 0.01) and English language proficiency (p = 0.03).
Chinese media (88%), friends and family (68%) were their primary sources of nutrition information. However, only 16% of the female and 1% of the male respondents had sought nutrition advice from dietitians. Less than 30% of participants reported engaging in at least 60 minutes of light intensity activities daily as recommended by the Canada’s Physical Activity Guide. Male participants were found to be less physically active than their female counterparts. On a positive note, less than 3% of the participants reported that they had worried about not having enough money to buy foods in the past month. These subjects were relatively younger, had lower educational attainment and English proficiency, suggesting that the issues of food security for this group be assessed in future studies.
This study is one of the first few studies to directly relate the nutrition aspects with perceived quality of life among healthy immigrants. It is also the first study applying a traditional Chinese health belief grouping for Chinese Canadians, helpful in understanding concerns and preferences regarding diet and health. Results will provide an important basis needed to design and implement nutrition interventions to encourage immigrants to maintain a healthful traditional Chinese diet and health beliefs, and to make wise decisions when selecting Western foods. Using these results, dietitians are strongly encouraged to take a more proactive role in disseminating nutrition messages to minority populations. And finally, this study lays the groundwork for future research on dietary practices, health beliefs and nutrition-related quality of life of Chinese Canadians.


title: Does Social Support Impact the Prediction of Locus of Control for University Students Differentiated on Personality and Parenting?

abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among perceived parenting styles, personality, and locus of control in a sample of at-risk university students. At-risk was defined by low levels of social support using Cutrona's (1984) Social Provisions Scale. University students enrolled in undergraduate psychology courses at Mount Saint Vincent University participated in the study. Sixty-nine participants completed the Parental Authority Questionnaire, the HEXACO Personality Inventory- Revised, the Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External control scale, and the Social Provisions Scale. Students who perceived their parents as having an authoritative parenting style and were open to experience demonstrated an internal locus of control. Perceived parenting style and personality combined was a better predictor of locus of control than either factor alone. This thesis demonstrates the important role that school psychologists can play in influencing parenting and social support to help students adopt a more internal locus of control.


title: Mathematics beyond computation: and examination of assessment tools and exploration of an alternative item set

subject:
Education
Educational psychology
Evaluation
Ability testing
Mathematics
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test
Mathematical ability
Testing
Learning disabled children
Psychometrics

abstract:
This study examined the role of mathematical understanding in studentsâ   overall

mathematical knowledge. Participants included a total of two students who were tested

with a selection of items from the mathematics subtests of the Wechsler Individual

Achievement Test, Second Edition (WIATâ  II) and a set of comparison items (Pilot

Items). Results suggested that there was a difference between the type of information

collected by the two item sets and that mathematical understanding could exist in the

face of poor calculation skills. Additionally, an Evaluation Rubric was developed based

on the work of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Both of the

mathematics subtests of the WIATâ  II were analyzed using the Evaluation Rubric, as

were the Pilot Items. Results suggested that the WIATâ  II items were weakest in the

areas of Process and Knowledge Representation whereas the Pilot Items were strongest

in these areas. Findings are discussed within the context of psychoeducational

assessment and mathematics learning disabilities.


title: Teacher Perceptions of the Role of School Psychologists: Needs and Expectations

subject:
School Psychologists
School counselling

abstract: Teachers working in Nova Scotia were surveyed to determine their perceptions and knowledge of school psychologists and the services they deliver in the province. Teachers’ service needs were also examined. Results of the study indicate that teachers value the psychological services that school psychologists currently provide, but strongly desire an increase in the time dedicated to these services. According to nearly half of the teachers, school psychologists were currently on-site and available for services at their school approximately one day per week. Teachers indicated that they would like school psychologists to be more visible than this, reporting three days per week as ideal. A considerable number of teachers were uncertain about how accessible school psychologists currently were at their school. Teachers were aware of the considerable amount of time school psychologists spend dedicated to psychoeducational assessments, yet favoured an increase in the amount of time school psychologists spend in other service roles. Specifically, teachers expressed a desire for more comprehensive mental health services, especially in the areas of behavior support, prevention, and counselling. Most teachers reported being somewhat knowledgeable about school psychologists’ training and considered school psychologists to be primarily specialists in behavior, but noted that they also received training in cognitive disability, mental health, student learning, and research. Practical implications for school psychologists and school psychologist/teacher collaboration are discussed.


title: Marketing romantic relationships through social media: An analysis of the online discourse of relationship counsellors

subject:
Romantic relationships
Online dating
Relationship counsellors

abstract:
Romantic relationships are of fundamental importance to most people – both men and
women - and we derive great satisfaction from being in a romantic relationship. For various
reasons, people may turn to relationship counsellors when in need of relationship advice. With a
focus on romantic relationships, this study examines how the discourse of relationship
counselors defines romantic relationships. The qualitative study using Critical Discourse
Analysis (CDA) was carried out analyzing 130 electronic newsletters from the year 2012. A
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of two case studies of romantic relationship counsellors
involved the coding of data resulting in identification of common themes within the samples.
The analysis contributes to our understanding of how romantic relationships are treated by
relationship counsellors and women and men. The results show that across both case studies,
there is a common discourse used when defining romantic relationships. Furthermore, the
findings bring to light a picture of romantic relationships as something that can be manipulated
with the right tools and techniques.


title: Anti-bias and culturally supportive curriculums in early childhood education classrooms in Nova Scotia

subject:
Social values
Prejudices
Anti-racism
Early childhood education

abstract:
This study was designed to examine if anti bias and culturally responsive

curriculums are present in urban and rural daycares in Nova Scotia. Additional factors

were investigated to determine the relationship between early childhood educators' training, the length of time that they have been in the field, the number of professional

training programs or academic courses on this curricula which they have attended, the

ways in which the courses were conducted, the skills they were taught, a measure of

cultural sensitivity, and the implementation and maintenance of a culturally responsive

curriculum. Given that there is no current listing of early childhood educators in the

province of Nova Scotia, the desired sample size was estimated using the following

assumptions: at least 6 staff are employed in each urban center and 3 staff are employed

in each rural daycare. Given that there are 379 licensed daycares in the province it was

estimated that there would be 1527 early childhood educators in the province. Of the 308

early childhood educators who were approached, 32 (9%) responded to the invitation to

participate. A decision was made not to seek more survey responses because of the time

and expense relative to an anticipated low number of additional returns. An Intercultural

Sensitivity Scale (ISS) and a questionnaire developed for the research was used to gather

data in this study. The ISS was used to determine each participant's level of intercultural

sensitivity and in particular how well each respondent interacted, enjoyed, respected, felt

comfortable, and was attentive to students of various backgrounds. The questionnaire was

used to gather information about demographics, the type of training early childhood

professionals had received on anti-bias and culturally responsive curricula, the teacher's

attitudes toward an anti-bias and culturally responsive curriculum, how teachers were
making their classrooms and curriculum responsive to all students, the supports that the

teachers perceived as being in their schools for them to engage in anti-bias practice, and

the problems and issues they believed must be addressed in order to carry out successful

multicultural education programs. Based on the fact that participants of this study did not

mention features of the anti-bias and culturally responsive curriculum that past

researchers have mentioned as critical, and the fact that this study showed no significant

outcomes between those who were trained, either by degree, diploma, or the equivalency,

and their culturally sensitivity, and the fact that one's level of experience did not have

any significant impact on the way in which they were trained, it was suggested that in

order for these outcomes to be adjusted it is the training program facilitator that needs to

adjust.


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

subject:
Obesity
Short-term food intake
Beverage consumption

abstract:
This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that 1% chocolate milk will increase mealtime
satiation and decrease short-term food intake (FI) to a greater extent than other
isovolumetric sugars-sweetened beverages in normal weight (NW) and overweight/obese
(OW/OB) boys, although the effect will be diminished in OW/OB boys. The primary objective
was to determine the effect of isovolumetric (350 ml) preloads of fruit drink, cola and 1%
chocolate milk on short-term FI and subjective appetite when compared to a water control in
9-14 year old NW and OW/OB boys. On four separate mornings and in random order, boys
consumed a calorie-free water control, fruit drink (154 kcal), cola (158 kcal) or 1% chocolate
milk (224 kcal) beverage 2 hours after a standardized breakfast. Boys significantly reduced FI
after cola (NW: 894 ± 54; OW/OB: 986 ± 75) and 1% chocolate milk (NW: 844 ± 52; OW/OB:
912 ± 63) compared to a water control (NW: 1046 ± 51; OW/OB: 1050 ± 49). Caloric
compensation (CC) scores were not significantly different between groups for the fruit drink
(NW: 44% vs. OW/OB: 16%, p=0.56), cola (NW: 96% vs. OW/OB: 40%, p=0.27) or 1%
chocolate milk (NW: 90% vs. OW/OB: 61%, p=0.24) treatments. When corrected for the energy
content of the treatment, fullness was higher after cola (p=0.02), and prospective food
consumption (PFC) lower after 1% chocolate milk (p=0.009) compared to the fruit drink. PFC
and DTE were the strongest and weakest predictors of FI, respectively. BW was positively
associated with FI and inversely associated with CC in OW/OB, but not NW boys (P<0.05). In
OW/OB, the treatment dose of cola (kcal/kg BW) was inversely associated with FI (P<0.05). In
conclusion, cola and 1% chocolate milk suppressed FI in boys, however, the effect on FI was
dependent on macronutrient composition, treatment dose and body composition.


title: Single divorced fathers: Ecological risk and protective factors

subject:
Single parents
Parenting
Fathers

abstract:
This qualitative study was employed to gain a comprehensive understanding of
the personal experiences of single fathers in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) as
well as the personal perspectives of service providers who are part of services/programs
targeted towards fathers. Narrative inquiry was used to understand the diverse and unique
stories of five single father participants. General qualitative methods were used to
understand the service needs and current availability of support for single father families
in HRM. Approaching single fatherhood from an ecological resilience framework
allowed for a holistic view of how single fatherhood was experienced by these
individuals. Risk and protective factors existed at different, but related, levels that
influenced how the fathers perceived their experiences and the support they received.
Identified risk and protective factors ranged from: experiences with custody processes,
gender of the children, positive feelings as a father, supports for fathers, navigating the
legal system, perceived biases, and social stigmas. These results created a starting point
for future, in-depth research into single father families that could be used to better
support these important parents. Future directions for research with single fathers is
explicated, such as examining the way services are advertised, administered, and
perceived by single father participants. Furthermore, recommendations for service
providers such as gender-neutral language of parenting programs and more diverse
education are explained, as well as suggestions for future change to family law and court
processes that allow a smoother transition for fathers in the legal system.


title: Assessing Self-Report Survey Scales of Discrete Emotions: A Systematic Review

subject: Emotion, discrete emotions, emotional measurement

abstract:
Research in the field of emotion is characterized by inconsistencies in theory and in
empirical measurement of data. This systematic review of the measurement tools we use to capture said data sheds light upon the areas that require more attention to detail. Discussion of the aspects of emotion that prevail regardless of theoretical approach provides a good starting point for the reform of aligning measurement to consistent and theoretically situated definitions of emotion. Results demonstrate that there is a lack of consensus regarding which emotions are considered discrete and a vacancy in terms of scale statistics.


title: Mathematics Anxiety in Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

subject:
Mathematics anxiety
Pre-service Teachers
Mathematics methods

abstract:
This study explored the impact of mathematics methods courses, including practicum
experiences, on the level of mathematics anxiety experienced by pre-service elementary teachers.
Participants included 99 first and second year students completing a teacher education program at a
university in Nova Scotia. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect data.
Mathematics anxiety was assessed using the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Short Version
(MARS-S) at the beginning and conclusion of a 12-week mathematics methods course. A short
questionnaire assessing the participants’ perceptions regarding the impact of the course and practicum
on their level of comfort with mathematics was also administered. Analysis of data revealed that a
large number of pre-service elementary teachers experience high levels of mathematics anxiety.
Furthermore, participation in a mathematics methods course and practicum contributed to a statistically
significant reduction in mathematics anxiety for pre-service teachers completing their first year of the
teacher education program (p < .05). There was no significant change in the level of mathematics
anxiety for the pre-service teachers in the second year of the program. Qualitative data indicated that
the majority of pre-service teachers perceived the mathematics course and practicum as having a
positive impact on their level of comfort with mathematics. The findings of this study have important
implications for professors and administrators in teacher education.


title: Palliative care in long-term care: A multi-methods approach to assessing quality

subject:
Hospice care
Long-term care facilities
Evaluation
Canada
Palliative treatment

abstract:
Long-term care facilities provide care for chronic illness, usually until death yet little research is directed at the provision of palliative are in these settings. With the population in Canada aging an increasing number of people will require long-term care services including hospice palliative care. There is a need for empirical knowledge that will contribute to policy development, implementation, and evaluation in this increasingly important area of health care service delivery. The main objective of this research was to define high quality hospice palliative care service delivery through the exploration of approaches taken to provide palliative care at Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) facilities across Canada.

This study was guided by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association’s (CHPCA) (2002) A Model to Guide Hospice Palliative Care. Five facilities across Canada were selected for their high quality of palliative care programming as defined by representatives from VAC. Data collection included written policies submitted by participating facilities, interviews with two key informants from each facility, and field observations of three front-line care workers at one facility. Analysis involved coding of data using QSR NUD*IST software. A normative policy analysis of the coded data was conducted using the CHPCA model as a policy framework.

Results indicated that the components of the studied policies at each facility were similar and were, for the most part, in keeping with the domains of care included in the CHPCA model. Each of the programs were well resourced. Approaches to program implementation were individualized based on facility needs. Barriers to care included

ii

pain assessment of residents with dementia, interpersonal conflict, and human resource deficiencies during expected deaths and health crises. A lack of recognition of the emotional toll paid by front-line workers was also determined to be a barrier to quality care. Enhancers included a wide range of service availability, knowledgeable front-line care workers, and a high capacity for maintaining continuity of care through effective communication, interpersonal relations, and team approach to care.

Findings suggest that the principles of palliative care were evident in the programs provided by participating facilities and their experiences may enable other facilities to introduce palliative care. The hospice palliative care services available at the participating facilities provided a quality of life for residents that effectively demonstrated a need for improved funding and services in this area of care at long-term care facilities across Canada. Although participating facilities were well funded, further resources needed to be directed towards providing emotional support and bereavement care for both families and care providers.


title: Evaluation of practice-based evidence in nutrition (PEN) service for dietetic practice

subject: Dieticians

abstract:
Objective: The analysis of the online evaluation survey of Practice-based Evidence in
Nutrition (PEN) subscribers and non-subscribers quantitatively examined dietitians’
perceptions of the PEN service as a provider of evidence-based dietetic information. The
purpose of the PEN evaluation was to measure the effectiveness of the PEN service as a
knowledge translation and transfer tool for incorporating new knowledge into dietetic
practice, and to identify barriers and facilitators that prevent users from using or enable
users to use PEN to change the way they practice. Results of the evaluation were used to
inform recommendations for improvements to the PEN service.
Methods: A validated online survey was sent to all PEN subscribers (n=1,967) and a
random sample of non-subscribers (n=1,542). The 333 respondents consisted of 265 PEN
subscribers (13.5%) and 68 non-subscribers (4.4%). Respondents were dietitians or
dietetic students. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, proportions,
the chi-square test and the z-test. Relationships between the survey responses and various
demographic characteristics of the respondents were explored. Data compared to baseline
data measured the difference between proportions.
Results: When faced with a practice decision, 96% of PEN subscribers were likely to use
PEN for practice guidance. Approximately 82% rated the PEN service as an excellent or
very good practice guidance tool. Sixty-one percent indicated that when PEN was used to
support decision making it led to positive health benefits for clients. This latter finding was
reported by those who indicated that they also found the information in PEN to be up to
date, to have sufficient detail to guide practice and to be of high quality. Problems with
technology (e.g., printing difficulties and broken links); the perceived lack of resources,
tools and content in some topic areas; and the amount of time available to use PEN at work
were identified as barriers to using PEN for practice guidance. Being over 45 years of age
was a demographic characteristic that was a barrier to frequent PEN use as well as a
barrier to having sufficient time at work to use PEN. Facilitators that enabled dietitians to use PEN to change the way they practiced were accessibility to high-quality information,
the perceived benefits to dietetic practice and the dietetic profession, and having sufficient
time to use PEN. Being under 35 years of age was a demographic characteristic of
subscribers who were more likely to use PEN frequently. Dietitians holding or working on
a graduate degree were more likely to author or review PEN content. Compared to
baseline data subscribers utilized PEN more frequently, had more time to use PEN at work,
asked more practice questions and experienced more printing difficulties and broken links.
Conclusions: Results indicate that the PEN service was effective as a KTT tool for
incorporating new knowledge into dietetic practice. Barriers were related to user
satisfaction with PEN features. Facilitators pertained to users’ perceptions of the value of
PEN to their practice and quality of PEN content. This research supports Rogers’ Diffusion
of Innovations Theory in that attributes of PEN influence its rate of adoption. Attributes of
PEN as perceived by users can prevent dietitians from changing or enable them to change
the way they practice. Recommendations that address the barriers, promote the
facilitators and encourage further research were made to improve the effectiveness of the
PEN service to transfer knowledge and change practice.