title: Being a Teller in a Time of Globalization: The Everyday Lives of Five Women Bank Workers in Halifax, Nova Scotia

subject:
Neo-liberal globalization
Female Tellers
Structural Adjustment Programs
Structural Adjustment Programs

abstract:
Neo-liberal globalization, its ideology and its economic and political policies, are changing the modern world. Multinational corporations influence global and national economic and governmental policies. The discourse of profit invades every facet of our lives, including government and health care, so that both citizens and patients become “consumers”.
This thesis investigates the impact of globalization on the everyday lives of five women who are bank tellers in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Beginning with an examination of globalization, I argue that policies, such as Structural Adjustment Programs, of international financial institutions like the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, which were developed in an American context and imposed on countries in the developing world, are mimicked in Canada for the purpose of increasing profits.
Deregulation both globally and in the Canadian context is supported by advances in technology, and tips the balance in favour of large corporations, while ordinary workers pay the price. Interviews with the tellers who participated in this study show that banking technologies such as automated teller machines, and bank restructuring in Canada, have brought globalization to the doorsteps of bank workers in Halifax as their work becomes not only more deskilled, routinized, intensified and controlled, but also increasingly non-standard and precarious.


title: Does Self- Concept and Motivation in High School Predict Future Success via Readiness in First Year Undergraduate Students?

subject:
Academic achievement
Education
Motivation
Self-confidence
Psychology
Students
High school
Adolescence
Halifax
Nova Scotia
Self-perception

abstract:
An important part of the daily routine for university students involves

completing their coursework as they work towards their degree. Feelings of

self-confidence and competence are essential for university students  growth

and subjective well-being (Levesque, Stanek, Ryan, Zuehlke, 2004). Levesque

et al. (2004) stated that  at every educational level, students who experience greater need

satisfaction appear to be better adjusted in the classroom and in life, demonstrate greater

internalization of school-related regulations, exhibit enhanced performance, and report

more intrinsic motivation than those who find these needs dissatisfied in school (p.68).

The primary goal of this thesis was to establish correlation links between selfconcept,

motivation and success in university. Further, an endeavor of this thesis was to

determine if success in university could be predicted from self-concept and motivation in

an undergraduate sample of Mount Saint Vincent University students. Several

correlations were found and revealed some very interesting information regarding

associations between motivation, self-concept and success. However, no statistically

significant multiple regression analyses were discovered which suggests that in this

sample success in university cannot be predicted from motivation or self- concept.

Results are discussed in terms of the significant correlations and ideas for research and

further exploration are addressed.


title: Science Students: Making the transition from high school to university

subject:
Entrance requirements
College
University
Scholastic success
Academic achievement
Nova Scotia
Education
Students
Science

abstract:
This qualitative study, grounded in phenomenology, investigated the

experiences of first and second year university science students as they made

the transition from high school to university, an area of research that has

received less attention than earlier school transitions. The purpose of the study

was to gain knowledge about aspects of their education both at high school and

at university that might inform future practices related to school/university

transitions. The primary source of data for the study was in-depth, semistructured

interviews. Document analysis of curriculum guides for core science

subjects and both high school and university course outlines provided supporting

data. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts, using a grounded theory

approach, revealed that students were generally satisfied with their high school

education in terms of curriculum covered. Analysis of the curriculum documents

showed a significant correlation between the curriculum at high school and

university and thus supported the students' observations about curriculum

coherence between the two levels. Students' concerns related to their

preparation for university focused on the following: studying, independent work

habits, problem solving, and critical thinking. The students critiqued their

university teachers in regard to their over-reliance on exams for assessment and

evaluation, and the dominance of teacher-directed methodologies that limit

classroom interaction. Insights from this study will help to inform my future

teaching practices. More broadly, the results may guide changes at the high

school and university levels that may contribute to a smoother transition from

iv

high school to university leading to better student performance, reduced drop out

rates, and increased interest in science programs.


title: Ten Years Later: Current Practices and Preferred Roles of School Psychologists in Nova Scotia

format: Full-text application/pdf

subject: School psychologists, Nova Scotia, psychoeducational assessment

abstract: This study surveyed school psychologists in Nova Scotia to determine whether they incorporate the core competencies in their practice at school and to update and extend the study conducted by Corkum et al. (2007) to learn about their current and preferred roles. Results indicated that school psychologists do not have the opportunity to fully engage in each core competency and that they spend the majority of their time conducting psychoeducational assessments. School psychologists continue to prefer reducing the amount of time spent on psychoeducational assessments. They highlighted the drawback of this, as it compromises their ability to engage in all core competencies. To allow school psychologists to have a comprehensive role, their workload needs to be reduced by reducing the school psychologist to student ratio to ensure that students receive quality service. Furthermore, the perception of the role of the school psychologist needs to be inclusive of all the services they could provide rather than solely focusing on and valuing psychoeducational assessments.


title: A Case Study Evaluation of Department of Finance Employees that Participated in a Health Risk Assessment: Identification of Positive Lifestyle Changes

subject:
Nova Scotia
Department of Finance
Health Risk Assessment
Employee Health Promotion

abstract:
Employers may benefit from investing in employee wellness through reductions in employee health care costs, improved productivity of healthy workers, and fewer missed days (Baicker et al., 2010). The workplace may therefore be a good environment for health initiatives (Linnan et al., 2008). A health risk assessment (HRA) is an example of a health initiative that is used to assess personal health habits and risk factors, to quantite mortality risk, and to provide education and/or recommendations to improve health (DeFriese & Fielding, 1990, and Connell et al., 1995). The Department of Finance of the Nova Scotia Government has implemented a Healthy Workplace (HWP) Program, and as part of this, held 2 HRAs from 2007-2010.
This study will provide the Department of Finance with an assessment of the impact of the 2007 and 2010 HRAs, and the effectiveness of other HWP initiatives held in the Department. It will act as a needs assessment for future HWP initiatives and help fulfill the goals outlined in the Department of Finance’s HWP Business Plan 2008-2014. It may also provide information to other government departments and other employers.


title: How Does Children's Spelling Improve Their Literacy

subject: Children literacy, spelling, spelling ability

abstract: Ample research suggests that spelling accuracy, measured using a binary correct-incorrect or on a continuum of correctness, is a primary way to predict future reading and spelling ability. Recent theory has proposed an additional predictor of literacy development: spelling fluency, or the speed of accurate spelling. In the current study, we investigated whether spelling fluency was a significant predictor of current and future reading and spelling ability, beyond what was accounted for by known predictors and various measures of spelling accuracy. Participants were 124 students in Grade 1 and 82 students followed longitudinally from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that although spelling fluency was not a significant predictor of current or future reading or spelling ability, some measures of spelling accuracy were, particularly when letter-pattern knowledge was the basis of measurement. Implications for teaching and evaluating literacy skills and considerations for future research are discussed herein.


title: The Impact of the Read To Me! Program in the Emergency Department of the IWK Health Centre on Family Literacy Practices

subject:
Read to Me! program
IWK Health Centre in Halifax
Literacy Program
Children

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Read to Me! program in the emergency department of a pediatric hospital to determine if the intervention resulted in a change in family literacy practices. It was conducted at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova
Scotia. The program is designed to support the mandate of the Read to Me! Nova Scotia
Family Literacy Program aimed at helping families in Nova Scotia enrich their children’s early years with books and reading. Participants were parents who presented at the emergency department of the IWK Health Centre with a child six years of age or younger, and emergency department staff. Participants were interviewed for a period of twenty months at which time 485 interviews had been conducted. One hundred fourteen in the intervention group were interviewed in person prior to the intervention. Families in the intervention group had their child read to by a volunteer reader, were given a handout on tips for reading to young children and a list of age appropriate books. They were also given the gift of a book to take home. One hundred fourteen participants in the control group were interviewed in person when no volunteer reader was present. One hundred participants in the intervention group and 103 in the control group were interviewed by telephone approximately six weeks after the initial interview. Parents were asked a number of questions to determine if there were changes in family literacy practices. Twenty-seven staff members were interviewed at the beginning of the program and at the end of the pilot study to identify the impact of the program on their working environment and on perceived wait times. Intervention provided to parents and their children through the Read to Me! Program was predicted to increase parental knowledge and attitudes about the importance of reading to young children. The study found an increase in the number of families with library cards, an increased use of libraries, an increase in the number of times children visited the library and were observed looking at books. The number of children in the intervention group who had received books since taking part in the Read to Me! program was significant. Reading was selected as the indoor activity parents enjoy doing most with their child in both groups. There was no increase in the number of times books were chosen as a favourite activity from initial to subsequent interview for the intervention and control groups. However, when data from the control group were compared to data from the intervention group, parents in both groups reported that reading and looking at books was the activity that they enjoyed most with their child.
There were more families in the intervention group reading to their children almost daily or at least weekly; however, there was not a significant difference between the intervention and control groups. Comparison of data collected from staff revealed that there was a significant reduction in inquiries from parents asking how long before their child would be seen by a doctor. Results of this study provide support for continuation of the Read to Me! program.


title: Consultation Practices of School Psychologists in New Brunswick

subject:
School psychologists
School psychology
New Brunswick

abstract:
Consultation and collaboration have been identified in the literature as essential

parts of school psychology service delivery (Gutkin & Curtis, 1999; Sladeczek,

Kratochwill, Steinbach, Kumke, Hagermoser, 2003; Walther-Thomas, Korinek,

McLaughlin, 1999; Zins & Erchul, 2002). The purpose of this study was to examine the

consultation practices of school psychologists who work in rural and urban regions of

New Brunswick. Thirty-three school psychologists and residents in psychology were

invited to participate. The response rate was 42.4% (n=14). Most respondents were

experienced psychologists and the majority worked in both rural and urban settings.

The psychologists engaged in consultation as consultants and consultees

regularly, with the majority (10/14) consulting at least two to three times per week.

Consultation took place at the school-level most often: 12 respondents acted as

consultants with teachers and school administrators at least two to three times per week,

while 13 sought advice from teachers and administrators at least once per month. By

contrast, respondents consulted with professionals outside the school system less than

once per month. The focus of the consultation was most often on academic, behavioural,

and socio-emotional issues: 10 participants consulted about these issues at least two to

three times per week, and all but one reported being confident or very confident when

consulting in these areas. As consultees, 14 participants consulted about socio-emotional

issues at least once per month and 13 consulted regarding academic and behavioural

concerns at least once per month. Eleven school psychologists were at least somewhat

satisfied with their current level of consultation, and eight felt as though they had the

right amount of time to spend on consultation. Participants also identified barriers to school consultation, including heavy caseloads, servicing too many schools, and others' lack of awareness of psychologists' expertise. Factors that they perceived facilitated

effective consultation were: being part of a school-based team, established meeting times

for consultation, time allotted in daily schedules for consultation, support and

commitment from teachers and administrators, additional psychologist resources,

recognition of all participants' skills and knowledge as valuable, the development of

relationships with team members, and a reduced emphasis on completing psychoeducational

assessments.


title: Assessing Therapeutic Recreation Attendance and Potentially Inappropriate Antipsychotic Use in Long-Term Care

abstract:
Responsive behaviours are commonly expressed by persons living with dementia
(PLWD) in long-term care (LTC) as a way of communicating an unmet need. One
commonly reported unmet need amongst PLWD is the need for daytime activity. PLWD
in LTC spend much of their time by themselves. Minimal opportunities for engagement
or daytime activity in LTC may lead to the expression of responsive behaviours.
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions are often employed by health
care professionals in LTC to mitigate or halt the expression of these behaviours. Despite
their known risk of harm and evidence which supports the use of non-pharmacological
interventions, antipsychotics continue to be administered to PLWD in LTC.

The purpose of this research was to determine whether there was a correlation
between therapeutic recreation (TR) attendance and potentially inappropriate
antipsychotic (PIA) use in LTC homes in Alberta (AB) and Ontario (ON). It was
hypothesized that there would be a negative correlation between TR attendance and PIA
use in LTC. This study utilized secondary, aggregate (e.g., institutional level),
unidentified data collected with the Resident Assessment Instrument -Minimum Data Set
2.0 (RAI-MDS 2.0) and obtained from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
This data set, titled Continuing Care Reporting System, 2018-2019, reflected RAI-MDS
2.0 assessments from the last fiscal year. Seven nested linear regression models were
generated with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences to assess for a correlation
between PIA use, TR attendance and other variables of interest. Analyses for significant
interaction effects were also undertaken.

A total of 303 LTC homes were included in this analysis (AB = 131, ON = 172).
Within the total sample, the mean proportion of PIA use in a 7-day period was .19; rates
of use were similar in AB and ON. The proportion of TR attendance within the total
sample was low at .27. On average, TR was attended for 34.98 minutes or 0.73 days in a
7-day period. The mean proportion of TR attendance was significantly lower in ON (.13)
than AB (.46). Responsive behaviours were commonly observe in LTC homes in both
provinces. The proportion of dementia within the total sample was .50. Findings of the
main linear regression model (N = 267) indicated that TR attendance (β = .145, p = .069),
home size (medium vs. small [β = -.352, p = .002], large vs. small [β = -.460, p = .001]),
and proportion of depression (β = -.208, p = .011) were significant predictors of PIA use
in LTC. Several significant interaction effects were observed, including mean Aggressive
Behaviour Scale scores and proportion of dementia.

Results of this study support further inquiry into PIA use and the provision of
social and leisure activities in LTC homes. Three suggestions are made for improving
quality of life in LTC: (a) ensure the effective use of allied health professionals; (b)
allocate funding for regular social and leisure activities; and (c) improve staffing ratios in
smaller homes. These suggestions as well as recommendations for future research and
policy implications are discussed.


title: Portuguese Immigrant Women Who Work as Cleaning Ladies, or Domestic Workers, in Canada: Working Relationships Beyond Boundaries

subject: Portuguese women, domestic work, immigrant women

abstract:
This thesis seeks to expand understanding of why Portuguese women enter domestic work (DW) instead of other types of jobs; how DW advantages and or disadvantages them; what are the key characteristics of the relationships they form as a result of DW; and what kinds of formal and informal learning occur in the context of DW.
Besides having typically entered Canada outside of any statutory DW immigration program, the Portuguese immigrant women who are engaged in DW often differ from other domestic workers in terms of their education levels, fluency in English and cultural attitudes.
The research for this study focused on five Portuguese-Canadian women from three cities in Canada, who had been engaged in DW for at least 2 years within a household setting, and whose jobs were neither brokered by a formal employment agency nor covered by an employment contract. The women participated in a qualitative, semi-structured interview process, in which they discussed the advantages and disadvantages of employment in DW; the relationships they formed during their DW experience; and the formal and informal skills they acquired as a result of DW.
The framework for this study is Marxist Feminism theory, which is utilized to attempt to explain the condition of this identifiable class of female workers.
The findings show that on the one hand, various positive factors contribute to the choice of Portuguese-Canadian immigrant women to stay in the DW profession. These include personal fulfillment, recognition for work done, the feeling of being one’s own boss, flexible working hours, a relatively decent salary and the avoidance of income tax, and the formation of positive relationships with employers and their families. On the other hand, these women recognize certain disadvantages of DW, such as the lack of a guaranteed income, job security, retirement provision, union representation and legally enforceable labour rights.
These negative factors contribute to a situation of relative vulnerability for Portuguese-Canadian immigrant women. They rely on a variety of means to protect their interests, for example by organizing their schedules in such a way as to maximize their earning potential; contesting their assignment of tasks within the household; leaving exploitative employers; and finding new employment opportunities through social networks within the Portuguese-Canadian community.
This thesis concludes that Marxist Femism theory does not recognize the full complexity of the social condition of this class of working women, for whom issues such as racial and cultural stereotyping, and outright racism, are significant considerations.
My conclusion brings to light the need for the Canadian government to formulate policies designed to protect this “invisible” group of women working in the margins of Canadian society.


title: Older Women's Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Sexuality, Intimacy, and HIV/AIDS

subject: HIV infections

subject: AIDS (Disease)

subject: Older women

subject: Health attitudes -- Age factors -- Nova Scotia

abstract: Sex is a natural, physiological, fundamental part of being human and is an experience that does not have to end as one ages. Yet, due to ageism and sexism, older women have not been socialized to believe this. Instead, through social scripting, women are often unassertive, not sexually aggressive, and dependent upon men with regard to sexual and intimate activities. Due to these constructs, women may partake in risky behaviours that could lead to STIs and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, something not fully recognized within the aging population. However, statistics indicate that HIV/AIDS is affecting both the aging population and women. A postmodern feminist perspective was used in this exploratory quantitative study. Women who were 50 years old and older from various Red Hatter groups throughout Nova Scotia and women from the Halifax Sexual Health Centre were questioned on their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours about sexuality, intimacy, and HIV/AIDS. The questionnaire was created using questions from the "Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitude Scale," "Senior Adult Sexuality Scale," "National Health Interview Survey," and the "Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women." One hundred and eighty-six questionnaires were used for the final analysis. Results showed that women's behaviours indicated they were somewhat sexually active and had moderately liberal attitudes about sexuality and sexual activity in older adults. Their knowledge about sexual health and aging was moderately high; however, their scores were lower regarding knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, a regression analysis indicated that one's general sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes, sexual behaviour, as well as having some university of college education and working in healthcare were significant predictors of their knowledge about HIV/AIDS.


title: Development of a Doctoral Level Psychology Program: History, Controversies, and Practical Needs

subject:
Psychologists - education
Psychology training

abstract:
Every province within Canada has its own regulatory body that sets and upholds the registration
(or licensing) requirements of all individuals seeking registration as a professional psychologist.
Currently in Nova Scotia, a doctoral, master's, or equivalent degree in psychology is required for
registration as a psychologist within the province; however, the Canadian Psychological
Association (CPA) supports a doctoral degree as the minimum training standard. In 2006, the
Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology (NSBEP) began discussing the possibility of
making the doctoral degree the entry level qualification for registration of practicing
psychologists within Nova Scotia. In order to be able to continue to offer adequate psychology
training and produce well-trained psychologists capable of meeting the registration requirements
within Nova Scotia, psychology training programs at the master’s level will need to evolve with
the changing NSBEP standards, if and when they occur. The present study reviewed 24 doctoral
level psychology programs in Canada in the areas of clinical and school psychology to generate
recommendations for Mount Saint Vincent University’s School Psychology Program about what
factors need to be considered in a transition from a master’s to a doctoral degree


title: Teacher Perception of the Acceptability and Utility of a School-Wide Positive Behavioural Approach to Discipline

subject:
Behavior modification
School discipline -- Nova Scotia
Positive Effective Behaviour Supports

abstract:
Studies have shown that school culture and climate have an immense influence on

students' academic achievement (Coyle & Witcher, 1992; Rutter, 1983). Review of current

research literature reveals an abundance of programs designed to improve the behavioural

functioning of students. A concomitant proliferation of studies delves into the effectiveness

of these programs. Many studies base determination of efficacy upon achieving a criterion of

reduced office discipline referrals per month. An underlying assumption is that, as the

climate of the school improves, challenging behaviour is reduced.

A complementary means of evaluating efficacy is via examination of the social

validity of a program. Social validity is defined as the social significance of the goals of

interventions, the social acceptability of the components of interventions used to attain those

goals, and the social importance of the effects of an intervention (Wolf, 1978). Adherence to

policies and techniques are more likely to be adequately achieved by individuals who believe

in a program's goals and effects, as well as its techniques or processes.

Initiatives adopted to address childhood behaviour must be deemed useful and

acceptable by those implementing it; otherwise implementation may lack integrity and risk

failure. This could not only undermine the use of a promising and potentially beneficial

initiative, but also risks burn-out and cynicism in response to future attempts to improve

school climates.

Given the importance of school climate, and disciplinary approaches as part of this

climate, the purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness

and usefulness of a district-wide, school-based initiative - Positive and Effective Behaviour Supports (PEBS) - in one school board in Nova Scotia. Currently in Nova Scotia, evaluation

of this program is focussed upon evaluation of discipline referrals. It was the aim of the

current research to provide complementary analysis to inform the School Board's

implementation of the PEBS initiative. Results demonstrated that elementary teachers were

more likely than middle/junior high teachers to perceive PEBS as useful for managing

behaviour and effective in communicating school wide expectations to children. Elementary

teachers also tended to report improved management style and climate change to a greater

extent than did middle/junior high teachers. Results were discussed in relation to training

and implementation improvements.


title: An Exploratory Analysis of Eating Disorders, Muscle Dysmorphia, and Exercise Addiction Among Men in Competitive Bodybuilding in Atlantic Canada

subject: Eating disorders, Muscle Dysmorphia, Exercise Addiction, Bodybuilding


title: Consumer use and interpretation of trans fat information on food labels

subject:
Food
Halifax
Evaluation
Labeling
Nova Scotia
Nutrition
Human nutrition
Trans fatty acids
Consumer behavior

abstract:
Trans fat information has recently been added to Nutrition Facts panels and packages are

now permitted to bear a â  0 trans fat claimâ  . With these changes, and the extensive media

coverage trans fats have received, more consumers are becoming aware of trans fats. Although

consumers are more aware of trans fats, little is known about if and how they use information on

food packages to make purchasing decisions.

To investigate this topic, a questionnaire was completed with a total of 244 consumers in

3 grocery stores in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The questionnaire investigated

participantsâ   awareness of and attitude towards of trans fats, steps they take to reduce trans fats

in their diet, and their interpretation of the â  0 trans fatâ   claim. The Economics of Information

Model was used as a theoretical framework for this study.

Data were analyzed using the chi-square test for independence between trans fat

awareness and attitude variables and demographic variables. One-way ANOVA was used to test

the effect of demographic variables on indices developed for analysis.

Almost all participants were aware of trans fats (98%) and consumers had a fairly

negative attitude towards trans fats. Most participants (90%) were aware that trans fats were

â  bad for heart healthâ   and 9 out of 10 (92%) believed that trans fats should be limited.

Participants were also aware of sources of trans fat; however, approximately one quarter

of the sample believed that meat (29%) and dairy (26%) would be high in trans fat.

Most participants (92%) were aware of trans fat information on food packages. Over

three quarters (82%) of the sample reported trying to reduce their trans fat intake and the

Nutrition Facts panel was the most common method used to do this (59%). Women, older

consumers, shoppers at the Bedford store, those using nutrition professionals, and those who

used a greater number of sources for nutrition information were more likely to use more

iv

strategies to reduce their trans fat intake. Consumers who were aware of trans fat information on

food packages were also more likely to use this information.

Although most participants (75%) interpreted the â  0 trans fatâ   claim correctly as â  low in a

certain type of fatâ  , a group of shoppers believed products with this claim were low in fat (19%)

and/or calories (16%). This claim was generally viewed as positive; however, some participants

were skeptical (19%) of the claim and one tenth (10%) believed these products may not â  taste as

goodâ  .

Nutrition professionals should focus efforts on helping younger consumers, especially

males, to reduce their trans fat intake. Although this group understands the effects of trans fats,

fewer people in this group are attempting to reduce their trans fat intake. Educators should also

continue their efforts to teach consumers about reading food labels and how to make healthy

food choices using all the information available.

Consumers are concerned about trans fats and are reading food labels to select foods low

in trans fat. Food manufacturers should continue efforts to reformulate current products and

develop new products that can be marketed and labeled as trans fat free.


title: Investigating Influences on the Current Trends in Occupational and Physical Therapy Management of Clients Experiencing Spasticity

subject:
Therapeutic Management of Spasticity
Occupational and Physical Therapists
Neurorehabilitation
Therapeutic intervention

abstract:
Clinicians face a diverse array of therapeutic intervention choices while enabling individuals experiencing spasticity in connection with the upper motor neuron syndrome.
Currently, it is not known the extent to which particular therapeutic intervention choices are selected by clinicians while enabling the individual, particularly in light of changing medical management for spasticity. Further, given the relative scarcity of relevant research evidence and other literature to guide clinicians in their treatment decisions in this area, it is unclear what factors serve to influence clinicians’ treatment decision. This thesis reports results from an extensive mail-out survey of Canadian and American occupational and physical therapists working in neurorehabilitation which was designed and conducted with the aims of illuminating current practice trends, and of inferring if/how individual factors influence the clinician's decision making with regards to spasticity management. Nine hundred Canadian and American occupational and physical therapists who
self-identified as working in the area of adult neurorehabilitation were randomly selected for a mail survey, and 494 responses were received and analyzed. The survey gathered information about the individual therapist, therapist education, client demographics, practice environments, and the intervention choices for enabling clients experiencing spasticity. Based on these survey results, this thesis provides a description of the choices clinicians are selecting for spasticity-management with clients in terms of the range of current intervention techniques, the relative frequency of use, and the factors (client and therapist related) that may be influencing these choices. The results of this survey will hopefully provide a clearer picture of the clinical decisions currently being made throughout the continent, and how various client and therapist related factors affect these decisions, and thereby assist in the future development of best-practice guidelines for the therapeutic management of spasticity.


title: Writing in the Key of Life: Inquiry into Writing Processes and Pedagogies

subject: Writing, teaching, pedagogy, childhood language, experience

abstract:
This inquiry investigates the complexities of writing and teaching writing in
linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms. What must we understand about
language in order to teach writing well? How can inquiry into language and our lived
experiences of language inform writing processes and pedagogies?

Using writing itself as a method of inquiry, this autoethnographic study
investigates writing as a multidimensional process, a linguistic, composing, rhetorical,
and inquiry process, searching for streams of meaning among childhood language
experiences, public school teaching experiences, university teaching experiences, and
writing experiences. By layering one teacher’s lived experience of language, writing, and
teaching writing with scholarly literature, teaching artifacts, and curricular documents, a
more complex perspective on writing processes and pedagogies has emerged, one that
views language diversity as a resource, not a deficit, in writing development in
educational settings.

This investigation concludes by proposing an inquiry-based framework for
understanding the complexities of writing processes and pedagogies in the twenty-first
century, highlighting the imperative of an inquiry stance—toward writing processes,
writing pedagogies, and the lived language experience of all developing writers.

abstract: SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship


title: Contemporary Identity and Social Experiences of Acadian Youth

subject:
Acadian Identity
Acadian youth
Secondary School

abstract: The present study obtained the perceptions of Acadian adolescents regarding the personal significance and meaning of their Acadian cultural affiliation, traits of and influences upon their contemporary Acadian lives, and their social relationships with both Acadians and non-Acadians. This study intended to explore the nature of their everyday cultural experiences and interactions in order to identify factors that more positively or adversely affect daily functioning, well-being, and on-going development as Acadian youth. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, two focus groups were held. The first consisted of 4 males and 4 females between the ages of 13 - 15 years old, inclusive. The second was comprised of 3 males and 3 females between the ages of 16 - 18 years old, inclusive. Three individual interviews were also conducted. All participating youth were born and raised in the Municipality of Clare and were currently students of the local secondary school. École Secondaire de Clare. Transcribed interviews (data) from these discussion sessions were analysed employing discovery-based, cross-comparative data analysis generally associated with grounded theory methodology. Results of the analysis were organized by four major descriptive categories specifically. Forming Acadian Identity, Experiencing Acadian Identity, Maintaining Acadian Identity, and Acadian Resources. Findings of this study indicated a vital need among interviewed youth in the Clare community for enhanced cultural awareness, and development and maintenance of their forming Acadian identity. With an identified need by the youth for increased resources, opportunities and supports for cultural interaction and exchange in the local community, and expressed mixed feelings of both pride and discomfort within their Acadian experience, recommendations are offered to facilitate the healthy development of contemporary cultural identity on the part of these Acadian youth.


title: Getting to Yes: Hegemonic masculinity and sexual Consent

subject:
Sexual assault
Rape culture

abstract:
"It is plainly obvious that a discussion about sexual consent is necessary. In Halifax, after the events of September, 2013 at Saint Mary’s University, sexual consent became a prominent topic on my news feed on Facebook. I attended a public rally to “end rape culture” held on the Saint Mary’s University grounds, near the student union building for symbolic emphasis. I listened to several speakers share impassioned talks, rants, poems, and chants. I saw several familiar faces in the crowd, some former professors of mine, some fellow students, and some other figures who I have seen in the local activist circle – of which I do not consider myself to be a part of. I usually do not involve myself in activism, especially not public protests.

I do not believe protests to be ineffective at communicating political goals, but they are very easily dismissed by the general public and even by individuals such as myself, who consider themselves to be intellectually engaged with various politics yet feel cynical about public protest as a means of bringing about change. To loosely quote a former professor of mine from my undergraduate degree, “spectacles do not create change, they create spectators.” He was speaking about the Occupy protests of 2011 so I hope I am not taking him too far out of context. He surely did not mean to say public protests are ultimately pointless and unimportant. I believe he may have been talking about how such demonstrations often fail to produce a long lasting public involvement with social change – merely standing on the sidelines and observing is not sufficient to bring about meaningful change. I was left with a similar sort of feeling after the rally. I felt we were simply preaching to the choir; there was clearly nobody present at the rally who dissented with the overall message, and I do not believe a substantial amount of people were drawn to the rally. It felt like a few like-minded individuals getting together to blow off steam, and there was a substantial amount of frustration amongst those of us who spoke. It was a cathartic and positive moment, but catharsis is self-serving. Likewise, writing for a degree as I am doing now is arguably self-serving; I am certainly not sitting here at my keyboard in some smug satisfaction that I know the best way to engage with the debate about sexual consent and how to go about creating a movement that will encourage the elimination of sexual violence."-- Excerpt from introduction


title: A CROSS-CULTURAL LEARNING CASE STUDY: COMPREHENDING CHINESE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS  ADAPTING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES AT CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES

subject:
Education
University
Case studies
Foreign students
Psychology
Canada
Chinese students

abstract:
The purpose of this study, entitled  A Cross-cultural Learning Case Study: Chinese

International Students  Learning Approaches at Canadian Universities , is to understand the

particular learning strategies that Chinese international students have developed to adjust to

Canadian academic culture since arriving in Canada. I examine their beliefs about learning

and their perceptions about current teaching and assessment approaches used at Canadian

universities. In this thesis, I review the literature, which I build my study on, and describe

the research methods I use in my thesis. For this case study, I interviewed Chinese

international graduate students who are enrolled in master degree programmes. These

student-participants all come from People s Republic of China (PRChina) and have lived in

Canada for the purpose of pursuing their educational goals for more than six months but less

than four years. I also interviewed Canadian professors, who have teaching experiences with

Chinese international students, in order to collect various perspectives about my research

focus. International students on Canadian campuses are very important because they enrich

current teaching and research and bring their international experiences and diverse cultures to

the Canadian academic setting, I believe the findings of this study can help Canadian

educators know more about Chinese international students and improve their own teaching

and assessment approaches for Chinese international students in particular and for

international students in general. This understanding will also help Chinese educators and

students recognize some of the differences between Canadian and Chinese academic cultures

so that Chinese international students can be benefited more in their formal international

educational experiences.


title: Including Persons with Disabilities in Faith Communities

subject:
Children with Disabilities
Education
Church Work
Nova Scotia

abstract:
This exploratory study used both a quantitative and qualitative research approach to
acquire information regarding the application of principles and practices of inclusion common to
our childcare and education settings in communities of faith throughout the Halifax Regional
Municipality. Outcomes of this study were to a) gain knowledge of the availability and
accessibility of local faith communities b) determine rates and areas of participation for
individuals with disabilities and c) explore faith leaders’ views of disability and inclusion.
Faith leaders (n =33) completed a faith participation survey developed by the researcher.
Responses to the open-ended questions on the survey were evaluated and coded for emerging
themes using qualitative methodologies, while close-ended survey responses were coded and
analyzed using quantitative techniques. Results indicated that although individuals with
disabilities were participating across several areas, a significant participation gap existed
between individuals with disabilities and their non-disabled peers within local communities of
faith. Respondents shared views of disability and inclusion that were in keeping with those
expressed and favoured by the broader community. Their perceptions of barriers to inclusion
were also consistent with those of previous research findings, but did not necessarily reflect the
opinions expressed by individuals with disabilities. Highlighted was the general lack of programs
and policies developed specifically for individuals with disabilities. Emphasized was the need for
further awareness and knowledge related to this topic.


title: Mental health components and locus of control

subject:
Mental health
Well-being
Developmental theory

abstract: Using Ryff’s positive psychological theory as a conceptual framework, this research was focused on mental health to explore the degree to which mental health can be predicted by personality and demographic factors. This theory covers all critical features of well-being by taking into consideration different developmental, personality and clinical theories. Employing Ryff’s inclusive theory that covered six dimensions (purpose in life, self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, and personal growth), the researcher studied the relationship between mental health components and locus of control in one hundred and seventy two students attending Mount Saint Vincent University. All participants completed two measures of locus of control (Rotter’s LOC Scale and Levenson’s Multidimensional LOC Scale), Ryff’s Well-Being Scale, and a Demographic Questionnaire. Bivariate correlation, ANOVA and hierarchical linear regression revealed that there was a positive association between internal locus of control and well-being as measured by Ryff’s scale. Findings from the current research demonstrated that individuals who have an internal locus of control have higher levels of mental health in comparison to with individuals with an external locus of control. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that locus of control, gender, citizenship status, marital status, and time spent in face to face contact can predict 41% of the variance in participants’ mental health.


title: A comparison of teacher attributions for internalizing versus externalizing behaviours in students

subject: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

subject: Externalizing behaviour

subject: Internalizing behaviour

abstract:
This study examined the effect of child internalizing behaviour (i.e. anxiety and
depression) and child externalizing behaviour (i.e., ADHD-Hyperactive/Impulsive and
ADHD –Inattentive presentations) on teacher attributions for behaviour in a sample of 35
elementary and junior high school teachers. Teachers were asked to read vignettes
describing a hypothetical student exhibiting behaviours consistent with ADHDpredominately
Hyperactive-Impulsive type, ADHD predominately Inattentive type,
anxiety or depression. Teacher responses to the hypothetical student were assessed using
(a) attribution ratings on the dimensions of locus, control, and stability, and (b) ratings of
helping behaviours with respect to referral, accommodations, and perceived
manageability of student behaviour. Results indicated that attributions for internalizing
versus externalizing behaviours did not differ significantly depending on the
classification of the disorder. In addition, teachers with higher levels of mental health
knowledge made attributions associated with the neurobiological nature of the disorders.
Exploratory analyses of teaching style are also discussed. Findings are also used to
identify future directions and address potential implications for school psychologists.


title: Bringing the Public into Public Nutrition: How Engagement with Community-Based Participatory Action Research Has Informed Public Health Nutritionists’ Practice in Nova Scotia

subject: Food insecurity, Nova Scotia, nutritionists

abstract:
Background: Food insecurity is associated with increased risk of disease and poor health and well-being. Nova Scotian households have consistently experienced some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the Canada with serious public health and social implications. Public Health Nutritionists (Nutritionists) have played an important role over the last two decades in helping to address food insecurity in Nova Scotia (NS) through their engagement in Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPR) through the Food Action Research Centre (FoodARC). Their significant contributions to the research have been explored, but the influence of their engagement on their own practice and capacities related to addressing food insecurity has not.

Purpose: This thesis explored the question of how, if at all, engagement in CBPR has informed the work of Nutritionists in NS. More specifically, it aimed to explore the first-hand experiences of Nutritionists engaging in the CBPR partnership, how any capacities built had influenced Nutritionists’ practice, and to examine what may hinder or enable the ability of Nutritionists to address food insecurity as a part of PH.

Methods: The study was completed in two phases using a qualitative, arts-informed, participatory research methodology that was informed by Institutional Ethnography (IE). Phase 1 involved four Nutritionists participating in a Photovoice study to explore their first–hand experiences of and critical reflections on their engagement in CBPR. Phase 2 involved conducting in-depth interviews with five key informants representing leaders within PH. Consistent with elements of IE, Phase 1 explorations were based in the first-hand experiences of Nutritionists and Phase 1 findings informed interviewee recruitment and the content of the interview questions in Phase 2.

Results: It was evident from the findings of both phases that engagement in the CBPR had helped Nutritionists build capacities at the individual and organizational levels, including having improved individual and organizational understanding, skills, resources, commitment and partnerships. Although there were multiple barriers and enablers identified in both Phases, there were two enablers and three barriers that overlapped as significant. The enablers were: 1) employing a multidisciplinary and team approach within PH; and 2) having food insecurity named as a PH responsibility within several key PH documents. The barriers were: 1) limited resources within PH to address food insecurity; 2) lack of clarity and provincial PH planning around addressing food insecurity; and 3) having no formalized way to work collaborative across the PH system on food insecurity. Also significant was the finding that clarity was needed around the importance of the facilitational role that PH professionals play within the CBPR partnership.

Conclusions/Recommendations: Overall, it was evident that this engagement had enabled the ability of Nutritionists and the PH system to address food insecurity in NS. The PH-academic-community partnership had helped to build a network of partners and created momentum in the work of addressing food insecurity years before it officially became apart of the PH agenda. Stemming from findings, various implications for dietetic training and practice, public health policy and strategy and future research are made. Focus is placed on ensuring the partnership between FoodARC and PH continue, encouraging PH to develop a provincial plan around addressing food insecurity with measurable targets, and investing in building further knowledge and understanding within PH around participatory research and facilitational advocacy role.


title: Higher education as lifelong learning for adult newcomers in  Canada in the process of immigration: A case study of a  community college in Nova Scotia, Canada

subject: Lifelong learning, immigration, Nova Scotia

abstract:
The Canadian government has focused on international students’ transition to permanent
residency in the last decade in order to attract foreign skilled workers into the Canadian labour market. As immigration programs made it advantageous for the candidates to have Canadian educational credential and work experience, many potential immigrants prefer to enroll in higher education institutions in Canada as a strategy to obtain permanent resident status. This study aims to identify the influence of higher education as lifelong learning for adult newcomers in the process of settlement and integration in Canada. This qualitative case study explores the immigration journey of ten adult immigrants from an East Asian region who studied in the Nova Scotia Community College. Based on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, the findings unveil how their higher education experience affected their life transitions after graduation in terms of study work transition, quality of life and sociocultural identity. This thesis contributes to the Canadian discourse on lifelong learning of immigrants through exploration of the transition experiences of adult immigrants within a Canadian community college.


title: The association of impairment and peer ratings to disruptive behavior disorders and high-frequency classroom rule violations

subject: Classroom management -- Nova Scotia

subject: Problem children -- Rating of -- Nova Scotia

subject: Behavior disorders in children -- Ohio

subject: Behavior disorders in children -- Nova Scotia

abstract:
Children with DBDs (ADHD, ODD, and/or CD) are known to engage in high rates of classroom
rule-violations (RV). However, it has not been determined in the literature what percentage of
children who engage in high frequency rule-violating actually meet the diagnostic criteria of a
DBD. The present studies suggest that 45-65% of children with high RV counts have a DBD,
and that 5-20% of children with normal RV counts have a DBD. These studies further
investigated the extent to which DBD and high frequency RV, alone and in combination, are
associated with impaired social, academic, and behavioral functioning, as measured by teacher
and parent ratings, and peer sociometric measures. In general, high RV was associated with
social impairment in non-disordered participants but not in disordered participants. The high
RV/disordered group, but not the high RV/non-disordered group, had more impaired teacher
relationships. These studies have implications for the identification of DBDs, and for the
treatment and services provided to disordered and non-disordered high-frequency rule violators
in elementary school.


title: The Translation of Principles into Practice in Family Resource Centres

subject:
Family services -- Nova Scotia
Social workers -- attitudes
Community-based family services
Family social work

abstract:
Family resource centres contribute to a strong social infrastructure by recognizing the

possible long-term negative impact of familial stress on the family unit, particularly those which

involve young children, and attempting to reduce these stresses through the provision of familial

support. Family support centres view parenting as a developmental process in which parents' skills,

knowledge and insights develop in concert with their children's development. Family resource

centres are guided by a number of principles that reflect the philosophy, goals, objectives, and

desired outcomes of family support practice.

Despite the anecdotal evidence supporting the effectiveness of family resource programs,

there is very little known about how or why they can be effective. Without an investigation of how

programs function, we are significantly limited in our understanding of how to improve them. Using

Malcolmson's (2002) conceptual framework for family support practice and Bronfenbrenner's

Ecological theory, this research addresses this issue through an exploration of how the principles of

family resource centres are translated into practice, how these translations vary across centres, and

how this variance impacts on participant outcomes.

Principles were utilized differently at various stages of program development and program

design. Although all principles were deemed equally valuable to practice, three themes reflect the

most frequently cited principles: community-centered approach, participants'   voices, and

partnerships. Factors most likely to affect outcomes are quality of staff, the atmosphere of a centre, and trust between participants and practitioners, while ideological barriers remain a constant barrier

to positive participant outcomes. Family resource centres would benefit from a public relations

strategy that would educate and inform the public of the work that takes place within the centres.

Family resource centres are not solely open to low-income, single parent families; parental education

would be beneficial to families from a broad range of backgrounds.

A Provincial family resource association may be able to take on this PR task and raise the

visibility of FRCs, as well implant standards as act as an information centre. The role of such an

association may be especially useful in ensuring that FRCs have a voice and advocate their

perspective instrumental role in initiatives such as the new NS Department of Community Services

Family and Youth Services Division, whose development stemmed from a recommendation of the

recently released Nunn Inquiry. The Inquiry, much like family resource centres, advocates for focus

on two key areas: early intervention and prevention. A collaborative effort between family resource

centres and the DCS could be key to ensuring that more families are able to take advantage of

programming that focuses on early intervention and prevention.


title: Linking recommendations from psycho-educational reports to curriculum outcomes for the Atlantic Provinces: Examining evidence-based practices in reading

subject:
Evaluation
Psychology
Middle school
School psychologists
Reading
Elementary
Education
Ability testing
Atlantic Provinces
Curricula

abstract:
This thesis examined evidence-based practices in instruction for students struggling to acquire

reading skills. These practices were then used to formulate recommendations which relate to the

Atlantic Canada English language arts curriculum outcomes. The two main purposes for this

thesis were to better inform school psychologists and teachers about evidence-based practices in

reading instruction for students who struggle with reading; and to relate psycho-educational

recommendations to the curriculum outcomes provided in the Atlantic Canada English Language

Arts Curriculum, both in the Elementary K-3 (e.g., New Brunswick Department of Education

Curriculum Development Branch, 1998) and Grades 4-6 (e.g., Nova Scotia Department of

Education and Culture, 1998) documents.


title: Children’s perceptions of school-based cognitive behavioural therapy groups for mild anxiety: A qualitative investigation

subject: Cognitive behavioural therapy in children, menthal health, anxiety

abstract:
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders in children. When considering
treatment for anxiety, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the most researched
interventions. However, a recent Cochrane review suggested that CBT might not be as effective as once thought for treatment of anxiety in children. Given the contrasting results in the literature and the limited qualitative research investigating children’s perceptions of their CBT experiences, specific objectives of the current study were to (1) obtain first-hand accounts of participants’ experiences with a school based brief CBT group; (2) identify whether cognitive or behavioural components of CBT are most salient to children and (3) to determine which components of CBT were identified as being most useful for reducing anxiety in naturalistic settings. Interviews were completed and analysed using inductive content analysis. Participants’ overall experience was captured in the main theme of Children’s Conceptualization of CBT and four themes, Self-Regulation, Positive Self Talk, Descriptive Conceptualization and Combining Techniques. Clinical and school-based implications are discussed.


title: Productive Disruption: Personal and Professional Learning through Curriculum Creation and Implementation

subject: Jamaican curriculum, curriculum gap, critical thinking, curriculum creation and implementation, teachers’ personal and professional lessons

abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the personal and professional knowledge, skills and competencies garnered by a group of trained and untrained instructors, through unstructured curriculum creation and implementation in one primary school at the grade six level, in Kingston, Jamaica. The intention of the thesis is to explore a richer and nuanced understanding of the phenomena, through the experience of six primary school instructors from the same school, who carried out the activity for two consecutive years with different cohorts of students. Accordingly, the researcher’s aim is to contribute information to the established and emerging literature germane to this field. The depth of description of teachers’ Adult Education benefits can be acted on across all other countries, through instructors’ reflection of their involvement in creating change as presented in this thesis. The main benefit of this study is the advancement of knowledge for future and present educators as well as persons involved in curriculum design, implementation and evaluation. It will surpass the targeted level of the research, which is primary education, and could be used across all levels of the education system.


title: Utilizing sports-based intervention: A case study of a community youth club

subject: Sports, sport based intervention, community youth club, Atlantic Canada

abstract:
Prior literature suggests that participation in sports and athletics lead to both psychosocial
and physiological benefits for youth participants and more specifically, at-risk youth.
This thesis focuses on the utilization of sport-based interventions (SBIs) in the
programming of a community youth club in an Atlantic Canadian community. Short,
semi-structured interviews with youth workers and an executive director were conducted
in order to compile data involving the sport programing, retention rates, and structure of
the local youth club. Upon analyzing the data, it became apparent that the youth club
experiences near negligible rates of program drop out. Six significant themes were
recognized: need for suitable staffing, using recreational and competitive athletics,
promoting community involvement, affiliation to pre-established programs, suitable
infrastructure and facilities, and consistent evaluation. These common themes are
presented as a potential model for future youth programs to reference when utilizing and
developing SBIs. It is believed that by following the suggestions of this model, there is
an increased likelihood of a SBI having improved retention rates and favorable outcomes
for youth participants.


title: Moments in a Life: Identifying the Educational Component's of Habouba's (Grandmother) Stories

subject:
Grandmothers -- Sudan -- Psychology
Women storytellers -- Sudan
Women -- Education -- Sudan

abstract:
From introduction: "I will tell you a story. I will tell you the story of my education. I will tell you about my
first educator, my grandmother, Habouba. I am telling you this story because I learn that
people know each other through sharing their stories. In Northern Sudan when people meet
for the first time, they talk to each other. As they talk, they observe each other looking for
some sort of shared knowledge; that may be a person, a story, a place they both visited, etc.
Such shared knowledge denotes the start of trust and exchange of experience. In my stories, I
am hoping you find some sort of knowledge we both share; a knowledge that activates further
communication, questioning, and learning. I am a teacher and a student. I am a deep-rooted
Sudanese woman and a storm-swept immigrant longing for belonging. I am culturally too
heavy to immerse into the Canadian culture in one dive and light enough to try out every
aspect of it. This inquiry is a link in the chain of knowing; knowing me and my world and
knowing you and our world. This link addresses my educational journey."


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

subject: Gendered Struggles

subject: Marginalized Groups

subject: Ideological Barriers

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 female- dominated 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: Living in Canada: Experiences of Newcomer Youth from the Former Yugoslavia

subject: Newcomers, Yugoslavia, Immigrants, Immigration, Canada, Youth

abstract:
An increasing number of studies and personalized accounts recognize significant
issues of Canadian immigrant children and youth as they and their newcomer families
adjust to living in Canada. Challenges involved in learning English as a second language,
adapting to the Canadian public education system, facing possible isolation and
loneliness, and experiencing difficulty building new friendships in Canada are some of
the impediments Canadian newcomer children and youth encounter following arrival,
regardless of their particular cultural background and affiliation. These and other
adjustment challenges are often compounded for immigrant and refugee children and
youth from countries tom by conflict, and who, understandably, bring with them the
impact of their extraordinary pre-immigration circumstances, their separation from, or
loss of, cherished familial and other relationships, and uncertainty about their lives in a
new country. The present research, utilizing qualitative inquiry, elicited the voices, attitudes,
perspectives, and opinions of newcomer youth from the Former Yugoslavia, for the
purpose of exploring, discovering, and understanding their earlier and current adjustment
experiences while living in Canada. Three focus groups (two with younger youth, 13-15
years old, and one with older youth, 16-18 years old) and four individual interviews were
conducted with 26 volunteer participants recruited from the Former-Yugoslavian
community in the greater Halifax Region Municipality. The interview sessions were
audio-taped and collected data were transcribed, translated (one individual interview was
conducted in Serbo-Croatian), and analyzed utilizing systematic cross-comparative
coding, by which the researcher eventually organized the findings for discussion within four major categories: Cultural Affiliation/ Retention, Pre-Immigration Experiences,
Newcomer Experiences, and Supports and Services. Recommendations, in accordance
with the research findings, are presented for the participant youth and various
significantly related/ impacted groups (parents, schools, media, community, educational
and government sectors).


title: Low Income Mothers’ Critique of Services: A Participatory Study on What Could be Changed

subject:
Low income mothers
Community organizations

abstract: This thesis examined low income mothers’ views of the community organizations, policies and programs that are put in place to provide support for them. It argued that low income mothers are able to voice their own suggestions for changes within services. In this participatory research, focus groups were conducted at a local family centre to explore the women’s views of which aspects of these services work and which do not. For the services that were not working for these women, we discussed what changes could be made. Three themes were chosen: i) the judgement and mistreatment these women face from others; ii) the women’s agency; iii) the structural problems with organization and policy that limit these women’s access to resources. The results demonstrate the need for changes to be made to policies and services that support low income people and for the voices of these people to be taken into account when decisions that impact them are made.


title: A Modified Institutional Ethnography of IPV Service Provision for Newcomer Women in the Halifax Regional Municipality

subject: Intimate partner violence, service provisions, women, Nova Scotia

abstract:
Although intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious issue for both new immigrants and
longer-residing Canadians, intersecting inequalities proliferate the disparity immigrant women face in instances of IPV. These disparities expose newcomer women to unique vulnerabilities, posing limitations to help-seeking behaviour. From the perspective of service providers, the present research identifies the barriers newcomer women face when seeking and using IPV programs and services in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). Additionally, the research investigated the role that ideologies play in moderating the barriers to service access and utilization.

Five interviews were conducted with service providers from organizations across the
HRM. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory techniques. A critical framework was adopted to identify and address the pervasive practices regulating localized experiences. Guided by the critical framework, a modified institutional ethnography (IE), focusing on the experiences of service providers, directed investigation. Utilization of an (IE) was meaningful for mapping the hidden systems of power, or ruling relations, that facilitate social inequity in cases of newcomer IPV. Through examination of ruling relations, IE attempts to display the connections between daily life, professional practice, and overarching discourses—termed texts. This is known as “textually mediated social organization” (Smith, 2005).

Intersectionality arose as a recurring concept, specifically relating to the barriers
newcomer women face due to their gender, immigrant status, and racialization. Core
themes moderating resource access included a lack of resource awareness among
immigrant women, funding and service limitations, the role of community in resource
acquisition, and immigrant status. Themes of resource incongruence, men’s role in addressing IPV, and the criminalization of violence arose as central barriers surrounding
the suitability of available resources.

Mapping of the barriers from everyday activities to extra-local settings revealed that
external texts including organizational mandates, laws and policies, criminal procedures,
and immigration requirements influence local service provision. Although various
ideologies emerged in the analysis, neoliberalism surfaced as an ideology that coordinated the numerous issues identified. Under neoliberalism, non-economic spheres are shaped and moderated by the discourses of the free market (Foucault, 2008). Three neoliberal processes arose as core reinforcers of existing service barriers. These include the economic regulation of immigration, the practice of austerity in service provision, and the neoliberal stance on criminalization and the justice system. Additional ideologies including patriarchy, familialism, marianism and multiculturalism emerged as interconnected with neoliberalism. These processes aid in reasserting and sustaining neoliberal goals.

The implementation of neoliberal processes within localized discourses normalize
and reinforce the barriers existing for newcomer women seeking IPV support. This sets the foundation for the development and implementation of policies, practices and decision
surrounding newcomer service provision. Modification to current neoliberal practices would alleviate many of the existing barriers to service. Organizational expansion, through
increasing staffing and immigrant-centred program offerings is valuable for providing
accessible and appropriate service for newcomer populations. Extending service access to precarious status newcomers would also reduce barriers related to accessibility.
Additionally, incorporating newcomer women’s voices in extra-local settings, such as
government, is a valuable means of quashing existing service barriers.


title: The Heat Game: An Augmented Reality Game for Scientific Literacy

subject:
Simulation games in education
Virtual reality in education
Computer games
Study and teaching (Middle school)

abstract:
If we are ever to achieve the goal of redirecting scientific investigation and technological

development along more environmentally and socially responsible lines we need to

provide students with an opportunity not only to understand information generated

through scientific inquiry and technological innovation, but also to understand something

of the processes and possible costs and consequences of this work. This kind of

understanding might be best achieved by allowing students to gain experience in the real

world of science and technology, working to solve real-world challenges and reflecting

upon environmental and societal impacts, but such a real world setting is difficult to

reproduce in a classroom. This study utilizes an augmented reality game called the Heat

Game to provide a simulation of such a science and technology world. The Heat Game is

modeled on the augmented reality game Mad City Mysteries (Squire and Jan 2007). In

the Heat Game student-participants role play junior professional scientists and engineers

working as part of a team to design energy efficient housing. They correspond with

virtual expert professionals on laptop computers while engaging in science inquiry and

technological design work in the classroom. This preliminary study presents evidence

that after participation in the Heat Game students develop some new understandings

values and attitudes about the science process, how it is used to construct science

knowledge, how science knowledge can be used for technological development; and how

making 'wise'   technological choices can lead to a reduction in human environmental

impact.


title: The role of sleep quality and quantity in moderating the effectiveness of medication in the treatment of children with ADHD

subject: Sleep quality

subject: Cognitive performance

abstract:
There is strong empirical evidence that stimulant medications, such as methylphenidate
hydrochloride (MPH), are effective in reducing ADHD symptoms (Ritchers et al., 1995);
however, these medications can also cause sleep problems (Corkum et al., 2008). Furthermore,
poor sleep has been documented to result in performance deficits in memory, attention and
academic performance (Gruber et al., 2011). This study examined: 1) whether stimulant
medication is effective in improving performance on measures of memory, attention and
academic productivity, and 2) if sleep impacts the relationship between medication and
performance. Participants were 21 children (mean age = 9.1 years) with ADHD, who participated
in a four week randomized controlled trial of long lasting MPH (2 weeks of medication and 2
weeks of placebo). Participants underwent assessments of sleep (polysomnography and
actigraphy) and of cognitive performance. We predicted that there would be a relationship
between sleep quantity (duration) and quality (efficiency) medication effects on cognitive
performance. Our findings supported stimulant medication as an effective treatment for
enhancing alerting attention, executive attention, working memory, and academic productivity
performance in children with ADHD. Bivariate correlations between cognitive performance and
sleep revealed a significant relationship between sleep duration and executive attention accuracy
during incongruent trials of the ANT-I, r= .456, p= .025. A one-way ANOVA was used to
compare the good sleep group and poor sleep group (above and below the mean sleep duration,
respectively) on executive attention incongruent accuracy. Statistical analysis revealed that
children performed significantly different on executive attention incongruent accuracy depending
on baseline sleep, F(1, 19)= 6.859, p= .017. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for
clinical practice and future research.


title: Science Communication and Ethics—The application of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning to science communicators in Canada

subject: science communication; ethics; Kohlberg; Defining Issues Test, moral reasoning

abstract:
The field of science communication is unique. Essentially, it is a blend of the world of science and the world of communication. Science communication is not a new concept, but surprisingly, as an emerging field, not much of it has been studied in depth.

According to a 2011 call for papers, the intersection of science communication and ethics is an area of research that scholars want to see expanded, because the current information is limited. Using a lens of ethical reasoning, the following study looks at science communicators and their approach to solving these ethical situations. This study looks at ethical decision-making and the application of the moral philosophy of Lawrence Kohlberg to science communicators today, as well as uses the work of Kohlberg as a philosophical underpinning.

Kohlberg is famous for his work in psychology, measuring the moral reasoning of individuals, from children to adults (Kohlberg, 1981). His six-stage philosophy of moral reasoning ranges from the basic moral reasoning of an individual aged three to four, to a final stage of complete morality at adulthood.

To measure the moral reasoning of science communicators, a sample of science communicators were administered the Defining Issues Test (DIT). This measure is based in Kohlbergian moral reasoning, but adaptable for multiple-choice formats. The DIT has a series of vignettes that the participant reads and then chooses the most important factors from each vignette. The score is then tabulated and given a P value which correlates to its own level of moral reasoning
(Rest, 1986).

Additionally, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) measure
was added to look at the current landscape of science communication and technology. After a preliminary exploratory study in 2014, it was indicated that science communicators might feel anxiety when using social media (as it is commonly associated with communication jobs). Since social media is so prevalent in today’s culture, it was decided to explore this point further using the UTAUT to measure the acceptance of a technology, in this instance, social media (Venkatesh, 2003).

In composition, the study utilized an online questionnaire format, via the online question
platform, Qualtrics, and science communicators were recruited via email invitation. The questionnaire included an informed consent, brief demographic questions, the DIT and the UTAUT measures. The questionnaire was live for five months, and had a sample response rate of 37. Out of this sample, 17 of the 37 responses were viable.

When the results were tabulated, no significance was found between gender and social media anxiety, or level of moral reasoning and work experience, and age, but significance was found after tabulating the morality scores of science communicators versus the mean scores assumed for DIT, and Kohlbergian ethics. This resulted in the study finding that the sample of science communicators had a higher level of moral reasoning than the average population.

Although the sample size was statistically insignificant, the study showed that science
communicators can be measured for moral reasoning and gives insight into the basis behind their decisions. Moving forward this study has potential to be expanded to a larger sample group, to see if the results still show significance on a larger scale as well as sets a basis for more exploration in the field of science communication and ethics.


title: Exploring children’s experiences of agency and participation in school decision-making: A case study

subject: Children experience, children agency, decision making

abstract:
The purpose of this research was to explore elementary school children’s experiences of agency and participation in decision-making at school to add to the discourse surrounding children’s participation rights in Canada. This study explores how children in grades 4 to 6 may want to participate in decisions at school and how they may want to be involved in decision-making processes that affect them. During the 30th anniversary of the U.N. children’s rights convention, it remains unclear how children are allotted opportunities for participation in decision-making in Canadian schools (Bala & Houston, 2015). A qualitative case study was created using a participative and emergent design to learn from students' (grades 4 to 6) lived experiences of agency and participation at school. Nine children from a multicultural, low socioeconomic status community in Nova Scotia participated in three workshops and subsequent interviews. Participants were actively involved in the development of interview questions and conducting the interviews. Thematic analysis revealed an overall theme of how children understand their participation as a combination of stable and changing opportunities. Four main themes reflected their conceptualization of the involvement in school: positive perceptions of participation, types of participation, fee time = agency, and they want to be involved. The impact parental socialization patterns can have on children’s ability to exercise their rights is discussed. This project adds to the dialogue surrounding children’s school participation in Canada. It can help inform adult decision-makers in ways that promote the participation of more children in
decisions about their lives.


title: Quiet Prayers: Talismans, Contemplation and the Quest for Peace

subject: Education -- Aims and objectives

subject: Teachers of problem children -- Psychology

subject: Teachers -- Job stress

subject: Spirituality -- Study and teaching

abstract:
This project explores the need for one teacher to deal with the emotional stresses she

is experiencing within the classroom. It examines the effects of having students in

crisis in the classroom, and how difficult it is as a teacher to bear witness to their

problems. It takes a brief glance at the issues of compassion fatigue and burnout in the

teaching profession. It explores how spirituality may play an important role within a

caring classroom, and follows one teacher's quest to make a deeper, more spiritual

connection between her "difficult" students and herself.

Part of this project involves the process of acknowledging, facing and dealing with

such issues. Research methods include ScholARTistry, Narrative Inquiry and Art

making. This thesis is an artistic foray into how art making can be both a meditative and

healing process, and seeks to find through art making coping strategies that can be used

for teachers.


title: The Scar Runs through the Pupil: An Autoethnographic Inquiry

subject: foster children, childhood trauma, learning, trauma-informed approaches, altered books, arts-informed research, human library, autoethnography

abstract: This study delves into the phenomenon of student learning within the context of adversity. Trauma can interfere with the healthy and normal development of academic and cognitive skills needed for students to succeed in school. My own school experience was characterized by ongoing adversity as a result of being in foster care due to a traumatic eye injury. Because there is much to learn from an in-depth exploration of these learning experiences during a lengthy period in foster care due to a traumatic eye injury, I took an autoethnographic approach to the study. In recognition of the diverse ways in which I make sense of the world, and to convey the many layers of hidden hardship that competed daily with my learning, I used the artistic practice of altered books. Using a discarded textbook donated from the Halifax Regional School Board, I embarked on an exploration of altering textbooks with evocative images that represent the intersection between my foster care experiences, a traumatic eye injury, and learning. I explored and represented my experiences visually through development of an art portfolio including other art forms such as book binding, mixed media, drawing, and painting. I situated this altered textbook in the context of a Human Library and Nocturne: Art at Night Festival. This individual exploration has significant relevance for the education system. It demonstrates how lived experience can be not only infused but welcomed in the classroom.


title: Playing teacher: A reflexive inquiry exploring the use of play as a teaching method in a community music setting

subject:
Education
Music
Reflexive inquiry
Teachers
Adult education
Play
Community
Identity

abstract:
This paper and video presentation present a reflexive inquiry into my teaching as an adult
music educator, through the lens of play. My goal as an educator is to create the environment that
encourages students to create their own view of how to be a musician and to express themselves
through music. During my inquiry I utilized play and playfulness as a method during a year of
teaching as a tool to create a pathway to a more constructivist environment for students and to
study that process. Along with a new way to approach teaching the result was an appreciation of
students’ creativity, the realization of community as well as the discovery of identity as a music
educator.


title: Using Parent and Child Input to Inform a Peer-Mediated Intervention for School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

subject:
Autism spectrum disorder
Evidence-based interventions
Peer-mediated interventions

abstract:
There is growing awareness of the research-to-practice gap in evidence-based
interventions (EBI) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at school. Peermediated
interventions (PMI) are a practical approach for resource-limited schools, and
have demonstrated initial efficacy in targeting social-communication impairments of
children with ASD. The current study aimed to fill a void in the literature by considering
families’ perspectives alongside the development of a school-based PMI for children with
ASD. Twenty-two participants (six parents of children with ASD; six parents of
typically-developing children; 10 youths with ASD) took part in semi-structured
interviews regarding acceptability and feasibility of the proposed PMI. Interview data
were analyzed using descriptive content analysis. Participants agreed that components of
the proposed PMI were acceptable (e.g., intervention target, grade) and provided advice
regarding components of intervention implementation. Their feedback will inform the
implementation of a novel EBI for children with ASD in schools.


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

subject:
School psychologists
School psychology
Nova Scotia
Public opinion

abstract:
For a number of years, it has been proposed that the scope of school

psychological services be expanded beyond assessment to include other activities such as

consultation, prevention, and research. Despite school psychologists' reported desires to

expand their roles, change in this direction has been slow (Braden et al., 2001; Fagan,

2002). Many practitioners have found their roles restricted to that of "testers" and

reported discrepancies between their actual and desired practice (Curtis et al., 2002;

Desimone, 1999; Hanson, 2004; Jones-Wilson, 1994; Levinson, 1990; Reschly &

Wilson, 1995).

This study was conducted to examine the perceptions of psychologists practicing

in Nova Scotia schools regarding their actual and desired role functioning, the

establishment of their activities, the challenges to achieving their desired practice, and the

influence they feel they have over the activities in which they engage. The intent of this

research was to provide insight into the current practices and perceptions of school

psychologists in the province.

Thirty-four psychologists responded to this study, a 63% response rate, resulting

in 32 usable surveys. Findings suggest that many factors influence how school

psychologists enact their roles, such as the needs of different schools, school teams,

school administrators, the prioritization of psychoeducational assessment, and

individual school culture. Respondents spent the most time engaged in

psychoeducational assessment, followed by report writing, behaviour assessment, and

consultation. Significant differences were found between actual and desired role

functioning, with psychologists wanting more time for counselling, inservicing, and prevention oriented activities and less time conducting psychoeducational assessments,

writing reports, and travelling. Respondents identified a number of barriers/ challenges

to their desired functioning, including heavy caseloads, others' lack of awareness of

psychologists' expertise, the focus on psychoeducational assessment, and issues

associated with working in a non-psychology environment. They also described

strategies that enable them to gain some control over their activity allocation, such as

open communication/ negotiation, educating others, and participating on school teams.

Respondents reported having a wide range of influence over their activity allocation,

from very low to very high.


title: Long-term Impact of Early Grade Retention

title: Grade Retention: Evaluating the Impact of Early School Experiences on Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy in Adulthood

subject:
Grade Retention
Self-Esteem
Self-Efficacy
Adulthood

abstract:
An abundance of research has shown that the practice of grade retention
has many negative consequences for the lives of students who struggle
academically. What is not apparent in the literature are the views of grade
retention from adults who have experienced retention as children. A total of 51
individuals (18 women, 33 men) enrolled in a post secondary institution
participated in this study. The test group, those individuals who experienced
grade retention, was comprised of 25 individuals, while the control group was
comprised of 26 individuals. Participants were matched on age, gender, grade 12
grade point average (GPA), family structure, and family stressors. The retained
group did not differ significantly from the control group on measures of self-esteem
and self-efficacy. Additional analyses of the data resulted in significant
correlations for the retained group, non-retained group, and the entire sample
between self-esteem, subscales of the self-efficacy measure and demographic
questions. Contributions and caveats of the study, as well as suggestions for
professionals (school psychologists, teachers and administrators) working in the
school system are discussed.


title: Loneliness as predictor of mental health components

type:
Thesis, graduate
Thesis

subject:
Loneliness
Mental Health
International students
University students

abstract:
In different psychological theories and perspectives, mental health or well-being is characterized by a set
of major components. Using Ryff’s theory of positive psychological well-being, this study focused on the roles of
loneliness and some major demographic factors in predicting mental health components as measured by Ryff’s
Well-Being Scale. One-hundred and eighty Canadian and international students attending Mount Saint Vincent
University in Nova Scotia participated in this study. All participants completed two measures of loneliness (R-UCLA
Loneliness Scale and Differential Loneliness Scale), Ryff’s Well-Being Scale and Demographic Questionnaire.
Bivariate correlation, ANOVA and hierarchical linear regression revealed that there was a negative association
between loneliness and all well-being components. Findings from the current research demonstrate that
individuals who were international or landed immigrant students felt more sense of loneliness and had lower
levels of mental health when compared to Canadian students. Using hierarchical linear regression indicated that
loneliness in all three models had a high effect size when predicting well-being (mental health).With a .463 effect
size in model 3, R-UCLA Loneliness Scale can be used to predict well-being very appropriately.


title: A Study of the Factors Associated with Initiation and Maintenance of Weight Loss

subject:
Attitudes
Overweight persons
Body weight
Public opinion
Halifax
Nova Scotia
Weight loss

abstract:
Traditional nutrition counselling and commercial weight loss programs that focus

solely on encouraging lifestyle changes to decrease caloric consumption and increase

caloric expenditure without considering other factors such as coping responses and social

support tend to result in initial weight loss success. However, weight regain occurs in the

vast majority of individuals. Few programs consider that program effectiveness may be

impacted by the existence of factors that can lead individuals to initiate and maintain

weight loss.

This qualitative pilot study identified the factors that led individuals to initiate and

maintain weight loss. The purpose was to explore the beliefs and experiences of

individuals who were trying to lose or had already lost a significant amount of body

weight.

Results revealed twenty-two factors that led individuals to initiate and maintain

weight loss with the most prominent factors being various triggers such as health,

appearance, emotional and lifestyle triggers. The presence of support systems,

experiencing internal motivation and wanting to role model for their children were also

important factors in their decision to initiate and continue their weight loss journey.

The results of this study will assist health professionals in assessing a clients’

readiness to adopt strategies and lifestyle changes to lose weight. By having an

understanding of the reasons why individuals seek assistance in losing weight, health

professionals can modify their weight management programs to better counsel

overweight and obese individuals and help predict who will be successful at weight loss.