MSVU Theses
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This community features undergraduate and graduate theses authored by students at Mount Saint Vincent University.
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- ItemA CLASSROOM OF ONE’S OWN? THE RE-DOMESTICATION OF FEMALE TEACHERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2022) McKinstry, ReneeFeminist philosophy continues to challenge gendered divisions of labour; however, at this particular moment in time, some female teachers appear to be embracing a re-domestication of the professional space. A preoccupation with traditional feminine stereotypes risks creating an exclusionary profession that further perpetuates the dominant culture. I take up a critical feminist approach through the conceptual analysis of autotheory and a fictional case study to explore the historical, philosophical, and sociological influences of this phenomenon. The feminization, professionalization, and intensification of teaching has left some female educators confused about the roles and responsibilities of the ‘good’ and ‘caring’ teacher. The relatively new trend of social media teacher influencers and hyper commercialized, stylized, and feminized classrooms suggests that, when all else fails, ‘good teaching’ can be bought. We might consider this gender performativity and consumer-oriented culture of education as strategies of survival within an intensified system.
- ItemA Critical Assessment of Mental Health Discourse among Young Adults on TikTok(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2023-08) Horridge, RicardoIn the rapidly evolving digital age, TikTok emerges as a significant platform influencing young adults' perceptions and discourses. This research delves deep into the nuances of how mental health is discussed amongst young adults on TikTok. Despite the recognized relationship between social media and mental health, there exists a large research gap regarding the discourse patterns, especially on newer platforms like TikTok. This study begins to fills that void, setting out to explore more than just the existence of a relationship between social media and mental health, but also the intricacies of the discourse – how it is facilitated, stigmatized, and the role of community-building, education and contrastingly negative elements in the conversation. Through detailed thematic and content analysis of 120 TikToks using hashtags #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters, #DepressionAnxiety, and #MentalIllness and 20 random sampled comments, this research uncovers the multifaceted nature of TikTok as a medium: from sharing personal experiences and seeking advice to challenging the prevalent stigmatization surrounding mental health. The findings shed light on TikTok's potential for both positive and negative influences on mental health discourse, highlighted by instances of misinformation, emotional expression, and the delicate balance between support and negativity in the conversation. The study's conclusions offer actionable insights for researchers and other academics looking to further analyze discussions on the platform. Additionally, by pinpointing existing limitations and gaps, this research sets the stage for future investigations in this critical area of study.
- ItemA cross-cultural assessment of the feeding environment and maternal-child interactions during breastfeeding in the first 6 months(2022-06-22) Hillary FryHuman milk is the sole recommended food for infants for the first 6 months of life. Despite this, little is known about whether breastfeeding practices, such as feeding responsiveness, differ across cultures. Responsive feeding practices are based on the cues and responses of a caregiver and infant and are associated with more intuitive eating patterns later in life. However, economic, cultural, and sociodemographic differences between high- and lowand middle-income countries may result in differing responsiveness of caregivers. However, there is a lack of cross-cultural research on responsiveness, particularly among infants under six months.
- ItemA Currere Journey Towards a Humanizing Curriculum: An Autobiographical Consideration of Culture and Disability(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024-08) Jones, Leah M.This thesis looks at how curriculum can take a humanizing approach through the lens of my own experiences and secondary literature. I specifically use Currere to journey along cycles of time exploring and discovering meaning relating to pedagogical approaches and curriculum theorizing. I use Currere to tell my story and detail my observations within the sphere of education. Using periods of time: past, present and future, I analyze how educators can approach curriculum with an eye towards humanization. I point to the need to acknowledge and embrace the diversity of students and the value of their experiences while being cautious to avoid negative sanctions and dehumanization through politically charged agendas. I discuss the hidden curriculum and its elements along with the need to incorporate equity, diversity, and inclusion into pedagogical considerations. I use the stages of Currere, namely regressive, progressive, analytic and synthetic to examine the elements of autobiographical curricular theorizing concluding with both pedagogical and personal considerations. The literature review contained herein discusses some of the key themes that arise during the regressive stage, specifically belonging, control, and loss. I discuss how I believe the education system can be incorporative rather than segregating and integrate the needs of diverse students from both a cultural and disability standpoint.
- ItemA mixed-methods exploration of peripartum food taboos and food additions in rural Cambodia(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2022-08-25) Labonté, JocelyneFood taboos are culturally driven food avoidances that go beyond personal taste or preference. These avoidances are particularly prevalent throughout pregnancy and lactation. In Southeast Asia, common peripartum food taboos include seafood, meats, and various vegetables. Such avoidances could negatively impact the health of women and children if foods of similar nutritional value do not replace avoided foods. There is a paucity of information on dietary modifications during pregnancy and lactation in Cambodia.
- ItemA Multi-Tiered System of Support for Teacher Professional Development in Social-Emotional Learning in Nova Scotia(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2022) Lewis, SarahThis thesis will propose a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for sustainable and embedded teacher professional development in social-emotional learning in the province of Nova Scotia. Since teachers in Nova Scotia are now responsible for supporting the well-being of their students after the implementation of the Inclusive Education Policy in Nova Scotia in 2020, there exists a gap in available teacher professional development for social-emotional learning. This thesis will provide an overview of MTSS models, including critical components like being data-driven and using evidence-based practices. After explaining the importance of evidencebased practices, it will provide an overview of the literature on effective professional development and social-emotional learning. The proposed model will consider the resources and structures already in place in Nova Scotia, including the specialization of school psychologists.
- ItemA Pan-Canadian Analysis of Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum Outcomes In Elementary Grades(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024-09) Hall, JuliaResearch over the past few decades has demonstrated the efficacy of tier 1 Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs to improve student outcomes including social skills, mental health, and academic outcomes. However, there has been no analysis or evaluation of the current inclusion of SEL-related outcomes in Canadian public school curricula. While SEL has been shown to be effective when implemented with fidelity, the current inclusion of SEL in Canadian curricula may be too scattered and fragmented to lead to consistent implementation or the positive outcomes associated with SEL reported in literature. The purpose of this study was to identify the SEL-related knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours currently represented in Canadian elementary curriculum documents. The analysis was descriptive and deductive and provided insights into the current state of SEL inclusion in Canadian elementary curricula. Qualitative thematic coding was implemented to identify the themes currently addressed in curricula. Results indicated that despite significant variation in each province/territory’s approach to curricula, emphasis was placed on teaching students social skills such as prosocial behaviour, conflict resolution, and social cues. All provinces placed the least amount of emphasis on teaching or enforcing attitudes such as optimism, enthusiasm, openness, and gratitude.
- ItemA Scholarly Examination of Zoom Fatigue: A Systematic Review(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024) Onoigboria, DestinyThis systematic review focused on the nature, prevalence, contributing factors and mitigating strategies of Zoom fatigue. The study reviewed 42 research articles identified from the peerreviewed literature published between 2020-2024. In the current study, Nadler’s third skins theory and Latour’s Actor-Network Theory were used as the theoretical lens. The results indicate that Zoom fatigue is a construct with cognitive, physical, and social-psychological plight. Some of the main areas are; staring, self-observation, lack of motion and abnormal social signals. The findings reveal variations of the disorder affect more women than men and persons with previous anxiety or stress related disorders. Measures for reduction are development of structured breaks, provision for ‘no camera’ option, toggling between synchronous and asynchronous communication. The work shows that Zoom fatigue is a multifaceted phenomenon that relates to human psyche and cognitive activity; technologies and interfaces; as well as organisational and managerial institutions. All of these have important implications for remote work policies and design of video conferencing platforms. The research affirms and prescribes a multi-level response to the problem of Zoom fatigue that entails technology solutions, policy changes, and personal adaptations. More future longitudinal researches are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of these interferences in the long term, as well as in different circumstances and with people.
- ItemA Scoping Review of the Mental Health Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Newcomber Children and Youth in Canada(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2025-05) Thompson, Kerry AnnThe COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, disrupted the daily lives of children and youth globally. It posed an unprecedented threat to their mental health due to the quarantine orders, the death of family members, and the disruptions in the economy. Studies have shown that the global prevalence of mental illness amongst children and youth increased considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet little is known about the research exploring the effects of the pandemic on one of the most precarious populations of minors: immigrant children. This scoping review aims to map and explore the scope and depth of the research literature relating to the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on newcomer children and youth in Canada. The researcher scoped literature written in English in Canada from March 2020 to fall 2024. A comprehensive search of ten (10) databases produced one hundred and forty-three (143) possible studies to be scoped. Fifteen (15) duplicate copies were removed, and another one hundred and sixteen (116) were removed for other reasons. After the inclusion and exclusion process was applied, one study met the criteria for scoping. Three themes emerged from this scoping review: Economic Support, Resilience, and Social Support, with sub-themes: r food insecurity, adaptation, resourcefulness, the collapse of the economy, and assimilation and acculturation. The findings indicate that there is a glaring lack of research on the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on newcomer children and youth in Canada. The lack of relevant literature on this topic and the negative impacts of the epidemic on newcomer children and youth mental health in Canada related in the lone study, underscores the need for further research on the topic.
- ItemA SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT ANALYSIS OF ANXIETY-RELATED INFORMATION ON PINTEREST(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2022-08) Deveau, StéphanieThe Internet, including social media sites, is increasingly being used as a health resource for various health conditions. One of the social media sites being used as a source of health information is Pinterest, which uses primarily images to disseminate information. Anxiety disorders are the most common category of mental disorders in the general population and are also discussed on Pinterest. The present study examined the type of anxiety-related information on Pinterest, as well as its accuracy. Results of this study demonstrated that a large proportion of anxiety-related pins presented information on interventions for anxiety disorders, with over half of these referencing alternative or complementary treatments. Intervention-related pins were overwhelmingly positive in tone, regardless of whether the intervention cited was evidencebased. It was found that the sources of information for anxiety-related pins were most often blogs as opposed to more trusted sources of information. Infographics were the most used embedded visual communication tool in anxiety-related pins. The findings of the current study as well as implications for consumers and practitioners are discussed.