Faculty of Education -- Graduate Theses
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Graduate theses completed in the department of Education as part of:
- Master of Education (Concentrations in: Lifelong Learning, Curriculum Studies, Educational Foundations, Educational Psychology, Elementary and Middle School Education, Literacy Education, School Psychology)
- Master of Arts in Education (Research)
- Master of Arts in Education
- Master of Arts in School Psychology
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Recent Submissions
- ItemStandardized Assesment in Mathematics: A Qualitative Exploration of Black Nova Scotian Perspectives and Experiences(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024-12-16) Ray, Cassondra M.Systemic challenges in the Nova Scotian education system for Black students, including the disproportionate placement on Individual Program Plans (IPPs), are well-documented. However, there is a dearth of research on how mathematics achievement assessments impact this population. The current study explored Black individuals' experiences and perspectives regarding mathematics assessment practices in the province. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with community members and staff from a local Africentric learning institute. Data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis with culturally relevant pedagogy as the theoretical framework. Themes included negative experiences with math assessments, a one-size-fits-all approach, flawed assessment tools, and high-stakes testing. Participants also endorsed that math assessments lack cultural relevance for Black students. Pedagogical and assessment improvements included building students’ math confidence to combat racialized narratives, incorporating Black culture and lived experiences, and including parents to teach children math. Implications for school psychologists and future research are discussed.
- ItemExamining the Impacts of Mindfulness Martial Arts Intervention On Neural Indices of Auditory Selective Attention In Youth With ADHD(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024-11-15) McGuire, KjerstiAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder. Although mindfulness interventions may minimize attention difficulties in some individuals with ADHD, few studies have examined whether mindfulness impacts neurophysiological indices of attention. The present study examined whether mindfulness impacts neural indices, parent reports of symptom severity, and task performance markers of auditory selective attention in youth with ADHD. A sample of 39 youth receiving treatment and 27 waitlisted controls completed an auditory selective attention task while EEG was recorded. Evoked activity, task performance, and symptom severity data were collected and analysed. Significant changes in early attentional neurophysiological responses were found for the intervention group. There were no significant findings in relation to symptom severity or task performance. Results suggest that treatment impacts neural responses of early sensory processing. Findings offer methodological support for using neurophysiological measures when examining gains of mindfulness intervention.
- ItemConstrained and Contested: Nova Scotia Teachers’ Experiences of Teaching Mi’kmaw Studies 11(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024-11) Legge, SusanThe Truth and Reconciliation Report’s 94 Calls to Action requested that Canadian schools create mandatory, age-appropriate curriculum “on residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada” (TRC, 2015, p. 7), with the outcome to be the “building [of] student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect” (TRC Truth, 2015, p. 7). Mi’kmaw Studies 11, a course offered to grade 11 students in Nova Scotia as an option for fulfilling the Canadian history component of the high school diploma, appears well positioned to respond to these specific Calls to Action, and this project explores the course through the experiences of the teachers leading the learning. The overarching question of this research is “What is it like to teach Mi’kmaw Studies 11, a course that is purposively created as a tool for reconciliation in a settler colonial school system, in a public high school in Nova Scotia?” The methodology for the research is transcendental phenomenology, as described by Moustakas (1994) in his Phenomenological Research Methods. Phenomenology is a study of lived experiences that explore a recollected moment through the descriptive telling of the person whose experience is being studied. This study reflects the lived experiences of six teachers of Mi’kmaw Studies 11. They spoke about course material, pedagogical choices, students, the support (or lack thereof) from administrators, centres for education and the community, and the concepts and actions that come into play when one is teaching about a living culture from (mostly) the outside. Listening to the lived experiences of the six teachers is an opportunity for all the stakeholders involved with education working toward reconciliation to consider what is happening in those classrooms.
- ItemOlder Adults and Storytelling – a Lifelong Learning Exploration(Mount Saint Vincent Univerity, 2024-09) Thompson, XandieWe make use of stories every day to express our feelings, to share experiences and traditions, and to help teach others. Across the world, there is a long and diverse history of storytelling, but its power has diminished in the modern and Westernized world. This research focuses on the stories that older adults tell people in their community, within the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia. It focuses on people between the ages of 65 and 85. This study highlights the stories that older adults tell and explores what these stories entail, the intention of sharing these stories, where they are told and to whom. This research makes use of storytelling methodology. People are storytelling beings who, individually and socially, live storied lives. Storytelling methodology allows for research to be conducted in more inclusive and diverse ways. Additionally, stories can give us access to complex feelings, behavior, and traditions. The main research question is, what stories do older adults tell to convey their culture to others? Resonant themes include stories as learning opportunities, stories as social connectedness, stories as sharing lived experiences, stories as entertainment, and stories about meaningful things. This research highlights the importance of storytelling as informal learning and the role of older adults in communities.
- 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.