Graduate Theses

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    A Critical Assessment of Mental Health Discourse among Young Adults on TikTok
    (Mount Saint Vincent University, 2023-08) Horridge, Ricardo
    In 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.
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    Perceived Social Support and Academic Motivation: Exploring the Moderating Role of Extraversion in Post-Secondary Students
    (Mount Saint Vincent University, 2023-08) Hunter, Hannah
    The purpose of this study was to assess the interaction of social and individual factors that influence academic motivation in Canadian post-secondary students. Specifically, the current study examined perceived social support from three sources: family, friends, and significant others, and students’ self reported levels of extraversion as predictors of the subscales of academic motivation. The subscales of academic motivation measured were intrinsic motivation (based on individual enjoyment and interest), extrinsic motivation (based on an external reward), and amotivation (the lack or absence of motivation). Canadian post-secondary students were recruited through Mount Saint Vincent’s online bonus point system, SONA, and through the primary researcher’s social media platforms. 70 students from first year of study to graduate studies participated in the current study and completed demographic items, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Big Five Personality Inventory (Extraversion items only), and the Academic Motivation Scale – College Version. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multiple regressions were used to examine the data. Analysis showed that perceived social support was significant in positively predicting intrinsic motivation and negatively predicting amotivation for students low in extraversion. The relationships between perceived social support and intrinsic motivation, and between perceived social support and amotivation were moderated by extraversion. The interaction between perceived social support and extraversion was non-significant in predicting extrinsic motivation. Results from this study suggest that social support can be effective for promoting intrinsic motivation and preventing against amotivation in post-secondary students, especially those who are less extraverted. The current findings add to the literature identifying social support as an important precursor to academic motivation that must continue to be examined and considered when developing strategies to increase motivation and prevent amotivation at the post-secondary level.
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    Exploring perceptions of digital literacy in a LINC curriculum
    (Mount Saint Vincent University, 2023-08) Remedios, Jordan
    This thesis examines the perceptions of instructors and students in the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia's (ISANS) Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program regarding the incorporation of digital literacy practices in their curriculum, specifically focusing on Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) classes six, seven and eight. The study investigates digital literacy in the context of adult newcomers, using Nixon and Kerin's (2012) model which encompasses the operational, cultural, and critical dimensions of digital literacy. Using a qualitative approach, data was collected through student focus groups, follow-up interviews with students, and interviews with instructors. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns and trends in the perceptions of instructors and students. The findings from this study reveal that while there are diverse perspectives on the perceived need for digital literacy training and skills development within the ISANS EAL curriculum, there are also clear areas for improvement within the operational, cultural, and critical dimensions of digital literacy. This differs from much of the recent literature on the subject which focuses on the need for digital literacy education, without necessarily considering the specific perceptions of both students and instructors. In general, instructors participating in this study expressed a belief that a greater emphasis and inclusion of discussions on digital literacy would improve the curriculum. Both instructors and students acknowledged the importance of developing skills such as email communication, finding and evaluating online information, and understanding online scams and fraud. Despite this, some students conveyed a lack of interest incorporating more digital literacy in into their classes, specifically in areas such as online safety and personal data management. Conversely, others voiced a strong need for increased digital literacy learning, especially in developing professional online networks, discussing scams and fraud, and managing personal data. Recommendations for improving the curriculum include a coordinated approach, gamification, creation of a Digital Literacy Committee, implementation of a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach, and the introduction of translanguaging spaces. Finally, there are also suggestions and implications for future research in this area.
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    Understanding Nursing Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic Through Narrative Inquiry and Art. A Feminist Exploration in Educational Research
    (Mount Saint Vincent University, 2023-07) Flegg, Carol A.
    The resilience and retention of nurses is a complex and urgently compelling phenomenon in the global context, made even more critical given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative research on nursing resilience is an under-researched topic, particularly within nurses’ personal stories of resilience. This study incorporated narrative inquiry and arts-based research seen through the lens of a feminist theoretical framework. It explored the stories of nursing resilience told from the perspective of four public health nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the spirit of Connelly and Clandinin (1990), the focus of this narrative inquiry is not only on the individual's experience but also on the social, cultural, and institutional narratives within each individual’s experiences that are derived, shaped, expressed, and enacted. The stories of nursing resilience were shared in group discussions, one-on-one interviews focused on conversations and artistic collages with artist statements. This research wove together stories of nursing resilience and elucidated the impact of emotional labour, camaraderie, mentorship, and self-care on the developmental process of resilience. The positive effects of feeling valued within the power structure in nursing are highlighted. Higher education curricula do introduce the concept of nursing resilience, but the focus in nursing education programs is on medical and technical knowledge. There are many factors which are influencing the need for nurses to be more resilient in the workplace, nursing students will need to learn much more about this subject and how it can impact them both personally and professionally. Implications for further research on mentorship, the group effect of research and the therapeutic nature of storytelling through art are illuminated.
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    The development and sensory evaluation of puréed foods with added pulses
    (Mount Saint Vincent University, 2023-07) Estrella, María Victoria
    Proper nutrition is necessary for people’s physical and emotional well-being. The relationship between food and people’s well-being is associated with nutrition, the pleasure of tasty food and social components. Dysphagia is a condition that increases the risk of malnutrition and its consequences. Providing appropriate food for people with dysphagia prevents the risk of becoming malnourished. Puréed food may not appear appetizing or tasty enough. At the moment, the use of pulses for purée formulations for the dysphagia population is not being used.