VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
"Turf Management Is Trumping Food Security": The Organization Of Access To Community Gardening In Toronto
Keywords: community gardens
community gardening
urban agriculture
parks
recreation
public policy
poverty
non-profit organization
food security
food insecurity
hunger
creative class
urban development
social class
planning
community development
institutional ethnography
public space

In this study I explore the social organization of community gardening in Toronto. I have done this by: exploring (a) the experiences of community garden coordinators hired by non-profit organizations do to improve poor Torontonians’ access to food, and how this work occurs within and is affected by the larger framework of (b) the City of Toronto’s Community Gardens Program. This inquiry was carried out using institutional ethnography, with data collection occurring through open-ended interviews with garden coordinators and the analysis of non-profit and municipal documents. The results of the study are that garden coordinator’s work to improve access to food for poor Torontonians is at odds with the municipal understanding of community gardens and park space existing to attract economic investment to Toronto via “creative professionals.”
Orthopaedic Surgery Residents Perspectives on the Roles and Tasks Effective to Becoming a Competent Physician: A Mixed Methods Study
Keywords: Postgraduate Medical education
competency-based education
Higher Education
CanMEDS

In Canada, residents’ views on which roles and tasks are effective to becoming a competent physician is not yet part of the research discourse. Ensuring that competency-based curriculum (CBC) objectives are aligned with competencies and evaluation methods is critical to build a curriculum that will produce competent physicians. This research reports on the residents' views of the current Orthopaedic Surgery curriculum (UofT) which is solely competency-based. The residents' views were explored about which CanMEDS Roles and Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA’s) would be important to develop for them to become competent physicians. This study employed a mixed methodology. The individual interviews were from CBC orthopaedic surgery residents and the survey respondents were orthopaedic surgery regular time-based stream and competency-based stream residents. This research provides a better understanding of the resident experience so that educational practice and residency education can influence decisions around the curriculum design in postgraduate competency-based medical education programs.
Cracks and Opening, Murkiness and Unknowns: Dis/rupting Knowledge through Atelier/Atelierista Model of Timeless and Embodied Learning
Keywords: Reggio Emilia
Timeless learning
A/r/tography
Embodied learning

This thesis interweaves the Reggio Emilia preschool model of atelier (art studio) and atelierista (artist educator), autobiography, timeless and embodied learning. I am interested in exploring approaches in which visual arts education in elementary schools disrupts traditional ways of knowing and learning about art. When an atelierista is embraced in the school environment, a rupture emerges in the landscape of education; one that recognizes the interconnectivity of things, and values difference and unknown. For this reason, I align my research with a form of inquiry – a/r/tography, which acknowledges intertwining roles of artist/researcher/teacher as integral parts of the research process. As such, my own art making is used as a form of inquiry and language in the text of this thesis.
A Safety Valve to Modern Living: Antimodernism, Citizenship, Leisure, and the Environment in Toronto's Outdoor Education Centres, 1953-1997
Keywords: History of Education
Outdoor Education
Ontario Education
Leisure Education
Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Toronto Board of Education
Island Natural Science School
Albion Hills Conservation School
Citizenship Education
Environmental Education
Metropolitan Toronto School Board
Conservation Education

In 1960 the Toronto Board of Education opened its first residential outdoor education centre, the Toronto Island Natural Science School, which signaled the beginning of an outdoor education movement in the city. By the mid-1980s the school boards and conservation authorities of Metropolitan Toronto had opened 12 residential outdoor education centres to serve Toronto public school students. This thesis seeks to explain why these programs were developed at this time and in this place. It finds that these programs fit into a broader ‘modernizing antimodernism’ paradigm which shaped many similar formal and informal educational programs in the twentieth century, and argues that democratic citizenship education was the major factor that was used to justify and shape them. This democratic citizenship education had three main components: education for democratic living, education for productive use of leisure time, and education for the environment, each of which is explored in depth.
Building Better Schools not Prisons: A Review of the Literature Surrounding School Suspension and Expulsion Programs and the Implications of such Programs on the Lives of Racial and Ethnic Minority Students
Keywords: Critical Race Theory
disciplinary policies
public schools
socioeconomic disparities

It has been argued, albeit with some degree of success, that the challenges facing the 21st century Canadian classroom are highly complex. A troubled economy riddled with cutbacks to the education system, ongoing enrolment decline and challenges in embracing a growth in the diversity of students are among the changes that have made classrooms increasingly difficult to navigate. Though the last assertion may be true, disciplinary policies and the tools used to address unwanted student behaviour have remained relatively unchanged within the education system. Using Critical Race Theory, the author examines the implications of school suspension and expulsion programs on students and provides an analysis of current literature on alternative disciplinary methods in public schools. Findings suggest that a mixture of strategies within various disciplinary programs can benefit some students, but more work must be done to address socioeconomic disparities plaguing the majority of students found in these programs.
Challenges facing Volunteer-managed Nonprofit Organizations with Non-bureaucratic Governance and Non-hierarchical Structures
Keywords: volunteer-managed
volunteer-run
non-profit
nonprofit
non-bureaucratic
non-hierarchical
governance
structure
collective
egalitarian
grassroots association
community group

Volunteer-managed nonprofit organizations (VNPOs) are defined as nonprofit organizations managed exclusively by volunteers without paid-staff. There is no well-recognized theory describing how to govern or structure VNPOs, despite their significance in the social economy. This study argues non-bureaucratic governance and non-hierarchical structures are appropriate for some VNPOs. Rothschild-Whitt (1979) proposes six significant challenges for organizations with non-bureaucratic governance. Using multiple case-study methodology, the magnitude of these challenges was assessed in three VNPOs adopting non-bureaucratic governance and non-hierarchical structure. Four challenges, namely, time, homogeneity, emotional intensity, and individual differences, did not adversely affect the selected VNPOs. Two challenges, namely, nondemocratic individuals and environmental constraints, remained obstacles for the selected VNPOs. Five other challenges to non-bureaucratic governance specific to VNPOs were also identified and discussed, specifically, succession planning and recruitment, task completion, minimal socialization, pressure to achieve consensus, and administrative issues. Insights from such studies may help to better manage non-bureaucratic/non-hierarchical VNPOs.
Constructions of Autism in Education: Towards a More Radical Inclusion
Keywords: autism
equity studies
sociology
education

Inclusion of children with autism in public education has become a pressing issue. As more and more children are diagnosed, schools are increasingly unable to provide individualized educational services and one to one aides for each of these children. In this master's thesis, the author describes the ways in which discourses around public education and the ideal neoliberal worker have in turn shaped discourses around students and workers with autism. Reimagining inclusion of students with autism pushes us to reimagine "autism" and "school" itself. Through discussions of the paradoxes of autistic speech and self determination, and the relationship between discourses of autism and discourses of education, the author suggests a new way to imagine autism, inclusion, and education.
City of Libraries: The Impact of the Urban Reform Movement on the Toronto Public Library
Keywords: Urban Reform Movement
Toronto Public Library

This research explores the impact of Toronto’s urban reform movement of the 1970s on the Toronto Public Library (TPL) system. The TPL is the largest public library system in Canada, with 98 branches located in neighbourhoods across the city. These highly visible, accessible, and dynamic local branches promote social inclusion and community engagement through the provision of a range of programs and services. Public participation in the library planning process through citizens’ advisory groups resulted in the “equalization” of library services across the city, a renewal of the local branch system, and the restructuring of programs and services to meet community needs as defined by communities themselves. This research also discusses the possibility of creating new opportunities for patron participation at the TPL in the context of the recent resurgence in civic engagement on library issues.
Teacher Reactions to the Implementation of Full Day Kindergarten
Keywords: Kindergarten
Educational Change
CBAM

Traditionally, kindergarten programs have been offered in various ways across the province of Ontario (e.g., half day every day; all day, alternate day). Starting in 2010, the Ontario Ministry of Education began implementing full day, every day kindergarten in all publically funded schools. This large-scale innovation has resulted in a number of important changes. The kindergarten teacher is experiencing a variety of these changes. This qualitative study focuses on reactions and concerns of kindergarten teachers as they begin to implement full day kindergarten. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with five kindergarten teachers provide information about these reactions and concerns. The Stages of Concern framework, one aspect of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), will be used to discuss these findings and how full day kindergarten has impacted the kindergarten teacher.
You have Nothing to Lose! Using Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Secondary Education to Make Space for Body Acceptance
Keywords: fat studies
secondary education
fat acceptance
body acceptance
culturally relevant pedagogy

Schools are sites of great power and influence where the “obesity” discourse is often taken uncritically as truth and reproduced, to the detriment of young people. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how theories of fatness can inform theories of culturally relevant pedagogy with the goal of helping teachers create spaces where increased size acceptance is possible for secondary students. Literature from both these areas of study was reviewed and applied to the Ontario secondary curriculum documents for science and physical education. This analysis demonstrated a body acceptance orientation in teaching these disciplines, and that doing so can mitigate many of the negative effects of living in a fat hating world.
Development of Be(x)Zn(1−x)O Nanowires for Radiation Detection
Keywords: BeZnO
nanowires
radiation
OSL

Scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence measurements were conducted on Be(x)Zn(1−x)O nanowires prepared by electrochemical and hydrothermal deposition to study their morphology, structure and optical properties. The bowing parameter for nanowires prepared by electrochemical and hydrothermal deposition was found to be 4.8 eV and 3.6 eV, respectively. It was observed that for electrochemical deposition, it is more difficult for Be(2+) to incorporate in the crystal lattice than Zn(2+). The electrochemical deposited samples exhibited stronger deep level emissions, indicating a higher density of deep level states. A home-made Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) system was successfully constructed and calibrated with Al2O3:C and BeO. The OSL lifetime measurements on electrochemical deposited samples showed there were measurable OSL signals even on 500 nm long Be(x)Zn(1−x)O nanowires. The lifetimes of these OSL signals were found to decrease with increasing Be concentration. Be(x)Zn(1−x)O nanowires show considerable promise as new OSL materials.
Worthy Worlds: A Case Study of the Pedagogy, Design, and Execution of Two University Courses in Second Life
Keywords: Second Life
Immersive
Virtual
Post-Secondary
Classroom Design
Pedagogy
Information Technology
CSCL
VLE
Virtual Learning Environments

With increasing access to powerful computer processing and broadband Internet connectivity, persistent immersive worlds like Second Life are being adopted for use as virtual learning environments. The flexibility of these spaces, however, offers little innate direction for educators in terms of design and pedagogy considerations, creating a space for research, shared experience, and possibly the development of “best practices” literature. This multiple-case study explores the unique affordances of immersive environments for distance education with reference to the design, pedagogy, and student experience of two university-accredited courses taught entirely “in-world” on the Second Life platform.
High-stakes Standardized Testing in Nigeria and the Erosion of a Critical African Worldview
Keywords: Standardized Testing
African consciousness
Indigenous African Education
Nigerian Education
critical education
colonial education

This thesis investigates the practice of high-stakes standardized testing in Nigeria. Examining its colonial histories, its philosophical incongruities with African indigenous education, and its neocolonial foundations, it argues that high-stakes testing in Nigeria facilitates the erosion of a critical African worldview. It demonstrates that through high-stakes testing’s reproduction of social and regional inequalities, the unethicality of its systems and practices as well as its exemplification of Freire’s concept of normative and non liberatory education as the “practice of domination”; high-stakes standardized testing in Nigeria seamlessly fits into the neo-colonial and neoliberal logic of education as a site of psychological colonization and the material exploitation of the people by the ruling elite.
Neoliberal Policy in Action: A Critical Analysis of the Global Food Safety Initiative and Food Safety Governance
Keywords: Neoliberal
Food Safety

Using a political economy analysis, this thesis examines the Global Food Safety Initiative and its effects on food safety governance. It begins with a discussion of food safety, an important component of food production systems, which attempts to ensure that food will not induce foodborne illness in the consumer. After outlining how neoliberalism is the current political economy environment in which the Global North operates, it argues that within this environment the Global Food Safety Initiative is rapidly becoming the predominant expression of neoliberalism to promote food safety. A political economic analysis of the Global Food Safety Initiative reveals that it is an indicator of the current neoliberal food regime and has significant consequences for the governance of both Canadian and international food safety.
The Impact of End-user Support on Electronic Medical Record Success in Ontario Primary Care: A Critical Case Study
Keywords: Electronic Medical Records
End-user support
Primary care

Although end-user support is an important aspect of EMR implementation, it is not known in what ways it affects EMR success. To investigate this topic, a case study of end-user support for an open-source EMR was conducted in an Ontario Family Health Organization using 7 semistructured interviews based on the DeLone and McLean Model of Information System Success. Second, documentation for an open-source and proprietary EMR was analyzed using Carroll’s Minimalism as a theoretical framework. Finally, themes from this thesis were compared and contrasted with a multiple case study that examined support for a commercial EMR in 4 Ontario family health teams. Main findings include the role of informal support, which was important for ensuring that data are documented consistently, which in turn enabled information retrieval for providing better preventive care services. Also, formal support was important for mitigating problems of system quality, which had potential implications for patient safety.
Riboflavin Transporters and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein: Cimetidine-Riboflavin Interactions in the Mammary Gland
Keywords: Pharmacology
Toxicology
Riboflavin
Cimetidine
Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP)
Riboflavin transporters
Breast milk
Mammary Gland
Lactation

Mother's milk provides multiple benefits to the offspring. However, xenobiotics transferred into breast milk may pose a risk to the nursing infant. The breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) actively transports xenobiotics into breast milk. BCRP also transports nutrients, like riboflavin, and together with recently identified riboflavin transporters (RFT), may provide a mechanism for riboflavin secretion into breast milk. Expression of RFT in the mammary gland remained unknown. Our objective was to characterize Bcrp and Rft mRNA expression in the mammary gland of FVB/N mice, and investigate a strategy to decrease excretion of BCRP-transported xenobiotics into the milk using riboflavin intervention. Rft and Bcrp mRNA were upregulated in the mammary gland of lactating mice. An intravenous riboflavin administration significantly reduced the levels of BCRP-transported cimetidine in milk. This study demonstrates the use of riboflavin to exploit the function of mammary BCRP in order to reduce xenobiotic secretion into breast milk.
Youth Leadership Development From the Grade 8 Perspective: A Case Study of a School-based Program
Keywords: student leadership
leadership development
youth leadership development
adolescent leadership

This study examined the leadership development experiences of adolescents participating in a school-based leadership program. A case study of ten Grade 8 students is described based on qualitative data from student response journals, field notes, and program documentation. Evidence from the study suggests that adolescents value and benefit from leadership development experiences and opportunities. Leadership development experiences that adolescents find meaningful are those where they are: (1) actively engaged in experiential learning opportunities; (2) granted freedom and increased responsibility; (3) able to work in educational groups; (4) given interesting learning experiences; (5) supported by positive role models; and (6) long-term participants. Leadership experiences benefit students by: (1) allowing adolescents to feel like they can make a positive impact on their world; (2) giving adolescents an improved sense of self; (3) teaching students essential skills; and (10) giving adolescents the opportunity to build relationships with like-minded individuals.
Patterns of Diagnostic Imaging and Cumulative Effective Radiation Dose among Long-term Survivors of Malignancies
Keywords: malignancy

Introduction: This study described patterns of imaging and cumulative effective dose (CED) from diagnostic radiation in young adult survivors (YAS) of malignancies and cancer-free controls in Ontario. Methods: Persons aged 20-44 diagnosed with malignancy between 1992 and 1999 who lived at least 5 years without recurrent disease were matched to controls without a prior cancer diagnosis. The rate at which YAS received diagnostic studies and associated CED was compared to controls using multivariable regression techniques. Results: 20,911 YAS and 104,524 controls were included. YAS received CT scanning at a significantly higher rate than controls (rate ratio = 3.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.37 – 3.62. YAS received a 4.57-fold higher CED than controls (95% CI: 4.20 – 4.57). Conclusions: YAS are exposed to diagnostic radiation at significantly higher rates than controls even after 5 years of recurrence-free survival. Alternative imaging techniques not associated with radiation should be considered for these patients.
Towards a Diasporic Epistemology: How Filipino Canadian Young Men Make Sense of Educational Success and Failure
Keywords: Diaspora
Filipino Canadians
Young Men
Secondary School
Educational Success
Educational Failure
Immigration
Cultural Factors

This thesis forwards the concept of “diasporic epistemology” in order to better understand how Filipino Canadian young males make sense of their educational success and failure. Diasporic epistemology means a dual frame of reference created by the intersection of both structural and cultural conditions specific to a particular diaspora. To investigate this concept, I examined the interview transcripts of six Filipino Canadian young men using the constructivist approach to grounded theory. My research reveals that school structure and Filipino consciousness play a significant role in educational success and failure. Situating my thesis within the academic fields of epistemology, intersectionality, and student achievement, I contend that understanding the diasporic epistemology of racialized minority and immigrant students challenges certain truism in educational research, such as current belief that family’s socio-economic status and parental education are predictors of students’ academic success. The implications for education are greater teacher-student-home relationships and alternative schooling methods
The Role of Aggregate Representations in Scaffolding Collective Inquiry
Keywords: Technology
Science
Knowledge Community
Aggregate Representations

This study explores how aggregate representations of student-contributed content were used in whole-class discussions to scaffold scientific inquiry in two middle school science classrooms. Working together as a knowledge community, students contribute scaffolded observations concerning HelioRoom and WallCology, room-sized “Embedded Phenomena” simulations, using tablet computers. These observations are collected and represented in aggregate form, and are the focus of teacher-led whole-class discussions. This thesis examines the efficacy of these aggregate designs for advancing students’ and teachers’ engagement in and understanding of the object of scientific inquiry, their usefulness for constructing relational models, and the interaction patterns that arise from their use. Findings suggest that aggregate representations of binary relationships that use tallies are well-suited for learning activities that have directed outcomes, such as constructing a relationship network. Aggregate representations that highlight gaps in data, and areas of agreement and disagreement in the data can be effective tools fostering productive discourse in classrooms.