VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a Working Memory Training Program in Adolescents with Severe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disabilities

Working memory (WM), which is essential for many academic skills, has been found to predict inattentive behaviours and is a common deficit in ADHD and LD. Recent studies have suggested that WM can be improved by intensive and adaptive computerized training. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a WM training program on WM, attention, behaviour and academics in adolescents with severe LD/ADHD. A total of 60 12 to 17 year olds with ADHD/LD were randomised to one of two computerized intervention programs: working memory training or math training and evaluated before and at three weeks after completion. Adolescents in the WM training group showed greater improvements in some measures of WM than those in the Math training group, but no training effects were observed on any other measures. Findings are discussed in the context of theoretical and practical implications of WM training.

Keywords: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
attention and memory
learning disability
working memory training
Advisor: Tannock, Rosemary
Exploring My “Unfinished” Self: A Narrative Inquiry Into the Life of an Educational Activist

The purpose of this study is to explore tensions and themes that have influenced my activist identity. Drawing on theories of reflective practice, self study and autoethnography I use a narrative inquiry approach to trace significant experiences in my life, from student to high school teacher, to teacher educator. Themes that arise include a shift from a political to a “student voice”-focused approach to educational activism, the ongoing influence of my privileged identities, the importance of mentorship, the recognition that social change is possible, and the awareness and embracing of my “unfinishedness”. This study attempts to add to literature on educational or teacher activism and speak to the value of narrative inquiry approaches in teacher education and professional development programs.

Keywords: educational activism
teacher activism
social justice education
narrative inquiry
teacher education
privilege
student voice
social identities
Advisor: Joshee, Reva
What's in a Note? Sentiment Analysis in Online Educational Forums

This multi-disciplinary study examines the linguistic characteristics which influence communication and social interaction in computer-mediated communication (CMC). We begin by conducting a qualitative data analysis on a group of graduate students taking online courses. Through this, we look more closely at their perception of social interaction in their online learning environment (Knowledge eCommons). We then take individual student notes and analyze their linguistic characteristics. We look at the emotional cues in notes, the use of factual, objective language and other linguistic features. We study these notes through the use of sentiment analysis methodologies – which will be explained in detail in the first and second chapter. We have proposed a method for deducing note objectivity and have computed reliability testing of this method. Our analyses show that there is a high correlation between the use of objective language in a note and the value that students place on that note.

Keywords: Sentiment Analysis
Communication
Threaded Forums
Online education
Computational Linguistics
Text Analysis
Advisor: Hewitt, James
On Reciprocity: Teaching and Learning with People who have Alzheimer's

The initial intention of this arts-informed research study was to implement art classes for people with Alzheimer‟s disease, and to examine its impact upon new learning at cognitive, procedural and affective levels of experience. While these goals persist – indeed adult educational theory and quality of life are central to this thesis – the research focus gradually shifted from a constructivist view of the Alzheimer‟s learner to a phenomenological view of the relationship between teacher and student. Its power to facilitate the growth of reciprocity and bolster identity within the learning context, whether one-to-one or in small group settings, became more apparent as the research progressed. This revealed the potential of arts-based educational programs to build mutual trust and reciprocity with and among the participants. In turn, these qualities contributed to the expression of positive feelings, improved self-esteem,and communication in people with Alzheimer‟s.

Keywords: Alzheimer's
adult learning
reciprocity
well-being
creativity
Advisor: Knowles, J. Gary
Reading between the "Frames": English Language Learners' and non-English Language Learners' Responses to Graphic Novels

Literacy in the 21st century is constantly evolving. To teach literacy effectively, educators need to embrace and understand linguistic, cultural and textual practices that are relevant for students. Reading and responding to graphic novels in face-to-face and online settings are such 21st century literate practices. This thesis focuses on how grade 6 students who are both English Language Learners and non-English Language Learners respond and connect to social justice issues in graphic novels through literature circles, online blogging and personal journals. Responses to social justice issues were fairly similar between English Language Learners and non-English Language Learners, especially based on a cultural experience standpoint. It is important for educators to encourage students to connect with prior experiences and knowledge with social justice issues and stereotypes that exist in their own world. This prepares students to become more socially conscious and critical thinkers about the world around them.

Advisor: Peterson, Shelley Stagg
Change in Child Health and Socioeconomic Status: Examining the Moderating Role of Differential Parenting

Inequality within the family (i.e. differential parenting) is associated with a variety of measures of child adjustment. To date there is no research examining the effects of this phenomenon on children’s physical health, or on the fashion in which this phenomenon may combine and interact with socioeconomic markers. The present study assessed 375 mothers and their children over a period of 18 months. Differential maternal negativity between siblings predicted change in child health, controlling for child gender, age, maternal education, income/assets, and absolute level of negativity in the household. The association between maternal education and change in child health was strongest when children were also exposed to high differential negativity, suggesting that these predictors combined in a cumulative fashion. Findings indicate that multiple forms of social disadvantage (i.e. between families and between siblings) can operate independently or in combination with one another to predict change in child health.

Keywords: parenting
socioeconomic status
health
development
Advisor: Jenkins, Jennifer M.
Education and the Unschooled Student: Teachers’ Discourses on Teaching Elementary School English Literacy Development Students

Based on empirical qualitative data collected by interviewing eight elementary school teachers from across four different school boards in Ontario and analyzing new Ontario Ministry of Education policy and guidelines for supporting and programming for English Literacy Development (ELD) students, this research seeks to better understand how teachers’ discourses influence their perception of ELD students’ experiences in elementary schools. In particular, I look at how they view their roles as teachers, the purpose of education and schooling, their personal views on diversity, and how they program literacy for ELD students. The participants’ discourses reveal that although they prioritize having positive relationships with their students, they often struggled to relate positively with their ELD students. Reassessing how the formal school is structured and providing directed professional development on teaching ELD students could work towards creating more positive learning experiences for ELD students in Ontario elementary schools.

Keywords: English Language Learners
English Literacy Development
Elementary education
Teachers' discourses
Limited Prior Schooling
Multiliteracies
Philosophy of Teaching
Ontario schools
Advisor: Gérin-Lajoie, Diane
Kipimoojikewin: Articulating Anishinaabe Pedagogy Through Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe Language) Revitalization

In Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language), Kipimoojikewin refers to our inheritance, or the things we carry with us. While Anishinaabemowin, Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) pedagogy and research practices are all part of our inheritance, so too is a legacy of colonial violence and historic trauma. This paper details one journey towards the language; the struggle through a colonial terrain rife with institutional and cognitive barriers, the journey to return to Anishinaabe ways of knowing, to articulating Anishinaabe pedagogy in a contemporary urban context and the work done to fulfill the vision of the Elders. There are no “best practices” only stories that exemplify an Anishinaabe axiological framework so that the causes and effects can be better understood, taken up and improved upon. Aapajitoon kema wanitoon.

Keywords: Anishinaabe pedagogy
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe philosophy
Anishinaabemowin
Aboriginal worldview
Aboriginal education
self-determination
Anishinaabe axiology
Indigenous language revitalization
Aboriginal pedagogy
Aboriginal research
colonization
Advisor: Restoule, Jean-Paul
Video Games: Ethical Spaces Under The Regime of Images

The video game is a deeply misunderstood medium, one that is often blamed as a root cause of violence, anti-social behaviour and the laziness of youth. In addition to those who judge video games as corrupting, there are those who note the complexity and instructive power of video games and hope to harness the technology for educational use. This thesis occupies a middle ground between these two poles. I argue that as a distinct textual form, video games are prime sites for encountering power and difference, as well as productive sites through which gamers come to know themselves. Video games are semiotic playing fields that, when theorized as such, call for pedagogical interventions focused on how we teach about the worlds we inhabit both virtual and actual. I end with an explanation of how video games can constructively be theorized as “ethical spaces” for learning about issues of social justice.

Keywords: Video Games
Learning
Education
Representation
Ethical Space
Regime of Images
Technology
textual
intertextuality
linguistic turn
Advisor: Boler, Megan
Understanding Home-school Relationships within an Indigenous Community in an Urban Public School

This study examines relationships between Indigenous parents and their children’s non-Indigenous teachers. As many Indigenous students are taught by mostly non-Indigenous teachers, this thesis aims to provide teachers with insights or strategies on how to work in a community that is perhaps unknown to them. There are three areas of focus within this thesis: critical issues within systems of education in Indigenous communities, critical issues that Indigenous parents face, and critical issues that schools with Indigenous students face. This project has given both parents and teachers the chance to talk about the experiences of Indigenous children, the experiences of parents and teachers, and the relationships that form between the school, home, and the community. Also included are ideas that can be used by schools, school boards, and Indigenous communities to encourage strong relationships between homes of students and their schools.

Keywords: indigenous aboriginal parent and school relationships
Advisor: Goldstein, Tara
Flessa, Joseph
Deconstructing 'Hegemonic Feminism': The Emergence of 'Second Wave' Feminism in Canada (1965-1975)

Drawing on a collection of interviews with Canadian feminists, this thesis explores the emergence of a ‘second wave’ of feminist organizing in Canada from 1965 to 1975. Using insights from poststructural feminism and critical race theory, I deconstruct the notion of ‘hegemonic feminism’ and examine how certain women came to inhabit a position of hegemony during the movement’s early years. I focus on key events in feminist organizing during the 1960s-1970s: The Royal Commission on the Status of Women and the founding of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. Drawing on oral history interviews and a close reading of the report on the RCSW, I suggest that more nuanced approaches are needed to move beyond the binary thinking that inflects accounts of Canadian feminist history. I conclude with a series of feminist narratives which aim to complicate linear histories and offer an alternative reading of this movement.

Keywords: Feminism
History
Poststructuralism
Critical Race Theory
Women's movement
Canada
Advisor: Eichler, Margrit
More Than A Curriculum: The Political Project of Radical Labour Education

This thesis analyzes the experiences of participants of the Canadian Labour Congress and Saskatchewan Federation of Labour radical labour youth activist training program “Solidarity Works.” The theoretical work of Antonio Gramsci and Paulo Freire is used to analyze why radical labour education is important. The theoretical work of Michel Foucault is used, in addition to the work of Gramsci and Freire, to examine the complications of radical labour education. The essential argument of this thesis is that radical labour education programs like Solidarity Works produce an activist subjectivity that ultimately comes into conflict with the institutionalized politics of the labour movement. Solidarity Works is a model radical labour education project, its challenges and successes warrant analysis so those lessons can be used for future radical labour education projects.

Keywords: radical labour education
Solidarity Works
Advisor: Sawchuk, Peter H.
Parenting Stress of Parents of Adolescents with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This study examined parenting stress among parents of adolescents with ADHD. The sample comprised 45 adolescents (26 ADHD; 19 Comparison) age 13 to 18 and their parents. The Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents was completed by both mothers and fathers of participating youth. Parents of adolescents with ADHD reported more stress than parents of adolescents without ADHD. Mothers of adolescents with ADHD experience higher levels of stress in all areas. Fathers of adolescents with ADHD experience more total stress and more stress in the Adolescent and Adolescent-Parent Relationship domains. Maternal inattention and adolescent externalizing behaviour mediated the relationship between ADHD status and maternal parenting stress, and ADHD status and adolescent externalizing behaviour were found to predict paternal parenting stress. The results of this study provide strong support for the need to provide parents of adolescents with ADHD with interventions designed to reduce or help them cope with parenting stress.

Keywords: ADHD
parenting stress
adolescent
Advisor: Wiener, Judith
Teaching Civility: How Teachers Negotiate Race, Culture and Citizenship in the Multicultural School

In this project, I ask: How do Ontario public schools participate in the construction and perpetuation of a racial hierarchy of Canadian citizenship? I argue that the discourse of white civility produces and organizes a governable Canadian populace that serves to legitimize the nation-state. Employing a critical anti-colonial, anti-racist framework, I analyze the narratives of teachers as they relate to the notions of citizenship, multiculturalism and professionalism. I aim to shed light on the role of the teacher within the circuits of power that serve to regulate ‘Canadian-ness’ and respectability. Through a discourse analysis of the statements of educators working with newcomer students, I illustrate some of the obstacles to equitable praxis. I conclude by challenging teachers to consider their investments in the systems that perpetuate oppression.

Keywords: civility
race
citizenship
education
teachers
multiculturalism
Advisor: Razack, Sherene
Muslim Pakistani-Canadian Women's Experiences in Canadian Higher Education: A Case Study at One Ontario University Campus

Seven women that identify as Muslim, Pakistani and Canadian in varying capacities participated in this qualitative research to discuss how their cultural and/or religious norms shaped their educational and career aspirations and overall decision-making. Areas of discussion included identity formation, understandings of culture and religion, familial influences on educational and career pursuits and overall experiences and interactions with faculty, peers and student service providers. This research brings together Chickering and Reisser’s (1993) Theory of Identity Development and feminist critical understandings of intersectionality (Collins, 1990; Knudson, 2005) and Orientalism (Said, 1978) in order to theoretically frame the students’ experiences. The research constitutes a major contribution from the Canadian perspective in terms of theory development as well as practical implications for faculty and campus services to ensure that students experience a learning environment that is supportive and inclusive.

Keywords: Muslim women
Pakistani women
higher education
student experience
Advisor: Dietsche, Peter
Financial Literacy: Neoliberalism, the Consumer and the Citizen

This thesis argues that consumer financial literacy is not a solution but a tool that mystifies and supports the very problems it could help solve: exploitation, economic crises, the spread of neoliberalism, alienation and the further disempowerment of the citizen. The characterization and implementation of financial literacy programs influence the resources and subjectivities that we use to act, see, reflect, create the world and create ourselves, resources and subjectivities that should support our free actions and enable us to do more than conform to the dictates of capital and be more than neoliberal entrepreneurial consumers. In the place of consumer financial literacy, we need a critical financial literacy that supports active citizens. The citizen is not the alienated investor or consumer who can only choose what the market provides; instead, he or she can assist in altering or abolishing the market to create a new economic system that offers better choices. A critical financial literacy would encourage citizens to reflect on and transform the social relations of production in order to create a world, free from capital’s dictates, in which individuals are as free from necessity as possible and better able to develop their human capacities to the fullest.

Keywords: Financial literacy
neoliberalism
Advisor: Norris, Trevor
Hedge Funds and Systemic Risk: A Modest Proposal

This paper explores the economic rationales underpinning potential hedge fund regulation, and reviews the arguments about why rules aimed to mitigate systemic risk may be economically efficient. The paper presents a limited definition of systemic risk, and proposes that an international macro-prudential supervisory body be set up for the Ontario, U.S. and U.K. markets to collect systemically important information about hedge funds and to recommend policy changes in light of this information. The paper also reviews the proposed regulatory reforms in the United States that will apply to hedge funds, and argues that while helpful, such regulations are sub-optimal because they do not consider certain important characteristics of systemic risk.

Keywords: Hedge Funds
Law and Economics
Systemic Risk
Law
Advisor: Iacobucci, Edward
“They Should Stand on Their Own Feet”: Mothers’ Accounts of Education, School Choice and Their Children’s Uncertain Futures in Varanasi, India

The heavily privatized and socially stratified schooling system in Uttar Pradesh, India offers low income children limited opportunities for social mobility via education. In that context, this thesis presents the results of interviews with low-income mothers in the city of Varanasi, gathering their perspectives on the relationship between their children’s current schooling and anticipated adult futures. The results indicate that these mothers see education as an essential investment in both their boys’ and girls’ ability to “stand on their own feet” as independent adults. Study participants dream of a life for their children, especially their daughters, which differs dramatically from their own, and pursue this dream through strategizing to secure the highest quality education possible within their means. Alongside their strong commitment to education, mothers are filled with uncertainty about the adult futures their children will face, especially given the current climate of economic, educational and social change in India.

Keywords: India
Equity
Social stratification
Education
Private schools
Varanasi
Advisor: Mundy, Karen
A Critical Analysis of the Activities of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to Promote Equity and Access in the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Education in Ghana: 2005-2010

Canada supports developmental efforts in Ghana through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). This dissertation investigates how Canada partners with Ghana to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for education by 2015. The study focuses on achieving equity and access to education in Ghana, and examines how far Ghana’s policy and Canada’s aims and objectives (through CIDA) for adressing these developmental issues converge or diverge. The principal methodology for accomplishing this study includes literature review and a content analysis of CIDA programmes and documents related to education in Ghana. The study concludes that CIDA programmes and operations in education in Ghana have a clear focus on issues relating to equity and access to education, and complement governmental efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals for Education in Ghana. The thesis ends with recommendation for further study on using spirituality and indigenous knowledges to enhance and provide holistic education in Ghana.

Keywords: Equity
African Development
Anticolonia Education
International Development
Advisor: Dei, George Jerry Sefa
Exploring Predictors of Performance on a Curriculum-based Measure of Written Expression

The role of gender, handwriting automaticity, reading proficiency, and verbal working memory in grade 4 and 5 students‟ (N = 42; 23 boys) performance on a curriculum-based measure of narrative writing was examined. Three outcomes were measured: total words written, correct minus incorrect word sequences (accurate production of spelling and grammar in-text), and composition quality. Gender (girls > boys) and handwriting automaticity were significant predictors of total words written, and gender (girls > boys), reading proficiency, and grade (5 > 4) significantly predicted correct minus incorrect word sequences scores. Total words written was the only significant predictor of composition quality. The results suggest that reading proficiency and handwriting automaticity should be assessed alongside written expression in order to identify children at risk for writing difficulties and to inform instructional recommendations for these individuals.

Keywords: written expression
curriculum-based measurement
Advisor: Martinussen, Rhonda