Shakamohtaa: Connecting And Coming Together To Support International Student Career Readiness, Sabreena Macelheron

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Abstract

In the evolving Canadian landscape, permanent residency acquisition has undergone a transformative shift from land sales to educational credential procurement. Canadian higher education markets post-secondary qualifications to international students (IS) seeking migration routes, posing nuanced challenges. IS, despite holding higher education credentials, often find themselves relegated to non-field specific jobs due to existing disparities in the Canadian job market. Amid this equation, IS grapple with the essential need for pre-and-post graduate career experiences to fulfill eligibility criteria for permanent residency application. This pursuit extends beyond merely aligning with their credentials, requiring conformity to approved national occupation codes aligned with …

From Epistemic Bubbles To Generative Possibilities: Knowledge Leadership And Knowledge Mobilization For Child And Youth Care Practicum Education, Carys Cragg

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Child and Youth Care (CYC) Practicum Education (CYCPE) operates in more than 40 public postsecondary institutions (PSI) across Canada. CYC educators instruct and assess, while supervisors mentor thousands of students at child, youth, and family-serving organizations. As an emerging profession, CYC does not yet experience well-established governance, widespread postsecondary research infrastructure, nor public recognition, leaving CYCPE with threats to its credibility and existence. Despite individual CYC educators’ and programs’ extensive professional knowledge, we lack CYC-specific CYCPE organizational knowledge. This problem of practice (PoP) limits CYC educators’ ability to inform, improve, and innovate upon CYCPE’s design and delivery. This organizational improvement …

Indigenous African-Centred Organizational Change: Building Capacity At A Grassroots B3 Organization, Emanuella Nicola Bringi

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Nakupenda Community Services (NCS) is a B3 organization based in Ontario Canada. At NCS there are several valuable programs serving the everyday needs of clients. While the services are valued by the community, the internal challenge within the organization is the lack of capacity to lead all programs. Compounding this problem is the demand for more programs and services given the impacts of the recent pandemic. The very active board of directors and employees have made significant efforts to meet the needs of clients, but the problem of capacity persists and negatively impacts service delivery as employees and leaders tend …

Understanding Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Perspectives Of Reconciliation: A Case Study, Kaitlyn Watson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Reconciliation in the Canadian context is difficult to define (Graeme & Mandawe, 2017; Martin, 2009), but is often linked to the residential school system (Chrisjohn & Wasacase, 2011; Nagy, 2012). This instrumental case study examines how reconciliation is understood and activated among a group of educators and community members involved with a professional learning event held in Southern Ontario inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Employing narrative inquiry, and informed by decolonizing methodologies, seven event organizers, four presenters, and five attendees participated in conversational interviews. Two main themes were uncovered from the interview data. The first, reconciliation …

Social And Municipal Influences On Electric Vehicle Purchases, Jordan M. Fuller

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Growth in electric vehicle ownership in Canada has been slow relative to policy imperatives to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the 2014 IPCC report the global transportation sector was responsible for approximately 23% of all energy related CO2 emissions - second only to the energy supply sector. Further, transportation-related GHG emissions have risen despite growing availability of more efficient modes of transportation (IPCC, 2014). In Ontario, where there is an emphasis on renewable energy production, the transportation sector is the largest emitter of GHGs at 35% (Ontario Government, 2016). We conducted our case study in London, Ontario where …

Participatory Action Research Examining The Role Of Physical Activity In Mentoring For Resilience, Francesca Gable

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examined the use of physical activity-based mentorship programs to positively influence student mental health and resilience in post-secondary institutions. The process of relationship building was observed through regularly implemented physical activity interactions over time. The purpose was to determine the ability of a physical activity-based mentorship relationship to positively influence student resilience. A participatory action research methodology was used to engage with a population of ninety undergraduate Kinesiology students (30 mentors:60 protégés) over an eight-month period. Sixty interviews and thirteen focus groups were conducted, and fifteen-hundred pages of journal reflections were consulted to further understand the relationship building …

The ‘Meanings’ And ‘Enactments’ Of Science And Technology: Ant-Mobilities’ Analysis Of Two Cases, Farrukh Chishtie

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this work I study two cases involving practices of science and technology in the backdrop of related and recent curricular reforms in both settings. The first case study is based on the 2005 South Asian earthquake in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan which led to massive losses including large scale injuries and disabilities. This led to reforms at many levels ranging from disaster management to action plans on disability, including educational reforms in rehabilitation sciences. Local efforts to deal with this disaster led to innovative approaches such as the formation of a Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) model by a local NGO, which …

The Aftermath Of Intergenerational Trauma: Substance Use Risk And Resiliency, Laurel E. Pickel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present study explored resilience factors to substance use within Canada’s First Nations adults. This was explored through a lens of historical trauma experienced as a group through the Residential School establishments. Secondary data from phase II (2008/10) of the Regional Health Survey were analyzed in coming to determine the effects of resiliency factors in the lives of abstainers/low substance users, moderate users and heavy users. Analysis of variance tests revealed some significant differences in experience with resilience factors in the lives of abstainers/low users versus heavy users; no significant observations were had for the moderate group. Logistic regression analysis …