A Case Study of the "Who is NOBODY?" Project: A Character Development Program for Children with Learning Disabilities

This research study explored a support system for children with learning disabilities. The Learning Disabilities Association of Niagara Region (LDANR) recently expanded its Better Emotional and Social Times (B.E.S.T.) program to incorporate an innovative, character education initiative called the “Who is NOBODY?” program. The objective of this qualitative case study was two-fold. First, the study aimed to support the LDANR in assessing the efficacy of the “Who is NOBODY?” program, providing the LDANR with empirical support for their programs. Second, the study enabled a more in-depth understanding of how to best support children with LD in regards to their social and emotional well-being. The study explored the “Who is NOBODY?” program through three lenses: design, implementation, and experiences of participating children. Three primary themes emerged from these three data lenses: positive character traits, prosocial behaviour, and strong self-efficacy – leading to the promotion of strong character development and self-esteem. Taken together, the “Who is NOBODY?” program was shown to be a successful remediation program for supporting vulnerable children with LD.

Greener Golf Operations: A Comparative Case Study of Ontario Golf Courses Engaged in Environmental Sustainability Initiatives

This research explored environmental sustainability (ES) initiatives at five top-ranked Ontario golf courses that were members of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf (ACSP). Research Questions: (1) How are golf courses adapting to safeguard the natural environment? (2) Why or why not are golf courses moving to ES? and (3) What are the arising barriers to ES in golf and how can they be overcome; what role does communication play? Overall, the research was framed with an adaptation of the dimensions of convergence by Houlihan (2012), including the motives, inputs, implementation, momentum, and impact. Additionally, impression management and message framing constructs were utilized to address the issue of communicating ES initiatives. Data collection involved in-depth interviews, observations, and unobtrusive document collection. Environmental aspects of the examination were guided by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Requirements and Guidance for Organizers of Sustainable Events and Sustainable Sport and Event Toolkit (SSET).

Rethinking Fiscal Decentralization Policies in Developing Economies: A Case Study of Ghana

This thesis invites geographers to pay more attention to public policy research by addressing the need to rethink fiscal decentralization policies in Ghana. By applying “Simandan’s wise stance in human geography” and “Grix’s building blocks of social research design”, I developed a conceptual framework that unites two incommensurable ontological and epistemological research positions in geography—the positive and normative positions. I used the framework to investigate two key research questions. First, does fiscal decentralization actually work in Ghana? Through quantitative analysis of empirical revenue and expenditure data (1994-2011) of local governments in Ghana, this study reveals significant issues of inefficiency, inequity, and unaccountability. Local governments generate less revenue, and therefore depend largely on central government transfers for developing their jurisdictions. Worse yet, these transfers are highly unpredictable in terms of amount and timing. Even though a multivariate regression analysis revealed that these transfers are apolitical, the actual disbursement formula tends to focus on equality instead of equity. Additionally, the unclear expenditure assignments in each locality make accountability difficult. In view of these problems, I addressed the question: why is fiscal decentralization held out as a good thing in Ghana? By drawing lessons from Foucault’s and Escobar’s critical discourse analysis, I traced a genealogy of Ghana’s fiscal decentralization. I found that the policy is held out as a good thing in Ghana because of the triangular operation of multiplicities of power, knowledge, and truth regimes at the local, national and international scale. I concluded that although nation-states remains a necessary causal link in fiscal decentralization policy process in Ghana, direct and indirect international involvement have profound effect on these policies. Therefore, rethinking fiscal decentralization involves acknowledging the complex intermingling effects that global, national, and local territories produce.

Creating and Enabling a Sustainable Livelihood for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities: A Comparative Case Study of Ghana and Canada.

Abstract Despite the plethora of published studies on rights, including employment rights, for persons with intellectual disabilities (Hatton, 2002; Tarulli, et al., 2004; Ward & Stewart, 2008), relatively few have discussed their applicability to individuals with intellectual disabilities to facilitate their full involvement in socio-economic development. This study explored the mechanisms facilitating and inhibiting the full participation of persons with intellectual disabilities in the area of employment through a comparative case analysis of policies and practices in Ontario, Canada (a developed country) and in Ghana (a developing country) both of which are signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The study employed targeted recruitment based on the nature of the research which is a combination of policy and practice investigation.

Best Practices of Sport For Development: A Case Study of An African Organization

Sport-for-development is the active practice of achieving social ideals through the use of sport and other traditional development programs. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate SFD best practices from the context of an African organization development project. The case was a development organization in Zambia, Africa that was utilizing sport within its strategy. The data collection and analysis framed using Curado and Bontis (2007) MIC Matrix, the Sport For Development International Working Group’s (2007) best practices model, and B. Kidd’s (2011) Sport-in-Development Logic Model. The research supports that a SFD project is multi-faceted and should include the employment of strategic community programming on the basis of collaborative and integrative sport, health care and education. Further, the researcher found that the best practices include setting specific goals and objectives, as well as instituting regular monitoring and evaluation strategies

Critical incident analysis through narrative reflective practice: A case study

Teachers can reflect on their practices by articulating and exploring incidents they consider critical to themselves or others. By talking about these critical incidents, teachers can make better sense of seemingly random experiences that occur in their teaching because they hold the real inside knowledge, especially personal intuitive knowledge, expertise and experience that is based on their accumulated years as language educators teaching in schools and classrooms. This paper is about one such critical incident analysis that an ESL teacher in Canada revealed to her critical friend and how both used McCabe’s (2002) narrative framework for analyzing an important critical incident that occurred in the teacher’s class.

Educational Technology Decision-Making: A Case Study on Technology Acquisition for 746,000 Ontario Students

Very little research has examined K–12 educational technology decision-making in Canada. This collective case study explores the technology procurement process in Ontario’s publicly funded school districts to determine if it is informed by the relevant research, grounded in best practices, and enhances student learning. Using a qualitative approach, 10 senior leaders (i.e., chief information officers, superintendents, etc.) were interviewed. A combination of open-ended and closed-ended questions were used to reveal the most important factors driving technology acquisition, research support, governance procedures, data use, and assessment and return on investment (ROI) measures utilized by school districts in their implementation of educational technology. After participants were interviewed, the data were transcribed, member checked, and then submitted to “Computer-assisted NCT analysis” (Friese, 2014) using ATLAS.ti. The findings show that senior leaders are making acquisitions that are not aligned with current scholarship and not with student learning as the focus. It was also determined that districts struggle to use data-driven decision-making to support the governance of educational technology spending. Finally, the results showed that districts do not have effective assessment measures in place to determine the efficacy or ROI of a purchased technology. Although data are limited to the responses of 10 senior leaders, findings represent the technology leadership for approximately 746,000 Ontario students. The study is meant to serve as an informative resource for senior leaders and presents strategic and research-validated approaches to technology procurement. Further, the study has the potential to refine technology decision-making, policies, and practices in K–12 education.

Fit For Action: A Comparative Case Study of the Implementation of an Adaptive Fitness and Conditioning Program for Moderate Functioning Teens and Transition Age Youth with ASD

The purpose of my research was to develop and refine pedagogic approaches, and establish fitness baselines to adapt fitness and conditioning programs for Moderate-functioning ASD individuals. I conducted a seven-week study with two teens and two trainers. The trainers implemented individualized fitness and conditioning programs that I developed. I conducted pre and post fitness baselines for each teen, a pre and post study interview with the trainers, and recorded semi-structured observations during each session. I used multi-level, within-case and across case analyses, working inductively and deductively. My findings indicated that fundamental movement concepts can be used to establish fitness baselines and develop individualized fitness programs. I tracked and evaluated progressions and improvements using conventional measurements applied to unconventional movements. This process contributed to understanding and making relevant modifications to activities as effective pedagogic strategies for my trainers. Further research should investigate fitness and conditioning programs with lower functioning ASD individuals.

Preparing Students with ASD for Inclusive Classrooms: A Case Study of Giant Steps

Giant Steps is a therapeutic school for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) founded in 1995 by a group of parents who felt that the public school system was not fully able to meet the needs of their children. While the education system has progressed through the years to offer all students with access to public education, many educators still are not adequately prepared to provide inclusive learning environments for students with ASD. Given the prevalence of ASD in southern Ontario (1 in every 42 boys and 1 in every 189 girls), research on ASD and inclusive practices is both vital and timely. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand how the Giant Steps program prepares and transitions students with ASD for inclusive classrooms. Data was collected through two rounds of in-depth interviews, and was subsequently analyzed and interpreted into research findings that are presented through three major themes (i.e., unique program aspects, holistic approach, inclusion not integration). Collectively, the themes provide insights about how students at Giant Steps are prepared for inclusion, as well as how different stakeholders within the Giant Steps program perceive inclusion and their role in preparing students for inclusive classrooms.

Volunteering and Social Capital: A Case Study of Older Hospital Volunteers in Southern Ontario

Volunteering as a form of social activity can facilitate older adults’ active aging through community engagement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the views on older adults’ volunteerism in a community hospital network in Southern Ontario. Utilizing in-depth interviews with 10 older volunteers (over the age of 65), document analysis, and a key informant interview, I explored their experiences of volunteering and social capital development at six hospitals in the network. Data analyses included open and axial coding, and conceptualization of the themes. Four major themes emerged from the data: reasons to volunteer, management’s influence, negative experiences of volunteering, and connections with others. The findings of this research emphasized older volunteers’ strong commitment and enthusiasm to support the hospital in their own communities, the power of volunteering to enhance the development of bonding, bridging, and linking social capital, and the influence of two major contextual factors (i.e. the Auxiliary Factor and the Change Factor) to facilitate or hinder older volunteers’ social capital development in the hospitals. Future research directions should focus on further unpacking the different degrees to which each type of social capital is developed, placing emphasis on the benefits of social capital development for volunteers in healthcare settings. The implications for practice include the targeted recruitment of older adults as healthcare volunteers while creating volunteer positions and environments in which they can develop social capital with their peer volunteers, hospital staff, patients, and people in surrounding communities. To sustain their existing dedicated long-term volunteers, in particular their Auxiliary groups, the community hospital network can enhance facilitating factors such as the Auxiliary Factor while mitigating the negative effects of the Change Factor. By developing social capital through volunteering in their own communities, older adults can engage in active aging, while participating in the development of an age-friendly community.