Novice teachers' perceptions of the extent to which the Brock University teacher education program focused on methods of promoting responsibility in students

The purpose of this study was to determine novice t~ache~s' perceptions of th~ extent to which the Brock University teacher education program focused on strategies for promoting responsibility in students. Individual interviews were conducted with ten randomly selected teachers who were graduates of this teacher education program between the years of 1989 and 1992, and a follow-up group discussion activity, with the same teachers, was also held. Findings revealed that the topic of personal responsibility was discussed within various components of the program, including counselling group sessions, but that these discussions were often brief, indirect and inconsistent. Some of the strategies which the teachers used in their own classrooms to promote responsibility in students were ones which they had acquired from those counselling group °sessions or from associate teachers. Various strategies included: setting ~lear expectations of students with positive and negative consequences for behaviour (e.g., material rewards and detentions, respectively), cemmunic?ting'with other teachers an~ parents, and -. suspending students from school. A teacher's choice of any particular strategy seemed to be affected by his or her personality, teaching sUbject and region of employment, as well as certain aspects of the teacher education program. It was concluded that many of the teachers appeared to be controlling rude and vio~ent- behaviour, as opposed to promoting responsible behaviour. Recommendations were made for the pre-service program, as well as induction and inservice programs, to increase teacher preparedness for promoting responsible student behaviour. One of these recommendations addressed the need to help teachers learn how to effectively communicate with their students.

Leisure-time physical activity in individuals with osteoporosis : associations with psychological well-being

With approximately 16% of the Canadian population living with osteoporosis, and rates expected to increase (Osteoporosis Canada, 2009), cost-effective treatment modalities that improve bone health and psychological well-being reflect an important public health agenda. Physical activity has been implicated as one non-pharmaceutical mechanism to help improve psychological well-being in the general population (Fox, Stathi, McKenna, & Davis, 2007) and in people diagnosed with osteoporosis (Osteoporosis Canada, 2007). The purpose of this investigation was to determine the association between leisure-time physical activity (LTP A) and well-being in people diagnosed with osteoporosis. A secondary purpose, using Basic Needs Theory (BNT; Deci & Ryan, 2002) was to determine if the fulfillment of three psychological needs (i.e., competence, autonomy and relatedness) mediated the relationship between LTP A and well-being. People diagnosed with osteoporosis (N= 190; Mage = 68.14; SDage = 11.54) were asked to complete a battery of questionnaires assessing L TP A, hedonic and eudaimonic well-being and perceived psychological need satisfaction in physical activity contexts. Bivariate correlations revealed a pattern of negligible (r's -0.02 to 0.35) to small correlations between LTP A and well-being with contextual positive affect (r = 0.24) and subjective vitality (r = 0.22) demonstrating statistical significance (p < .01). Results of the multiple mediation analysis indicated that perceived satisfaction of the three psychological needs mediated the relationship between LTPA and well-being with perceived competence emerging as a unique mediator. As such, LTP A was positively associated with well-being in people who are diagnosed with osteoporosis, and the fulfillment of the three psychological needs may be the mechanism through which this 111 effect is carried. Health promotion specialists and practitioners should encourage patients with osteoporosis to engage in LTP A, and support their needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness. Practical implications for researchers and health promotion specialists are discussed in terms ofthe results of this investigation.

Personal soundtracks on public transit : personal listening devices and socio-spatial negotiations of students' bus journeys

One way of exploring the power of sound in the experience and constitution of space is through the phenomenon of personal listening devices (PLDs) in public environments. In this thesis, I draw from in-depth interviews with eleven Brock University students in S1. Catharines, Ontario, to show how PLDs (such as MP3 players like the iPod) are used to create personalized soundscapes and mediate their public transit journeys. I discuss how my interview participants experience the space-time of public transit, and show how PLDs are used to mediate these experiences in acoustic and non-acoustic ways. PLD use demonstrates that acoustic and environmental experiences are co-constitutive, which highlights a kinaesthetic quality of the transit-space. My empirical findings show that PLDs transform space, particularly by overlapping public and private appropriations of the bus. I use these empirical findings to discuss the PLD phenomenon in the theoretical context of spatiality, and more specifically, acoustic space. J develop the ontological notion of acoustic space, stating that space shares many of the properties of sound, and argue that sound is a rich epistemological tool for understanding and explaining our everyday experiences.

Exploring Healthcare Experiences of Transgender Individuals

The purpose of this study was to explore how transgender individuals were supported to navigate the healthcare system to achieve positive healthcare experiences. A single case study was conducted in Southern Ontario, which included ten individual interviews. Data was analyzed through thematic analysis, allowing for seven themes to emerge within macro (large-scale system), meso (local/interpersonal), and micro (individual/internal) levels of healthcare system support. Themes that emerged within the levels of system support included: 1) existing deficits with hope for change; 2) significant external supports; 3) importance of informal networking; 4) support from local area family physicians and walk-in clinics; 5) navigating the healthcare system alone; 6) personality traits for successful healthcare experiences; and 7) the development of strategies to achieve positive healthcare experiences. This study outlined factors that contributed to positive healthcare experiences for transgender individuals, showing that meso and micro level support are compensating for large-scale healthcare system deficits.

Coping with a Learning Disability: A Case Study

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand a child’s experience with a learning disability (LD) through the way that they cope with it, and how self-esteem, self-efficacy, attribution style, and social support contribute to this process. Qualitative interviews were conducted with one child, his parents, and his teacher, accompanied by a content analysis of the child’s psychosocial assessment report. It was found that the child copes well with having a learning disability, employing a problem-focused/approach coping style by seeking help and practicing for skills he struggles with, an emotion-focused coping style by implementing strategies to alleviate frustration, and compartmentalizing his disability. Further, self-esteem, self-efficacy, attribution style, social support and sports and leisure engagement were found to contribute positively to the coping process. These findings offer useful implications for parents, teachers, and practitioners to support other students with LD.

The Dynamic Interplay of Attachment and Temperament in Relation to Dimensions of Aggression

The current study examined whether overt and relational forms of reactive and proactive aggression were differentially related to adolescents’ temperament and attachment security. Measures of adolescents’ temperament, attachment security, and aggression were completed by 211 adolescents, ages 10–14, and their caregivers. Attachment security was consistently associated with all four dimensions of aggression, whereas proneness to frustration was found to be uniquely associated with reactive-overt aggression. Additionally, it was found that at lower levels of effortful control more secure attachment was related to lower levels of reactive-relational aggression. Results also indicated that, for girls, the relation between attachment and proactive-overt and proactive-relational aggression was only significant when effortful control was low. Conversely, for boys, the relation between attachment and proactive-overt aggression and proactive-relational aggression was significant when effortful control was high. Implications of these findings and limitations to the current study are discussed.