Whalen, Catherine

Outdoor recreation trips have long been conceptualized as relatively linear multiplephased experiences. Previous studies of recreational activities and visitor experiences in backcountry settings have largely focused on the onsite phase. This study, however, explored the nature and elements of preparation and its influence on the backcountry experiences and meanings, as recollected by participants. Secondarily, this project aimed to better understand the roles of technology in preparation. The study used semi-structured interviews with participants who had completed one or more canoe or kayak trips in Bowron Lake Provincial Park in British Columbia, a world-renowned backcountry canoe circuit. Findings indicate that preparation is an ongoing process comprised of multiple elements by which participants are involved throughout all phases of an outdoor experience. Preparation can help improve safety and satisfaction during backcountry experiences and has important implications for recreation and leisure programs and practices, parks and protected areas management, and outdoor education. Conceptually, the research suggests that preparation is not as linear or time-bound as the five-phase model would suggest. Rather, aspects are ongoing throughout and between trips, accrued with mentorship and training over the course of a career, and involve elements of tasks and efforts beyond simply ‘planning’ trip logistics.

Canadian universities are increasingly reliant on their recruitment agency partners (Agents) to achieve their international recruitment targets, and improve efficiency, flexibility, and ensure a sustainable market presence. It is unclear if the relationship between Post-Secondary Institutions (PSI) and Agents is mutually sustainable, or what factors promote a successful Agent-PSI relationship. This study explores the Agent-PSI relationship from Agents’ perspectives through the use of an analytical lens informed by supply chain theories. I aim to understand relational factors that drive satisfaction from agents’ perspectives. This study uses a theoretically driven model to analyze the survey data of 91 respondents to determine positive relational factors. Initial surveys were followed by semi-structured interviews of randomly selected respondents to provide additional analysis into data anomalies. The findings show that Relationship Trust led to improved Agent-PSI satisfaction, which leads to a mutually sustainable partnership.

Students experience stress and anxiety as they enter university and learn to manage a new environment, experience increased academic pressure, and adjust to a healthy university/life balance. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of female undergraduate students who attended the University of Northern British Columbia during the COVID-19 pandemic. I further seek to highlight the effects of social isolation on female undergraduate health, mental wellbeing, and academic experience. I am referring to the female university participants throughout this paper where the words student and students are presented. The results of the study showed that the participants in the study experienced compounded levels of stress and anxiety by imposing restrictions on social interactions and discovering how to successfully attend university online.

The purpose of this research project is to create an educational tool in the form of a children’s book. My aim is to spark discussions regarding equity, inclusion, and identity for children ages four to six-year-old. This research project proposal is divided into six chapters. Chapter One introduces the framework for the proposed case study. Chapter Two provides a literature review, exploring the relationships between bibliotherapy, animals and people. Chapter Three provides a description of the qualitative methodology and description of the method process. Chapter Four outlines the findings and evaluation of the case study. Chapter Five describes the proposed children’s book manuscript and future aspirations for Through the Eyes of a Dog. Chapter Six presents the lessons learned and recommendations based on the research journey.

With the rise, worldwide, in numbers of people rapidly surviving into older adulthood, the increasing prevalence of dementia has become a global public health priority of significance. The most alarming increase in dementia burden occurs in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), especially in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). The purpose of this integrative review is to provide evidence-informed recommendations, based on the current literature that guides nurses practicing in SSA on how to safely care for people living with dementia. Cultural, social, and community perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about dementia affect people living with dementia in profound ways. As such, culture-specific understandings need to be visible in the provision of quality nursing care across the diverse and complex landscape of urban and rural SSA. Whittemore and Knalf’s (2015) integrative literature review methodology and methods were used to conduct searches within CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases for relevant studies and systematic reviews by applying appropriate medical subject headings. Developed inclusion and exclusion criteria systematically guided the process of work through the literature search results. This process led to narrowing the focus of the body of literature and culminated in the selection of 17 peer-reviewed research articles of studies originating from seven SSA countries: Nigeria, South Africa (SA), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania. The set of articles were then each individually analyzed and collectively synthesized to answer the research question: How do cultural, social, and community perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes related to dementia affect people living with dementia and the quality of nursing care provided in Sub Saharan Africa? Four key themes emerged following the extraction of data from the articles: 1) nurses’ limited knowledge of how people live with dementia, especially with the cultural belief of dementia as witchcraft, 2) nurses’ misguided understanding of what help and health-seeking behaviors people experiencing dementia exhibit, 3) nurses’ lack of awareness of dementia-associated stigma and its influence on suffering and illness, and 4) nurses’ need for education related to the provision of nursing best practices when caring for people with dementia. The need for knowledge, understanding, awareness, and education for nurses caring for people living with dementia across Sub-Saharan African communities remains pertinent. There is also a need for these actions to extend deep into communities where traditional knowledge keepers, faith healers, and other healthcare professionals could be allies in supporting the pluralistic and collaborative provision of dementia care. Within SSA, nurses have the capacity to develop and implement low‐resourced nonpharmacological interventions to people living with dementia, and to partner with families in the achievement of patient-centered care. Nurses also have the capacity to provide leadership in orchestrating short and long-term initiatives that shift societal cultural and dementia understanding through practice, education, research, and policy recommendations.

The intent of this project to create a presentation and facilitation guide to support School Districts with the amalgamation of early care and learning and education into the same Governmental Ministry. The early care and learning system and the kindergarten-grade 12 (K- 12) systems currently sit in two separate government ministries. The project articulates both the parallel systems of the early care and learning and the K-12 systems and preparation of the amalgamation of the two systems. This project examines the historical differences between the two systems, the rights to access early care and learning and different types of governance models. This project will include a PowerPoint presentation and facilitation guide and can be used, as a template, for School Districts in British Columbia to start the initial discussion of this amalgamation with key stakeholders.

The question explored through this research study is: Does modelling Universal Design for Learning to university faculty as learners deepen their engagement as educators? Through providing training where faculty themselves are learning about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) through a UDL modelled environment (CAST, 2018b; Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014), this research project investigates if this experience translates into a stronger role as educators for these faculty. Participants in this research project are faculty members teaching in disciplines associated with Natural Resources and Environmental Studies. Through a virtual World Café, participants of the workshop shared their reflections and experiences as they learned about learning. Using the UDL framework’s horizontal organization, as conceptualized by CAST, as a lens, participant reflections were themed to determine their progression towards learning and understanding the UDL framework in this context. Evaluation of this research data indicated that faculty in this study are located along UDL Access and Build rows of the UDL Guidelines reflecting a novice learning stage where greater cognitive energy is required (Posey, 2019a, 2019b). This knowledge provides evidence that professional development opportunities should support strategies and provide the guidance necessary to foster their skills towards the UDL goal of becoming an expert learner. Elevating faculty to the UDL expert teacher level in this context enhances their skills and understanding in their creation of inclusive learning environments for their classrooms (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014).

This research explores the experiences of women participating in CDOs (community development organizations) in communities in northern British Columbia and how that participation affects their capabilities. Data was gathered through interviews, electronic surveys, and participant observation. This data was then assessed within the combined theoretical frameworks of the capabilities approach and participatory development. Through analysis, the positive impacts of women’s participation in CDOs on their capabilities and communities were brought to light.

Punjabi Sikhs migrating to Canada form a disproportionately large population of the migrants from South Asia. There has been limited research or current literature on the schooling experiences of the second-generation children of these migrants despite the large numbers of this group migrating to Canada. The effects of minority status within the K-12 British Columbia school system regarding school experiences of second-generation students of Punjabi Sikh descent are presented throughout this research process. The investigation focused on the research participants’ perceived school experiences and whether there were differences based on the school type’s demographic composition of responders. I categorized these school types into three: small minority population, large minority population, and large majority population. I hypothesized that schools with large majority populations would have greater perceived satisfaction with school experiences. I found that I could further analyze by subscale and total scale groupings, based on my original correlational analysis. I found differences on school experiences (SE) and home experiences (HE) subscales based on school type, school type being differentiated by schools with a minority population, a large minority population, or a large majority population of the responder demographic of second-generation students of Punjabi Sikh descent. I found that responders from small minority population schools and large minority population schools showed a statistically significant difference in responses than responders from large majority population schools.

The history of Education in Canada has been systemically and generational destructive to Aboriginal people and culture. This history of destruction has caused systemic racism throughout our school systems resulting in lower graduation rates and a lack of equity in achievement within education resulting in gaps in social-economic disparity for Aboriginal People in Canada (Archibald & Hare, 2017). This research project aims to address a gap in the education of educators in regard to closing the gap and working together for reconciliation. This project provides a framework for a holistic understanding of how to approach working within First Nations communities within the education system or across systems. The result of this project is a guidebook and PowerPoint presentation for professional development. The project provides educational professionals with some tools and knowledge to improve inclusive and culturally sensitive practice. The project delivers a common goal framework conceptualized by the researcher and adapted from a generalized, personal, and interpretative understanding of the Aboriginal Medicine Wheel. The four-part conceptual framework includes leadership, holistic approach, capacity building, and ethical considerations with the common goal in the center. The project brings together the concepts important to achieving the common goal of improving professional capacity when working with Aboriginal People and First Nations communities.

The topic of Indigenous women’s experiences with the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) at the birth of their child is one that falls through the gaps of current literature. This thesis is focused on identifying the experiences of Indigenous women when MCFD intervenes at the birth of their child; the purpose is to gain insight into the strengths and weaknesses of child welfare interventions. I interviewed five Indigenous women using an interpretive description approach and analyzed the data using constant comparative analysis as well as conventional content analysis techniques. The findings highlighted the impact of child welfare involvement that included: powerful emotions, trust, communication and dismantled families; a structural power imbalance characterized as feeling powerless, being watched and judged, and jumping through hoops; addiction; socioeconomic struggles that included young mothers and homelessness, poverty, and neglect; missed preventative opportunities; the role of advocacy; identity and culture; and bonding. In conclusion, child welfare practice needs to include opportunities for preventative measures and planning to optimize support and communication with Indigenous pregnant women and mothers.

The intent of this research project is to inform educators about the development and implementation of an Introductory Business Communications course at the post-secondary institution level. This course has evolved over the past two years of implementation. The information provided in this project is divided into the following sections: researcher’s personal location, project purpose, project significance, project literature review, and a concluding chapter that presents project lessons, project recommendations, future implications and concluding statements. The appendices section of this project includes the newly revised course package that has resulted from the lessons learned in the past two years of teaching an Introductory Business Communications course at a post-secondary institution.

Assessment reform has drawn educators’ attention to standard-based and performance-oriented assessment. By the end of the 1990s, many education systems around the world had developed mandatory learning standards for curriculum (O’Connor, 2018). The assessment reform has drawn educators’ insights in effective formative assessment to enhance student learning. However, early year teachers have experienced difficulties in implementing effective formative assessment due to a lack of practical guidelines in relation to grade-level learning standards. The purpose of this project is was construct a practical handbook about standard-based formative assessment for British Columbia (BC) Grade 2 teachers. This project sifts through the existing literature and examines the five formative assessment approaches which were most reflected: teacher observation, self-assessment, oral questioning, teacher-student conferences, and performance assessment. A qualitative research approach was employed in this project to analyze text data.