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Exploring experiences of mental health and well-being with post-secondary students in rural Saskatchewan
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Social Work, University of Regina. xi, 101 p.This study explored the mental health and well-being experiences of post-secondary students in
rural Saskatchewan as there is limited research pertaining to this population. Semi-structured
interviews were conducted with three participants from different rural locations in Saskatchewan
who were currently attending a regional college and willing to discuss their experience of mental
health and well-being. This study was informed by principles of Narrative Inquiry and a thematic
analysis led to the development of four main themes: feelings, prioritization, accessibility, and
stressors. The students’ shared stories provided perspective on the experience of mental health
and well-being of post-secondary students living in rural Saskatchewan. The knowledge shared
also provided insight on how to approach supporting this student population with their academic
success, reducing stressors, developing positive coping strategies, and accessing effective
resources.
Keywords: post-secondary, off-campus, rural Saskatchewan, mental health, social workStudentye
La perception des enseignant.es sur l’intégration des récits de la diversité dans les cours de français en milieu minoritaire pour promouvoir l’équité, la diversité et l’inclusion
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Regina. xviii, 218 p.Ce mémoire vise à souligner le rôle important des enseignant.es en tant
qu’agent.es d’équité et d’inclusion dans les cours de français en milieu minoritaire. Les
récits de la diversité concourent au bien-être des élèves et soutiennent leur construction
identitaire positive et l’apprentissage de l’altérité. Ils favorisent aussi l’apprentissage du
mieux vivre ensemble, la communication interculturelle et la justice sociale. Toutefois, ils
sont peu utilisés dans les salles de classe, car les enseignant.es rencontrent divers
obstacles matériels, relationnels ou ne sont pas formé.es à la sélection de livres et de
récits culturellement sensibles et pertinents. Cette recherche porte sur la pratique
professionnelle déclarée d’enseignant.es de français du Conseil des Écoles Fransaskoises
au Canada pour soutenir l’équité et l’inclusion à travers leur utilisation des récits de la
diversité. Une vingtaine de participant.es ont pu partager leur perception à l’égard des
récits de la diversité ainsi que leurs défis et succès d’utilisation de ces récits. La collecte
de données s’est faite par le biais d’un questionnaire en ligne. Les résultats de la
recherche soulignent que les enseignant.es ont une perception mitigée à l’égard des récits
de la diversité. L’analyse de contenu des données qualitatives a confirmé que l’utilisation
des récits de la diversité est influencée par les croyances personnelles et le degré de
connaissances des enseignant.es sur ces récits. Elle met également en lumière le rôle des
postures pédagogiques des enseignant.es (Bucheton & Soulé, 2009) sur leur utilisation
des récits de la diversité. La recherche conclut que les enseignant.es bénéficieraient de
formations engageant leur réflexivité, afin de s’ouvrir à l’utilisation des récits de la
diversité et se familiariser avec les questions et enjeux liés à la diversité. Les résultats
montrent que la priorité devrait être accordée à des formations sur les récits autochtones
et la reconnaissance des philosophies autochtones, l’enseignement culturellement
sensible et pertinent ainsi que l’enseignement anti-raciste pour sensibiliser et préparer les
enseignant.es à utiliser des récits de la diversité sachant que les littératures favorisent
l’apprentissage, le tissage de relations et la transformation sociale afin de créer une
société juste et équitable.Studentye
Energy literacy in the Canadian elementary classroom
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy, University of Regina. xv, 157 p.This dissertation presents a body of research that addresses the policy issue of the
effectiveness and role of curriculum in building energy literacy. Energy literacy, which
encompasses broad content knowledge as well as affective and behavioural characteristics, will
empower students to make responsible and appropriate energy-related choices, and embrace
changes in the way they use and produce energy. Students who are energy literate will be more
capable of engaging in thoughtful energy-related decisions as they become adults, informing
policies and energy projects moving forward.
A framework to assess if the elementary science curricula across Canada would meet the
required elements to establish energy literacy in elementary school students was developed. This
framework suggests that many of the curricula do not support energy literacy but rather focus on
content knowledge. The science curriculum assessment identified all aspects of energy expected
to be understood by the end of grade 8. This assessment was used to formulate the student
survey, and the in-class focus group. Students showed general energy literacy during the focus
group discussions in addition to significant learning and interest in energy after the discussion.
Grade 6 students showed surprisingly high degrees of understanding and application when
compared to the middle-school students.
Teachers were interviewed to evaluate their use of curriculum in the classroom, teaching
practices, and understanding of science literacy. Teaching science was raised as a way to
increase engagement and accessibility for those who struggle in other areas in school. Science
through self-directed project-based learning does not require the same level of literacy or
numeracy for engagement. However, this focus on inquiry-based learning was bound by the
teacher having enough engagement to answer questions and involve students emphasizing the
need for professional development for new or complex topics.
The ever-increasing demands on teachers to integrate social issues (e.g., environmental and
climate justice) to science education is particularly relevant when considering that energy
literacy has three core pillars including affect or the values and beliefs one has. This is
particularly important with an increasingly polarized world, where students are bombarded with
polarized media and face teachers who have their own implicit and explicit biases. Education
must focus on facts while still providing a strong foundation of scientific skills that enable
students to develop their own beliefs about science. The curriculum is not structured in such a
way as it too has many implicit biases, such as defining energy as either renewable or nonrenewable.
These findings support the complex relationship between knowledge, affect, and behaviour,
underscoring the importance of using educational strategies that focus not only on cognitive
development but engage the whole student in the learning process while still maintaining balance
and focus on scientific outcomes. The results also provide evidence for using educational
pedagogies that incorporate projects and inquiry-based models to connect the content to student
lives outside of school. The results of this study do provide some insight as to the utility of
curriculum as a policy tool, that is that curriculum is only one part of a complex system and
curriculum reform alone is unlikely to equate to changes in the classroom. Overall, the results of
this study support the need for wider implementation of science professional development,
including project-based energy education and the creation of resources that can be easily and
freely accessed by teachers.
Key words: education, energy literacy, science literacy, pedagogyStudentye
Explaining the environmental policy change of results-based regulation in Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment through an advocacy coalition, multiple streams, and critical discourse analysis perspective
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Public Policy, University of Regina. viii, 172 p.Discussions of environmental protection in the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan have historically been complex and controversial. With an economy that relies on emissions-heavy industry such as oil and gas production, mining, agriculture and forestry, the Government of Saskatchewan faces unique challenges in responding to the increasing calls for climate action and stricter regulations that will help minimize the effects of climate change. This seemingly deadlocked political and economic situation makes the 2010 introduction of results-based regulation in Saskatchewan a notable policy-making event, intended to both aid in environmental protection while allowing industry to thrive. An in-depth investigation of this policy change has not yet been conducted. How did this radical policy change come to be and who were the key players?
Using an approach that draws on the Advocacy Coalition Framework and Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework, and Habermas’ methodology of critical discourse analysis, my qualitative study will identify the predominant policy entrepreneurs and advocacy coalitions surrounding Saskatchewan’s policy change to results-based regulation and explain their support or opposition from 2007 (the election of the Saskatchewan Party) to 2010 (the advent of results-based regulation in Saskatchewan). By analyzing the discourses utilized by the advocacy coalitions, I determine how they influenced the policy change to results-based regulation. Evaluating the quality of the debate, I discuss whether this new framework was arrived at ethically and whether it was the most beneficial option for Saskatchewan.
The results of this investigation suggest that results-based regulation may not have been an acceptable solution for Saskatchewan’s environmental policy framework and that this decision should be revisited. Contributing to our understanding of Saskatchewan’s environmental policy-making landscape, this study further demonstrates the importance of discourse, ethicality, and coalition-building to the policy-making process, as well as the role of public consultation in upholding democracy, providing a set of guidelines for engaging in effective, ethical and democratic policy decision-making in Saskatchewan’s environmental policy sphere.
Finally, this research advances policy theory by serving as the first applied demonstration of actualizing Habermas’ method of critical discourse analysis within a backdrop of Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework and the Advocacy Coalition Framework. Unearthing new learnings regarding policy entrepreneurs and advocacy coalitions, this study demonstrates how discourse can be used to couple Kingdon’s streams. By determining the events and discourses that lead to the successful introduction of results-based regulation within a complex political environment, I demonstrate lessons and potential strategies for creating large-scale environmental policy change in Saskatchewan again in the future.
Keywords: results-based regulation; Advocacy Coalition Framework; Multiple Streams Framework; Kingdon; critical discourse analysis; Habermas; Theory of Communicative Action; validity claims; democracy; Saskatchewan; environmental policy; oil and gas; performance-based; output-basedStudentye
The relationship between face memory and executive function in adults
No full textA Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology, University of Regina. ix, 43 p.Motivated by applied applications (e.g., eyewitness identification), a great deal of research has been done to understand people’s ability to recognize unfamiliar faces. Most research on face memory to date aims to see under what conditions memory for unfamiliar faces is at its most accurate. Despite great knowledge gained in this area, there is still not a full understanding of the mechanisms that drive unfamiliar face memory recognition. To investigate these mechanisms, this thesis investigated how individual differences and executive function (EF) relate to the ability to remember faces. Using a within-subjects design, 52 adult participants completed an old/new face memory task and eight tasks designed to measure three elements of EF: working memory, inhibitory control, and metamemory. Face memory performance was measured by calculating discriminability (d') and bias (C). In line with the hypothesis, participants with higher scores on one working memory task (List Sorting Working Memory test) showed better face memory performance (d'). Contrary to hypotheses, we did not find evidence that participants' scores on inhibitory and metamemory tasks were predictive of face memory performance in adults. The significant relationships between working memory and face memory performance are likely driven by the fact that both the List Sorting Working Memory test and face memory rely on systems in visual working memory
Proportional hazards modelling for current lifetime data
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Statistics, University of Regina. viii, 64 p.Current lifetime data represent a unique subset of length-biased data where only the times
from the initiating event to the cross-section date are observed without follow-up. We propose
an efficient estimation procedure to fit the semi-parametric proportional hazards model using
current lifetime data. This estimation procedure is based on the EM algorithm which has
two versions based on the support points of the non-parametric baseline hazard function. We
apply the method to simulated data and Parkinson’s disease current lifetime data drawn from
the Canadian-Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN). We estimate the effects of clinical and
epidemiological covariates using the proportional hazards model on the survival of subjects
with Parkinson’s disease.Studentye
Multiple sclerosis and medical assistance in dying: A qualitative exploration of patient and family-centered care
No full textSaskatchewan Health Research Foundation
Suitability of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for public safety personnel with subthreshold symptoms
No full textA Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology, University of Regina. viii, 69 p.Public safety personnel (PSP) are at a high risk of developing mental health challenges due to frequent exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs). PSP with subthreshold symptoms, those below diagnostic criteria, may benefit from proactively using mental health programs such as the PSP Wellbeing Course, an internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) program tailored for PSP. This mixed-methods study explored the suitability of the PSP Wellbeing Course for PSP with subthreshold symptoms by examining treatment engagement, mental health outcomes, resilience, treatment satisfaction, and participant feedback. Quantitative data were collected from 174 pre-existing clients and analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, and Hedges’ g to evaluate symptom change from pre-treatment to 8-weeks post-enrollment. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 10 recent clients were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to capture participant perspectives. Findings revealed statistically significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms, with maintained subthreshold symptom levels and stable resilience scores. Participants expressed high satisfaction with the course’s structure, flexibility, and relevance, and reported both professional and personal benefits. Qualitative themes highlighted the value of relatable materials, proactive support, therapist involvement, and the importance of early access to mental health tools. Participants also recommended refining ICBT delivery by offering shorter and more diverse case stories, increasing printable resources, and introducing the course earlier in PSP careers. Overall, these findings support the use of ICBT as a proactive intervention for PSP with subthreshold symptoms and offer recommendations for refining ICBT delivery generally for high-stress occupations
Non-traditional sources of critical minerals from the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geology, University of Regina. xxviii, 305 p.The material demands of the energy transition will be immense, requiring new sources of critical metals required in clean energy technologies. Among the most important of these are the rare earth elements (REE) and lithium (Li). The REE, which include the lanthanide elements and yttrium (Y), are currently produced from peralkaline igneous complexes, carbonatites, or ion-adsorption clay deposits and are prized for their unique chemical, magnetic, and catalytic properties. Their primary importance in the energy transition is their necessity in permanent magnets for wind turbines and electric vehicles. Conversely, Li is the lightest metal on the periodic table and is currently produced from pegmatites and continental brine deposits. It has the highest energy density among all metals and is therefore crucial in electric vehicle and grid storage batteries and is projected to have the largest increase in demand among all critical metals. Meeting the demand for these metals can be difficult since REE and Li ore deposits are rare and unevenly distributed globally which can lead to domestic supply concerns, exploration can be difficult, and production can be expensive and fraught with numerous environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns. In light of these factors, new sources of these metals are gaining prominence including waste from industrial processes and those from previously overlooked geological environments.
This research seeks to increase the understanding and assess the resource potential of critical minerals from non-traditional sources of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) with a focus on REE from coal combustion by-products (CCBs) and Li from basinal brines. The first phase of this work used machine learning to identify geochemical indicators of REE enrichment in sedimentary strata which can be used to predict where elevated abundances may be found and to inform supplementary sampling programs. It was found that REE were most associated with Th, Nb, and P and enriched in fine-grained clastic lithologies (i.e. shales and mudstones). As a result, the effects of clay minerals on REE transport and deposition were then studied via geochemical modelling and synchrotron x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS).
Next, the REE potential of Alberta and Saskatchewan CCBs were assessed through geochemical, machine learning, and XAS methods. REE concentrations were comparable to those of other CCBs globally while similar geochemical relationships were identified as in the machine learning study. Leaching experiments and sequential extractions indicated that REE in the Ca-rich Poplar River ashes were most easily leached into solution, while XAS analyses found the REE were hosted in silicate and phosphate mineral phases that were transferred from the coals to the CCBs during combustion.
The third phase studied the critical metal potential of WCSB basinal brines. While REE do not occur in economic abundances, Li concentrations across the basin can regularly exceed the economic threshold (~75 mg/L). However, the source of Li is poorly understood. Based on an increasing body of evidence, in-situ water-rock interactions are proposed to be the major process supplying Li to the brines. These findings can be incorporated into a broader deposit model which can aid exploration across the basin.
This work is an important step in realizing the vast mineral potential that may occur in previously underexplored sources from the WCSB which can play a crucial role in providing the raw materials necessary for the transition away from carbon-intensive energy systems and mitigating future anthropogenic climate driven changes to the Earth system while providing new economic and employment opportunities.Studentye
Methodological Insights From an Experience-Based Co-Design Method Applied to a Study of Older Adults Living with HIV’s Perspectives on Virtual Geriatric Care
No full textThis paper outlines the application of Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD) to explore the perspectives of older adults living
with HIV regarding virtual geriatric care. The study focuses on identifying the unique needs, challenges, and preferences of this
population in the context of remote healthcare delivery models. EBCD, a participatory research method, engages service users,
healthcare providers, and stakeholders in co-designing solutions to improve healthcare services. By involving participants
throughout the research process, the approach ensures that resulting interventions are informed by real-world experiences,
enhancing their likelihood of acceptance and effectiveness. The methodology includes in-depth interviews, focus groups, and
journey mapping with older adults living with HIV to gather data. Through collaborative discussions, care gaps were identified,
and key areas for improvement in virtual care were highlighted. Active participation from healthcare professionals ensured that
these findings were translated into actionable solutions. Practical insights were also gained on fostering an inclusive and
respectful environment for marginalized populations, ensuring that their voices were central to the co-design process. This
study demonstrates that EBCD is an effective method for engaging older adults living with HIV in the design of virtual care
interventions, leading to patient-centered solutions that address both clinical and psychosocial needs. Key contributions of the
study include the development of a framework for applying EBCD in virtual geriatric care, identification of critical care gaps in
this context, and the promotion of inclusive practices for vulnerable populations. The findings suggest that EBCD can play a
significant role in advancing health equity and improving the quality of care for older adults living with HIV, especially as virtual
healthcare continues to evolve.This research was supported by the AGE-WELL Network of Centres of
Excellent (NCE) (AW-CAT-2023-03) Inc and the Canadian Frailty
Network’s (CFN) Catalyst Funding Program in Healthy Aging. The
AGE-WELL NCE and CFN are funded by the Government of
Canada through the Networks of Centres of Excellence program