Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985.

Research into the phenomenon of youth suicide is typically guided by quantitative methodologies focused on young people who have attempted or died by suicide. Questions related to epidemiology, etiology, and the development of actuarial measures of risk are often the drivers of these particular kinds of research. Similarly, research into school-based youth suicide prevention curricula is predominantly focused on quantitative measures of the degree to which young people acquire knowledge or change attitudes about suicide, after exposure to a delivered program. Grounded in post-structural ideas, the purpose of this thesis is to expand upon these mainstream inquiries into youth suicide prevention education through close exploration and analysis of how “suicide” is discursively produced within the context of a classroom delivered curriculum. This study will pay particular attention to the discursive productions of suicide in the curriculum, as well as how these productions result in the constitution of particular objects, concepts, and subjectivities. Transcripts of “naturally occurring classroom talk” will serve as the site of analysis. Troubling contemporary “truth regimes” about suicide and its prevention through close analysis of the discursive frames by which they are produced offers up the potential of re-imagining new possibilities for thinking about and delivering youth suicide prevention education.

This thesis presents the development, implementation and evaluation of a cross-cultural, experiential marine program that occurred in 2007 at a Senior High School in Sooke, British Columbia. The program consisted of a field-intensive, marine curriculum that acknowledged the contributions of Aboriginal science (Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Wisdom) as complementary to Western science, when understanding and monitoring the coastal environment. Students of both Aboriginal (N= 8) and non-Aboriginal (N= 11) heritage were surveyed before and after instruction of theirknowledge and beliefs about marine science and Aboriginal culture. Prior to instruction,students tended to have positive opinions about Aboriginal culture and marine science, although their knowledge in marine ecology and oceanography was not strong. However, students showed a good understanding of human impacts on the environment. An important finding was that after instruction all students, regardless of cultural heritage, gender or previous coursework, gained positively in all measures from the experience.

Student performance on the recently implemented Provincial Mathematics 10 examination concerns mathematics teachers. Using results from the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) to implement a strategy for students' improvement as well as properly placing students into the correct curriculum pathway may be an effective way for improving student success. Students who participated in the 2001/2002 FSA may have also participated in the 2004/2005 provincial mathematics 10 examination. Using regression analysis, three separate models were created for students writing the Principles of Mathematics 10 examination (n = 27 292, R2 = 0.320), Essentials of Mathematics 10 examination (n = 5 052, R2 = 0.169), and Applications of Mathematics 10 examination (n = 2 662. R2 = 0.231). The independent variables included Item Response Theory Scaled scores for the Numeracy and Reading Subtests of the FSA, gender, aboriginal status, English as a second language status, and school size. As well, hierarchical linear model (HLM) was implemented as an exploration to compare the coefficients with the regression analysis. In all three cases the coefficients of the HLM were similar to the linear regression. Disciminant analysis also predicted student placement in the three pathways at 61% accuracy using FSA results and other independent variables.

The purpose of this research study was to explore why some Aboriginal students participate in senior secondary Biology, Chemistry, or Physics and achieve a high level of academic success (67% or higher) in these courses. The following key questions were addressed: 1. What are the experiences and perceptions of Aboriginal students with regard to senior secondary science? 2.What role, if any, does culture play for Aboriginal students who are successful in the senior secondary sciences? 3. What are the factors that either contribute to or hinder success by Aboriginal students in science-related courses? Ten Aboriginal participants were interviewed from the Greater Victoria School District. Metaphor Interviews, Literal Interviews and a Focus Group were used to collect data. The results indicated that Aboriginal ancestry was important to the identity of many of the participants, but it was not a significant contributing factor in their academic success in senior secondary science.

Research into the phenomenon of youth suicide is typically guided by quantitative methodologies focused on young people who have attempted or died by suicide. Questions related to epidemiology, etiology, and the development of actuarial measures of risk are often the drivers of these particular kinds of research. Similarly, research into school-based youth suicide prevention curricula is predominantly focused on quantitative measures of the degree to which young people acquire knowledge or change attitudes about suicide, after exposure to a delivered program. Grounded in post-structural ideas, the purpose of this thesis is to expand upon these mainstream inquiries into youth suicide prevention education through close exploration and analysis of how “suicide” is discursively produced within the context of a classroom delivered curriculum. This study will pay particular attention to the discursive productions of suicide in the curriculum, as well as how these productions result in the constitution of particular objects, concepts, and subjectivities. Transcripts of “naturally occurring classroom talk” will serve as the site of analysis. Troubling contemporary “truth regimes” about suicide and its prevention through close analysis of the discursive frames by which they are produced offers up the potential of re-imagining new possibilities for thinking about and delivering youth suicide prevention education.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Susan Nelson Wood, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Middle and Secondary Education. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 27, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (PhD (Education))-University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985. / Also available in print.