The purpose of this study is to describe and provide a critical review of a program called peer mediation currently adapted by a Montreal Area Anglophone School Board or MAASB. This program was implemented to address the growing incidence of violence and conflict within MAASB high schools. This study focuses on the objectives that the MAASB established in addressing the problem of violence in their high schools and the peer mediation programs' ability to meet these objectives based on the claims it purports to. Described and examined in this study is the setting in which peer mediation becomes a suitable "response" to conflict and violence in high schools and including: the role and responsibilities of schools; some of the sources and causes of violence; some of the challenges facing adolescents; and the links between violence as the problem, peer mediation as a possible solution, and the role schools play to make this happen. Of specific interest and addressed in this study is whether or not the peer mediation program is resolving violence and conflict at the source, or if the program serves primarily as problem management. Following a qualitative approach to research, observation and interviews were conducted using semi-structured and open-ended methods. This study also includes some recommendations for further research.

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This study investigated changes in self-esteem and perceived problem solving ability of academically at-risk students participating in a program called Science of Survival. The program combined adventure education and problem based learning approaches. One hundred and fifty-five male and female students, between the ages of 16 and 24 years completed the Self-Esteem Inventory and the Problem Solving Inventory at the beginning of the semester, after an adventure experience weekend, and at the end of the semester. A group of seventy-seven first year social science students, serving as a control group, also completed the inventories on the same time schedule. Self-esteem and perceived problem solving ability scores were analyzed by two one-way (treatment versus control) repeated measures (three assessments times) ANOVAs. Correlations between the two measures were also computed. Results indicated significant (p $<$.05) interactions of group by time for both self-esteem and perceived problem solving ability and significant correlations. Further analysis showed the Explorations II program was effective at increasing self-esteem and perceived problem solving ability and that these two constructs are related. The control group did not change in self-esteem over the period, but showed a deterioration in perceived problem solving ability.

This work presents the results of a study on the development of cultural representations held by students from four public English-speaking colleges (cegeps) in the Montreal area towards the French language and Quebecers whose language of use is French. Our survey instrument aimed at knowing these cultural representations and at identifying different factors likely to influence the development of these representations according to the French level in which students are registered, either beginner or intermediate and advanced. / Our hypothesis is that students registered in the intermediate and advanced levels hold more positive cultural representations than beginners, therefore that there exists a significant difference between participants from both groups. In order to verify this hypothesis, a questionnaire, based on procedural knowledge and the affective domain, has been administered to 449 students from four different cegeps. The analysis of data linked to procedural knowledge demonstrates that there is indeed a significant difference between both groups with regards to the different factors that are likely to influence the development of cultural representations, with the exception of the travelling frequency of members of the participants' family. Furthermore, our analysis for the affective domain partly confirmed that students enrolled in intermediate and advanced courses in French generally hold more positive cultural representations towards the French language and Quebecers whose language of use is French than beginners.

This thesis analyses the architecture of the Royal Victoria College (Bruce Price, 1896--1899), a purpose-built women's residential college of McGill University, Montreal, and its first extension (Percy Nobbs, 1930--193 1), as material evidence of the rhetorical construction and negotiation of gender. A contextual analysis of the original RVC reveals the gender significance of the building's relationship to its affiliate institution (McGill), to an urban geography (Phillips Square), and to a commercial typology (the railway hotel), while a spatial analysis examines the significance of its women occupants as 'architects', and of changes to the building over time. The thesis concludes that the building served as an important site in turn-of-the-century gender negotiations---one that helped to contest "separate spheres" rhetoric and that stands as evidence of women's active participation in the shaping of spatial relations and social identities.

Volunteer literacy tutors are key actors in one-on-one adult learner-tutor relationships, although few studies have examined tutors' role in literacy provision. This study had two objectives: to describe and analyse how McGill Students for Literacy tutors understand literacy and how they behave toward their learners and toward their organization, and to understand why many tutors distance themselves and their match from the organization. 18 McGill Students for Literacy tutors participated in semi-structured interviews with the researcher in this organizational case study. The hypothesis states that tutors choose autonomy from the literacy organization because of certain beliefs related to their attitudes as volunteers and to the organization's focus on individualized learning. These beliefs are: one-on-one instruction succeeds where classroom-based instruction has not, individual attention compensates for lack of training, good-will is better than good training, and volunteer activities can be justified on the basis of perceived need rather than demonstrable progress.