VIURRSpace
The Libraries of Royal Roads University and Vancouver Island University collaboratively offer VIURRSpace to digitally preserve and showcase selected scholarly and creative works of the universities, together with special collections that represent the unique character of the region.
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Item Elders and Knowledge Keepers Perspectives on Practices to Support Indigenous Students’ Educational Well-Being: A Holistic Study(2026)Developing a shared understanding of Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers perspectives is critical on how to better support Indigenous students’ and all students’ educational well-being. The purpose of this research was to explore Elders and Knowledge Keepers Perspectives on Practices to Support Indigenous Students’ Educational Well-Being: A Holistic Study. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit seven men and women Indigenous Elders from surrounding nations in Calgary, Alberta. Data was generated via talking circles, individual one-on-one interviews. All talking circles and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Indigenous worldviews, practices of the medicine wheel and the dandelion metaphor was utilized for content analysis to analyze the data, and findings are represented by five themes, (1) residential schools and education, (2) education, (3) family/responsibility/relationship/belonging, (4) identity, and (5) Elder inclusion, ceremony, traditions. The detailed stories shared by the Elders provide unique insights into discussions of connections start at home, aptitude and soundness comes from knowing, ascertaining the true history and placing high value on education, and presence of Elders sharing knowledge and wisdom, and recommendations for school districts on how to better support Indigenous students’ educational well-being. Keywords: Indigenous, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, education, well-beingItem Understanding Refugee Women at Risk Experiences in Light of Social Protection Initiatives and Policy Interventions in Uganda(2026)AbstractThis qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Congolese RWaR in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda. It traced their journeys from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)and the challenges faced during displacement. The research examined the risks they encounter, how they build resilience, and the impact of social protection efforts and refugee policies on their well-being. Results show that RWaR face multiple vulnerabilities, such as conflict-related sexual violence, exploitation, trauma, family separation, poverty, food insecurity, poor housing, detention, and limited healthcare access. These hardships lead to deep emotional distress, including depression, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts. Displacement worsens their situation with unemployment, discrimination, and gender-based marginalization. Nonetheless, the women display remarkable resilience, relying on personal and community resources like faith, counselling, savings groups, small businesses, and community dialogue. These strategies bolster hope, coping skills, and pathways to self-reliance. The study highlights how policies and structural barriers affect their daily lives. Although Uganda’s Refugees Act (2006) and Refugee Regulations (2010) provide rights to work, movement, land, healthcare, and education, and humanitarian organizations offer cash aid, skills training, and psychosocial support, many obstacles prevent full access to these rights. These include lack of awareness, language barriers, documentation issues, bureaucratic hurdles, and weak policy enforcement. The study recommends specific policy reforms, trauma-informed programs, better resource distribution, and improvements in housing and food security. By amplifying the voices of Congolese RWaR, this research advances refugee, humanitarian, and gender studies. It provides a framework to assist governments, UN agencies, and humanitarian organizations in enhancing the well-being of women at risk and refugee women more generally.Item Teaching nutrition in British Columbia: an examination of the experiences and approaches of secondary school home economics teachers(Electronic version published by Vancouver Island University, 2026)The intent of this research was to gain a well-rounded understanding of how home economics teachers in BC view the concept of relationship with food and how they then teach and discuss nutrition in their classrooms. Teacher comfort level and classroom strategies were explored by asking questions pertaining to initial teacher training and current professional development opportunities as well as nutrition resources available and accessed. Additionally, questions about how home economic educators feel about their own nutrition and relationship with food and the impact that their food journey may or may not have on their classroom practices were queried. Using an exploratory/descriptive convergent mixed-methods approach, 41 teachers participated in an anonymous survey to map current practices of nutrition education in BC home economics classrooms and explore some of the underlying factors, beliefs, and systemic conditions that influence that education. The results of this study revealed that home economics educators are passionate and dedicated individuals who aim to support students’ development of a healthy relationship with food but require greater support themselves. These results underscore the need for increased guidance, professional development, and resource accessibility for teachers of home economics.Item Assessing Social Acceptance of Geothermal Systems in Western Canada: Evidence from Alberta and British Columbia(2026)Energy systems globally face growing pressure to decarbonize while maintaining affordability, reliability, and security. In Canada, these challenges are especially evident in Western Canada, notably Alberta and British Columbia, which have contrasting energy landscapes. Although geothermal systems are increasingly viewed as a promising low-carbon option, public perceptions remain poorly understood. This study examines the social acceptance of geoexchange, hydrothermal, and ultra-deep geothermal systems in Alberta and British Columbia using survey data from 2,603 participants. Results show low baseline familiarity with geothermal energy, but moderate acceptance across systems, with geoexchange and hydrothermal rated more positively than ultra-deep geothermal. Despite regional differences, acceptance drivers were similar across provinces. Regression analyses indicate that perceived benefits and subjective norms are the strongest predictors of acceptance, while familiarity and perceived fairness play secondary roles. These findings provide the first comparative benchmark for geothermal social acceptance in Canada.Item Designing Machine Learning Models to Predict Financial Distress in NYSE and NASDAQ Companies(2026)The current dissertation by portfolio examines how machine learning models can be theoretically grounded to improve the early identification of financial distress and manipulation risk among firms listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ. Drawing on Merton’s strain theory as an integrative framework, the research conceptualizes financial distress not merely as an accounting outcome, but as a response to structural, market, and governance pressures that may motivate earnings manipulation. The dissertation consists of three interconnected portfolio papers. The first paper provides a systematic literature review of financial distress prediction research, identifying methodological, theoretical, and data-related gaps, particularly the dominance of financially driven models and the underutilization of governance and criminological perspectives. Building on these insights, the second paper empirically evaluates machine learning models that integrate financial, market and governance indicators with manipulation-linked signals, demonstrating how strain theory enhances interpretability beyond predictive accuracy. The third paper extends the framework by positioning corporate governance characteristics as early-warning signals of manipulation-linked distress, highlighting how governance weaknesses condition organizational responses to performance pressure. The synthesis paper integrates findings across the three portfolio papers, articulates their conceptual linkages, and demonstrates how the combined contributions advance theory, methodology, and practice. Collectively, the dissertation bridges crime and deviance theory with predictive analytics, offering an interdisciplinary and interpretable approach to financial distress prediction, while outlining pathways for scholarly research, regulatory relevance, and future commercialization of the research.
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