The University of Kansas: Journals@KU
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State Policy and Competency-Based Education: A Practitioner-Based Case Study
Get PDFDespite increased attention to competency-based education (CBE), research from a state policy perspective remains limited. This is problematic considering state policy can serve as either an incentive or barrier to implementing high-quality CBE. Using a practitioner-based case study design, this study analyzes the South Dakota Board of Technical Education\u27s (SDBOTE) development of three system-wide CBE policies: credit hour equivalency, academic calendar and term structure, and tuition and fee model. For each policy, the authors outline the options considered and describe the decision made. Two of the three authors served as the primary project managers for the SDBOTE\u27s CBE policy development, which provides first-hand knowledge into the considerations and decision-making processes. Across the three policies examined, a consistent tension between supporting educational innovation and working within existing structures is identified. Three themes that emerged from SDBOTE’s approach to managing this tension and their implications for policy development in state higher education systems are explored: evaluating capacity, identifying constraints, making intentional compromises. This study provides one example of how state higher education systems can develop system-wide CBE policies and has implications for state policymakers, state higher education system administrators, and policy researchers that are considering and evaluating CBE implementation
NGOs reports vs. Reality: Indigenous Peruvians’ real-life challenges
Get PDFThis research explores if NGOs accurately document the socioeconomic and environmental issues Indigenous Peruvians face. The study draws on previous literature on environmental challenges and focuses on socioeconomic challenges affecting Indigenous people. Additionally, the research contributes to previous studies as some researchers argue there is a disconnect between development organizations and target communities and propose the outsiders’ theory claiming that development organizations lack the cultural awareness to understand the needs of target communities. The study uses thematic coding to find the seven main issues documented in NGO reports. These seven topics served as the basis for formulating open-ended questions to conduct 45-minute interviews with ten Quechua speakers to then analyze the transcripts through two rounds of thematic coding. Socioeconomic issues are the most pressing issue for Indigenous Peruvians, as these people lack access to basic services. Consequently, Indigenous people leave their communities looking for better jobs and educational opportunities in cities. Furthermore, socioeconomic issues make Indigenous people more vulnerable to environmental challenges as Indigenous migrants are usually poor, and climate change disproportionately affects people facing poverty. The project will help to close the gap between NGO reports and real-life challenges to allow researchers to explore policies on how to address the connection between socioeconomic challenges and environmenta
Rhetoric vs. Reality: Political Motivations Behind High Speed 2 (HS2) Decision-making
Get PDFThis project asks whether British prime ministers Boris Johnson’s and Rishi Sunak’s decisions to cancel part of High Speed 2 (HS2) – a rail line intended to connect major cities in the United Kingdom – stem from political motivations or practical infrastructure concerns. Previous researchers have examined the importance of access to high-speed rail (HSR) networks outside of major metropolitan areas and the effects of this on regional economies. Using public choice theory as a theoretical lens, this project examines the political factors influencing the cancellation – or funding – of the major rail project. The research uses a mixed qualitative and quantitative method to assess the political rhetoric and realities surrounding HS2’s development. Specifically, the project employs a comparative analysis of government policy papers, reports, and press statements from the respective prime ministers and public opinion polling, election results, and transportation data. This project argues short-term political decisions played a greater role in the rail project’s cancellation than potential infrastructure concerns or post-pandemic travel patterns. For instance, the cancellations reflect Johnson’s commitment to maintaining political cohesion and party support and Sunak’s priority of improving his public image ahead of an election. Citing the UK’s history of regional economic disparities exacerbated by Conservative policies, the research aims to contribute to a better understanding of how party politics shape the development of large-scale infrastructure projects
Courtship behaviors of Three-Lined Salamanders (Eurycea guttolineata)
Get PDFThe courtship behaviors of plethodontid salamanders have long been of interest to biologists studying topicssuch as the evolution of complex phenotypes and the origin of reproductive isolation. However, the paucity of basicnatural history data for some salamanders — including some rather widely distributed and common species — createslimitations for comparative research. We herein provide the first detailed account of courtship behaviors in Three-Lined Salamanders (Eurycea guttolineata). We staged trials with wild-collected adults from near Atlanta, Georgia, andobserved courtship behaviors in seven of eight trials. Of those seven trials, all resulted in spermatophore depositionand five resulted in successful spermatophore transfer. Overall, the courtship behaviors of E. guttolineata are similar tothose of other species in the genus and include “snapping” pheromone delivery — a behavior not previously observedin the closest relatives of E. guttolineata. We provide an ethogram and preliminary interpretations of these behaviorsand encourage others to collect more basic natural history observations
Mortarboard Review: Montessori-Related Dissertations, 2024
Get PDFThis is the third article in an ongoing series, published annually, highlighting a selection of English-language dissertations from the previous calendar year related to Montessori philosophy and education. Twenty-one doctoral dissertations completed and approved during the 2024 calendar year were identified. The authors selected three dissertations to spotlight because they represent research that is novel, timely, and relevant to the current educational landscape
Sounds and Silences on the Neva Shores: US Diplomats about the Soundscape of Imperial St. Petersburg
Get PDFThis article argues that multisensory approach to studying cultural communications and urban history yields productive results. Using memoirs, diaries, and letters penned by US diplomats, the author explores how records of their aural experiences help reconstruct a fuller picture of life in Imperial St. Petersburg and what new light they shed on the cultural communications between Americans and the population of the Tsar’s capital
An Illustration of Hope: An Anti-Deficit Approach to Understand the Lived Experiences of Black Women Athletic Administrators
Get PDFBeing that Black women account for less than five percent of those who hold Assistant and Associate Athletic Director positions, their access to power, status, and influence within NCAA Division I (DI) athletics is limited. While Black women sport participation has increased, there are still limitations in gender and racial diversity amongst college sport leadership. Existing scholarship has highlighted and addressed these barriers. This study, however, implements an anti-deficit approach to examine the work experiences of Black women in college athletic leadership roles and focused on their supports and positive experiences. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (a) address and discuss the strategies and supports utilized to overcome any workplace barriers and (b) spotlight the positive experiences and advantages that this group’s identities provide within the workplace. To bolster the anti-deficit lens, intersectionality and Black Feminist Thought frameworks serve as the analytic framework. Using semi-structured interviews and participant surveys, the responses from ten (10) participants yielded five (5) themes: (a) credibility, (b) role model/representation, (c) communities of support, (d) mindset, and (e) moving with purpose
