Middle Tennessee State University: Journals@MTSU
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THEY PASS THE TESTS, BUT WHAT DO THEY REALLY BELIEVE? COLLEGE STUDENTS’ VIEWS ON THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN AMERICAN ECONOMICS
Full text linkTeaching college economics poses challenges, such as engaging students and fostering critical thinking, given the subject\u27s abstract and intimidating nature. To address these challenges, this project explored the integration of an adaptation of Q methodology, termed Q pedagogy, in a college undergraduate macroeconomics course. The project involved 33 students who completed a Q sort to express their views on the role of government in American economics. The data analysis revealed four distinct viewpoints among the students ranging from limited to no government interference in the economy to governments serving a critical role. This project provides preliminary evidence of using Q pedagogy to promote "big think" critical thinking among economics students. The project also demonstrates how Q pedagogy can provide a safe space for students to share opinions and appreciate diverse perspectives of their classmates
PRICELESS OR PRICEY? “ARBITRARY” CHOICES IN LOG-LINEAR MODELS AND THE “ARBITRARY” COST OF HAVING CHILDREN
Full text linkA popular fix when dealing with zeros in the dependent variable, y, is to add a scalar value, a, within the log transformation, i.e. log (y+a). However, the choice of the scalar value is often seemingly arbitrary. Using data from the Current Population Survey, I step-by-step walk through an empirical investigation of how an additional child in the household affects childcare cost, and I show that the choice of the arbitrary scalar value significantly affects the estimates of a log-linear regression model. For those “special couples” who are mining through data from the Current Population Survey to inform them on life decisions, they can estimate a model to justify any decision by their choice of a. We demonstrate that the best practice may be to forgo the log-linear regression model when dealing with zeros and turn to a Poisson regression
See Like an Economist: Photo Assignments in Economics Courses
Full text linkThis paper explains the design and purpose of a photo assignment for economics courses. To make vital connections between their own world or lived experience and economic theory, students take pictures in familiar surroundings and explain them through concepts learned in economics courses. The students choose the subject of their photographs and process information from their familiar world through economic theory, communicating their ideas both visually and in writing. The goal of the assignment is to develop long-lasting skills and to ensure that each student is given a creative outlet, which is often not present in our quantitative assignments. The paper discusses the design of effective assignment instructions and selected student work is used to illustrate the benefits of using the photo assignment as a learning tool to enhance student understanding of economic concepts and theories
Back from the Brink: How to Save the Gift When a Donor Changes Their Mind and How to Keep it From Happening in the First Place
Full text linkWorking as a higher education fundraiser can be an exciting and fulfilling job, one that requires the ability to build relationships, to develop trust, to navigate the marrying of the desires of the donor and your institution’s regulations, and to acknowledge and steward what may be the donor’s biggest gift of their life. You can do everything right and sometimes things still go wrong. This article presents a case study of a gift that almost didn’t happen, how it was saved, and what was learned from the experience
Impact of Student Financial Aid, Labor Costs, and Government Appropriations on College Tuition from 2012-13 to 2021-22
Full text linkUsing institutional-level panel data from 2012-13 to 2021-22 from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), this study re-examines the impact of demand-side factors such as students’ financial aid and supply-side factors such as labor costs and government appropriations on college tuition for public four-year and private four-year non-profit institutions. It extends prior research on this topic by using data from more recent years and includes additional factors that may impact tuition. The results reveal that an increase in the average institutional grant will increase tuition for public and private nonprofit institutions. For instance, a $1000 increase in average institutional grant drives up tuition by 593 dollars for private institutions, 302 dollars (out-of-state) and 104 dollars (in-state) for public institutions. However, an average Pell Grant increase, which is a demand side factor, has a negative effect on tuition, contradicting prior literature’s finding that the increase in Pell Grant drives the tuition increase. This study did not find a large effect on tuition for other types of individual subsidies, labor costs, and state appropriations
Embedding Mental, Behavioral Health and Social Emotional Literacy Services into an After Care Program
Full text linkNadia Boulanger, who is referred to as music’s greatest teacher, said, “Art is the medium in which emotion is expressed” (Robin, 2021). The expression of emotion is a measure of our wellbeing. As this expression is nurtured and developed, we become in tune with ourselves and others. We can be in harmony with our emotions and the environment. Art provides a stage, a canvas, a story, a poem, a song, a dance, and many other forms of expression as an interpretation of our existence.
In this paper, emotional literacy and its relationship to the arts will be examined. From the individual level to community concepts, these frameworks come together to support children, providing multiple avenues for discovering emotional balance and understanding
Page Turners: Books for Children
Full text linkIn this article, different children’s books are listed with descriptive summaries on each one. The books include: Almost Underwear: How a Piece of Cloth Traveled from Kitty Hawk to the Moon and Mars; And There Was Music; Buffalo Fluffalo; Luigi the Spider Who Wanted to be a Kitten; No More Chairs; Orris and Timble: The Beginning; A Mischief of Mice; Home
Disparities in the Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Families of Preschool-aged Children in Northern California
Full text linkThe COVID-19 crisis and subsequent shelter-in-place orders caused unprecedented challenges for young children and their families. Understanding the scope and nature of these effects can inform federal and state policies and advocacy efforts to minimize disruptions to child development and well-being. This study aims to examine pandemic-related impacts and its potential disparities based on demographic characteristics, such as gender, ethnicity, and immigration status. In this survey of 3,867 parents of preschool-aged children in Northern California, results indicate the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmingly restrained parents’ access to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and intervention services. Data describing gender, ethnicity and immigration status also exhibit divergent patterns of loss of access to ECEC and other necessities. Authors discuss how the pandemic and lockdown exacerbated some of the prolonged, structural inequities existing in the United States prior to the onset of the pandemic
From the Waves to the Shore: The Deliberate Odds and Ends of Mansfield’s Garden Parties
Full text linkKatherine Mansfield, a New Zealand modernist writer, demonstrates the power of indirect methods to create meaning in many of her short stories. Rather than relying on detailed character backgrounds, Mansfield uses figurative language, silences, and the implications within dialogue to convey emotional depth and insight into her characters. While these techniques are crucial in building the narrative, her use of suspense and the withholding of information until the story’s conclusion also play a key role in her storytelling. Through a close reading of stories such as “Miss Brill,” “The Voyage,” and “The Singing Lesson,” it becomes clear how Mansfield’s revelatory endings—what I refer to as “wave moments”—serve as deliberate shifts in mood that contribute to the meaning-making process. These “wave moments” highlight Mansfield’s non-linear storytelling approach and her careful crafting of stories—defying traditional narrative expectations
Lies of P: Envisioning Automata in the Belle Epoque
Full text linkLies of P is a 2023 Korean action role-playing game developed by Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio. It is a free adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883), envisioning the main character as an automaton rather than a puppet. It is also set in the fictitious city of Krat and uses the Belle Epoque for aesthetic inspiration. The architecture, for instance, reflects a variety of styles, lavish and rich with details, such as Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau, which were predominant during that period