Education Commons^™

Shaping Sustainability In Classroom Curricula In Singapore: Educators And Students As Collaborative Change Agents, Anna Fromson-Ho

International Studies Honors Projects

Climate change is a global crisis, and in Singapore, a low-lying city-state, its geography makes it susceptible to extreme weather events and zoonotic diseases. Singapore's alignment with global commitments like the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development is elevated by its presence as a leader in urban sustainability. Using a mixed-methods approach, this paper explores sustainability as a classroom concept and educators' role in translating curriculum standards into learning that informs, educates, and empowers students to become agents of change. Sharing these perspectives will help develop collaborative learning programs that center educators and students, improving understanding of this important field.

Deconstructing The University: Contemporary Dei, Neoliberal Rationalities, And The Abolition Of The Administrative Apparatus, Jonah Henkle

Media and Cultural Studies Honors Projects

The following chapters attempt to develop some working theories to combat capitalist exploitation and racist and gendered oppression in the university, culminating in a call for the abolition of the university’s administrative apparatus. The project is divided broadly into two parts, which are referential to each other, but maintain slightly different areas of focus. Part 1 details a preliminary critique of the political-economy of the contemporary neoliberal university, drawing influence from Marxian economics and structuralist theories of ideology, critiquing contemporary discourses of diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI). Part 2 focuses more directly on issues pertaining to oppression and difference, maintaining …

Decolonizing And Diversifying French Curriculum In Twin Cities K-12 Schools, Helen Radovic

French Honors Projects

French classes in United States K-12 schools are still largely Paris-Centric and targeted towards a white/upper-class student demographic. The purpose of this study is to examine K-12 French teacher’s strategies in promoting diversity in their classrooms, and what effect this has on student engagement. Participants include eight K-12 French immersion teachers in the Twin Cities (Minnesota). Results from the study are complex and varied, however, they indicate that use of authentic resources and connection to students’ personal interests and culture are major ways in which the French curriculum can be reshaped to promote diversity and engagement.

Time To Play: The Relationship Between Time Spent Playing And Educational Outcomes In Peru, Jasmine Davidson

Economics Honors Projects

Every day, children around the world are playing. There has been plenty of research on the importance of different kinds of play, but very little on the importance of the quantity of play. Understanding the relationship between educational outcomes and the amount of time spent playing would allow parents to better structure their children’s time and would settle the debate between psychologists and economists on whether play has inherent value for a child’s future outcomes. I focus on Peru because conducting this research in a developing country context broadens the current research mostly focused on high-income countries. Using child-level, longitudinal …

Narratives Of Disability Activism At Macalester College, 1907 To The 1990s, Bea Chihak

Award Winning History Papers

This history capstone chronologically details disability activism at Macalester in the context of the national disability rights movement. The paper provides primary source analyses of Macalester publications such as the Mac Weekly and interrogates the narratives in which disability appears. When the activism of people with disabilities at Macalester is rendered invisible, stigma around disability and discrimination of disabled individuals contines. This study emphasizes the importance of increasing the visibility, and raising awareness, of these histories. It finds that through their advocacy and labor, students with disabilities envisioned and brought about the contemporary disability services in a collective and intersectional …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2019-2020, Dewitt Wallace Library, Macalester College

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of Macalester's DeWitt Wallace Library activities for 2019-2020.

Theme: Your Library, Wherever You Are

How Does An Increase In The Minimum Wage Affect High School Enrollment?, Esther Swehla

Economics Honors Projects

In this paper, I explore how the probability of a student being in different combinations of enrolled/not enrolled and employed/unemployed/not in the labor force is affected by an increase in the minimum wage. I use binomial logistic regression, and experiment with both state and county level of observation and fixed effects. I also use year fixed effects. I find that when either the nominal or real minimum wage increases, the probability of a student being employed and enrolled increases, while the probability of being in any of the other groups decreases. However, these changes are not substantial. I determine that …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2018-2019, Teresa Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Christina Buckles, Trisha Burr, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Beth Hillemann, Katy Gabrio, Ellen Holt-Werle, Connie Karlen, Virginia Moran, Louann Terveer, Michael Vieaux

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of Macalester's DeWitt Wallace Library activities for 2018-2019.

Theme: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Class And The Classroom: The Role Of Individual- And School-Level Socioeconomic Factors In Predicting College Students’ Academic Behaviors, Cari Gillen-O'Neel, Emily Roebuck, Joan Ostrove

Faculty Publications

This study examines how, for emerging adults attending residential colleges, family incomes and the SES composition of high schools are jointly associated with academic behaviors in college. Using a one-time survey, daily surveys, and additional data collection on high school SES composition, this study measured 221 college students’ (17-25 years old) SES backgrounds and academic behaviors. Findings indicated that three academic behaviors (study time, in-class engagement, and help-seeking) were predicted by an interaction between family income and high school context. Among students who attended high schools that serve many low-income students, higher family income was significantly associated with more beneficial …

How To Be The Perfect Asian Wife!, Sophia Hill

Art and Art History Honors Projects

“How to be the Perfect Asian Wife” critiques exploitative power systems that assault female bodies of color in intersectional ways. This work explores strategies of healing and resistance through inserting one’s own narrative of flourishing rather than surviving, while reflecting violent realities. Three large drawings mimic pervasive advertisement language and presentation reflecting the oppressive strategies used to contain women of color. Created with charcoal, watercolor, and ink, these 'advertisements' contrast with an interactive rice bag filled with comics of my everyday experiences. These documentations compel viewers to reflect on their own participation in systems of power.

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2017-2018, Terri Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacki Betsworth, Trisha Burr, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Beth Hillemann, Katy Gabrio, Ellen Holt-Werle, Ron Joslin, Connie Karlen, Alexis Logsdon, Ginny Moran, Chris Schommer, Michael Vieaux

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library and media services activities for 2017-2018

Teaching Stats For Data Science, Daniel Kaplan

Faculty Publications

“Data science” is a useful catchword for methods and concepts original to the field of statistics, but typically being applied to large, multivariate, observational records. Such datasets call for techniques not often part of an introduction to statistics: modeling, consideration of covariates, sophisticated visualization, and causal reasoning. This article re-imagines introductory statistics as an introduction to data science and proposes a sequence of 10 blocks that together compose a suitable course for extracting information from contemporary data. Recent extensions to the mosaic packages for R together with tools from the “tidyverse” provide a concise and readable notation for wrangling, visualization, …

Building Research Skills In The Macalester Economics Major, J. Peter Ferderer, Gary Krueger

Faculty Publications

Economics majors at Macalester College have won numerous awards for their research papers, and this success has helped them land jobs in finance, consulting, and the nonprofit sector, as well as gain admission to top graduate programs. This article describes how the Economics Department at Macalester promotes economic research among its students.

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2016-2017, Teresa Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Katy Gabrio, Ellen Holt-Werle, Connie Karlen, Beth Hillemann, Ron A. Joslin, Virginia Moran, Michael Vieaux

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library and media services activities for 2016-2017

Book Review: David W. Lewis. Reimagining The Academic Library. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016., Teresa A. Fishel

Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2015-2016, Teresa A. Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Katy Gabrio, Beth Hillemann, Ellen Holt-Werle, Ron A. Joslin, Connie Karlen, Alexis Logsdon, Brian Longley, John Meyerhofer, Virginia Moran, Jesse A. Sawyer, Laura Secord, Katie Witzig

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library and media services activities for 2015-2016

Perceived School Style And Academic Outcomes Among Ethnically Diverse College Students, Rowan Hilty, Cari Gillen-O'Neel

Psychology Honors Projects

Students’ perceptions of their schools play an important role in achievement. One framework for measuring students’ perceptions is an adaptation of Baumrind’s parenting typology, which measures perceived “school style” (Pellerin, 2005) along two dimensions of responsiveness (warmth) and demandingness (high academic expectations). Although research suggests that perceptions of authoritative styles (both responsive and demanding) correlate with better student outcomes (Dornbusch et al., 1987), no existing research has considered whether these findings apply to ethnically diverse samples. We surveyed 301 students from five Midwestern colleges who completed measures of perceived school style, perceived discrimination, and several academic outcomes. Academically stigmatized students …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2014-2015, Teresa A. Fishel, Beth Hillemann, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Aaron Albertson, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Katy Gabrio, Virginia Moran, Ellen Holt-Werle, Connie Karlen, Alexis Logsdon, Jesse A. Sawyer, Chris Schommer, Laura Secord, Katie Witzig

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library and media services activities for 2014-2015

The Preschool Puzzle: Exploring Variations In Early Childhood Education Teacher Quality Across States, Alice Rockswold

Political Science Honors Projects

There is a growing consensus in the early childhood education community that it is necessary to raise the qualifications of preschool teachers. Yet, little is known about why rigorous degree and training standards have advanced further in some states than others. In this analysis, I explore various political and demographic factors that might account for the uneven support for such standards, with special attention to the role of Head Start as a driver of quality, given its presence and variation in strength across states. Using longitudinal data from the National Institute of Early Childhood Education, I find weak evidence that …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2013-2014, Teresa Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Katy Gabrio, Virginia M. Heinrich, Beth Hillemann, Ron A. Joslin, Jesse A. Sawyer

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library and media services activities for 2013-2014

Dewitt Wallace Library Biennial Report 2011-2013, Teresa Fishel, Beth Hillemann, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Virginia M. Heinrich, Katharine M. Gabrio, Johan Oberg, Ellen Holt-Werle, John H. Davidsen, Laura J. Secord, Aaron S. Albertson, Danielle Maestretti

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library activities for 2011-2013

Perspectivas Contradictorias: La Necesidad De Reconfigurar La Educación Bilingüe En Estados Unidos En El Siglo Xxi, Margaret Hutchison

Hispanic Studies Honors Projects

The current-day field of Bilingual Education in the US finds itself at a critical juncture. While some proponents of Bilingual Education emphasize its ability to form multilingual students for academic and economic success on a global stage, a contrasting perspective within the field emphasizes the importance of Bilingual Education to best support the achievement of language-minority students in particular. Interviews with three employees of St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minnesota, who are each involved with the implementation of a Bilingual Education program indicate the existence of this ideological split within the local context of St. Paul. This division …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report, 2010-11, Teresa Fishel, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library activities for 2010-2011

El Rol Esencial De La Educación Y La Salud En La Estrategia Microfinanciera: Un Comentario Sobre El Neoliberalismo Contemporáneo, Julia Smith

Latin American Studies Honors Projects

Abstract

This thesis answers the question: “What is the relationship between microfinance and neoliberalism?” by arguing that microfinance is an effective strategy for poverty eradication and community development only when it is coupled with public education and health for all members of society. Therefore, countries need to change their policies in these areas to ensure that microfinance institutions are successful in ending poverty. This thesis engages with scholars such as David Harvey and Mohammed Yunus who provide the theoretical framework for neoliberalism and microfinance and more importantly with Milford Bateman and Yogendra Bahadur Shakya who argue that microfinance can never …

Constructing A Citizenry: Variance In Civic Education In Minnesota's Secondary Schools, Hopi Costello

Political Science Honors Projects

My project has two aims. First, I seek to fill the gap in basic descriptive data about the state of civic education in Minnesota's high schools. Second, I attempt to shed light on civic education in the state by exploring influences to it. I argue that demographic characteristics of civics teachers and the communities in which they teach influence both civics curriculum and teacher's conceptions of civic education. In a nation that depends on citizen participation for the functioning of the state, it is important to understand that the ways we teach students to participate may differ across locales.

Resegregation In Minneapolis Public Schools: Tipping Points For Academic Success, Collin Cousins

Sociology Honors Projects

What happens to achievement gaps in middle school test scores when the racial compositions of schools change? Existing research indicates that academic achievement on standardized tests is negatively related to high concentrations of non-white students in schools, and disproportionately affects non-white students. To explore this, I conducted a two-fold approach of analyzing school characteristics and student test scores from Minneapolis public schools between 1988 and 2004, and interviewing administrators from four different Minneapolis schools that used the MBST test between 1998-2004 in order to better understand the context of the processes that occurred to produce the results. I explored how …

Does Sorting Make A Difference In The Sat’S Prediction Of Course Grades And Cumulative Gpa At Macalester College?, Yuen Ting Liu

Economics Honors Projects

This paper estimates the predictive power of the SAT for college success. Most studies use GPA as a proxy for college success, but GPA is subject to differing grading standards across instructors and departments. Using individual course grades of Macalester College students from 1996 to 2005, this paper uses fixed effects to control for students sorting themselves into particular departments and courses. After controlling for sorting by major, a general trend emerges: the Math SAT is more predictive for science and math-related social science majors while the Verbal SAT is more predictive for language majors. After controlling for sorting by …

The Role Of Gender Identity On The Effects Of Stereotype Threat: An Examination Of Girls’ Math Performance In A Single-Sex Classroom, Erin E. Twamley

Psychology Honors Projects

Despite all of the advancements women have made in the field of mathematics, the negative stereotype regarding women’s mathematical competence persists. Stereotype threat research demonstrates that the negative stereotype contributes to significant gender differences in attitudes, academic achievement, and educational and career attainment in math. The current longitudinal study focused on stereotype threat as an explanation for how a negative gender stereotype influences the mathematical performance of middle school girls in math in a single-sex setting. In particular, the study examines how the girls’ gender identification moderates the effects of stereotype threat. The results of the study indicate that stereotype …

Working The System: The Role Of Islam In Student Negotiations Of A Midwestern Charter School, Elizabeth J. Baer

Religious Studies Honors Projects

“What should the role of Islam be in American public life?” Rather than answer this question through broad, theoretical discourse, I turn to a case study of Somali Muslims in a Midwestern charter school. Through this case study, I analyze how individual Muslims, tied to communities and Allah in diverse ways, actively negotiate how to incorporate their religious practices into public space. I argue that by examining specific strategies used by individuals in an actual school setting, as opposed to making generalizing assumptions, one can better understand that Islam already plays a variety of constantly changing roles in American public …

Examining Long-Term Priming Across Modalities: Looking For Semantic Antipriming, Matthew Olson

Psychology Honors Projects

Traditional localist theories of semantic memory use spreading activation to explain short-term priming. Rival distributed accounts use incremental learning to explain both short and long-term priming. This experiment examined the possibility of a long-term negative priming mechanism in semantic memory. The results supported the existence of long-term priming. The results did not support the existence of any negative priming mechanism, but did lead to a follow up experiment that will investigate a possible role for negative priming in semantic memory.