Broadening My Educational Experience

For as long as I can remember, I have appreciated different cultures. My father and my maternal grandmother are from Trinidad; so I always wanted to learn and understand a world I was not able to see and experience on an everyday basis. I noticed my experience growing up was different than most of my American peers as a result of my family’s diverse customs and culture. This opened my eyes to the impact culture has on a person and who they are. This fascination grew into self-determination to understand not only my own family’s culture and history but those of others as well. Any opportunity to learn about a country’s traditions, religions, and historical background sparked my attention. This past summer I had the opportunity to study abroad in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (Xela). While in Guatemala I lived with a host family, the Garcias. ... I had to mentally and emotionally adjust to being in a foreign country where I was consistently vulnerable. Once I made the conscious decision to accept my vulnerability and to welcome uncomfortable situations that I would encounter—due mostly to the language barrier—my life changed

Factors Deterring Male Enrollment in Higher Education in Barbados

Barbados is experiencing low male enrollment in higher education. The purpose of this case study was to provide insight into the factors deterring young men from enrolling in higher education. The frameworks used were Cross’s chain of response theory, Bourdieu’s social capital theory, and Knowles’ theory of andragogy. The focus was on the factors deterring male enrollment, suggestions for increasing enrollment, and benefits of nonenrollment. Seven men participated in semistructured interviews. Five educational leaders participated in a focus group. Institutional factors accounted predominately in deterring young Barbadian men from enrolling in higher education.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/symposium2019/1004/thumbnail.jp

Factors Deterring Male Enrollment in Higher Education in Barbados

Barbados, a small island in the Caribbean, is experiencing the challenge of low male enrollment in higher education (HE). The research indicated that this problem, left unaddressed, could undermine the development of men, their families, and communities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to provide insight into the dispositional, institutional, and situational factors deterring young men who acquired the requisite number of certificates for entry to HE but did not enroll. The theoretical frameworks used to ground this study were Cross\u27s chain of response theory, Bourdieu\u27s social capital theory, and Knowles\u27 theory of andragogy. The research questions addressed the contributing factors to the disinclination of men from enrolling in higher education, suggestions for increasing enrollment in higher education from the perspectives of young men and educational leaders, and benefits of nonenrollment in higher education in Barbados. A purposeful sample of 7 men from the 2014 academic year cohort of 3 secondary schools participated in semistructured interviews. Five educational leaders from secondary, HEs, and the Ministry of Education (MoE) participated in a focus group. Data were transcribed, member checked, and then inductively coded for emergent themes using attribute, descriptive, versus, and axial coding. The major finding was that institutional factors accounted predominately in deterring young men from enrolling in HE in Barbados. This project study has strong implications for social change as it may be used to inform efforts by secondary school principals, higher education leaders, and administrators in the MoE to increase the number of young men enrolled in HE in Barbados

Ionic Mechanisms Involved in the Secretion of Sweat

Previous EPXMA studies on sweat glands from the horse and the human demonstrated that a fall in the intracellular concentration of K+ occurs in response to thermal stimulation. There is no similar information on the ionic changes that occur in the sweat glands of the cow, the sheep and the goat, during thermal stress. Moreover, the patterns of sweat output exhibited by the cow, sheep and goat differ to those of the horse and the human. As a first objective sweat glands from the cow, sheep and goat were examined by electron probe x-ray microanalysis (EPXMA) to determine whether the different patterns of sweat output exhibited by these animals, could be explained by changes in the glandular intracellular concentrations of sodium, potassium and chlorine. This study demonstrated, that upon thermal stimulation, there was a significant increase in the intracellular concentration of sodium in the secretory cells of the cow, and trends for chlorine to increase and potassium to decrease. In general the changes were qualitatively the same as those reported in the horse and human after thermal stimulation, and suggests that the cow has a similar mechanism of sweat production. No ionic changes were detected in the secretory fundus of the sheep and the goat indicating that sweat output in these animals is a slow continuous process and that the pattern of sweat output is due to the expulsion of preformed sweat by myoepithelial contraction. Furthermore, the results of the EPXMA studies in the horse and the human contrasted with the findings of electrophysiological studies which failed to detect a K+ efflux from sweat glands upon stimulation. A second objective therefore, was to determine by radiotracer methods if a K+ efflux occurs in sweat glands in response to stimulation. Radioisotopic studies demonstrated that a K+ efflux occurs in the isolated human sweat gland in response to agonist-induced stimulation, and that the nature of the K+ loss differs between cholinergic, a and p adrenergic agonists. The K+ efflux in human sweat glands in response to ACh was resolved into two phases; a transient first phase which persisted under Ca2+-free conditions and a second more sustained phase dependent on extracellular Ca2+. The initial phase has been attributed to a release of Ca2+ from bound intracellular stores and the sustained phase to an influx of Ca2+ into the cell. The response to a-adrenergic agents consisted of a single phase which was sensitive to the presence of extracellular Ca2+. In contrast b-adrenergic stimulation caused a slowly increasing rate of K+ efflux, which was independent of increased intracellular Ca2+. The increase in K+ permeability in response to ACh was further investigated using N+-free and Cl-free conditions. The results of the experiments performed under Na+-free conditions demonstrated that the first phase of the ACh-induced K+ efflux was abolished when NMDG+ was used as a Na+ substituent while the second phase persisted. This result suggests that the ACh-induced release of bound intracellular calcium is dependent on the presence of extracellular Na+. However, when Li+ was used as a Na+ replacement both phases of the response persisted. Lithium is known to support proton extrusion to a limited extent, via a Na+-H+ exchanger, and therefore the results of this study are consistent wth a role for the activation of Na+-H+ exchange in normal stimulus-secretion coupling. The experiments involving Na+-free conditions also demonstrated that consistent responses to ACh could not be evoked in bicarbonate-free media and suggest that the human sweat gland has a requirement for the presence of bicarbonate. The results of the Cl-replacement experiments show that in contrast to the simian sweat gland, the ACh-induced efflux of K+ from the isolated human sweat gland is not reduced using Cl-free conditions. Under these conditions ACh evoked a biphasic increase in the rate of K+ efflux. It appears that the presence of extracellular Cl- is not a prerequisite for the ACh-evoked K+ efflux from human sweat glands. The results of the experiments in this thesis would suggest that no single model of the mechanisms involved in sweat production can be applied in detail to the sweat glands of different species

Joint Resolution of Supply Chain Risks: The Role of Risk Characteristics and Problem Solving Approach

The purpose of this study is to examine the disruption risk resolution process in supply chains; specifically, to assess how risk attributes impact the approach firms select to resolve risks and the associated final outcomes. We propose that high magnitude risks are positively associated with mutually beneficial problem resolution; on the other hand, low likelihood risks have the opposite effect, they are negatively associated with mutually beneficial resolution. Our conceptual contribution lies in our articulation of the mechanisms though which risk magnitude and risk likelihood impact mutual problem resolution. We posit that high magnitude risks and low likelihood (uncommon) risks mobilize the social network of actors, triggering vigilant monitoring for risks, communication among actors and across firm boundaries, and resource sharing and coordination which facilitate collaborative problem solving and mutual resolutions. These mobilization mechanisms help supply chain partners to overcome the challenges of complexity and allow for information and resource flows among actors and between firms. Our statistical analysis demonstrates that the impact of risk attributes on mutual problem solutions is fully mediated by timely problem identification and collaborative problem solving

Factors Deterring Male Enrollment in Higher Education in Barbados

Barbados, a small island in the Caribbean, is experiencing the challenge of low male enrollment in higher education (HE). The research indicated that this problem, left unaddressed, could undermine the development of men, their families, and communities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to provide insight into the dispositional, institutional, and situational factors deterring young men who acquired the requisite number of certificates for entry to HE but did not enroll. The theoretical frameworks used to ground this study were Cross\u27s chain of response theory, Bourdieu\u27s social capital theory, and Knowles\u27 theory of andragogy. The research questions addressed the contributing factors to the disinclination of men from enrolling in higher education, suggestions for increasing enrollment in higher education from the perspectives of young men and educational leaders, and benefits of nonenrollment in higher education in Barbados. A purposeful sample of 7 men from the 2014 academic year cohort of 3 secondary schools participated in semistructured interviews. Five educational leaders from secondary, HEs, and the Ministry of Education (MoE) participated in a focus group. Data were transcribed, member checked, and then inductively coded for emergent themes using attribute, descriptive, versus, and axial coding. The major finding was that institutional factors accounted predominately in deterring young men from enrolling in HE in Barbados. This project study has strong implications for social change as it may be used to inform efforts by secondary school principals, higher education leaders, and administrators in the MoE to increase the number of young men enrolled in HE in Barbados

Spontaneous Alternating Behavior in \u3cem\u3eParamecium caudatum\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eParamecium multimicronucleatum\u3c/em\u3e

Spontaneous alternating behavior (SAB) describes the tendency of an organism to spontaneously select the unfamiliar direction in a two choice situation. Paramecium is the only microscopic genus in which SAB has been studied. The two earlier studies regarding SAB in Paramecium have come to conclusive, but diametrically opposed results. Designing a single new experiment that incorporates the critical differences in the designs of both studies may help to clarify the results from these earlier studies, and provide an excellent opportunity to better understand the factors that influence SAB. The overall objective of this research project was to determine whether or not SAB exists in two previously studied species of paramecia (Paramecium caudatum and Paramecium multimicronucleatum). Specifically, the study determined whether: 1) maze length or species identity influence the expression of SAB in paramecia; 2) the mechanism that resulted in SAB in short mazes in the earlier experiment was intrinsic or extrinsic in nature; and 3) there were differences in swimming ability between Paramecium caudatum and P. muItimicronucleatum. SAB occurred in short mazes in both species of Paramecium; and maze length influenced the occurrence of SAB in both species. The number of contacts in P. caudatum support the use of an extrinsic mechanism to show SAB. Both species of Paramecium displayed similar swimming ability (speed and number of contacts on each side of the maze). This experiment further clarified the diametrically opposed findings of the two earlier studies on SAB in Paramecium, that is, Lepley and Rice (1952) found SAB because they used shorter mazes, and Lachman and Havelena (1962) did not find it because they apparently used mazes that were too long

Gender Disparity within the Employment Sector in Saudi Arabia

The purpose of our research is to examine why an increased access to higher education has not resulted in an expansion of employment opportunities for women in Saudi Arabia, and how this affects the development of the country. We examine this topic through a feminist and cultural relativist lens in order to understand why Saudi Arabian women are living in such a gender-segregated state. The lack of opportunity to enjoy one’s right to employment renders the progressivism of women’s rights as civil society has taken measure to eradicate such a disparity in the employment sector and disrupt the institutional norms and policies that perpetuate such gender inequality. We will examine the social forces, norms and policies in Saudi Arabia that maintain this system of unemployment and will assess its impact on a woman’s ability to put their rights into practice. The findings of this research study will help build advocacy for the empowerment of Saudi Arabian women in the labor force, which could significantly impact the political and economic factors of the state as well as the lives of women

An exploration of excluded young people’s experience of permanent exclusion using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)

In spite of changes in the law and approaches aimed at reducing school exclusion, the level of Permanent Exclusion from schools within the United Kingdom (UK) remains high. The short-term and long-term consequences for both the individual and society, including reduced life chances and wider social exclusion, are well documented. As a result, school exclusion continues to be an on-going priority for the government and professionals working within education. Conducted in an inner London borough, this thesis is set within the national and local context of concern regarding school exclusion. Aiming to develop a better understanding of the experiences of young people who have been permanently excluded from school, this thesis addresses a gap in the literature base. The lived experiences of Permanent Exclusion were explored from the viewpoint of excluded young people attending a pupil referral unit (PRU). Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology, semistructured interviews were conducted and analysed. The resulting themes that emerged from the data analysis are presented and overarching findings are discussed in relation to previous literature and psychological theory. Key themes relating to basic psychological needs were identified and the findings were explored alongside self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Implications of the findings for Educational Psychologists (EPs), school staff and other professionals working with this group of young people are discussed in relation to applying self determination theory more holistically in schools. Recommendations or future research are also presented

An Exploration of Excluded Young People’s Experience of Permanent Exclusion Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)

In spite of changes in the law and approaches aimed at reducing school exclusion, the level of Permanent Exclusion from schools within the United Kingdom (UK) remains high. The short-term and long-term consequences for both the individual and society, including reduced life chances and wider social exclusion, are well documented. As a result, school exclusion continues to be an on-going priority for the government and professionals working within education. Conducted in an inner London borough, this thesis is set within the national and local context of concern regarding school exclusion. Aiming to develop a better understanding of the experiences of young people who have been permanently excluded from school, this thesis addresses a gap in the literature base. The lived experiences of Permanent Exclusion were explored from the viewpoint of excluded young people attending a pupil referral unit (PRU). Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed. The resulting themes that emerged from the data analysis are presented and overarching findings are discussed in relation to previous literature and psychological theory. Key themes relating to basic psychological needs were identified and the findings were explored alongside self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Implications of the findings for Educational Psychologists (EPs), school staff and other professionals working with this group of young people are discussed in relation to applying self-determination theory more holistically in schools. Recommendations for future research are also presented