Narrative Exploration of Teacher Experiences in Culturally Responsive Gifted Education

Title from PDF of title page viewed June 7, 2019Dissertation advisor: Candace SchleinVitaIncludes bibliographical references (pages 281-303)Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Education. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2019This narrative inquiry provides a contextualized understanding of teacher experiences complementing the extensive quantitative literature available regarding the underrepresentation of diverse students in gifted education programs. This research explores the experiential stories of gifted education professionals who work in urban classrooms with culturally diverse students in two neighboring Midwestern states. The complex experiences of urban gifted education professionals are examined in order to discover the "secret stories" of these classrooms, and to understand how social justice and equity factors may be accounted for in statewide policy or in the enacted curriculum for gifted learners. Informed by theories of curriculum as experience, culturally responsive pedagogy, and the process of storying in education, this research uncovers the lived experiences of teachers in the unique contexts of diverse and urban gifted education. It examines the impact of statewide gifted education policy at the classroom level, describing innovative identification and curriculum strategies that promote the academic and emotional well-being of gifted students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Four teachers in two neighboring states relate their experiences by acting as “co-researchers” and their stories are analyzed according to the process of narrative inquiry. Cover stories from multiple in-depth interviews and secret classroom stories from observations revealed four major narrative themes including (a) “Identifying Culturally Diverse Students;” (b) “Relationships and Motivating Students;” (c) “Negotiating Space and Time – Shifting Classroom Landscapes;” and (d) “Creative and Challenging Curriculum.” The stories and strategies described in this dissertation offer perspective for educators seeking to understand how to develop curriculum for culturally diverse gifted students. These narratives describe specific and practical ways that skilled gifted professionals have been able to make a difference for students who are often viewed from a deficit perspective, offering counter-narratives that celebrate and build upon strengths.Introduction -- Theoretical framework -- Literature review -- Methodology -- Data analysis: uncovering sacred stories of context and policy -- Data analysis: shredding light on gifted education experiences with diverse and urban students -- Storied meanings and implications -- Conclusion -- Appendix A. Consent for Participation in a Research Study -- Appendix B. Interview 1: Biographical Experiences in Education -- Appendix C. Interview 2: Teaching Experiences and Curriculum -- Appendix D. Interview 3:Member-check and Follow-up -- Appendix E. Calendar of Interviews and Observations Fall 2018 -- Appendix F. Armstrong Gifted Matrix -- Appendix G. Armstrong Elementary Gifted Problem Solving Rubri

Application of the Advanced Distillation Curve Method to the Comparison of Diesel Fuel Oxygenates: 2,5,7,10-Tetraoxaundecane, 2,4,7,9-Tetraoxadecane, and Ethanol/Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Mixtures

Although they are among the most efficient engine types, compression-ignition engines have difficulties achieving acceptable particulate emission and NO_<i>x</i> formation. Indeed, catalytic after-treatment of diesel exhaust has become common, and current efforts to reformulate diesel fuels have concentrated on the incorporation of oxygenates into the fuel. One of the best ways to characterize changes to a fuel upon the addition of oxygenates is to examine the volatility of the fuel mixture. In this work, we present the volatility, as measured by the advanced distillation curve method, of a prototype diesel fuel with novel diesel fuel oxygenates: 2,5,7,10-tetraoxaundecane (TOU), 2,4,7,9-tetraoxadecane (TOD), and ethanol/fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) mixtures. We present the results for the initial boiling behavior and the distillation curve temperatures and track the oxygenates throughout the distillations. These diesel fuel blends have several interesting thermodynamic properties that have not been seen in our previous oxygenate studies. Ethanol reduces the temperatures observed early in the distillation (near ethanol’s boiling temperature). After these early distillation points (once the ethanol has distilled out), B100 has the greatest impact on the remaining distillation curve and shifts the curve to higher temperatures than what is seen for diesel fuel/ethanol blends. In fact, for the 15% B100 mixture, most of the distillation curve reached temperatures higher than those seen with diesel fuel alone. In addition, blends with TOU and TOD also exhibited uncommon characteristics. These additives are unusual because they distill over most of the distillation curve (up to 70%). The effects of this can be seen both in histograms of oxygenate concentration in the distillate cuts and in the distillation curves. Our purpose for studying these oxygenate blends is consistent with our vision for replacing fit-for-purpose properties with fundamental properties to enable the development of equations of state that can describe the thermodynamic properties of complex mixtures, with specific attention paid to additives