Extending boundaries: young people as action researchers

Action research is generally undertaken by adults as a process of systematic action planning and enquiry which can lead to improvements in aspects of their professional practices. This article challenges and extends conventional understanding of action research to show how young people, between the ages of 10 and 17, can interrogate and improve their own practices – both individually and collectively. Brief accounts of four case studies – three British and one South African – are presented, along the lines of a patchwork narrative. Each ‘patch’ in turn contributes to the later collation of a theme and ideas that ‘stitch’ the studies together

IMPACT OF THE NOVA SCOTIA SCHOOL ACCREDITATION PROGRAM ON TEACHING AND STUDENT LEARNING: AN INITIAL STUDY

School accreditation is one process currently mandated in Nova Scotia schools to facilitate school improvement efforts. This mixed methods study sought to discover and describe the impact of the Nova Scotia School Accreditation Program (NSSAP) specifically on teaching and student learning in three secondary schools in one school board. Surveys, interviews, and school documents provided data concerning the nature of each school’s respective improvement goals and subsequent implemented strategies. An analysis follows that considers the NSSAP impact on teacher participation and student achievement, and the ambiguity of program success

Mapping Cultural Boundaries in Schools and Communities: Redefining Spaces through Organizing

For this study, the authors look specifically at cultural maps that the youth created in Student Involvement Day (SID), a program committed to youth empowerment. In these maps, youth identified spaces in their schools and communities that are open and inclusive of their cultures or spaces where their cultures are excluded. Drawing on critical geographies of/in education and Freirian notions of praxis, this paper considers the nature of school spaces through school curriculum and offers ways to render these contested spaces more democratic. Using these cultural maps, students work to individually identify spaces that allow them to engage meaningfully and collectively build key alliances and organize for more equitable and inclusive spaces in their schools and communities

STS and social inequality:editors' Introduction

Editoria

Techno-Economic Modeling of Coproduct Processing in a Corn Based Ethanol Plant in 2012

Coproducts, such as Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS), produced during ethanol production are essential to the economic sustainability of each ethanol plant as they provide an additional source of revenue. DDGS is extensively used as animal feed, but has a relatively low market value compared to the biofuel. By fractioning DDGS into lighter and heavier fractions, the overall composition changes potentially increasing the value of the coproducts as they become more desirable to different markets. Earlier studies have examined fractionating DDGS using sieves and aspirators. This project examined the techno-economics of adding fractionation systems onto an existing 40 million gal/y ethanol plant. The model allowed for estimations of fixed capital costs, annual operating costs, annual revenues, and net profits, in order to determine the economic feasibility of adding three different fractionation systems. The first fractionation system consisted of a single sieve, and the retained material was passed through an aspirator. The second system was similar to the first but with a second sieve and aspirator. The third system added a third set of them. In addition to utilizing different fractionation systems, the scenarios examined the effects extracting corn oil and producing DWG in addition to DDGS. The fractionation systems examined in this study increased the capital costs associated with the facility, but did not greatly affect the overall annual operating costs. The net profits in the four most profitable scenarios were $0.349/gal EtOH/y (scenario 14),$0.350/gal EtOH/y (scenarios 6 and 10), and $0.351/gal EtOH/y (scenario 2)