Year: 2025

Evaluating Language Models Using Linguistic Variations in Multilingual Learners’ Writing: A Teacher Study

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International Society of the Learning Sciences (2025) Authors: Kaycie Barron, Nora Tseng, Shamya Karumbaiah, Cynthia T. Baeza Abstract: This paper investigates teachers’ perceptions on linguistic variations in bi/multilingual learners’ (MLs) writing to evaluate the (in)effectiveness of Multilingual Large Language Models (MLLMs), which are artificial intelligence (AI) models that generate texts in multiple languages. Due to …

Counterfactual Slopes and Their Applications in Social Stratification

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Sociological Methodology (2025) Authors: Ang Yu and Jiwei Zhao Abstract: This article addresses two prominent theses in social stratification research, the great equalizer thesis and Mare’s school transition thesis. Both theses describe the role of an intermediate educational transition in the association between socioeconomic status and an outcome variable. However, the descriptive regularities of the …

School Disruptions Exacerbated Inequality in High School Completion

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Educational Researcher (2023) Author: Ran Liu Abstract: Using school-month-level learning mode data and high school completion rates across three school years from 429 Wisconsin public high schools, this study examines the impact of disruptions to in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic on high school completion rates, with a focus on socioeconomic disparities. Findings reveal that a …

Childcare Facility Closure and Exacerbated Gender Inequality in Parenting Time during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Sociology (2024) Authors: Ran Liu and Siyun Gan Abstract: The unprecedented large-scale childcare facility closure during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic increase in the childcare burden at home, which is shouldered disproportionately by women more than men. Leveraging anonymized mobile tracking data and nationally representative time-use survey data from the USA, this study adopts a …

Egalitarian Penalty or Reward? A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Gender Attitudes and Adulthood Income

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Social Science Research (2024) Authors: Yi-Lin Chiang and Ran Liu Abstract: Studies often attribute the persistent gender pay gap to different labor force experiences between men and women. Yet, attitudes formed in earlier life stages also critically shape individual outcomes. Using longitudinal data from Taiwan, this study examines whether and how adolescents’ gender attitudes are related to …

The Gendered Patterns and Impacts of Teacher-Student Interactions: Highlighting Cross-Subject Dimensional Comparison

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British Journal of Sociology of Education (2025) Author: Ran Liu Abstract: Teacher-student interactions (TSIs) are crucial in shaping student learning attitudes and outcomes. Current literature primarily focuses on within-subject TSI effects, neglecting potential cross-subject TSI effects and related gender disparities. Using data from Chinese adolescents and extending the dimensional comparison theory, this study examines the within- and …

Synthesizing Intra-Individual and Social Comparisons: How Integrated Comparative Advantage Shapes Math Attitudes and Gender Stereotypes

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International Journal of STEM Education (2025) Author: Ran Liu Abstract: Despite gender similarity in math performance, gender disparities persist in math-related attitudes and STEM aspirations among adolescents globally. To disentangle this puzzle, some studies adopt the dimensional comparison theory to investigate the role of intra-individual comparative advantage across academic subjects, while others focus on the role …

Exclusionary Behaviors Reinforce Historical Biases and Contribute to Loss of Talent in the Earth Sciences

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Earth’s Future (2023) Authors: Erika Marin-Spiotta, Emily Diaz-Vallego, Rebecca Barnes, Allison Mattheis, Blair Schneider, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Meredith Hastings, Billy Williams, Vicki Magley Abstract: Geosciences remain one of the least diverse fields. Efforts to diversify the discipline need to address the role of hostile and exclusionary work and learning environments. A workplace climate survey distributed to …

Historically Excluded Groups in Ecology are Undervalued and Poorly Treated

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Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (2023) Authors: Richard Primack, Tara Miller, Carina Terry, Erika Marín-Spiotta, Pamela Templer, Asmeret Berhe, Emily Diaz Vallejo, Meredith Hastings, Vicki Magley, Allison Mattheis, Blair Schneider, Rebecca Barnes Abstract: Hostile workplaces undermine efforts to make the ecological sciences more inclusive and welcoming. Survey responses by members of the Ecological Society of America …

Racial Disparities in the Auto Loan Market

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Review of Financial Studies (2023) Authors: Alexander Butler, Erik Mayer, and James Weston Abstract: We document racial disparities in auto lending. Combining credit bureau records with borrower characteristics, we find that Black and Hispanic applicants’ approval rates are 1.5 percentage points lower, even after controlling for creditworthiness. In aggregate, this effect crowds out 80,000 minority loans each …