Peer-Reviewed Journal Article Analysis: “Doing More With Less: Innovative Program Building In ABA And Special Education In A Rural Setting”
Bethune and Kiser’s (2017) article, “Doing More With Less: Innovative Program Building in ABA and Special Education in a Rural Setting, ” drew attention to the difficulties of becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, specifically in a rural setting, and the steps college programs have taken to make the certification process simpler. Bethune and Kiser (2017) followed all of the standard guidelines and expectations for a peer-reviewed journal article, and they adhered to the traditional elements of genre.
Bethune and Kiser focused on the issues that face those in rural settings who are attempting to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. These difficulties include lack of access to programs, trouble finding teachers for these programs, and the high teacher attrition rates in rural areas. The authors then drew attention to “an innovative approach to creating a dual program” which would allow students to gain this licensing at the same time they receive their teacher certification, as well as possible issues that could arise from such programs including conflicts of interest, poor teaching placement, and the difficulty and importance of “maintaining collaborative working relationships” with the community.
The purpose of Bethune and Kiser’s (2017) article was to inform readers of the shortage of BCBAs in rural areas as well as a new approach to licensing educators, specifically those working toward becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, at James Madison University in Harrisburg, Virginia. The audience was their fellow educators, and those who were interested in attempting to create a similar program at other universities.
Bethune and Kiser (2017) used two different rhetorical appeals. The first rhetorical appeal used was ethos. They gave explanations for all data and their analysis of the data, and they cited every source used. The second rhetorical appeal used was logos. Bethune and Kiser (2017) presented all their information in a logical and organized manner. The mode was text-based with two charts and one graph used to present data. The media was a scholarly journal published online.
Bethune and Kiser (2017) used all six elements of genre for a peer-reviewed journal article. Their article was based on original research and was submitted to a peer-reviewed journal to be reviewed by their fellow educators. They used a strong thesis statement, and the rest of the article was used to back this thesis up. They used nineteen sources as the basis for their research, and these sources were pulled together to make a cohesive argument. Bethune and Kiser (2017) were also precise and formal. Their language was professional and easily understood.
Bethune and Kiser (2017) made three style choices indicative of the genre. They used a highly descriptive title. This included the creative portion, “Doing More With Less, ” and then a colon and the description of the article, “Innovative Program Building in ABA and Special Education in a Rural Setting”. The authors used an authoritative and strong voice and tone. For example, they say “The use of practices derived from the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) in special education is critical to the success of students with disabilities”. This emphasizes their authority on the subject they are writing about. They also used specific details to help readers understand they ideas they presented.
Bethune and Kiser (2017) used both design elements that are traditional for per-reviewed journal articles. They used subheadings to make the article easier to read and follow. Each heading also let the reader know the authors were changing to a new topic. They also used images in the form of two graphs and a chart. The graphs gave readers and understanding of the education programs used for graduate students attempting to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts. The chart helped readers to understand the time graduate students need to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Bethune and Kiser (2017) used nineteen different sources in their article. These sources varied from text books to fellow education professionals to government regulations and acts. These sources were cited appropriately in-text, and they were placed in a works cited page at the end of the article.
Bethune and Kiser’s (2017) was informative, interesting, and easy to follow. The authors gave more than enough information for those interested in the topic of special education in rural areas of the United States. Bethune and Kiser (2017) gave their professional opinions of what is needed in the future to help grow the Board Certified Behavior Analyst programs in universities as well as the possible issues that could arise in the future for such programs. Overall, Bethune and Kiser (2017) used all the standard conventions of an article written in the peer-reviewed genre.
