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Sapna Thapa

  • Associate Professor
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8732-8153

Credentials

  • Doctor of Education, Early Childhood Education and Teaching
    University of Sheffield
  • Master of Arts, Early Childhood Education and Teaching
    University of Sheffield

Recent and upcoming courses

Fall 2024

Spring 2025

Biography

Sapna Thapa is an associate professor for Early Childhood Studies in the School of Urban Education. Her research areas include cross-cultural investigations of equity, quality, diversity, and inter-cultural exchange in early childhood teacher education. Her priority and passion is to prepare early childhood educators who understand the cultural and social nature of teaching and learning. Her publications include articles related to policies on equity and quality in early childhood education as well as culturally appropriate development and learning.

Prior to joining Metro State University, she was an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She was an advisory board member of the research project titled: "Global visions through mobilizing networks: Co-developing intercultural music teacher education in Finland, Israel and Nepal".

Besides academics, Sapna is involved in supporting nonprofit organizations based in Nepal such as Orchid Garden Nepal, an early childhood and elementary school that serves children from lower socio-economic status, and Lunch for Nepal, an initiative that provides lunch as an incentive for children and families. Sapna enjoys having deep and meaningful conversations with preschoolers, early childhood educators, reading both fiction and nonfiction, watching movies, and traveling to places on her bucket list.

Sapna has a masters and a doctorate in early childhood education from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Recent Publications:

  • Nganga, L., Sisson, J., Thapa, S., Kambutu, J., & Madrid Akpovo, S. (2024). Deconstructing the 2022 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards: A cross-cultural analysis of developmentally appropriate practices in Australia, Kenya and Nepal. International Journal of Early Years Education, 1-24.
  • Nganga, L., Madrid Akpovo, S., Kambutu, J., Thapa, S., & Mwangi, A. M. (2024). Educational policies in early childhood education programs in Kenya and Nepal: Challenging unjust binary mindset around curricula practices. Policy Futures in Education, 22(6), 1150-1168.
  • Nganga, L. Madrid Akpovo, S., Kambutu, J., Thapa, S. Mwangi, A. (2023). Educational policies in early childhood education programs in Kenya and Nepal: Challenging unjust binary mindset around curricula practices. Policy Futures in Education Q2
  • Thapa, S., Akpovo, M. S., Nganga, L. (2022). “A Majority-World Perspective on Early Childhood Teachers' Understanding of Children's Social-Emotional Development: An Exploratory, Cross-National Study in Nepal and Kenya”. Early Education and Development, DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2022.2054258
  • Nganga, L. Thapa, S., Kambutu, J., Madrid Akpovo, S. (2022). Inclusive special needs and disability education: History, policies, practice and challenges in Kenya and Nepal. In Peter Wood (Ed). Policies and practices for special education needs and disabilities: Perspectives `across countries. Routledge. Pp 42-56
  • Thapa, S & Akpovo, M. S. (2020). “Cultural Humility in an intercultural mentor-mentee relationship: Overcoming Emotional “borders and borderlands” of Nepali-mentors and US-mentees”. Asia Pacific Journal of Education.
  • Kambutu, J., Madrid Akpovo, S., Nganga, L., Thapa, S., & Mwangi, A. (2020). “Privatization of Early Childhood Education (ECE): Implications for Social Justice in Nepal and Kenya”. Policy Futures in Education.
  • Nganga, L., Madrid Akpovo, S., Thapa, S., & Mwangi, A. (2020). “How socioeconomics and neocolonialism affect the early childhood workforce in Nepal and Kenya: A cross-cultural perspective”. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood.
  • Akpovo, S. M., Thapa, S. and M. Halladay (2020). “Learning to see teaching as a cultural activity: US preservice-teachers’ significant experiences with Nepali mentor-teachers’ during an international student-teaching internship”. Journal of Research in Childhood Education.
  • Treacy, D. S., Thapa, S. & Neupane, S. K (2021). Where the social stigma has been overcome: musician-teachers’ negotiating identity and place in Nepali society. In A. Kalio, S. Karlsen, K. Marsh, E. Saether & H. Westerlund (eds.,) The politics of Diversity in Music Education.
  • Thapa, S. (2019). Assessing intercultural competencies in teacher education – a missing link? In H. Westerlund, S. Karlsen and H. Partti (eds.,). Visions for intercultural music teacher education. Springer (Open Access).
  • Young, D., Akpovo, S. D. & Thapa, S. (2019). Culturally responsive awareness and competence in early childhood teacher candidates. In I. Jones & M. Lin (eds.,) Critical Issues in Early Childhood Teacher Education, Volume 2: International perspectives. Chinese American Educational Research and Development Association Book Series. IAP-Information Age Publishing.
  • Thapa, S., Madrid, S. and Young, D. (2017). Collaboration as a research tool: The narratives of three early childhood researchers. In S. Madrid, M. J. Moran, R. Brookshire and M. Buchanan (eds.) Collaborative Cross Cultural Research Methodologies in Diverse Early Care and Education Contexts. Routlege

Book:

  • Lea, V., Thapa, S. & E., Hines. (2024). Vocalizing Silenced Voices: White Supremacy, Social Caste, Cultural Hegemony, and Narratives to Overcome Trauma and Social Injustice. United States: Peter Lang.

Recent Conference Proceedings

  • Nganga, L., Sisson, J., Thapa, S., Kambutu, J., & Akpovo, S. M. (2024, April 11) Deconstructing the 2022 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards: A cross-cultural analysis of DAP in Australia, Kenya and Nepal. Presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, United States.
  • Akpovo, S. M., Nganga, L., Kambutu, J., Thapa, S. (2024, April 11) Intellectual imperialism in ECE: The commodified and commercialized aspects of high stakes testing in Nepal and Kenya. Presented at the AERA Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, United States.
  • Thapa, S., Akpovo, S. M., Nganga, L., Kambutu, J. (2023, September 8). Exploring the development of parent-teacher relationships in Early Childhood Education of Nepal and Kenya: Pathways within Cultural pluralism and Cultural scripts. Presented at the 29th Annual Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE) Conference. Manchester, United Kingdom.
  • Madrid Akpovo, S., Nganga, L., Thapa, S., & Kambutu, J. (2022, December). Binary educational policies in early childhood programs: Curricula in Kenya and Nepal. Presented at the 2022 Australian Association for Research in Education Conference, Adelaide, Australia
  • Thapa, S. Lea, V., Hines, E. (2022, March 16). “Silenced Voices! Recognizing systemic barriers in Higher Education. Presented at the 2022 Conference on Diversity, Equity, and Student Success (DESS), More than Just Words, New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • Lea, V., Hines, E. & Thapa, S. (2021, September). “Silenced Voices! White Accountability, Cultural Hegemony, Historical Trauma and Narratives of Hope, Equity, and Social Justice in Higher Education. Presented at the virtual 2021 11th International Conference on Education and Justice.
  • Thapa, S. & Kumaran, A. (2021, March). “Exploring the Emotional Experiences of faculty while teaching online during a pandemic”. Presented at the virtual 2021 conference Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U).Thapa, S. & Kumaran, A. (2021). “Exploring the Emotional Experiences of faculty while teaching online during a pandemic”. Presented at the virtual 2021 AAC&U (Association of American Colleges & Universities).

Book/Article Reviews

2020 - current: Reviewer for AERA Conference submissions AERA Annual Meetings.

2022 - current: Reviewer for Fulbright U.S. Student Program National.

2018: Reviewer of Manuscript for Global Studies of Childhood, Sage Journals

2018: Reviewer of Bista, K., Sharma, S., & Raby, R. L. (Eds.). (2019). Higher Education in Nepal: Policies and Perspectives. Routledge.

2017: Reviewer of Z. Brown & H. Perkins (eds.,) (2019) “Beyond the Conventional: Using Innovative Methods in Early Years Research”. Routledge.

2021 External panelist for PhD Candidate: Kathmandu University.