Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Oregon promise: a look at institutions and decisions made as a result of Oregon Promise Policy(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2020) Rivenes, Teresa Renee; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carrie B. MyersHow do free college initiatives, such as the Oregon Promise, impact decision-making at mid-sized community colleges? How have community colleges leveraged free college initiatives to increase and provide systemic support to vulnerable students? The purpose of this multiple case study was to understand the decision-making process as expressed by community college leadership and to explore the process of change. The study examined four mid-sized Oregon community colleges which constituted the entire population of mid-sized community colleges per the Carnegie classification system of size, in the state of Oregon. The participants in the study included seasoned Vice Presidents whose primary role was to implement initiatives, policies, procedures and oversee student success at their campus. The information provided serves to inform change in higher education. Attention was given to Neo-Institutionalism and Tierney's Decision-making theories as well as social-constructionist and critical social frameworks. The results indicate that system change is far more difficult than one might imagine given the multiple stakeholders, vision of shared governance, and competing interests. This study concludes with suggestions for implementing system change and the need for further research.Item Self-efficacy, student engagement, and student learning in introductory statistics(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2017) Lindsey, Heidi L.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Arthur W. BangertClose to half of undergraduate students in the United States are served by community colleges. Minority, low income, and first-generation postsecondary education students utilize community colleges as a gateway to postsecondary education. Additionally, these institutions provide access to higher education for many nontraditional students, such as adults who work full time while enrolled. This study used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS SEM) to investigate and explore the relationship between community college student self-efficacy, engagement, and statistics conceptual understanding in the non-mathematical introductory statistics course and is based on Linninbrink & Pintrich's (2003) model for conceptual understanding. There is much research regarding statistics anxiety, statistics attitude, learning behavior, and statistics achievement where students at four year institutions or graduate students were studied, but few if any studies exist that investigate these same factors with community college students. Data for this study was collected from n=161 student volunteers at three different time points during the semester using all or a subset of the following instruments: Current Statistics Self Efficacy (CSSE) (Finney & Schraw, 2003), Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS) (Schau, Steven, Sauphinee, & Del Vecchio, 2995), Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1993), and Comprehensive Assessment of Outcomes in Statistics (CAOS) (delMas, Garfield, Ooms, & Chance, 2007). Problems with missing data were resolved with multiple imputation methods to preserve power and sample size and prevent introducing bias into the analysis. Overall, the relationships of self-efficacy and engagement explained R2=7.6% of the variance in conceptual understanding of statistics. This study found positive relationships between student conceptual understanding of statistics, selfefficacy to learn statistics and student engagement. Behavioral and cognitive engagement did not appear to mediate the influence of self-efficacy but motivational engagement was found to mediate this effect. Additionally, it was found that self-efficacy to learn statistics had a medium effect on statistical understanding at course end. Suggestions for future research are given.Item The current status of institutional research in northwest community colleges(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1981) Oberlander, Dale EugeneItem The Tribally Controlled Community Colleges Act of 1978 : an expansion of federal Indian trust responsibility(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1994) Pease-Windy Boy, JanineItem The role of the community college athletic director as perceived by athletic directors, deans, and presidents in California community colleges(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1977) Fields, Max EugeneItem Technology and teaching : the adoption and diffusion of technological innovations by a community college faculty(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1995) Parisot, Arlene HazelItem Ability to benefit : a credible basis for admissions to tribally controlled colleges(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1991) Boham, Sandra LeeItem Student outcomes : the relationship of teaching style to readiness for self-directed learning(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1991) Hudspeth, Jerald HenryItem The professional preparation of community college faculty in the Northwest(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1978) Harsha, Robert WayneItem A dynamic model of the indirect cost of continuing education in a Maryland public community college(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1987) Yurek, Walter James