Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Exploring college student development in connection to informal international interactions: a grounded theory study(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2023) Kain, Marie Blanche Solange; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bryce HughesEducating global citizens is a prevalent goal of higher education institutions. Intercultural goals are usually achieved through study-abroad programs, an option limited to mostly privileged students. A more common situation for students to experience internationalization is by interacting with international students on their own campus in the USA. This grounded theory study explored how American domestic students made meaning of their informal interactions with their international roommates at Montana State University. It also investigated how these relationships impacted the students' self-authorship and intercultural maturity. These interactions usually provided domestic students with significant self-reflection on themselves, their own culture, and how they interact with others, seemingly impacting self-authorship. When disequilibrium was followed by communication and intentional learning, developmental growth was perceived by students in all domains. In cases where conflicts were not addressed, stereotypes were reinforced and cultures hierarchized. Additionally, these interactions were often a starting point leading to an increased interest in globalization, traveling, and studying abroad. Nevertheless, these interactions on a domestic campus were not considered as transformative or as valuable for students as immersive traveling experiences. American higher education institutions should thus thrive to improve access to international learning opportunities abroad as well as promote the value of global education opportunities on their own campuses.Item Emotional intelligence and dangerous driving behaviors(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2022) Ahmed, Jubaer; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Nicholas Ward; Nicholas Ward, Jay Otto and Annmarie McMahill were co-authors of the article, 'How does emotional intelligence predict driving behaviors among non-commercial drivers?' in the journal 'Journal of transportation research part F: psychology and behaviour' which is contained within this dissertation.; Nicholas Ward, Jay Otto and Annmarie McMahill were co-authors of the article, 'The influence of emotional intelligence on dangerous driving: a comparison between commercial and non-commercial drivers' submitted to the journal 'Journal of safety science' which is contained within this dissertation.; Nicholas Ward, Jay Otto and Annmarie McMahill were co-authors of the article, 'Developing a scale to assess emotional intelligence in the context of driving' submitted to the journal 'Journal of personality assessment' which is contained within this dissertation.Dangerous driving behaviors are the leading cause of road crashes and fatalities. Many factors contribute to dangerous driving behaviors including drivers' beliefs, attitudes, personalities, and emotions. Of these, the role of emotions has received less attention. Emotional Intelligence theory provides a framework for understanding how individuals' emotional factors influence their behaviors and interactions with others. Therefore, this research aims to understand how emotional intelligence can be used to investigate and alleviate dangerous driving behaviors. The research aims of this dissertation include 1. Identify the most appropriate measure of emotional intelligence that is currently available for the driving context; 2. Examine the correlations between emotional intelligence and dangerous driving behaviors in different risk exposure groups (commercial and non-commercial drivers); 3. Develop an emotional intelligence measure specific to the context of driving. This research dissertation comprised four survey studies conducted between November 2019 to July 2021 among commercial and non-commercial drivers across the United States. The results further revealed higher emotional intelligence scores related to less dangerous driving behaviors for both commercial and non-commercial drivers. However, the relationship between emotional intelligence and dangerous driving was significantly stronger among commercial drivers than their non-commercial counterparts. In the final study, this research developed a new Drivers' Emotional Intelligence Scale (DEIS) specific to driving. Factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure for DEIS labeled as emotionality, self-control, and anxiety. The results showed that the DEIS subscales were stronger predictors of dangerous driving behaviors compared to the previously used emotional intelligence scales. This research concludes that improving emotional intelligence will be useful to reduce dangerous driving behaviors and suggests incorporating emotional intelligence to design interventions to reduce fatal road crashes. This research acknowledges some limitations such as the use of self-reported surveys and convenience quota samples, which may have limited the generalizability of these results. Future research should continue to gather evidence about the association between emotional intelligence and traffic safety through different experimental designs and longitudinal studies.Item Academic and social engagement in various online-delivery formats for military veteran students(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2021) Ridenour, Rodney Ross; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Sweeney WindchiefThis qualitative study explored the social and academic engagement experiences of military veteran students in various online-delivery formats at a small, rural university. There are very few studies describing the experiences of veteran students in online formats in higher education. The researcher interviewed eight military veteran students from different military branches. The participants had a range of prior educational backgrounds. The students had taken several types of online-delivery classes in their coursework and had completed their requirements for bachelor's degrees using online education. Several themes emerged from the engagement in different online formats. The study found student-veterans enjoyed the flexibility to study around their work schedules and being in online classes, which have more nontraditional students. The learning management system provided easy interaction with other students and opportunities to meet with faculty during virtual office hours. Learning and adapting to newer technologies was a negative part of some online formats. Some online formats stressed more written engagement while hybrid formats provided live engagement with other students and instructors. Veteran students liked more interaction from instructors in technical classes, but too much engagement added little value to many classes. The findings of the study indicate veteran students enjoyed engagement with other nontraditional students and instructors who participate in discussions. Negative themes that emerged were online classes with lack of student or instructor involvement and certain online-delivery formats being poor choices for certain subjects and learning styles. Limitations of this study are that it is a small, qualitative study with participants who all successfully fulfilled the requirements for their degrees. This study provides insights on positive and negative engagement experiences of veteran students in different online-delivery formats.Item Student engagement in an online Calculus I course: behavioral, cognitive, and social dimensions(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) Barton Odro, Emmanuel; Co-chairs, Graduate Committee: Elizabeth Burroughs and Derek A. WilliamsAt the university level and in STEM fields students drop out in part due to not being able to pass mathematics courses, particularly, Calculus I. According to the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), Calculus I occupies a unique position as a gateway course to STEM degrees. Almost all STEM majors need to take at least the first course in Calculus. Hence, there is the need to understand how to create successful Calculus courses, particularly in online settings. This study answers the call by studying the ways students engage with the mathematical content, each other and the course while learning about the concept of derivative. More precisely, the purpose of this research was to investigate the nature of students' engagement experiences--behavioral, cognitive, and social dimensions--in an asynchronous online Calculus I course. To examine the nature of students' engagement experiences, I conducted a phenomenological qualitative study combining data from students' discussion posts, demographic survey responses, and interviews. I analyzed the data using three analytical lenses: Toulmin's (1958/2003) argumentation model, Swan's (2002) coding schema and social network analysis. Findings indicate that the cognitive demand of weekly tasks influences the patterns of cognitive engagement demonstrated through discussion posts. Additionally, two situations promoted more social engagement among students: grouping students for discussion posts and initial posts with evidence of social presenceItem Investigating the relationship of an early semester intervention program and first year college student sense of belonging(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2020) Wilson, Chelsey Jo; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Tricia SeifertApproximately seventy five percent of first year college students are retained their second year (NSC Research Center, 2020). Students leave college for a variety of reasons: they may experience financial difficulties, have family obligations, trouble seeking a support community in school, experience academic adjustment issues, lack of student involvement, and poor institutional fit (Tinto, 2001). Students stay in college when they find a sense of place or community. Researchers (Astin, 1984; Beil, Reisen, Zea, & Caplan, 1999; Cadet, 2008; Milem & Berger, 1997; Strayhorn, 2012) have presented evidence that student involvement in campus activities, both social and academic, are strongly related to student sense of belonging and retention. Strayhorn (2012) states that educators must create conditions that foster belonging among students. This quantitative study examined an early semester intervention program designed to welcome first year students to their college community through involvement and connection. A self-report online survey was utilized to assess level of participation in the week of welcome program and feelings of belongingness. The respondent pool consisted of 625 first-time, full-time students at one large, public institution in the northwest. Correlation Analysis, Linear Regression, Independent Sample T-Tests, One-Way Analysis of Variance, Ordinarily Least Square Regressions, and Paired Sample T-Tests were used to examine and determine the relationships between independent and dependent variables. Level of participation in a week of welcome program has a statistically significant positive relationship with first year college student sense of belonging. Living status was the only student background characteristic that had a relationship with level of participation in the week of welcome program. Students who lived on campus participated in welcome week activities at a higher rate than students who lived off campus. Both planned and actual level of participation in a week of welcome program had a statistically significant positive relationship with student sense of belonging, even when accounting for student background characteristics and desired sense of belonging. Last, desired sense of belonging and actual sense of belonging had a positive relationship, even when controlling for student background characteristics. Based on the findings, recommendations for higher education administrators, practitioners, and institutions are discussed.Item Family environmental risk factors for adolescent substance use: an integrative review of the literature(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 2019) Walker, John Caleb; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Tracy HellemSubstance use continues to be an ongoing problem throughout the United States and worldwide. In terms of substance use initiation, adolescence is characterized as an especially vulnerable developmental time period. There are many potential influences that can affect an adolescent's risk for initiating substance using behaviors. One particularly influential factor is the family environment the adolescent is exposed to on a daily basis. The purpose of this project was to summarize the evidence on the topic of adolescent substance use risk factors within the immediate family environment. Following an integrative review guideline, three library databases were searched utilizing a set of key search terms in order to obtain all relevant studies related to this topic. Each relevant research article found in the literature search that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria was included in the review process. Research findings were extracted from these research studies, organized into common categories, and integrative summaries were presented. The results of the review were categorized and presented based on commonly identified influential factors that were examined in the primary studies. As a result of this review, it was concluded that many significantly influential immediate family environment risk and protective factors have been identified in the literature. The significance of these findings and the potential implications for practice, prevention, and research, are discussed.Item Socialization experiences of STEM international graduate students at American public research universities: a multivariate analysis(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2019) Johnson, Catherine Mary; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carrie B. MyersSTEM international graduate students encounter unique challenges at American public research universities. One of these challenges relates to the cultural isolation international graduate students face as they traverse American higher education (Lee & Rice, 2007). Factors found influential to international students' persistence include the faculty advisor and advisee relationship (Rice et al., 2009), peer interactions (Rose- Redwood & Rose-Redwood, 2013), and identity formation (Gomes & Tran, 2017; Phelps, 2016). As a multiple regression study, the research questions were designed to determine the extent international graduate students' faculty mentor and peer relationships, cultural congruity, and identity prominence influence intercultural relevancy as parts of the socialization process (Kuh & Love, 2001; Museus & Quaye, 2009). Over a thousand international graduate students from 12 research universities participated in the Graduate Student Experiences survey; an NSF funded Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate project. The final analytical sample (n = 953) was analyzed using ordinary least squares regression. The first set of results indicated that mentor's cultural support, peer interactions, social and professional identity prominence had significant positive effects on international graduate students' cultural integrity in STEM. The second set of models indicated that mentors' cultural support, peer interactions, cultural congruity, social and professional identity prominence were positively associated with levels of international graduate students' connections with cultural representatives. These findings suggest faculty mentor's cultural support, peer interactions, social and professional identity are important for developing intercultural relevancy within international graduate students at American public research universities. More importantly, students' perceptions of intercultural relevancy differ across groups. This study contributes to the research on graduate education in several ways. First this study provides a quantitative look at international graduates' experiences in the U.S. The contribution of this study is the use of data from a nationally administered graduate student experiences survey at 12 institutions that included newly developed measures of intercultural relevancy in STEM, identity prominence, and mentor interaction. Measures of intercultural effort provide another way to interpret graduate student socialization. The empirical findings add to the growing body of literature on graduate education, international students.Item Second skin(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2019) Burchill, Victoria Leigh; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bryan S. PetersenIt is common for women to evaluate and compare herself with another woman. In a society that promotes individuality and instills an importance of appearance, judgement and comparison of one's visual identity can be a barrier in cultivating friendship and building community. A hostile attitude is often the response to an encounter with an intimidating woman, rather than connecting with her because she is admirable. Awareness of said behavior is essential in shifting the negative attitude, and the practice of charisma can be guiding in one's personal growth of mindset. A rope can symbolize the attitude between two women: they can either tug the rope and engage in a battle, or they can use the rope as a connection to pull each other together and be allies.Item Convivial(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2016) Phan, Larry; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Dean AdamsHow are artists today influenced by the last 20 years of the art movement of Relational Aesthetics? My research is focused on the Relational Aesthetics method of participant engagement as a form of art practice. Combining traditional craft mediums and cooking I explore the ways social engagement and Relational Aesthetics can create community within the spectrum of contemporary art. I use traditional craft mediums to create tactile and visual familiarity to engage gallery goers as well as community participation.Item The function of Woman's Week at Montana State University(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1976) Weisenborn, Donna Graves