Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Rural school teachers' attitudes toward the use of technology in classroom assessments(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2024) Boateng, Samuel Kwaku Basoah; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Gilbert KalondeThis study explored the attitudes of rural schoolteachers toward integrating technology into classroom assessments. Despite significant investments in educational technology infrastructure, the utilization of instructional devices for assessments in rural schools remains limited. The study employed a sequential explanatory mixed methods to address five key research questions, investigating rural school teachers' attitudes towards technology-based assessments, frequencies of technology use by rural, strategies employed by rural school teachers, challenges faced by rural school teachers in tech-based assessments, and the alignment of quantitative and qualitative data. The study relied on a questionnaire and focus group interviews and opened questions for data collection from 80 teachers randomly selected from the Belgrade School District in Montana. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis. The study revealed a positive attitude among rural teachers toward technology integration in classroom assessments. Teachers were willing to use tools like Google Classroom and digital assessments, aligning with broader trends indicating a growing acceptance of technology in education. The study further indicated that teachers in rural schools employ technology regularly for various assessments, utilizing tools like Google Classroom, forms, checklists, and online quizzes. This aligns with the increasing reliance on technology for formative and summative assessments, allowing for real-time data collection and effective student performance tracking. Teachers reported diverse strategies for integrating technology, including digital assessments, online platforms, and technology tools. These approaches align with previous studies emphasizing technology's role in enhancing assessment practices, promoting student engagement, and supporting differentiated instruction. The study also found that rural teachers face challenges such as unreliable internet connectivity, outdated hardware, and insufficient training, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and support mechanisms. The study recommends four strategies to improve rural education: addressing infrastructure gaps, providing professional development for teachers, establishing collaborative networks, and collaborating with policymakers to ensure equitable access to technology resources. These measures aim to create dynamic learning environments, enhance teachers' capabilities, foster a supportive community, and bridge the rural-urban educational divide. The study concludes by highlighting actionable insights for improving technology integration in rural classrooms, emphasizing tailored professional development and flexible implementation strategies.Item Implementing signs of suicide program and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale in a school-based setting: a quality improvement project(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 2023) Kellam, Mariah Swank; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Molly SecorIn Montana, the youth suicide rate is more than double the national rate. Signs of Suicide (SOS) is one prevention program that is utilized within the school-based setting to educate middle and high school students. In a rural Montana school, the Brief Screen for Adolescent Depression (BSAD) is administered in conjunction with the SOS program to screen for depression; however, no focused suicide risk screening protocol exists. A Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle was implemented throughout 6 weeks to screen middle and high school students for depression, introduce subsequent suicide risk screening, and refer to mental health professionals as indicated. The school counselor (SC) performed SOS/BSAD, then subsequently collected Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) scores, made referrals, and followed up as necessary. All data were de-identified and entered into an excel document before analysis and dissemination by the DNP-S. One hundred percent of high school and middle school students (n=144) participated in the SOS program and completed a BSAD. Of 20 identified as high-risk for depression, 11 completed the C-SSRS. Of those 11, three were identified as at-risk for suicide. All three students had completed referrals with a mental health professional. Follow-up C-SSRS indicated an ultimate reduction in suicide risk. The project effectively identified students at risk for depression and subsequently evaluated suicide risk and closely tracked completed referrals. Future research should evaluate long-term changes in C-SSRS scores over time post follow-up with mental health professionals.Item Community, agency, and place: an instrumental case study of a relational partnership between rural museum and school stakeholders(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2022) Weikert, Angela Hewitt; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jayne DowneyIn the discussion about the formation and function of partnerships between community anchor institutions (e.g., schools, communities, and museums), previous studies examining motivating reasons for partnerships have been primarily focused on urban settings. Next to no research has been conducted to understand the unique factors that support partnerships in rural communities. Therefore, the purpose of this instrumental case study was to examine the motivating reasons why stakeholders from community anchor institutions establish and sustain a partnership to design and implement a place-conscious approach to education in a rural context. Data were collected using field notes, documents, audiovisual digital materials, and semi-structured interviews with nine stakeholders representing a museum and a local school district. The findings from this study illuminated the importance of understanding the nature of partnerships in a rural context. They highlight a significant shift away from previous definitions of partnerships as transactional and elevate the importance of both the relational aspects of a partnership and the critical role that relationships play in everyday rural life. The results of this study revealed how rural community members are connected through multiple roles and intentionally build long-standing relationships to support students beyond the classroom. The results also extended the findings of previous studies regarding individuals' motivating reasons for partnerships, through articulating the multidimensional reasons why stakeholders in rural contexts participate in partnership activities. These reasons included: a vision for the whole community, beliefs about personal contributions, and the value of place. Finally, the participants in this study demonstrated solution-focused innovation in their approaches to prioritizing partnership activities. This new finding highlights the shortcomings of previous descriptions of the factors that shape partnership activities which reflect superficial understandings of partnerships through vocabulary choices such as constrain or promote. Notably, this study provided an example of rural education innovation modeling how new ideas developed with rural communities can build on and extend previous positive outcomes (White & Downey, 2021). Recommendations are made for future research to explore relational partnerships and anchor institutions in other communities, as well as studying how these relationships contribute to measures of community well-being, vitality, and student outcomes.Item Montana instructional coaches receiving resources and support to increase effectiveness(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2021) Flamm, Devon Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ann EwbankMany school districts rely on instructional coaches to improve teaching to increase student learning. Using survey and interview data from Montana schools that received government funding, this mixed-methods analysis sought to find a link between providing resources and support to instructional coaches and increased school improvement. The research was conducted at 58 schools within 21 school districts in Montana. The majority of the schools were rural, and most were on or near Indian Reservations. Coaches who were able to build relationships with their principal and teachers, provide and have impact on teacher pedagogy, along with having an understanding and being part of the data analysis process had a greater impact on their school showing a greater growth in school improvement through a Needs Assessment. Schools can increase the effectiveness of a coaching program by understanding how coaching is a fundamental part of making instructional improvements within classrooms.Item A multisite case study of state policy and teacher perceptions of recruitment and retention in rural school districts impacted by the critical quality educator shortage(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2020) Hancock, Hailey Suzanne; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Christine Rogers StantonThe purpose of this qualitative multisite case study is to explore the history of school funding and policy in Montana K-12 schools with a focus on how the State legislature is or is not providing equality of educational opportunity. Because teachers are the most significant school-related factor on student performance, the analyses will focus on data involving recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers in rural contexts. This case study occurs from 2004-2019 when school districts sued the State legislature in Columbia Falls v. State of Montana (2004/2005) for not providing an adequate education. The Montana legislature revised their school finance model and, while the State claims the funding is sufficient, Montana continues to face a critical quality educator shortage in rural communities. Since 74% of Montana schools identify as rural this is especially problematic. Critical place-conscious theory was applied to the multisite case study, which consists of five interconnected phases where the semi-structured interviews influence critical policy discourse analysis. The study focused on two rural school districts impacted by the educator shortage, identified as the Glacier and Yellowstone sites. Findings demonstrate that there is a disconnect between Montana policies addressing teacher recruitment and retention, and the reality of educators' professional lives. The unsustainable workloads of teachers, inadequate staffing, low-compensation, and unaffordable housing are all challenges faced by Montana teachers. Rurality is not the primary cause of these challenges rather these issues appear to be systemic. A major conclusion is that teacher attrition impacts the quality of education students receive therefore equality of opportunity does not exist between rural and non-rural schools in Montana. Local school districts are integrating place-conscious solutions to fill this opportunity gap such as teacherages and innovative scheduling, however, not all schools have the financial capacity or leadership to do so, therefore the Montana legislature has a responsibility to provide more funding to schools impacted by the critical quality educator shortage. Furthermore, a new framework, the Place-Conscious Social- Ecological Model, is suggested to create education policy that values Montana's rurality.Item Classroom climate in a rural school context: reflection, modification, and improvement in the science classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2018) Kessler, Aaron William; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisWhen the tardy bell rings and the door closes behind the last student, a very peculiar thing happens. In an age that promotes complete and total connectivity, classrooms are very often being ran in isolation. Only during passing periods or time outside of the teacher/students class periods do conversations regarding student behavior, best practices and classroom climate take place amongst the teachers. This study was an attempt to modify this common occurrence and challenge teachers to learn from their peers during the most critical part of the school day, the time teachers and students were interacting during class time. Instructors observed their own students in different settings, commonly exhibiting different strengths and weaknesses academically, socially and behaviorally. Observing teachers learned from other teacher's good instructional strategies as well as learned from watching poor teaching strategies. Professional conversations regarding what happened during each aspect of the class period were held. Teachers collaboratively identified what works and what needs to be modified to work better. The results of the surveys that were given to the participating teachers indicated that for the first time in many of their careers, they feel that they had an honest assessment of their classroom climate as well as new strategies and teaching methods that could transform their teaching.Item Using menus as a differentiation technique in small multilevel life science and physical science classrooms(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Martin, Diane Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Walter WoolbaughDifferentiating instruction for classes that include a diverse group of learners can be challenging. In this research project, the use of menus as a differentiation method was studied with two classes at a small, rural school. The first class studied was a 7th-8th grade life science class of 11 students, the second was a 9th-grade physical science class of seven students. Each class was taught four separate units. In two of the units, students were given a list-style menu of activities from which they selected a certain number of their choice to demonstrate their mastery of the unit objectives. The other two were taught using a more traditional mixture of mini-lectures, labs, and written activities in which the entire class received the same assignment. Student mastery of unit objectives, student attitudes towards science in general and their class in particular, and the effects of this teaching method on the classroom teacher were investigated using a range of data collection methods including pre- and post-unit assessments, student written surveys, student oral interviews, and a teacher journal. Although no significant overall trends in student content mastery were observed during this research, the performances of some individual students in both classes were affected negatively by this technique, while others showed a slight improvement in mastery during the treatment units. The majority of students liked having the ability to choose activities and be responsible for their own learning. The researcher intends to use a modified form of the menu-style units in the future, perhaps with a more limited scope and shorter time frame.Item We're not much to look at: resisting representations of rurality using a critical rural perspective(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Behrens, Allison Nicole; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Robert PetroneAddressing the challenges and silences faced by rural schools and students is a matter of social justice, making rural issues a valid and needed topic for classroom study. This project addresses the minimal curricular presence of contemporary rural literary representations in the secondary English classroom. It investigates rural depictions in several Young Adult (YA) novels which reveal the persistent presence of stereotypical depictions of rural people and places. Because of the presence of these stereotypes, this project offers an analysis tool for engaging with rural texts called the Critical Rural Perspective. This paper also examines some possible benefits of using rural YA literature in the classroom. When contemporary rural YA novels are read in the classroom, students can transfer their understanding of the discursive construction of rurality seen in textual representations to the ways that language is used to create what it means to be rural. By becoming aware of the construction of rural identity, students can analyze, resist, and manipulate the single story of rurality which can set the stage for a more nuanced societal understanding of rural people.Item Principal leadership, collective teacher efficacy, and high reliability organization principles : creating high-performing high schools(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2016) Filpula, Linda Ruth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Tena VerslandThe purpose of this multiple embedded case study is to understand how principal leadership develops and maintains collective teacher efficacy (CTE) in rural high schools, and how CTE and high reliability organization (HRO) principles contribute to the development of a high-performing rural high school. Four Montana high schools were selected for this study based upon students above average composite ACT scores and graduation rates for two consecutive years. The third criterion was that each school's principal had to have been in that leadership position longer than four years. Each school completed Goddard and Hoy's Collective Efficacy Scale (2003) to ascertain the level of the teaching staff's collective efficacy and provide descriptive data. The principal and a teacher focus group from each school were then interviewed separately. From the data analysis, three themes emerged across all four schools. First, principals had developed 'situational awareness' to effectively manage their schools. Second, principals had well established and effective formal and informal channels of communication. Third, principals had a continuous school improvement process in place to make improvements. Principals have a key role to play in the development of CTE as well as the implementation of HRO principles in their schools to create a high-performing school. The results of this study can provide new insights on how principals develop collective teacher efficacy (CTE) and utilize the five high reliability organization principals to create a high-performing high school in rural Montana.Item The four-day school week : research on extended weekends(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2016) Amys, Ryan Donald; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Christine Rogers StantonWith restrictions being made on state budgets, 'the four-day school week has been an increasingly attractive option for legislators seeking to cut education costs' (NCSL, 2014). Research has shown the beneficial and adverse aspects of an alternative school calendar through monetary interest, attendance of students and staff, morale, and academic scores (Donis-Keller & Silvernail 2009). However, there is limited information regarding the influence shortened school weeks have on students' social choices, particularly the choices they make with activities on weekends. As a result of lengthened weekends, the purpose of this case study was to examine the perception four-day school weeks has left on the various stakeholders of a rural Montana high school, with an emphasis on extended weekends, and to investigate the specific activities high school students participate in during three-day weekends. In order to investigate this topic further, the following research questions were directed to stakeholders from a rural Montana school district that recently shifted to a four-day schedule: 1.) As a result of a four-day school week, how do rural school stakeholders view the choices made by students on extended weekends?; 2.)What choices do students make on their extended weekends, and, according to stakeholders, what influences those choices?; 3.) In what ways is the four-day school week contributing to or detracting from student well-being? Data collection was achieved through individual interviews of administrators, teachers, and coaches, a focus group was held with parents of high school students, and insight from senior students was collected through a text-messaging system called Remind. Remind provided an innovative data collection technique that maintained anonymity of adolescent participants. The findings of this case study emphasize the importance and advancement in adolescent involvement with extracurricular activities, workforce, time spent with family and peers, and religious practices. However, the findings also bring forth further questions about adolescents not involved in athletics, clubs, religious endeavors, and the workforce.