Scholarship & Research
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Item Re-conceptualizing graduate student cross-cultural socialization: a novel strength-based perspective(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2022) Brazill, Shihua Chen; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carrie B. Myers; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.Much of the existing literature on graduate education comes from a deficit perspective, which is problematic because it blames individual failure on family background, language, or lack of cultural knowledge. Given the pervasive nature of systemic racism, this deficit model is a classic "blame the victim" approach. Instead, my three-article dissertation emphasized the strengths that graduate students bring with them and develop on their journey. The unifying theme is the focus on cross-cultural socialization through a strength-based perspective. Collectively, findings from these studies cohere around this strength-based approach. The three articles employ various epistemological, theoretical, and methodological perspectives to contribute to understanding and supporting graduate students' cross-cultural socialization experiences. Throughout the dissertation, I explored important cross-cultural socialization constructs such as cultural congruity, academic confidence, peer, faculty, and institutional interactions, cultural capital, cultural strengths, and multiple identities. The first article relied on a critical quantitative lens to examine the cultural congruity and academic confidence of AI/AN students. Our results found elevated levels of cultural congruity among those students who reported more favorable peer interactions, but the simultaneous experiences of mentor's cultural support and university environment fit did not reveal such an influence. Students reported greater levels of academic confidence in the presence of mentor's cultural support and university environment fit but not for peer influence. We situated the findings within prior research and identified where universities, peers, and mentors can provide cultural support, inspire academic confidence, and further enhance well-being through honoring the cultural strengths of AI/AN students. The second article was a qualitative study that used narrative inquiry to understand the cross-cultural socialization experiences of three Chinese international doctoral students. My findings suggest that Chinese international doctoral students use various forms of cultural capital (aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistance) as leverage in their cross- cultural socialization journey. The third research article was another narrative inquiry study that built upon the second study to further understand Chinese international doctoral students' cross- cultural socialization experience. My findings suggested that cultural strengths helped to empower Chinese international doctoral students and develop their personal, social, cultural, and professional identities.Item Race and Gender Factors in ACT English and Composite Scores(2020) Brazill, Shihua ChenThis study utilized quantitative research methods using the Montana Office of Public Instruction’s Growth and Enhancement of Montana Students (GEMS) data set. This quantitative researchis important because it provides insight on the following relationships (1) Is there a statistically significant difference among students from different races on their mean 11th grade ACT English scores?; (2) Is there an interaction between gender and race on students’ mean 11thgrade ACT English scores?; and (3) Is there a statistically significant difference among American Indian students mean ACT composite score from their Junior to their Senior year.Item Pedagogical Strategies for Teaching A Multicultural Education Course: Creating Safe Space and Brave Space for A Community of Learners(2020) Brazill, Shihua ChenThe article focuses on pedagogical strategies for multicultural education courses, with a focus on creating brave space for a community of learners. The study explains how to design and implement effective practices to create the brave space that is vital to a multicultural education course. Brave space is crucial because of the sensitivity of the topics covered, such as identity, intersectionality, cultural humility, social justice, and Indian Education for All.Item Intercultural Comparison of E-Learning Behaviors of Chinese vs. American Students(2019) Brazill, Shihua ChenThis paper focuses on E-learning and intercultural studies of Chinese and American students. The paper is divided into six sections including Introduction, Intercultural Comparisons of Chinese and American Students, E-learning, Instructional Design for E-Learning, Cultural Theory for E-learning, and Conclusion. As a practical result, this paper is useful to researchers and practitioners who wish to know and understand cultural differences and E-Learning behaviors of Chinese and American students. This knowledge could enhance online teacher-student interactions, improve E-learning outcomes, and identify salient cultural communication differences.Item Factors that Predict ACT Science Scores from a Multicultural Perspective(2019) Brazill, Shihua ChenThis study investigated predictors for ACT Science scores, a test used by many universities to rank applicants. This study utilized quantitative research methods using the Montana Office of Public Instruction’s GEMS (Growth and Enhancement of Montana Students) data set. All advanced statistical analysis was conducted using Stata software IC/15. This research is significant for increasing the representation of under-represented groups in STEM education because it helps clarify three important relationships: (1) How well do gender, race, and meal status predict 11th grade ACT Science scores; (2) How well does school size predict 11th grade ACT Science scores while controlling for gender, race, and meal status; and (3) How well does high school GPA predict 11th grade ACT Science scores while controlling for gender, race, meal status, and school size.