Scholarship & Research
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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 Elementary teachers' perceptions of K-5 engineering education and perceived barriers to implementation(2019-04) Hammack, Rebekah; Ivey, ToniBackground The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for the integration of engineering content and practices in elementary science curricula, yet little is known about elementary teachers' preparedness to do so or their views on teaching engineering. Purpose/Hypothesis The purpose of the current study was to explore K‐5 teachers' perceptions about incorporating engineering in their classrooms as well as the perceived barriers for doing so. Design/Method This study consisted of an online survey including a mix of selected response, Likert, and short answer items, followed by individual interviews and focus group sessions with a subset of survey participants. Descriptive statistics are reported for quantitative survey data. Open‐ended survey questions as well as interview and focus group transcripts were inductively coded to identify emergent themes. Results Many elementary teachers support the inclusion of engineering in the science standards for elementary grades. Teachers describe a lack of preservice and in‐service training, background knowledge, materials, time for planning and implementing lessons, and administrative support as barriers to implementing engineering activities within their classrooms. Conclusion While many elementary teachers support the use of engineering activities in their classrooms, there are numerous barriers preventing them from doing so. To ensure that NGSS are incorporated into elementary classrooms as they were intended, elementary teachers must be provided with the necessary training, resources, and support.Item The relationship of formal reasoning, motivation, and conceptual change: a quantitative study of introductory biology students across the United States(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2018) Bernard, Romola Alaica; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carrie B. Myers; Steven Kalinowski (co-chair)There is a noticeable disconnect between conceptual change research carried out in different domains of knowledge. This is starkly apparent in the divide between theoretical models of conceptual change stemming from cognitive and educational psychology, and empirical studies on conceptual change rooted in science education. This study operationalized models of conceptual change that accounted for the rational aspect of conceptual change that dominates in the natural sciences, and the extrarational aspects of conceptual change that are focal in the social sciences. Mixed effects models of conceptual change were investigated. In addition to prior knowledge, formal reasoning ability was incorporated as a critical rational aspect of conceptual change. Academic motivation, plus the teaching and learning environment students experience were included as essential extrarational aspects of conceptual change. The final operational model of conceptual change has post-instruction score as the response variable, and pre-instruction score, formal reasoning ability, intrinsic motivation, representation of racial group in science, teacher experience, and teaching practice as the most important predictors of conceptual change. Prior knowledge and formal reasoning ability are by far the strongest predictors of improving post-instruction conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection for introductory biology students. There are two noteworthy findings. One, a crucial student characteristic, formal reasoning ability, has been ignored in conceptual change research. When formal reasoning ability is included as a predictor, self-efficacy is not at all important in predicting conceptual change. Two, another student characteristic, race, plays an important role in predicting conceptual change.Item Beginning band instrument selection preferences and performance scores over time(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2019) Quinones, Joseph Ramon; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Kristin Harney; Nick Lux (co-chair)This quantitative study examines the process of guiding students in beginning band instrument selection at Monforton Middle School, in Bozeman, MT. Data from 46 students was collected to identify if correlations exist between students initial instrument tone production and preference ratings and the students' performance throughout the first 15 months of playing the instrument they selected. Data for this study was collected through instrument tryout forms prior to students selecting and instrument and playing assessment rubrics for each of the 12 playing assessments, all of which were requirements of beginning band class. While data did not suggest that stronger initial tone production and preference ratings correlated with higher scores on playing assessments, there is evidence to suggest the overall instrument selection process was beneficial in guiding students to select an instrument that is well suited to them, as students, on average, scored 82% on their playing assessments. Further research to better prove the effectiveness would likely require a control group of students not receiving guidance in the instrument selection process; this would likely not be possible because student education would be inhibited through the lack of guidance.Item The internal vertical transfer phenomenon: an exploration of the lived experiences and perceptions of internal transfer students from an embedded two-year institution(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2019) Morley, Michelle Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bryce HughesExisting literature focuses on external transfer students, transitioning from community colleges to a new and separate four-year college and understanding the transfer process and transfer student success. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological inquiry was the examination of the intricacies of the transfer process between a two-year embedded institution to the parent four-year institution and how internal transfer students navigate the transfer process towards successful baccalaureate degree completion. Three research questions guided this study -- (1) How do internal transfer students who started at a two-year college within a regional public institution describe their transfer experiences to their four-year programs? (2) How do transfer experiences differ between students who selected to start at the two-year institution and those who intended to start at the four-year level but were placed into the two-year program? (3) What do internal transfer students believe the institution should do to support their retention? Utilizing an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology, face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 10 internal transfer students enrolled in four-year programs. Data analysis was conducted in two phases. Phase one involved transcribing the interviews. Phase two consisted of a two-part coding process. Open coding identified areas of comparisons and led to the development of a broad set of codes. In the second phase, the theoretical frameworks of Schlossberg's Transition Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory were applied during the axial coding process. Six themes emerged: Sense of Agency; Sense of Identity; Paying for College; Institutional Supports; Institutional Procedures; and Building Transfer Capital. Results indicate internal transfer students often face challenges similar to external transfer students. Of particular interest were the differences in experiences between the participants who were placed at the two-year college and those who chose to begin at the two-year college. The participants who chose to begin at the two-year college described greater difficulty identifying as students of the parent campus whereas the participants who were placed at the two-year college identified as students of the parent campus from the time they began at the two-year college. Institutional recommendations focused on faculty engagement and advising experiences are provided.Item The 2011 Dear Colleague letter: a quantitative analysis of Title IX's impact on sexual violence management(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2019) Aderholdt, William David; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Sweeney WindchiefThis is a nationwide policy analysis of the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter - a policy which changed how institutions of education responded to reports of sexual violence. Due to the substantial requirements placed on institutions of higher education as a result of this guidance, there is a need to determine how the policy has impacted the management of sexual violence. To accomplish this, Clery Act data from 2001-2017 were collected from 3,634 institutions of higher education from throughout the United States. Uniform Crime Data, a national crime database, was used as a comparison to determine if any changes to reporting rates were also present in the general population of the United States. The Integrated Postsecondary Data System, a database comparing institutions of higher education, was used to determine if institution characteristics (degree program, sector, residential classification, and size) changed how the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter impacted the management of sexual violence. The datasets were analyzed using single- and multiple-group interrupted time-series analysis. The results of this examination found the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter increased reports of sexual violence through the Clery Act by 350%. Three primary conclusions of this study include: 1) The 2011 Dear Colleague Letter caused a significant increase in the management of sexual violence by institutions of higher education; 2) This increase was not due to an increase in reporting by the general population; and 3) Institutions of higher education implemented the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter guidance despite unique characteristics; however, there existed significant differences between these groups.Item Aesthetics thinking(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2019) Home Gun, Melanie Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Priscilla LundThis mixed-methods phenomenological study explores aesthetic education and the visual arts as an intervention for students who have learning disabilities to enhance reading as measured by standardized test scores, self-concept scores, and through interviews that investigate students' self-esteem, self-concept, motivation, and self- efficacy. Participants range between the ages of 10 and 11 and are in grades four and five. The study investigated seven children's feelings about themselves and towards reading before and after the intervention. The research study is aimed to determine whether using the visual arts and an aesthetic education intervention in reading helps children with learning disabilities read more effectively by having the opportunity to express themselves artistically. Moreover, the visual arts and the use of an aesthetic education in the core curriculum is not readily available for children in the elementary grades in most public schools in the United States. The focus of this study is on children in a small rural town in North Eastern Montana of mixed demographics and socio-economic status. While not intended to be an exhaustive literature review, this research highlights important findings that correlate aesthetic education and the visual arts with reading acquisition within this small and rural community of children with learning disabilities. Further, the study explores self-concept through the authentic expression of individuals and the phenomenon and lived experiences from the intervention of their cohort. From this research, I hope that educators and policymakers will reconsider how aesthetic education and the visual arts can influence educational practices and policies and use the arts in the public schools again as part of a core curriculum.Item Educating for Sustainability in Remote Locations(National Rural Education Association, 2019-07) Reading, Chris; Khupe, Constance; Redford, Morag; Wallin, Dawn; Versland, Tena; Taylor, Neil; Hampton, PatrickAt a time when social, economic and political decisions, along with environmental events, challenge the viability of remote communities, educators need to better prepare young people in these communities to work towards sustainability. Remote locations can be defined by their inaccessibility rather than just distance from the nearest services, while the sustainability construct encapsulates a range of community needs: environmental, social, cultural and economic. This paper describes experiences that involve innovative approaches towards educating for sustainability in remote locations in six diverse countries: South Africa, Scotland, Canada, United States of America, Pacific Island Nations, and Australia. For each, the nature of what constitutes a “remote” location, as well as the detail and challenges of the innovation are presented. Readers should consider how they might more suitably educate the next generation to protect, showcase and learn from/with the local knowledges and capacities of the people and environments in remote locations.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.