Scholarship & Research
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Item What we bring with us: investigating the impact of identity and background on the online learning experience(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2024) Dorsett, Carter Michael; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Nick LuxA student's identity and background play a significant role in their educational experiences. In higher education, these factors are often discussed while analyzing discrepancies in outcomes. However, a student's identity and background do not intrinsically affect learning outcomes; the impact that these two factors have on the student's educational experience causes discrepancies in outcomes. We have considerable research on the many ways that identity and background impact a traditional higher educational experience, but there is less research available exploring their impact on the online learning experience. Through a qualitative approach, this case study seeks to go beyond demographic- and outcome-based research to explore the core of the student experience through their own perspective. The selected case was a semester-long online graduate-level course in the Health and Human Development Field at a large research institution in the Mountain West. Data was collected through a syllabus review, observation of a live class session conducted via videoconferencing, and a semi-structured interview. Findings suggested that like in-person learning, a student's identity and background impact their feelings of community and belonging, their persistence and purpose, and their approach to learning in an online environment. Additionally, with fewer opportunities for interaction, instructors can cultivate feelings of community and belonging among their students by acknowledging the challenges associated with the course and demonstrating their support. They can also support student persistence by providing flexibility with assignments and deadlines and understanding when a student may have an outside factor impacting their ability to meet course requirements.Item Critical settler consciousness in community of practice and Indian Education for All implementation: a narrative inquiry in thresholds of transformation(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2023) Watson, Sidrah Morgan Gibbs; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carrie B. MyersVery little work examines the role of Indian Education for All (IEFA) in shaping the college learner environment beyond teacher education programs. In fact, many faculty may not even consider implementing IEFA as a part of their teaching expectations. Despite Montana's legal mandate for "every educational agency" and "all educational personnel" working as "related to the education of each Montana citizen" (MCA 20-1-501) through IEFA, several factors may hold faculty from fulfilling this responsibility through curricular IEFA implementation at postsecondary institutions in Montana. One, IEFA is unfunded at the college level. Two, traditionally, faculty work autonomously in a system that values academic freedom. Three, most disciplines work within a traditional western paradigm that honors positivism, which may be at odds with Indigenous Knowledge Systems that center relational, spiritual, and subjective ontologies and epistemologies. Addressing this requires a system of change that can take shape through faculty communities of practice. This critical narrative inquiry delves into the experiences of non-Indigenous engineering faculty who worked within a learning community while approaching how to integrate IEFA into their curriculums. One-on-one interviews narratively encouraged participants to share their stories of implementing IEFA and their experiences engaging with an intimate, discipline designed learning community. Using the Transformational Indigenous Praxis Model (TIPM) layered with critical settler consciousness (CSC) and Culturally Disruptive Pedagogy (CDP) as a lens to participant experiences, the learning community provided a space that sparked engagement with their CSC in ways that allowed participants to move toward authentic IEFA implementation and employing transformational pedagogy. Communities of practice may be employed to help non-Indigenous settler scholars move toward authentically implementing IEFA. For these faculty, the learning community provided a space to engage in CSC development and pushed them to address their own resistances and responsibilities while in relationship with each other, working together as experts and novices to find ways their disciplines will need to engage IEFA. This project may serve as a tool or heuristic for non-Indigenous people beginning to engage their CSC in meaningful ways and requires desettling of the self and responsibility to Indigenous peoples to face and combat damage done by white supremacy and colonialism.Item Education For Sustainability (EFS) as a lived experience at a land grant university (MSU): a case study of MSU teaching faculty(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2022) Short, Daniel Owen; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Michael BrodySustainability is a contentious and awkward topic to teach. Increasing concern and awareness of sustainability issues drives a need to study sustainability through an education lens. Education, specifically Higher Education (HE), is a vital source in understanding and ultimately addressing sustainability issues. However, HE institutions continue to promote unsustainable patterns on a local, regional, and global scale. There is an alignment between MSU's mission as a land grant institution and that of Educations for Sustainability (EfS). The shared mission is to serve local regions and citizens by addressing local, regional, and global issues through education, research, and service. This exploratory qualitative study aims to examine and describe the lived experiences of educators at MSU who teach 'fundamental' EfS courses. Data collected is from Interviews, course artifacts, a survey, and observations from the sample of four (n=4) MSU faculty and their courses. The research used a collective case study methodology. A central finding of this study is the faculty's dedication to accurately representing the complexities of sustainability to their students. The faculty's beliefs and experiences manifest in their courses by promoting inclusive scholarship and adaptable course design. This study offers a reflection of a small sample of MSU faculty teaching EfS to promote further research into EfS at MSU.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 Exploring the impact of a values-based reward system on engagement and perceptions of office culture in higher education(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2020) Gresswell, Candice Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Sweeney WindchiefEmployee engagement and satisfaction may be telling indicators of employee health that can have rippling effects on the employee, university, and the student who interacts with the employee every day. Research has demonstrated a positive correlation between administrative styles and retention in the context of engagement, climate and culture (Farrell, 2009). Across industries and disciplines, employees who are engaged are more productive, creative, solve more problems, and more easily adapt to change (Craig & DeSimone, 2011; Flade, 2006; Holbeche & Matthews, 2012). Contrast to this research, in the higher education setting, employee engagement is measuring at an all-time low (Wasilowski, 2016). The purpose of this transformative, sequential, mixed-methods study is to examine how formalizing an engagement incentive program for higher education administrative staff in the Division of Student Success at a regionally accredited, land-grant institution impacts employee-reported engagement as measured by the Gallup Q12. The researcher collected qualitative data to help explain the quantitative Gallup Q12 survey scores to give individuals in leadership roles concrete information on how employees interpret Gallup Q12 and which, if any, actions they can take to improve employee engagement in their offices in the context of climate and culture. Wilcoxon Signed Rank test indicated significant change in the overall engagement score for the Division of Student Success (z = 2.79, p = .002), indicating the formalization of an engagement program does have a statistically significant effect on engagement as measured by the Gallup Q12. Major themes that emerged from the engaged offices in relation to climate were Relatedness and Care for the Student Experience. Major themes that emerged from the disengaged offices included Frustration, Stress, Turnover, Exclusivity, Not Being Able to Demonstrate Expertise or Improve Processes, Customer Service Focus, and Problem-Solving.Item An exploration of student response to an active learning environment in an upper-level quantum physics course(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2018) Tallman, Brett Pierson; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Nick LuxThe passive-lecture model pervades the post-secondary STEM environment, though little evidence supports it. While more interactive models are not uncommon, especially for smaller classes, they often only marginally address deep concerns about the passive-lecture model, such as personal experience, group interactions, etc. While active learning approaches are being used more, little is known about how advanced students respond in STEM to long-term interventions. This case study qualitatively explored response to a semester-long active learning intervention in one upper-level quantum mechanics course, from an engagement perspective. The study identified ten themes that described participant response: Time Pressure, Vibrancy, Group Activities, Public Work, Individual Work, More Natural Over Time, Students Differ, Community Matters, Hard but Rewarding, and Implementation Difficulties. These results largely align with existing literature on the effects of active learning. However, the results also reflected aspects of the advanced STEM learning experience that are unique, such as motivation, community, student preference, and metacognition. These results indicate more inquiry is needed into factors surrounding the advanced STEM student learning experience if we are to improve the learning environment.Item The influence of academic self-efficacy and bachelor's aspirations on the college choice process(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2017) Frye Cook, Eulalie Elizabeth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carrie B. MyersA significant decline in the number of students with bachelor's aspirations in early high school to the number of students who actually enroll has been reported and is as high as 49% (Roderick et al., 2008). To better understand this phenomenon, this study deconstructed the application process and examined factors that may be influential in completion of critical application steps. This study explored the construct of academic self-efficacy along with bachelor's aspirations using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) to investigate the influence of these factors on two key steps in the college choice and application process: completion of a college entrance exam and submission of an application to a four-year institution. Two sets of logistic regression analyses were run to investigate the variables for each application step. Bachelor's aspirations were significantly associated with completion of both steps. English self-efficacy was associated with completion of a college entrance exam, but not application submission. Math self-efficacy was associated with submission of an application, but did not significantly influence college entrance exam completion. These findings demonstrate the dynamic nature of the college choice process and reveal how factors that influence key steps in the application process may shift over time. Results also reinforce the importance of fostering high aspirations early in a student's high school career (or even earlier) and the need to build well-rounded academic self-efficacy for students since they may draw on different sources at different points in the college application process.Item Perceptions concerning physically disabled students at Montana State University(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1990) Currie, Ronald Lee; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Douglas PoletteItem Accessibility of Montana's citizens to the public post-secondary institutions of Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1976) Cohn, Jack E. (Jack Edgar)Item A study of the academic performance of selected varsity athletes at Montana State University(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1970) Wendel, Robert Wayne; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Herbert R. Agocs