Scholarship & Research
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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 The study also found that rural teachers face challenges such as unreliable internet connectivity, outdated hardware, and insufficient training, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and support mechanisms.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 Making sense of cultures of assessment and their impact on student learning: a qualitative meta-synthesis(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2022) Wright, Mandy Lynn; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ann EwbankAlthough cultures of assessment are frequently referenced in institutional effectiveness literature, higher education institutions in the United States continue to experience challenges with demonstrating student learning improvement. This study sought to identify evidence suggesting the broad impact of cultures of assessment on improved student learning outcomes and evidence suggesting the specific effect of faculty professional development in pedagogy and assessment on improved student learning outcomes. Using qualitative meta-synthesis methodology, the findings of fourteen empirical studies were analyzed, deconstructed, and reconstructed. This analysis led to the emergence of three key themes: changes to learning conditions, changes through reciprocal capacity-building, and changes in faculty and student mindsets. While the findings did not offer conclusive evidence in response to the study's research questions, they did lead to recommendations for improved practice in higher education, particularly the need to adopt a learning orientation toward student learning assessment.Item Impact of leadership on early childhood education program quality(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2018) Barney, Norah Lee; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: William RuffThe evaluation of early childhood education programs includes focus on child outcomes and later academic success, but little is known about the impact of preschool leadership on early childhood education program quality. The purpose of this qualitative comparative case study was to investigate the relationship between early childhood leadership and preschool program quality among Preschool Development Grantees (PDG) in a rural northwest state. Two research questions were used to guide the study (1) how does a preschool leaders approach to leadership influence preschool program quality? (2) How does the instructional delivery model influence the leaders approach to program quality? Results from this study hope to continue to advance early childhood initiatives in the state and perhaps suggest a leadership model which leads to higher quality programs. This study also hopes to inform organizations that are planning on starting preschools within their community and the impact of program structure. There are two program structures examined in this study. The first is a preschool located in a K-12 building. The second is a mixed-delivery model of preschool and Head Start students located in one school. Two PDG sites were purposefully selected using Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) data. School leaders were interviewed and assessed using the Leadership Practice Inventory (LPI) which was used to gather multiple perspectives about each leader's behavior. Data analysis revealed three themes: the importance of relationships, leadership orientation, and leadership candor. Results indicate that some leaders are more transactional than transformational and that the structure of the program assisted with a better understanding of Child Guidance. Further study needs to be done on the history and background of preschool sites to determine the type of leader that is needed at the time. Also, a more in-depth broader study could be completed to examine how leadership affects high quality programs.Item The preferred subjects of children and the relationship of these preferences to children's sex, intelligence, and achievement(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1970) Thorson, Jean Wilson; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jerald L. MikesellItem Pupil discovery versus direct instruction : an evaluation of knowledge retention by students in eighth grade science class at Glendive, Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1967) McGuire, Patrick H.Item The authoritarian personality in relation to learning(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1966) Haak, HenryItem The impact of learning on decision making by family members for hospice care(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1995) Neff, Betty MarieItem A case study of student learning in a microcomputer-based chemistry laboratory(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1992) Ivey, Bruce EarlItem Self-directed learning and intellectual development : a correlation study(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1987) Shaw, DeAnna MelodyItem Blackfoot ceremony : a qualitative study of learning(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1999) Pepion, Donald DuaneThis study utilizes qualitative research methodology to ascertain the process of learning the ceremonial practices of the Blackfoot Native people in Montana and Southern Alberta, Canada. The literature on adult learning reveals that little is known of how Native Americans learn. Fifteen Blackfoot ceremonialists were interviewed following the general interview guide approach of qualitative research methodology. The study participants were selected as a representative group of ceremonialists known to the researcher. The interview findings are presented in a case study format that provides insight into the naturalistic context of how this group of Blackfoot ceremonialists perceives ceremonial learning processes. The findings were analyzed using the illuminative model of naturalistic research, which identifies recurring trends, incidences and issues as they emerge from the data. The findings were grouped into seventeen categories according to commonalities, patterns, and relationships. The conclusions are presented with interpretive comments based on the common perceptions and views of the study participants. Several recommendations are made relevant to each of the seventeen categories identified in the findings. The results of the research concluded that the ceremonial learning process of the Blackfoot included the following elements: a) divination process of learning, b) motivational process of learning, c) memory association learning process, d) visual and auditory learning process, e) mentoring and facilitation learning process, f) rite of passage learning process, g) participant-observation learning process, h) process of learning how to leant, i) inductive reasoning process of learning, j) cognitive process of learning, k) environmental process of learning, 1) self-directed/interactive learning process, m) socialization process of learning, n) learning process through symbolism, o) perceived barriers to learning process, p) effects of spirituality on learning process, q) structural synthesizing of learning process, r) effect of language usage on learning process, and s) effect of Blackfoot way of knowing on learning process.