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Item Teaching english on the moon: a memoir of teaching at a rural school(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2020) Hoffmann, Alan David; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Allison Wynhoff OlsenMontana is a primarily rural state. The majority of Montana's high schools are 'Class C' schools with enrollments under 107 students. Of these, over sixty Montana high schools have enrollments under sixty students. In these schools, high school academic departments normally consist of one person. This experience is rarely examined. Even existing literature that focuses on rural education focus on settings with higher enrollments than many of Montana's smaller schools. Drawing on the author's personal experience of teaching at high school with an enrollment of around 25 students, this memoir provides an account and guide for working in these settings. Through this, the author details the benefits of teaching in these settings, such as smaller class sizes that allow for more one-on-one interaction. It also examines the challenges of coming and teaching in rural places, including the stresses of prepping for seven different classes and difficulties of integrating into rural communities. Given the number of these schools in the state of Montana, many graduates from the Montana University System's education programs will go on to teach in these settings. This work aims to advocate for rural settings and to give teachers that may go into these areas an idea of what to expect.Item Significance of 4-H on the development of youth's coping skills(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2020) Evenson, Josie Christine; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carl IgoPeople who reside in rural areas face challenges accessing the health and mental care they need. The lack of mental health resources creates an imperative need for finding avenues to help support youth in these areas. Youth organizations, such as 4-H, that promote positive development support the well-being of the individuals who participate in that program. Previous research on 4-H revealed youth who enroll in the program develop life skills through their participation. The research also exposed that there may be a correlation between life skills and coping skills, however, there has been little evidence to support this claim. Therefore, this study sought to answer the following question: In what significant ways do planned 4-H experiences impact 4-H members coping skills? To gather data eight Montana 4-H members were interviewed and nine adults associated with Montana 4-H participated in a focus group at a Montana 4-H event. The data was organized and then coded by the primary researcher and one committee member. All data was coded into four categories: productive coping, non-productive coping, reference to others and other. Youth reported using productive coping skills more than any other category with 66% of total responses being coded as such. Youth also reported using non-productive skills with a 11% response rate and reference to others with a 12% response rate. The other category had a 11% response rate. Adults reporting observing productive coping skills more than any other category with 58% of the total responses coded that way. The adults reported observing non-productive skills with a 5% response rate and reference to others with a 19% response rate. The adults had 18% of their results coded as other. Overall, both youth and adults reported that 4-H members are predominately using productive coping skills, which they have learned through their involvement in the 4-H program. Positive Youth Development programs like 4-H can provide avenues for youth and adults to work together to address mental health skills that a rural community may be lacking.Item Nontraditional student's transition to college through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory, Schlossberg's transition theory and gender schema theory(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2018) Neber, Elfriede; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Tricia SeifertOver the past several decades, an increasing number of nontraditional students have been enrolling in college, however they face a variety of challenges in completing their educational goals and have lower completion rates than traditional students. Thus, the more institutions can understand about this student population, the better they can serve their unique needs. This qualitative study sought to understand how nontraditional students experience the transition to college, how these experiences differ by gender and which institutional factors help and/or hinder with the transition. To gain a better understanding of their transition to college, a transcendental phenomenological approach was used and the findings were analyzed using the lens of Schlossberg's Transition Theory, Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory and Gender Schema Theory. The participants included 10 female and 12 male participants who met the following criteria: over the age of 25, first year attending Great Falls College MSU and at least a one-year break since attending school elsewhere. They were interviewed two to three times, their interviews were transcribed and analyzed, and emergent categories were developed. The data was then analyzed using apriori codes developed from Schlossberg's Transition Theory followed by a further level of analysis using from Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory. Within the context of Ecological Theory, themes related to gender differences and institutional factors were identified. Key findings included that most students found the initial transition stressful, they resorted to a variety of coping skills and there were no significant gender differences in the transition experience. Overall, they demonstrated high levels of resilience and strong coping skills. They felt welcome and supported by the institution and only a few minor areas were identified for improvement. There were a few curious findings not identified in previous research including that the male participants actively sought opportunities to serve as mentors; that some students enroll seeking new careers with greater meaning and purpose rather than just economic gain; they had difficulty relating to traditional aged students and had attitudes of superiority towards them; most struggled with technology; and college did not necessarily become easier as they progressed through their education.Item Coping strategies used by the elderly during stressful life events(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 1989) Bedell, Jerri SigetyItem Rural routes : first year college experiences of students from rural backgrounds(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2014) Stone, Cody Carlisle; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carrie B. MyersThe experiences of college students from rural backgrounds have remained understudied. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to further understand how students from rural backgrounds perceive self, define rurality, describe their first-year social and academic college experiences, and make meaning of these experiences. Eight first-time, full-time freshman from rural communities of less than 2,500 inhabitants were interviewed twice during their freshman year of college. Furthermore, data collection techniques also included photo elicitation, student drawings, a rural representation selected by the students, and subsequent discussions of these items. Participants described rurality and rural culture in the context of small-secluded areas, open space, sense of community, and connections to the land. They described themselves as hardworking - honest, driven - responsible, and family oriented. Emergent themes related to general college experiences and rural effects included opportunities, limited college knowledge, initial shock, size of college, just a number, and balancing act. Social preparedness, friends: knowing everyone to knowing a few to good friends, ease of social integration, and lack of diversity but open emerged as themes related to social college experiences and rural effects. Regarding academic college experiences and rural effects, the following themes surfaced: academic preparedness, shift in faculty - student interactions: teachers to professors, peers and academics, perceptions of academic rigor, shift in study habits to meet academic rigor, and perceptions of academic success. A focal conclusion derived from this research study is that the participants define themselves in terms of their rurality. Regarding college experiences and rural effects, study participants did not know what to expect at college and their rural upbringing helped prepared them for the social aspects of college. Furthermore, they are relying on their drive, strong work ethic, and sense of responsibility to integrate academically and are utilizing their social skills to aid in their academic endeavors. The rural students in this study appear to be on a trajectory towards social and academic integration and in turn persistence. Finally, these college students from rural backgrounds understand their agency. They understand that they play the critical role in their own development.Item Family coping and adaptation among grandparents rearing grandchildren(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2007) Porterfield, Fonda K.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bethany L. LetiecqOver the past decade, grandparent caregiving, in which grandparents take on the sole custody of their grandchildren without a parent present, has been one of the fastest growing family forms in the U.S. Most studies on grandparent caregiver functioning have focused on the challenges and deficits of grandfamilies. Little research has been conducted on the adaptive processes of grandparent caregivers and the coping mechanisms they employ to deal with parenting the second time around. The current study was based on qualitative data generated from 26 in-depth, face-to-face interviews with grandparents who were rearing their grandchildren. Interviews were conducted with 10 grandfathers and 23 grandmothers who were the sole care providers of their grandchildren. The majority of grandparents were providing care for their grandchildren due to their adult child's substance abuse and/or mental illness. During each interview, a semi-structured interview protocol was followed. These interviews began by generating a genogram of the family system, including four generations of the family: the grandparents' parents, the grandparents, their adult children, and their grandchildren.