Scholarship & Research

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Toward a learning orientation: the impact of design thinking pedagogy on creative identity formation in the first-year experience
(Montana State University - Bozeman, The Graduate School, 2022) Konkel, Margaret Thomas; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ann Ewbank; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.
Education and identity are connected in important ways, especially during college. College students inhabit an in-between state, having gained independence from their parents but not yet committed in other capacities. College students emerge into adulthood through identity exploration and optimism about their future while feeling the instability and self-focus of an in-between place. Creativity, and the problem-solving behaviors associated with it, may play a role in supporting college students through this developmental stage. The three studies in this dissertation examine the impact of design thinking pedagogy on creative identity formation in first-year experience programs. The central question of the studies is how students' experience with creativity and problem-solving early in the college experience can encourage design mindset development and support creative identity formation through the intentional integration of design thinking pedagogy. Three pedagogical models of first-year courses using design thinking at three institutions formed the context for the studies. Two methods were employed: qualitative interviews engaged students in meta-cognitive reflection on experiences and outcomes gained; and a survey assessing design thinking mindsets was administered. The model for creative identity formation drawn from the qualitative analysis indicates that students form creative identity through individually-tailored mixing of creative thinking actions and attitudes cultivated by the course experience. Flexibility and symphony are creative thinking actions that engage students intellectually with creative problem-solving, while agency, authenticity, and delight embrace the development of creative identity. Survey analysis demonstrates three clusters of design mindsets that support the impact of creative identity formation in higher education: openness to diverse perspectives and learning orientation share high mean factor scores across all three institutions, underlining first year experience goals; strong correlations between experimentation -- productive failure, optimism, tolerance of ambiguity, and problem framing support key design approaches; and learning orientation, desire to make a difference, and optimism align with guiding theories of emerging adulthood. Results from the studies support the integration of creativity, creative problem-solving, and design thinking in the first-year, to encourage the development of attitudes and mindsets that support the learning and identity-formation experience of college.
Employee innovation to promote employee engagement
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2021) Clennan, Katie Kelly; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bill Schell
Employee innovation as a form of employee engagement is affected by numerous organizational factors and personal employee attributes. This study modeled the system of factors impacting the manifestation of employee innovation. Additionally, this model evaluates the achievement of engagement and impact on the competitive advantage as a result of employee innovation. A questionnaire for psychometric indicators was provided to two government owned production maintenance groups at the same naval base. Using structural equation modeling with latent variables, this study collected 190 survey responses to measured indicators for innovation, formal devices, relationships, self-efficacy, and motivations. Additionally, historical data was collected to measure indicators for engagement and perceived competitiveness. This study supports innovation as method for achieving employee engagement with a positive, significant direct effect between the latent variables. The chosen metrics for perceived competitiveness indicators did not hold strong correlations and further analysis resulted in indeterminant effects of innovation on performance metrics. This study confirmed the presence of previous factors found impactful to employee innovation, but with further analysis on the direct and indirect relationships within the system. Organizational factors such as formal devices and relationships did not have a direct impact on innovation and are mediated by intrinsic attributes such as self-efficacy and motivations. These intrinsic attributes have a significant impact on innovation and are mediated by the presence of formal challenges within the workplace. Furthermore, control mediates the effect of formal devices on the first step of the innovation process specifically, idea generation. The use of organizational factors in pursuit of employee innovation is achieved through the realization of employees' personal intrinsic attributes of self-efficacy and motivation.
Creativity : a teacher's responsibility
(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1964) Hourani, Yacoub Tamir
The effect of creative-divergent thinking training on creative-divergent thinking and moral reasoning
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1987) Donaghy, Joseph Peter

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