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STEM major choice: high school and collegiate factors
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2022) Tran, Que Nguyet; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Tricia Seifert
A huge present and future workforce demand exists in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Bolstered by a number of US policies and research that associates STEM majors with pursuing STEM careers, higher education institutions have aimed to support students to major in STEM fields in an effort to meet the needs of the STEM workforce. Despite these postsecondary efforts, the challenge begins in earlier levels of schooling with a shortage of licensed and highly qualified science and math teachers nationwide. Although many studies have examined math and science expectancy values and self-efficacy among high school students to predict their intention to major in STEM major choice, few have investigated both high school and college level variables to understand student STEM major choice declared in their third college year. Thus, this study fills the gap using the most recent STEM-focused national representative survey data -- High School Longitudinal Study 2009 (HSLS:09). Three research questions are: (i) To what extent do high school math and science motivation and self-efficacy, collegiate factors, and personal circumstances promote or hinder students' STEM major choice, controlling for student background characteristics? ; (ii) To what extent do collegiate factors and personal circumstances predict the probability of STEM major choice, controlling for student background characteristics? (iii) What factors predict college STEM GPA? This study employs theories of Situative expectancy value theory and Social cognitive career theory to develop a conceptual framework. Logistic regression was used to analyze the first two questions, and linear regression used for the third question. The first research question found gender, math attainment value, science attainment value, college STEM credits earned, and STEM GPA are predictive of the probability of STEM major choice. In the second research question, among college-period variables, gender, college STEM credits earned, and STEM GPA are predictors of STEM major choice. The third research question found race, social economic status, faculty research participation, career services on campus used, work schedule and academic performance interference, and disability are predictors of the average STEM GPA. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.
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.
Cultivating genius: an exploratory case study of the genius hour instructional technique and its effect on the identity and self-efficacy of high school science students
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2017) Reuer, Marcia Diane; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Nick Lux
Genius Hour, a project-based instructional technique that promotes learner autonomy, has developed a dedicated following among teachers. However, despite the widespread enthusiasm about Genius Hour in the K-12 classroom, little to no empirical evidence exists on the effectiveness of the approach. To respond to this gap in the research, a longitudinal exploratory case study was implemented to better understand the practices of Genius Hour in a high school STEM environment. Of particular interest for this investigation was the influence of Genius Hour on students' identities and self-efficacy and in particular, on science identity and science self-efficacy. A two-year, longitudinal, mixed methods, exploratory case study spanning two years was performed that focused on high school freshmen (n=136) and their participating classroom teacher. Data sources included self-report surveys regarding identity and self-efficacy, as well as whole group interviews, individual interviews and small group interviews. Quantative data was analyzed using a paired t-test and normalized gains and effect size, while qualitative data was analyzed using emergent thematic analysis. Quantitative measures indicated the Genius Hour instructional technique increased students' belief in their scientific ability based on pre and post survey data, however, the effect size was small. Additionally, students had statistically significant gains in the Next Generation Science Standards Science and Engineering Practices (National Research Council, 2016) of asking questions and defining problems and analyzing and interpreting data. While quantitative analyses did not yield any significant results to suggest influence of Genius Hour on identity, there were substantial qualitative results to suggest participation in Genius Hour developed students' identities and in particular, their science identities.
Dual enrollment's influence on the socialization of students as future college students: a grounded theory study
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2017) Frost, Leanne Hadley; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carrie B. Myers
This qualitative grounded theory study explored how the dual enrollment (DE) experience influenced the socialization of students to become future college students at a small, rural two-year college. The researcher interviewed 40 students within one year of completing DE courses through the college. The population included students who passed and did not pass their DE courses, enrolled in college and did not enroll in college, and who had completed their DE coursework in one or more of three delivery modes: concurrently in the high school, online from the college, and on the college campus. The study found the DE experience did affect participants' socialization as future college students, largely due to their interactions with teachers, other students, and the environment. In addition, their ability to complete college-level coursework affected their self-efficacy. The students viewed DE as a 'transition' to college and recognized it was not 'the full college experience.' They also identified increased autonomy as part of becoming a college student. Differences among the three delivery modes existed, with the online format having the smallest effect on students' socialization. This grounded theory study followed a constructivist approach; therefore, the resultant theory has been influenced by the interpretations of the researcher.
Evolving student perceptions of mathematical identity: a case study of mindset shift
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2017) MacKinder Clyatt, Lori Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: William Ruff.
This qualitative study documented the perceptions mathematics students at an alternative high school had during a shift in mindset from fixed to growth in a dual credit math course. The purpose of this study was to capture student perceptions of their own mindset shift and how their perceptions of mathematics changed. The conceptual framework used to interpret the findings was grounded in attribution theory. A case study research design bounded the perceptions of the students and the meanings they gave to these experiences. Data were collected and analyzed from multiple sources: participants' responses to writing prompts, focus group interviews, research field notes, and student artifacts. The grounded narrative that revealed itself from the student perspective over the course of this study was one of growing student trust in self and others as well as a deepening of student mathematical identity. It also showed that student perceptions of mathematics can shift in a short period of time (20 weeks) from a position of fear, shame, apprehension, and defeat to willingness, perseverance, joy, and overcoming challenges into a growth mindset. The recorded focus group discussions and various writing prompts captured the students' perceptions of their mindset shift in relationship to learning and deepening their understanding of mathematics. This study documents the power in individuals to shift out of a truncated learning cycle into a mathematical mindset. If the ability of students to shift from a fixed mindset into a growth mindset is dependent upon an educational environment, an educator's striving for a growth mindset becomes an important component.
Protective factors that enhance the resilience of American Indian students in graduating from urban high schools
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2017) McCarthy, Glenda Anne; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Christine Rogers Stanton
The purpose of this research was to explore protective factors that strengthen the innate resilience of American Indian students who seek to graduate from urban high schools. A collective case study using Community Based Participatory Research and decolonizing methodologies was conducted with three co-researchers who graduated from a Montana urban high school in 2014 or 2015. Data sources included a series of three in depth interviews with each co-researcher and scrapbooks they created to document their high school years and protective factors. One family focus group provided an additional data source. Analysis reveals the importance of family and cultural protective factors, including the knowledge of tribal histories. Another protective factor is Montana's multicultural mandate, Indian Education for All, when implemented with culturally responsive pedagogy. Co-researchers benefitted from caring teachers who maintained high standards. Further protective factors were school and district based programs that supported student achievement, connected Native families with schools and celebrated, sustained or revitalized Native culture in urban high schools.
The development of specialized content knowledge in beginning algebra among secondary mathematics pre-service teachers
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2016) Pettry, Danielle Nichole; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jennifer Luebeck
The goal of teacher preparation programs is to equip future secondary mathematics teachers for the broad spectrum of mathematical learners they will encounter. Part of that process includes developing their Specialized Content Knowledge, defined by Ball, Hill, and Bass (2005) as a deeper understanding of mathematics that allows teachers to explain new ideas, work problems in multiple ways, and analyze student solutions. This study examined the development of Specialized Content Knowledge among secondary mathematics pre-service teachers. Forty-seven pre-service teachers completed a demographic survey and an assessment measuring Specialized Content Knowledge. Twenty-three of those pre-service teachers were then interviewed to further illuminate experiences that influenced their responses on the assessment, and to elaborate on experiences that they identified as helping them develop Specialized Content Knowledge. Qualitative analysis revealed two broad categories aiding in the development of Specialized Content Knowledge: coursework and interactions with learners. Within the category of coursework, pre-service teachers highlighted course components that were also related to interactions with learners, often in a hypothetical way (e.g., analyzing fictional student work). Findings indicate that the development of Specialized Content Knowledge is strongly influenced by interactions with learners, both face to face and hypothetical. These results are discussed along with recommendations for practice and future research.
Investigating the teaching of statistics with technology at the high school level through the use of annotated lesson plans
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2016) Arnold, Elizabeth Grace; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Elizabeth Burroughs
Throughout the last twenty years, data analysis and statistics content, together with the integration of technology in mathematics classrooms, have gained increasing attention in the United States at the K-12 level. National and state standards now emphasize statistics concepts throughout high school and there is a growing motivation to shift from a traditional formula-based style of teaching statistics to a more data-oriented approach emphasizing conceptual understanding and statistical literacy. To implement this approach in the classroom, it is necessary to integrate technology into the teaching of statistics. However, many in-service high school mathematics teachers are not familiar with this process, and statistics is still a relatively new subject for most. This discrepancy highlights the need to help foster and develop in-service high school mathematics teachers' ability to effectively use technology when teaching statistics. The goal of this study was to investigate how specially annotated lesson plans influence and guide in-service high school mathematics teachers' use of technology when teaching statistical concepts. I developed a completely randomized block experiment, using quantitative and qualitative measurements and methods of analysis. High school mathematics teachers were randomly assigned to receive an annotated or non-annotated statistics unit that included technology-based activities; four lessons were observed. The results of this study demonstrated how the process of helping teachers effectively use technology in the instruction of statistics is not straightforward; there was a large amount of variation in how teachers integrated technology and no consistent differences between the annotated and non-annotated group in this regard. All teachers, regardless of received unit, integrated technology more effectively when they were provided with a technology-based activity employing simulation. Teachers' integration of technology was most influenced by their awareness of the use of inquiry.
Intrinsically intertwined: student perspectives of successes and challenges in a competency-based public high school
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2016) Sullivan, Susan Cater; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jayne Downey
A shift in education paradigms has begun to take hold in the American public school system. Increasingly states are awarding waivers allowing schools and districts to move away from the traditional Carnegie time-based approach to teaching and learning (Worthen and Pace, 2014). One innovative effort toward school reform that has shown demonstrable increases in student success is competency-based education (Haystead, 2010). This education model offers self-paced, standards-based curriculum that requires students to demonstrate proficiency in content before advancing (Borre, 2012; Worthen and Pace, 2014). Extant school reform literature focuses primarily on adult perspectives; however, in order for lasting school reform efforts to succeed, the inclusion of student perspectives is critical (Silva, White, and Toch, 2015). This intrinsic case study was conducted at a public competency-based high school to investigate youth perspectives of components that contribute to student success and to identify components that could be improved to support student success. Youth participants in this study consist of students enrolled in a high school that was included in a whole-district adoption of competency-based education, reaching full implementation in 2012 (Sommers, 2015). The study asked students, from their perspectives, to identify: 1) which components of competency-based education support student success, 2) how those identified components support student success, 3) which element of competency-based education could be improved in order to increase student success, and 4) how improving those components would contribute to an increase in student success. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with ten youth, and two administrators. Additional data was collected through researcher-generated field notes and relevant artifacts. Results indicate two distinct categories contributing to student success: 1) School-Level and 2) Student-Level. Results indicate three categories youth participants identified as needing improvement to support student success: 1) Increased Learning Facilitator access, 2) Technology, and 3) Advisory Period. Multiple components are discussed for each category. Suggestions for further research are included.
Derailed : factors influencing college and career decisions of High school students. in a deindustrialized rural community
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2016) Scalia, Lynne; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Tena Versland
High schools in the United States are charged with preparing students for citizenship and the knowledge, skills and experiences for success in postsecondary education and work. This study examines the problem of how to prepare students for college and work in a rural deindustrialized working-class community where jobs and careers that allow for upward economic mobility are scarce. This ethnographic case study sought to understand the influences and interplay of school-based and non-school-based factors that influenced students' decisions as they graduated and made the transition to college and work. Participants were two generational groups of alumni from working class families in the same high school. The first group was comprised of those who graduated in the decade that followed the closure of the railroad in Livingston, Montana in 1985. The second group was comprised of those who graduated a generation later, 20-30 years after deindustrialization. The study found that the economic restructuring that occurred a generation after the deindustrialization altered the factors that affected the transition from high school to college and work for children in working class families. Financial stress and financial instability weighed more heavily on the present generation. College was seen as an investment in the 1985-1995 generational group, whereas college is a gamble for the 2005-2015 group. The 2005-2015 working class group saw themselves as "too rich" for grants, but "too poor" to afford college. While parent expectations for educational attainment remain the same for all participants, the latter group has fewer community ties and a greater reliance on educators in the high school. The study concludes with recommendations that include interventions in the areas of college and career counseling, an examination of rural college and career readiness, critical pedagogical and collective impact approaches. The study calls upon school leadership to articulate competing discourses that shape educational practice and policy, and to be informed by the awareness that students' subjective experiences of their lives are embedded within economic, political and social structures, as they attempt to intervene in the lives of young adults who will enter a precarious labor market.

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