Education Commons^™

Coalescence: A Carnivore Coexistence Curriculum That Braids Indigenous & Western Ecological Knowledge Into A Relevant And Experiential Learning Opportunity For Youth, Stephanie Anne Barron

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

As grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horriblis) begin to reoccupy more of their historic range, and as humans and large carnivore populations continue to increase, incidences of human carnivore conflict are on the rise. A decolonial curriculum designed in collaboration with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe’s wildlife biologists stands to increase awareness of Indigenous ecological knowledge and teach youth about the importance of coexistence with carnivores. Additionally, this project could greatly influence youth perceptions of grizzly bears and other large carnivores. This research project examines the development and implementation of a carnivore coexistence curriculum for youth that is guided by …

Assessing Algebra Readiness: A Three-Year Study Of The Orleans-Hanna Prognosis Test And Middle School Math Placements, Tabitha Nicole Ringler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigates the viability of the Orleans-Hanna Algebra Prognosis Test (Hanna and Orleans, 1982) as a modern predictor of algebra readiness among eighth grade students. At over 40 years old, the Orleans-Hanna Algebra Prognosis Test (1982) is still commonly utilized by schools as the main source of mathematical ability grouping. The guiding question for this research is whether the test is outdated and should be retired, or is it still a valid predictor of algebra readiness.

Utilizing a longitudinal study spanning three years, the research examines the performance of math students placed in an advanced class versus students who …

Motivating Math Students Through Socratic Pedagogy, Leslie Berg

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigated the impact of implementing the Socratic method in teaching logarithms on the motivation levels of high school Algebra 2 students. Drawing on foundational research by Hirsch and Pfeil (2012), the research involves two classes totaling 28 students, with surveys administered before and after the Socratic lessons to gauge motivation, engagement, and participation levels. The meticulously designed four-day lesson plans employ cooperative dialogue and critical inquiry to foster student understanding of logarithmic concepts. With the teacher serving as a facilitator and students actively participating in the learning process, the study aimed to replicate and build upon previous findings, …

Foreign Expert: A Memoir Manuscript, Jenny L. Rowe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This is a full memoir manuscript that I wrote for my MFA thesis, which is tentatively titled Foreign Expert. In this manuscript, we follow myself as narrator as I struggle to adapt to life in Beijing (prior to the pandemic) while also recovering from a recent divorce. The man I’d been married to for five years back in Iowa had become violently mentally ill, and though I’d been fortunate enough to remove myself from him, I quickly learned that being a foreign expert in China—my residential visa title—required more work than basic survival. By the end of my two years …

Ai-Powered Educational Tools And Their Effect On Student Motivation In Online Learning Environments: A Preliminary Study, Caitlin M. Byers

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis investigates the impact of an AI-powered educational tool on high school student motivation in asynchronous online courses using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to examine perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness. A pilot study involving 129 students utilized an AI-powered automated feedback (AF) writing review tool. Data was collected using the Autonomy and Competence in Technology Adoption (ACTA) Questionnaire and teacher communications. Findings indicate that AI tools can enhance perceived competence through immediate, personalized feedback. Still, the effectiveness is significantly influenced by the level of teacher communication, underscoring the need for a blended approach in online learning environments. Limitations include a …

Integrating Social Emotional Learning In The Elementary Music Classroom, Nicole Evans

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students demonstrated a need for further social emotional learning (SEL) support. The work of this project focuses on how to help support students’ SEL development through SEL integration into the elementary music classroom. An increased focus on integrating SEL throughout educational settings is relatively new, and thus the research into how to do this effectively is still emerging. Based on the principle of collective teacher efficacy, this project explores how to integrate SEL specifically aligned with the Second Step Elementary Curriculum into the kindergarten through fifth grade general music classroom. Utilizing the existing …

A Comparative Study On Critical Thinking Skills Of Isec And Non-Isec Teachers In Institutions Of Higher Education In The North Of China, Liqin Tang

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Critical thinking (CT) has become a main focus in the higher education and is viewed as one of the essential skills for students to succeed in the 21^st century. Many studies focus on Chinese students and their CT skills. There is a scarcity of research targeting teachers’ CT. However, teachers are the key to successful education and they play a crucial role in any education reform. Teachers’ perception, attitude, and experience impact the educational practice. Therefore, it is imperative to examine teachers’ CT.

This study utilized a non-experimental causal-comparative methodology with an explanatory mixed methods research design. The purpose …

“Should Wellbeing Be The Same As Perfection?” A Case Study On Student Wellbeing In Higher Mathematics Education, Marcelo Alonso Almora Rios

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Previous research has given the impression that reticent is our hunt for optimal teaching practices, educational goals, and nature of mathematical workings. In this regard, we have (seemingly) ended up with the following inquiries:

• What could the math classroom be for? and
• What has the math classroom been for?

These two questions touch on the scary horns of two other charged philosophical dandruffs. Namely:“What are the aims of teaching mathematics?” and “What should be our objectives in learning it?”

The term ‘positive education’ refers to an educational system engendering both the skills of positive wellbeing and traditional, academic achievement (Seligman …

Role Of Morphological Awareness In Language And Literacy In Children With And Without Developmental Language Disorder, Melissa Phelan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Past research has shown phonological awareness is highly correlated with language and literacy success in children with and without Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), but a less examined area of language and literacy is morphological awareness. Delayed morphology in children with DLD has been studied extensively in spoken language, but relatively little in written language in the DLD population. This study explored two research questions: 1) Is morphological awareness related to language and literacy success in children with and without DLD, and 2) Is morphological awareness impaired for those children with DLD and dyslexia similarly to that of phonological awareness. A …

Catch My Drift? Perceptions And Experiences Of Pesticide Contamination Of Organic Crops In Montana, Sarah Rodgers

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Pesticide drift and inadvertent contamination pose particular risks to organic production. Some organic producers have lost their crops, certification, and/or organic markets because of contamination events. Through this thesis research, I explain the perceptions and experiences that certified organic farmers in Montana have about drift and inadvertent pesticide contamination. I conducted semi-structured interviews with eleven certified organic farmers from various regions of Montana. Along with one-on-one interviews with organic farmers, interviews with industry and regulatory officials were conducted to better understand the policies and procedures that control what happens when drift occurs at the state level. Industry and regulatory official …

Battles Of The Mind: The Reaction Against Progressive Education, 1945-1959, Ben Yturri

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis discerns the relationships between three interrelated movements of the post-war period (circa 1945-1959): the overwhelming concern among leading intellectuals regarding the relationship between the individual and society, the post-war debates over education, and rising religious observance. Following WWII, the nation’s leading scholars and social critics addressed the most important problem facing the country and, for that matter, the world: how to avoid totalitarianism. Almost naturally, such anxieties influenced new debates over education. Broadly speaking, these controversies involved two related disputes over the efficacy of progressive education and the proper relationship between church and state. After World War II, …

Gozen In The Kindergarten Co-Teach Classroom, Suzanne Johnstone

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study analyzes the relationship between social emotional regulation and the program entitled GoZen!, for ten Kindergarteners in a Montana School over the course of a consistent nineteen weeks. To do this, a group of ten Kindergarten students’ behaviors were observed to compare the baseline number of visible self-regulation strategies to that following the initial modules, as well as following the entire GoZen! program. The data showed great promise with a 75% reduction in physical disruptions, an 85% reduction in harmful disruptions and a 18% reduction in verbal disruptions. The program used consisted of watching two-hundred and four short cartoon …

Leadership: Supporting Students With Asd And The School Wide Community, Chelsae Joy Larson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Leaders work collaboratively with all stakeholders to help understand what systems and supports need to be put into place to meet individual needs. School leaders must create continuous learning opportunities and reinforcement systems for educators in the areas of evidence-based practices, individualized teaching strategies, and student transition plans. Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) require consistent and structured programming starting in preschool and carrying through to post-secondary education. It is imperative that school leaders provide the appropriate training and supports to educators and specialists in relation to executive functioning skills and evidence-based practices to best support students with ASD. This …

Family Read Aloud Club: Engaging Students And Supporting Parents, Julie B. Papp

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

The Efficacy Of Art And Movement Treatment Modalities On An Individual With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tristen Valentino

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Current statistics report 1 in 54 children have been identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), many of whom have co-occurring mental health disorders. However, minimal research has been conducted on adults with autism with co-occurring mental health disorders and the efficacy of art and movement therapy techniques. This is the case study by Tristen Valentino, clinical therapist, of a client, David Smith (who was given the pseudonym to maintain confidentiality), a 35-year-old, obese, single, cisgender, heterosexual, Caucasian, male. The implications of this case study are discussed relative to the diagnosis and treatment of adults with ASD who possess comorbid clinical …

Mathematical Creativity And Problem Solving, Brooke Gruntowicz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many mathematical problems can only be solved in routine ways. But when students see that problems can be solved in innovative, original, or novel ways, unexpected benefits arise such as development in one’s mathematical creativity. The general mathematics classroom must be reformed into a more perceptive atmosphere that challenges all students, where student mathematical creativity is fostered, and creative insights are encouraged. Mathematical creativity encourages the full development of the learner, all students on the spectrum from underchallenged to traditional. Mathematical creativity is the ability of "divergent production in mathematical situations, and the ability to overcome fixations in mathematical problem …

In Defense Of Non-Anthropocentrism—A Relational Account Of Value And How It Can Be Integrated, Ian I. Weckler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Climate change has been show to be caused by humans. Human-centric behaviors have affected the world to the extent that many believe we have entered a new geologic epoch. This epoch— the Anthropocene—has prompted exploration into the ethical relationship between humans and the rest of the world. We know that a purely anthropocentric ethical system of values has lead ecological imbalance and environmental destruction, and that a non-anthropocentric (or humancentric) ethical system of value would be better suited for maintaining and regaining a habitable environment. However, past conceptions of non anthropocentrism have relied on abstract conceptions of value that fail …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of An Electronic Environmental Education Curriculum With Applied Use Of Trail Camera Photographs, Lucas Martin Coccoli

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Place-based conservation education programs are continuously adapting to ever evolving technological advancements to remain effective and connected to K-12 schools and students. One response to this challenge was an inquiry based, learner centered pedagogy which teaches science-based concepts via real life images captured on trail cameras.

This paper will describe the benefits of a distance learning program which teaches students about wildlife science using trail camera photos and associated lessons. In a time when students are more disconnected from the outdoors than ever. The use of trail cameras, based on these experiences, has the potential to reconnect students to the …

Be Creative Now: Seeking Creativity, Sam Kulla

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A self-guided framework for professional and personal creative development including a series of five lesson activities geared towards developing a personal concept of creativity, with links to creativity videos, inclusive design features, and an annotated bibliography. In addition to guiding self-study, this document could be adapted into a syllabus for an online course.

Drama Applied To Content-Based Instruction In Elementary Education, A. Rocio Muhs

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Growing public interest in bilingual education has prompted many school districts to offer dual language models. Unaddressed challenges inherent in dual language immersion programs can compromise the quality of implementation, thus affecting student achievement and ultimately program sustainability. This study investigates how the integration of dramatic arts into core subject instruction in Spanish improves student learning and motivation among first grade second-language learners. Based on the existing challenges confronting a Dual Language Immersion Program in Western Montana, this study asks: What is the relationship between students’ attitudes about learning in a second language and the teacher’s pedagogical practices? In this …

Teacher Support: A Study About Teacher Emotional Support And Engagement Among Middle School Boys, Melissa Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Engagement in school has been recognized as important for achievement in multiple ways, and yet adolescent boys have been observed to be less engaged in school than their female peers. Boys are less motivated than girls, spend less time on homework, and have lower expectations of themselves (Barber, 1996). Boys experience the following school and personal events at rates higher than girls: discipline referrals, suspensions, failing and near-failing grades, and also suicide. This study examined the differential responses between boys and girls in terms of perceived teacher support and student engagement.

The study began with an initial survey distributed to …

Evaluation Of The Watershed Education Network's Fish Week Program, Rennie Ann Winkelman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Watershed Education Network (WEN) is a nonprofit environmental education program that aims to foster knowledge, appreciation, and awareness of watershed health through water-based education programs and field science experiences. Their Fish Week program for 7^th graders at Washington Middle School has an overarching theme of watershed and ecosystem health and includes an introduction to aquatic invertebrates, native fish, fish habitats, bugs and dry fly comparison, and an introduction to fly fishing. This is a formative, outcome-based evaluation of the Fish Week program. I used pre and post program survey data from 2017 and 2018 as well as survey …

Leadership In Higher Education And The Impact On Faculty Satisfaction And Retention, Theresa A. Petersen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Leadership In Higher Education And The Impact On Faculty Satisfaction And Retention, Theresa Petersen, Frances O'Reilly

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Whitewater Ecotourism Development In Bhutan: Opportunities And Challenges For Local Communities, Kira E. Tenney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Whitewater raft and kayak ecotourism can provide environmental, social-cultural, and economic benefits and opportunities to local communities, but can also result in respective challenges. Globally, adventure ecotourism is seen as a potent win-win strategy for conservation and local community development; however, there is a significant proportion of adventure and whitewater tourism that do not meet ecotourism tenets, and there is a call for incorporating greater investment in local community involvement. Whitewater ecotourism is particularly significant because of the unique opportunities and challenges associated with rivers, the resource upon which the industry directly depends. Clean, free-flowing rivers provide a range of …

Eu-U.S. International Education Connections: U.S. Opportunities To Participate In Erasmus Programs And The Case For A Renewed Commitment To Transatlantic International Education Collaboration, Peter N. Baker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract The European Union’s suite of Erasmus programs are an ambitious effort to facilitate educational mobility and research across the EU’s 28 member countries and with partners around the world. It is one of the primary means to achieve a sense of European identity among the citizens across the Union, and governmental and educational organizations in the U.S. are keen to learn more about how they can also engage with it. The Departments of State and Education, because of their respective work in international education, are particularly well-positioned to lead that effort. Erasmus is ambitious in its social objectives and …

Mindfulness Training For Pre-Service Teachers Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Emily A. Hattouni

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

There is a high-rate of burnout among teachers around the US often linked with the increasing stressors and demands (e.g., Iancu, Rusu, Măroiu, Păcurar, & Maricuțoiu, 2018). Additionally, Jennings and Greenberg (2009) demonstrated the importance of teachers’ social and emotional competence for promoting well-being and academic success in classrooms. Stress that is overwhelming or unaddressed can lead to teacher burnout, but there may be effective ways of promoting self-care among teachers, such as mindfulness-based practices. The current project included psychoeducation on the applications of mindfulness for teachers and repeated collections of self-report questionnaires to investigate the utility of mindfulness-training for …

From Distance Education To Online Education: A Review Of The Literature, Michael Dean Agostinelli Jr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Distance learning has come a long way over the past 150 years. From the initial days of text based correspondence courses by mail to the immediate learning powered by the internet and online courses, distance learning is a much more interactive and engaging learning experience in 2019. The third generation of distance education, online learning, has delivered powerful learning models and frameworks, like Community of Inquiry and Adolescent Community of Engagement. These models and frameworks help educators create meaningful teacher to student interactions. Additionally they provide researched based approaches to designing powerful authentic learning opportunities where student to student discussion …

Native American Conservation Corps Programs: Cultural Heritage As An Approach To Community Well-Being, Michaelle Anne Machuca

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis features a case study and research survey to expand awareness of the ways in which Native American communities use and are impacted by culturally specific, relevant, and useful qualities of cultural heritage and cultural resource management (CRM). The case study and survey are framed by theoretical backdrops that include colonialism, post colonialism, and decolonization. Using the Southwest Conservation Corps Ancestral Lands (SCC AL) Program as the subject of this case study, this thesis addresses whether and how participants in the SCC AL Program observed the program’s potential to generate societal benefits that positively influence and/or contribute to individual …

Instructional Data Teams And Data Literacy: Leaders Supporting The Work Of School Instructional Teams, Vicki Sherril Begin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A multiple case study was designed to examine the components of data literacy used by formal and informal leaders to support the work of Data Teams. Nine formal leaders and ten informal leaders constituted the participants. One overarching central question and seven subquestions guided the research. The answer to the central question, How do leaders’ influence the Data Team?, was informed by the seven subquestions: (1) How do leaders initiate discussions about data that create a catalyst for meaningful action?, (2) How do leaders determine the data used to support the work of the Data Team?, (3) How do leaders …