Digital Commons Network^™

Is Dual Language Immersion Inclusive? Insights From Enrollment Data, Autistic Student Experiences, And Developmental Screening, Dakin Fjeldsted Stovall

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid expansion of Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs, now offered in over 300 Utah schools, necessitates a detailed investigation into how these programs accommodate diverse student populations, particularly those with developmental differences. A comprehensive three-part approach was employed for this evaluation. The first study evaluated DLI enrollment patterns by surveying over 300 Utah parents. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to uncover factors influencing enrollment decisions and characteristics of students participating in DLI programs. This study revealed that developmental ability, socioeconomic need, and parent value toward DLI immersion significantly predicted enrollment; practical recommendations are provided to improve the accessibility …

Transferable User-Friendly Machine Learning For Normal Boiling Point Prediction, Frank Tafadzwa Mtetwa

Theses and Dissertations

The estimation of thermophysical properties of chemical compounds holds considerable importance across a multitude of fields, ranging from material science to process design. Among these properties, the normal boiling point (NBP) stands out as a pivotal parameter in scientific and engineering contexts, as it elucidates the state of a substance under standard conditions commonly encountered in nature. Additionally, NBP is extensively documented in various reference materials and databases. Given its paramount importance and widespread availability, prediction methodologies for other properties such as critical temperature, liquid density, vapor pressure, surface tension, liquid viscosity, liquid thermal conductivity, and flash point often rely …

Chimes: April 22, 2024, Calvin University

Chimes

Boer resignation fallout leaves students looking for answers by Savannah Shustack

Biology department oversees controlled burns on campus by Maya Oeverman

Pandemic continues to affect student performance by Nolan Cowan

Stepping into new roles: Tyler VerMerris and Ethan VanOrman on becoming leaders by Ashley Hamons

Bruce Dice Mineralogical Museum celebrates expanded meteorite exhibit by Liana Hirner

Michael VanWoerkom: Calvin grad, founder and CEO of aerospace company by Jacob Westra

Track and Field head coach prioritizes community building by Savannah Shustack

Return of spring arts festival increases student morale by Ethan Meyers

Communication Of Mental Health Diversity To The Early Childhood Age Group: “The Adventures Of Anxious Anderson, Distracted Daniel, And Organized Olive”, Jessica Gower

Honors Projects

In this project, I aim to explore various aspects of communication, cognitive ability, and mental health diversity in early child development. The three research questions guiding this project are: What cognitive and language abilities do children in the early childhood stage of development have? What are the most effective strategies for communicating information about mental health disorders to children ages 4 to 7 through storytelling? And lastly, how do anxiety, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) manifest, particularly in children? The storybook's purpose is to create a sense of empathy and understanding of mental health diversity in children …

Evaluating Appropriate Participant Training Period For Anuran Auditory Surveys, Evianna Goebel

Honors Projects

Auditory surveys are common in anuran research as they can tell a lot about a species without being intensely laborious or costly. There has not been much research on training periods for those taking part in the surveys. Proper training is necessary and improper training can hinder a project and lead to skewed results. In this study, we took students from several biology 2040 classes and had them study the calls of 11 frog species in NW Ohio. From the data, we can conclude that 2 weeks of roughly 100 minutes of study time is not enough for successful results …

"The Grimmest Reversal We Have Ever Faced": Aids And The Hard-Boiled Detective Genre In Joseph Hansen's Early Graves, Seamus Coon

Honors Projects

Published from 1970–1991, Joseph Hansen’s “Dave Brandstetter” series consists of twelve novels written in the hard-boiled detective style, featuring a relatively-out gay insurance detective as the titular protagonist. Many novels discuss then-contemporary social issues, including the ninth novel, Early Graves (1987), which attempts to address the AIDS crisis. The “Brandstetter” series has not been the subject of much scholarship, let alone individual novels in the series. This project attends to how the “Brandstetter” series typically embodies the hard-boiled genre more than it subverts it, as well as how Early Graves is forced to become subversive as the limitations of the …

Demystifying The Notion Of Charisma: Micro-Ethnography On A Veteran-Teacher’S Classroom Practices, Olga Gould-Yakovleva Ph.D.

The Qualitative Report

This IRB-approved and grounded in social semiotics theory micro-ethnographic case study was conducted within a longitudinal ethnography project and is focused on the teaching style of one veteran teacher in a public urban elementary school in the North-Eastern United States. The data in this qualitative micro-ethnographic case study were collected from multiple sources (e.g., field notes, observations, interviews, audio- and video-recordings). The interview data were analyzed using Saldaña’s (2013) thematic and value coding. The focus research participants’ verbal and non-verbal behaviors during her interactions with her students were analyzed in accordance with the micro-ethnographic research traditions. The above data were …

Understandings Of Vulnerability And Social Determinants Of Health In Forensic And Expert Social Anthropology: A Scoping Review, James W. W. Rose, David M. Tran

The Qualitative Report

Forensic and expert social anthropology (FESA) is a branch of social anthropology that specialises in the provision of evidence to legal-administrative processes, which are overseen by courts and other legally empowered bodies, and which give regard to the social cultures of legally and administratively involved individuals and communities (LAIICs). Despite a preoccupation with political advocacy in the broader philosophy of social anthropology, FESA literature does not typically give regard to LAIIC vulnerability defined qualitatively in terms of social determinants of health, including physical, mental, and social well-being. This paper presents findings from a JBI/PRISMA-ScR scoping review of n=1,674 texts, identifying …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Cross-Cultural Transitions Of University-Level Missionary Kids, Naomi Walter

Senior Honors Theses

The cultural identity and transitions of a Third Culture Kid (TCK) is often a matter of discussion and debate. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the factors that influence the identity and the cross-cultural transitions of university-level TCKs, with a specific focus on Missionary Kids (MKs). The study involved semi-structured interviews of seven undergraduate university students, over the age of 18 and currently involved in the university's Missionary Kid Scholarship program. Results revealed several key themes including identity, community, and friendship expectations that influenced the transition process. Participants generally displayed a positive transition, and the findings provide …

Perceptions Of Secondary School Educators About English Language Learners Underrepresented In Career And Technical Education Programs, Nancy King Wang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the rapid increase of English language learners (ELLs) in schools in the United States in recent years, they remain marginalized in various educational settings. The underrepresentation of ELLs in high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs is one of the inequitable applications in the schools of New York and many other states. The concept that supports this study is rooted in Ladson-Billings’s theory of culturally relevant teaching, which can also be found in the literature on the culturally responsive sustaining education (CRSE) framework published by the New York State Education Department. The key questions for this research study …

Learning Stories And Children’S Rights: Reimagining Assessment In Early Childhood Education, Claire Boss

International Journal of Human Rights Education

The essay explores the role of Learning Stories in early childhood education and the connection to the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989). The paper highlights the use of Learning Stories in a teacher preparation program and student perspectives on the value of narrative assessment in their work with children, their mentors, and families.

Critical Language Education For Peace: On The Significance Of Communicative Agency For Education For Human Rights, Peace, And Sustainable Development, Frauke Matz, Ricardo Römhild

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This conceptual paper explores the intersection of human rights, children's rights, and peace education, and language education. Languages, communication, and dialogue play a crucial role in international understanding and cooperation towards human rights, children's rights, and peace.

This contribution recognizes communicative competence as inclusive of ideology-critical abilities (Delanoy, 2017) and begins by arguing that for students to become “agents of change and protagonists of their future” (UNESCO, 2024, p. 5), their communicative agen-cy must be considered an essential aspect of transformative education. The discussion will focus on the field of English (as a “foreign,” second or additional) language education, as …

A Human Rights Education Analysis Of The ‘Know Your Rights Camp’, Jason Seals

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This article analyzes the Know Your Rights Camp’s “Speaking Out Against the Violence of Policing and Oppression: A Political Education Curriculum” from the campaign founded by Colin Kaepernick. The article evaluates the curriculum with a multifaceted perspective, specifically, the approach to inform learners about their foundational rights and lessons to politicize and empower them for social change through human rights education. A significant portion of this assessment is dedicated to examining the curriculum's inclusivity, ensuring the educational content is accessible. The analysis explores the curriculum's role in promoting learner agency and resistance, crucial for empowering students to navigate and challenge …

Restorative Practices In English Language Arts: My Journey Towards Linguistic Justice, Ariana Skeese

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

In this final portfolio, I examine anti-racist pedagogy in English Language Arts Education.

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, “If I Told You That A Flower Bloomed In A Dark Room, Would You Trust It?1”: A Case Study In English Language Arts Achievement, Anna E. Russell Ziegler

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the relationship between culturally responsive pedagogy and student achievement to showcase how teaching can build a more equitable learning community where all students thrive. Using a case study model, the author explores how one English teacher designed culturally responsive instructional practices to improve student performance. Analyzing data from student work, student interactions, and student conversations, I discovered instructional themes that improved learning for each student and can be transferred to classrooms across the country.

Hattie’S Echo!: A Dramaturgical Experiment Of Interdisciplinary Context In Theatre, Belle Frahm

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Written by fellow TMA student Charlotte Westover, Hattie’s Echo! explores the stories of two faithful families, one Mormon pioneer family and one modern family, both at intense turning points in their lives. These families deal with death, hunger, emotional abuse, and pornography addictions. This new musical featured sensitive religious, historical, and biographical topics. My work aimed to understand the most effective way to provide context to all stakeholders of the production (the design team, the actors, and the audience), in each of these topic areas. While a dramaturg’s work is often focused on engaging one of these member groups with …

Convening The Counter-Conversation: Critical Participatory Action Research Against Real-Time Repression, Connor Maguire, Leo Jalipa, Anne Grass

Dissertations

This dissertation presents the anti-fascist Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) process of three doctoral student participants/co-researchers, all practicing educators, with varied experiences in public and private education at the middle school, high school, and collegiate level. This research examines the convergence of the participants/co-researchers in response to their shared concerns about ascendent authoritarianism and rising repression and the subsequent formation of this study’s in-process CPAR research collective organized to critically counter, rather than reiterate, this repression.

Enacting the theoretical/methodological frameworks of Critical Theory and Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action, the participants/co-researchers dialogically determined contemporary fascism to be the focus of …

Autoethnographies Exploring The Cultural Spirit Murdering And Nurturing Of Three Minority Educators In K-12, Sara Z. Beg, Maritza Caldera, Denise Ross

Dissertations

This autoethnography sought to understand how our experiences during our K-12 journey as three minority students shaped our identities as students and our teaching style today. An autoethnography allowed us to analyze our experiences through the lens of Cultural Spirit Nurturing and Cultural Spirit Murdering. Cultural Spirit Nurturing, as we defined it, is the acceptance, respect, and inclusion of different cultures, ethnicities, nationalities, races, languages, and religions in society. We dissected our lived moments as Pakistani Muslim American, African American, and Mexican American students turned educators, defined them as Cultural Spirit Nurturing or Murdering, and bridged them with the concepts …

The Spirit-Murdering Of Black Students From White Educators, Brian C. Guilfoyle, Casetta D. Brown, Sarah J. Guilfoyle, Courtney D. Jude

Dissertations

In this collection of autoethnographies, four researchers explored our deeply personal experiences and encounters with racialized oppression in the form of spirit-murder. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Whiteness Studies, this dissertation explores how two white educators have committed spirit-murder against Black students and how two Black educators have both experienced spirit-murder as students and have spirit-murdered their Black and Brown students as classroom teachers. We wanted to elevate our voices using counter-stories as a tenet of CRT and examples of our teaching practices. We aimed to elicit relatable suggestions to combat spirit-murdering from white educators toward Black students …

Dispossession Of Ancestral Land: Effect Of Displacement On Indigenous Peoples' Life Satifaction, Kaitlyn Bird, Hailey Shangin, Alana Smutz, Julisa Lopez, Adam Farero, Stephanie Fryberg

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

North America's history of forced displacement and relocation of Indigenous tribes continues to affect contemporary Indigenous peoples (Wolfe, 2006). As climate change, socioeconomic disparities, and industry encroachment shape displacement, Indigenous people continue to be negatively impacted (Covey, 2021). The current work explores how displacement impacts life satisfaction for Indigenous Peoples, and whether cultural embeddedness modifies this relationship. Using the Indigenous Climate Justice survey (N=282), regression analysis illustrates that those who have not been displaced generally report higher life satisfaction than those who have been displaced (β=-0.255, SE= 0.108 p= 0.019). Lower reported life satisfaction is especially prevalent when those displaced …

Brains & Bilingualism: Overlapping Grammar In Aphasia Research (Ogar), Anya M. Craig, Ashlynn Everett, Jeremy Yeaton, Jenna Griffin-Musick, Catherine Off

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Title: Brains & Bilingualism: Overlapping Grammar in Aphasia Research

Category: Neuroscience

Presenter: Anya Craig

When a person who speaks more than one language has a stroke, they may experience loss of language or aphasia. Aphasia in bilinguals often causes grammatical deficits in one or both languages, yet no previous research has investigated whether the deficits across languages vary systematically or remain consistent. This study aims to identify grammatical structures uniquely preserved or impaired in bilinguals with aphasia (BWA) and understand how lesions to different brain regions correlate to grammatical deficits in those with aphasia. A cross-linguistic study was used to …

Sentiments Of Slavic Resettlement In Montana, J Kolter Stevenson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The resettlement of Ukrainian and Russian peoples in Montana has been infrequently documented outside of personal anecdotes and narratives, shrouding the experience of resettling in Missoula for peoples with an Eastern Slavic background. As more emigrees arrive in Missoula from Ukrainian and Russian regions, the benefit of collecting and analyzing former emigrees’ experiences and resettlement strategies becomes more critical for the operations of Missoula-based non-profits and local policymakers. Analyzing written responses from multi-prompt questionnaires and utilizing native natural language processing techniques, this paper presents an analysis of the resettlement of Ukrainian and Russian emigrees in Missoula. Questionnaires examine key factors …

Foreign Language Instruction – Commonalities From Kindergarten To College, Bethany A. Tafoya

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Kindergartners learn much differently than high schoolers or college students. Yet, when it comes to foreign language (FL) instruction, adult learners are often back at square one, like kindergarteners. Though learning capacity and maturity differ greatly between kindergarten and college, are there any common threads in the method of instruction across all these levels? This project was carried out by observing foreign language classrooms from kindergarten to college, identifying the main means of instruction in each class, and analyzing whether any commonalities exist between all the levels. Language is universal, and in an increasingly global world, contact with other languages …

Bilingual Lexical Processing Study Using French And English Cognates, Regin Koester

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In this research, we are testing the overlap of bilingual processing using French and English cognates. Bilinguals have acquired two or more languages. Cognates, words of similar or the same definition, are a way to categorize distinct groups of words in the mind of a bilingual, more specifically located in the lexicon. The mental lexicon stores all the words a person knows, connecting the different words for different languages. Cognates have been recognized by bilinguals a significant amount faster than other lexical items. Because of the similarity of cognates in different languages, the processing time of cognates is inherently quicker, …

Implicit Bias In Speech-Language Pathology: A Journey Towards Inclusive Care, Jadan L. Garner, Jackie Sullivan

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Despite long-lasting attempts to erase biases between people, this is still an issue that exists, even if subconsciously. The purpose of this research project is to investigate the presence and impact of implicit bias on assessment and treatment of speech disorders among multilingual individuals. This will be done with a specific methodology, called a Matched-Guise Test (MGT). MGT is a survey technique created to unveil covert attitudes toward linguistic varieties, including accents, dialects, and languages. In order to measure this bias, we will hire voice actors who are native English speakers and non-native speakers, to record voice samples that resemble …

Cultural Competence In Healthcare: A Literature Review Of Barriers To The Application Of Culturally Responsive Practice For Physician Assistants, Annabelle N. Decuire

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Abstract

Culturally competent health services for physician assistants (PA), are critical for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) communities given the common disparities in healthcare. In addressing the multifaceted nature of disparities, the purpose of this literature review is to examine the role and responsibilities of PAs to be culturally competent. Culture is an omnipresent and dynamic process that influences every aspect of how we perceive and interact with others; therefore, it is important to recognize the diverse behaviors and beliefs of patients within respective contexts, rather than solely through the lens of a single culture. Cultural competence encompasses cultural skills, …

What Do People With Aphasia Want Out Of An Aphasia Community Group?, Shannon L. Welby, Mckinlee A. Mihelish

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Background: Aphasia is a disorder of language and communication resulting from brain injury. Secondary implications for persons with aphasia (PWA) include depression and social isolation. To help mitigate the linguistic and psychosocial effects of aphasia, PWA may participate in Aphasia Community Groups (ACGs). These are defined as regularly meeting groups composed of PWA who interact and participate in communication activities.

Purpose: The purpose of this prospective study is to determine what PWA desire to gain from Aphasia Community Groups.

Methods: As the initial step of a larger five-year study, clinicians and researchers at the University of Montana …

Identifying Cross-Linguistic Language Deficits In Bilinguals With Aphasia Through Picture Identification Task, Mia Cara Parkes, Violet Rosenquist, Ashlynn Everett

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Aphasia, which is the loss of language commonly caused by stroke, can have several implications on grammar production. Significant research has been conducted on ways in which grammar is affected by aphasia, however, little is known about what these deficits look like for bilinguals with aphasia (BWA). This study examines the similarity of grammar deficits between languages by having Spanish-English BWA participate in a picture identification task. This research aims to explore whether deficits in one language influence performance on the other, as well as identify any patterns of cross-linguistic (i.e., the relation between two languages) influence on grammar processing. …

The "Indian" Alexander: Reworking Nationalism, Myth, And Sikandar, John Sexton

Madison Historical Review

This article seeks to expand scholarly inquiry regarding the Alexander Romance into twentieth century India and away the Near East of Antiquity and the Europe of the Middle Ages where it is usually confined. In particular this article will discuss the Alexander Romance’s impact upon and connection with the modern invention of the cinema. Besides the usual cinematic culprit of analysis, Oliver Stone's Alexander (2004), there is another less-discussed cinematic work regarding Alexander the Great. That being Sohrab Modi's Hindustani historical epic Sikandar (1941) from British colonial India. Regarding the Macedonian conqueror and his reputation among Indian scholars such as …

Website Learning Media To Enhance Planning Tour Packages Competencies: A Case Study From Makassar Tourism Polytechnic, Indonesia, Windra Aini, Darmayasa Darmayasa, Ruth Rinda, Ahmad Tarmizi Abdul Karim, Agus Sugiarto, Andri Estining Sejati, Masri Ridwan

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

This research aims to develop website-based learning media on tourism package planning competency and report its feasibility. In particular, this study aims to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it difficult to conduct field trips or study tours, a crucial component of the travel business study program at Politeknik Pariwisata Makassar. The research addopted a research and development (R&D) approach with the ADDIE model, as well as involving the material experts and media experts in the media assessments. Learning media trials were conducted in small groups comprising ten students and in large groups with 30 …