Education Department

Montana Western has been dedicated to excellence in professional education since its inception as the Montana State Normal School in 1893. The mission of the Montana Western Department of Education is to prepare educators to be leaders in a challenging era of increased demands on the education profession. The faculty utilizes Montana Western’s unique physical and academic environment to provide an education representative of social constructivist learning which includes the following themes: 1) experiential learning, 2) leadership, 3) social justice, 4) reflective practice, 5) teaching through inquiry, and 6) accountability for student learning.

Professional education at Montana Western includes a collaborative approach to experiential teaching and learning, to enable the development of professional educators who will be leaders who teach tomorrow’s leaders & who demonstrate accountability for student learning. The faculty focuses on the development of educational leaders who understand and value social justice in a multicultural, global, interconnected community. An outcome of that focus is an emphasis on the development of Native American leaders.

Montana Western promotes an active learning community that engages future educators in collaboration with university faculty, preK-12 students, preK-12 teachers, school administrators, and community leaders. The faculty envisions graduates who are responsive to the educational needs of all children and to the needs of the families and communities that surround and support those children. Through experiential teaching and learning, future educators succeed in connecting teaching with leadership, practice, and educational research.

Conceptual Framework

Photos courtesy of:
Ken Sievert, Historic architect in charge of Main Hall restoration project
Wally Feldt, The University of Montana Western Media Relations Director
The University of Montana Western Archives