Arts and Humanities Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Suitability Of Philosophy As A Core K-12 Public School Subject, Mark Christopher Blythe

Doctor of Education (EdD)

In 2005 Michael Katz invited philosophers of education to reinvigorate the inquiry into what is required to provide a proper education for everyone to lead a productive life. In the literature review, I analyze the suitability of philosophy in teaching K-12 students how to think and reason logically—essential abilities for a productive life. I also examine the educational landscape through the philosophy of Nicholas Rescher’s Cognitive-Values Theory and address the value of learning philosophy. I present a Philosophical Dialectic that shows how epistemic diversity (aporetic clusters) justifies making philosophy a K-12 core subject while analyzing philosophers’ reasons for including philosophy …

Practice Habits Of Instrumental Music Students In Elementary School Vapa Programs: An Empirical Mixed-Methods Survey, Timothy Johnson

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The purpose of this empirical research study was to gain knowledge about the practice habits of elementary school students in Grades 5 and 6. Sixty-five instrumental music students served as research subjects. They were enrolled in the newly established string orchestra supported by the Fairfax Elementary School District. Drawing upon my empirical experiences and instrumental music training, I identified and examined practice habits affecting motivation to learn music. Data generated from five open-ended and ten closed-ended questions were analyzed and contributed to the findings from the survey. An examination of published literature also contributed to the collection of resource data. …

Student Perceptions On The Community Of Spiritual Formation At A Faith-Based University, Jonathan R. Colburn

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Spiritual formation has always been of utmost importance in Christian education as faithbased institutions strive to educate the whole person; body, mind, and spirit. Because of this, Christian universities work to create programs and provide activities that challenge the minds and hearts of the students in order to promote spiritual growth. This study seeks to answer the following question: What does a phenomenological analysis of the lived experiences of students at a Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) institution reveal about their perceptions of the spiritual formation priorities of the institution? Stated another way, what do students report about …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Professional Learning Experiences Of Music Educators, Allison Bonn-Savage

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This qualitative phenomenological study sought to discover the lived experiences of six music educators in their professional learning. Each of the music educators in this study taught in an Oregon public school and had taken on a leadership role in the 2018 Oregon Music Educators Association (OMEA) conference. This study utilized personal interviews to gather rich descriptions of the unique stories and journeys through professional learning these music educators had experienced. Three significant themes were identified in the analysis process in this study: (a) Participants felt confident in knowing their learning needs for professional growth and were apathetic or resistant …

Student Perceptions Of How People, Practices, And Culture Within A Christian Secondary School Contribute To Or Detract From Their Spiritual Development, N. Matthews Beimers

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This is a phenomenological study of five Grade 12 students and their perceptions of the factors in their Christian school that have contributed to their spiritual development. Through interviews with each of the students, the details of the students’ perceptions revealed how and why specific people, practices, and elements of school culture affected their spirituality. All of these students provided keen insights through honest and vulnerable reflection. The major thematic categories that emerged were teachers, peers, spiritual practices, and the positive school community and ethos. The major recommendations for practice is to consider how the school can find avenues for …

Pedagogy For Christian Worldview Formation: A Grounded Theory Study Of Bible College Teaching Methods, Rob Lindemann

Doctor of Education (EdD)

To date, only emerging qualitative data exist on pedagogy employed specifically for worldview formation, especially in Christian contexts. Using a grounded theory approach, I carried out this qualitative research using personal interviews with the goal of discovering a theory for the processes expert teachers use in employing effective worldview pedagogy. Data was gathered through personal interviews with six participants who were nominated by their presidents or deans as suitable candidates according to the criteria of an expert teacher in this aspect of Bible college teaching.

The process of qualitative coding led to a theory of pedagogy for Christian worldview formation …

Getting To The Stories: Research On Participant Perceptions Of Race- And Equity-Focused Professional Development, Kehaulani Haupu

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This qualitative research study explored participant perceptions of district-sponsored race-and equity-focused professional development, specifically as it applies to racial consciousness. This study utilizes Singleton’s (2006) Courageous Conversations About Race (CCAR) Protocol to examine participant perceptions of district race-and equity-focused professional development and its impact personally, professionally, and as members of an organization engaged in ongoing conversations about race and equity. Results showed that participants perceived a change in their racial consciousness as a result of participation in the district’s ongoing race-and equity-focused professional development. The study explored the results and its implications for education, specifically regarding participant perception of the …

Toward An Integrative Theory Of Vocation And Volition: Locating The Historical Concept Of Christian Calling In The Contemporary Psychological Treatment Of Motivation, Timothy S. Walker

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The purpose of this research is to identify similarities between the Christian concept of calling and educational psychology's theories on motivation. This study includes a review of historical and contemporary literature concerning calling alongside a review of literature pertaining to Self-Determination Theory. I use these reviews first to understand how Christians have historically understood and applied the concept of calling as motivation. Secondly, they are used to determine if Self Determination Theory relates to the Christian concept of calling. And, thirdly, they are used to discover areas in which Self-Determination Theory offers insight into the Christian concept of calling's potential …