Education Commons^™

Power In Religious Organizations: A Study Of Principals' Perspectives As Seen In Three Religious High Schools In Michigan, Patrick L. Allen

Dissertations

Problem. Power is a phenomenon that is known to almost everyone, and is evident in any relationship that involves at least two individuals. Despite its inescapability, not many individuals are aware of its nature and characteristics and how it displays itself, especially in the organizational setting. This study focused on how power displays itself in religious organizations, and described particular activities that occur in the context of three religious schools in Michigan.

Method. To accomplish the purpose of the study the literature on power was reviewed to identify the existing theories. This documentary approach was combined with case studies to …

Selected Factors Influencing Academic Success Of First-Year Students In Seventh-Day Adventist Secondary Schools In Rwanda, Salomon Maniraguha

Dissertations

Problem. Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools recruit students through a severe entrance examination. However, after 9 months of schooling, more than 20% fail without possibility of repeating the grade or pursuing studies in less academically challenging schools. They are pushed out without means of coping with real life. This situation has multiple negative impacts on families who sell all their belongings in order to send their children to school where they can be prepared for a better life. It is for the interest of the Rwandese to learn which factors may contribute to maintaining these students in school.

Method. Data were …

Job Satisfaction Among Teachers In Seventh-Day Adventist Schools And Its Relationship To Commitment And Selected Work Conditions, Athanase K. Rutebuka

Dissertations

Problem. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America has evidenced concerns over young people losing their commitment to the church, to SDA schools, and even to Christianity. Given the important role teachers play in the formation of young people, the purpose of this study was to determine the degree of teachers' job satisfaction and its relationship to commitment and selected work conditions.

Method. The population for this study included 261 elementary- and secondary-school teachers employed by the Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in 116 schools. A survey-research method was used to determine the degree of teachers' job satisfaction and …

The Empirical Development Of A Curriculum On Faith Development, Samir Selmanović

Dissertations

Problem. Professional and lay leaders in the Seventh-day Adventist church need to be sensitive to the dynamics of faith development as it interfaces with human development over the life span, and with its practical implications. Currently, there is no curriculum available, empirically developed or otherwise, to explore this issue.

Method. The underlining philosophy of the approach to curriculum design utilized in this study is that curriculum is likely to be more effective when it is developed in a cooperative spirit between an instructor and learners rather than written in isolation, and when there is emphasis on both the cognitive and …

Marketing Seventh-Day Adventist Higher Education In Southeast Asia, Geoffrey A. Pauner

Dissertations

Problem

There has been a concern by educational leaders of the Adventist church in the Asia Pacific Division that a number of parents of Seventh-day Adventist students choose to educate their children in non-Adventist primary and secondary schools. This study sought to determine if this concern is prevalent in Adventist colleges in Southeast Asia. To find answers to this concern the following questions were posed.

1. What methods do these colleges use to promote or recruit SDA students?

2. How do these colleges attract SDA students?

3. What special programs are in place in the colleges to retain SDA students? …

Descriptive Case Studies Of The Socialization And Acculturation Of Two Mentored First-Year Elementary Teachers Within The Seventh-Day Adventist School System, Carole B. Smith

Dissertations

Problem. A qualitative design was employed in this study to: (1) investigate the experiences and perceptions of two first-year elementary teachers within the Seventh-day Adventist educational system, (2) gain a better understanding of new teachers’ socialization and acculturation during their first year of teaching, and (3) use beginning teacher concerns gleaned from this study and previous studies to identify the kinds of support that need to be offered in a new teacher induction program within the Adventist educational system.

Method. I studied two first-year teachers, employed full-time at the elementary level by Scenic Vista Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Qualitative data …

Stages Of Deliberate Teacher Integration Of Faith And Learning : The Development And Empirical Validation Of A Model For Christian Education, Raquel Bouvet Korniejczuk

Dissertations

Problem. Research is lacking on the many ways the integration of faith and learning is accomplished by teachers. The purpose of this study was to develop a model of the process by which teachers integrate faith and learning in the formal curriculum. The model was validated by investigating to what extent the integration of faith and learning was deliberately accomplished by teachers in six Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools located in three South American countries.

Method. A multi-method approach involving questionnaire, interviews, and document analysis was used in order to study the process teachers experience in implementing integration of faith and …

Information Essential For Accountability And Planning As Identified By Board Chairs And Principals Of Seventh-Day Adventist Secondary Schools, James R. Nash

Dissertations

Problem

Particularly during the 1980s and 1990s, Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools have been facing problems with enrollments and finances. The purpose of this research was to identify those elements of information and data that the board chairs and principals of United States Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools determined would provide, if gathered and organized, the foundation for school personnel accountability and planning.

Method

The population consisted of the board chairs and principals of SDA secondary schools located in the continental United States. A questionnaire was developed, piloted by a panel of judges, and sent to each of the 78 principals and …

An Organizational Model For A Coordinated Program Of Music Ministry For The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In North American And Europe, Raimo J. Lehtinen

Dissertations

Problem. Initiating work in the coordination of church music activities has been undertaken in the North American and European portions of the world-wide organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. There was a need to develop a comprehensive model of music ministry which the Church could utilize when further steps in the advancement of organized music programs will be taken.

Method. In the process of creating the philosophical rationale for the model a descriptive method was used. Adventist literature on music ministry was reviewed, analyzed, and compared with the basic themes of Johansson's contrapuntal design (1984). In thedevelopment of the rest …

The Empirical Development Of A College Curriculum Of The Epistle To The Galatians, Dragutin Matak

Dissertations

Problem. Seventh-day Adventist adolescents need a clear understanding of the gospel which provides the assurance of salvation. Since in Seventh-day Adventist colleges there is no curriculum for the Epistle to the Galatians, this study was intended to provide college religion students with the opportunity to understand cognitively and to apply experientially the claims of the gospel as presented in Galatians.

Method. The basic philosophy of the learning approach utilized in this study was that a curriculum is more than a blueprint for educational planning. In Christian education, curriculum is a bridge between theory and practice in the cognitive, affective …

The Empirical Development Of An Instructional Product For The Training Of Seventh-Day Adventist Literature Evangelists, Randy C. Horning

Dissertations

Problem. This study addressed the training needs of SDA literature evangelists through an empirically developed curriculum.

Method. The instructional product development method of Baker and Schutz (1971) served as the basis for this research. After the need for the product was established, a series of behavioral objectives was written. The criteria for evaluation of the behavioral objectives were obtained from current sales literature as it applied to the work of literature evangelists. Additionally, a study of training literature was reviewed for methods to increase the effectiveness of the training seminar. The curriculum was presented in the form of a …

The Effects Of Regional Accreditation On The Achievement Of Aims, Goals, And Mission Of Seventh-Day Adventist Academies In The United States As Perceived By Principals And Teachers, Garnet P. Spence

Dissertations

Problem. There has been an on-going debate as to whether SDA academies should seek regional accreditation. No studies were found on principals' and teachers' perceptions of the effects of regional accreditation on the aims, goals, and mission of Seventh-day Adventist academies in the United States. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the principals' and teachers' perceptions of the effect of regional accreditation on the aims, goals, and mission of Seventh-day Adventist academies in the United States.

Method. Items selected from the Evaluative Criteria checklist of the National Study of Secondary School Evaluation (1981) and from the Evaluative …

Occupational Choice And Academic Planning In The Colombia-Venezuela Union Of Seventh-Day Adventists : A Needs Assessment, Leonardo Suescun Franco

Dissertations

Problem. In Colombia and Venezuela the number of students demanding higher education commonly surpasses the capacity of their educational systems. Furthermore, the academic programs may not match the occupational needs of the region. When academic planning occurs without systematic needs assessment, resources are wasted and graduates are ill prepared tor the labor market.

The Subjects. The subjects included senior high-school students attending SDA institutions, teachers serving those schools, the students’ parents/representatives, school and church administrators, and SDA members within Colombia and Venezuela.

The Method. A design for needs assessment was developed upon the implementation of a Data Flow …

A Study Of Group Attitudes Toward The Professional Status Of Teachers In Selected Adventist Elementary And Secondary Schools, Edward Joseph Kunitz

Dissertations

Problem. It was not known to what extent groups associated with Adventist education supported the professional role orientation of teaching which in turn affected the work behavior and morale of teachers.

Method. A Professional Role Orientation Scale (PROS) was responded to by 701 randomly selected subjects. The scale contained four criteria identifying professional aspects of teaching as a profession. Responses to the instrument were item weight analyzed and judged for point multiserial reliability before insertion into a BMDP statistical program. Four null hypotheses were tested using two-way ANOVA with the Scheffe test for multiple mean comparisons. Stepwise multiple regressions were …

Applying Marketing Concepts To Seventh-Day Adventist Secondary Education, David Stephen Penner

Dissertations

Problem

Seventh-day Adventist academies face financial problems due to declining enrollments and inadequate funding. Higher education has looked to marketing as a possible means of reversing these trends. While much has been written about marketing in higher education, little has been written concerning the marketing of secondary education.

Method

In order to accomplish the purpose of this study, it was necessary to review the current ideas on marketing higher education and examine those ideas that might apply to secondary education. An outline for marketing SDA secondary education was then developed. In order to validate the outline, a panel of judges, …

Comparison Of International And American Doctoral Graduates' Expectations, Satisfaction, And Appropriateness Of Their Programs In Education At Andrews University, Libin Kutup Rampasan

Dissertations

Problem

The proportion of international students in the doctoral programs, School of Education at Andrews University, raises concerns over (a) the ability of the programs to meet the varied expectations and needs of the international and American students and (b) the relevance of the students' academic preparations to their careers. Possible differences between the international and American doctoral graduates' appraisals of their programs were investigated.

Method

This ex-post facto study obtained data from two sources: All's records and the graduates' responses to survey questionnaires sent to 143 of the 151 doctoral graduates with known addresses. A 72.7% return rate was …

The Concept Of Contextualization And Its Implications For The Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Education In India, Melchizedek M. Ponniah

Dissertations

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist chruch in India operates in a rapidly changing pluralistic context and a predominantly Hindu culture. Response to the emerging opportunities and demands suggest the reconstruction of theological education in more contextual terms. It is imperative that the institutions and practice of ministry be shaped and evaluated in terms of the manifold functions to be performed in the varegated and highly differentiated cultures within which the Adventist church functions.

Method

This study utilized the historical and descriptive methods. Literature was reviewed to gather concepts related to the concept of contextualization and contextualization of theological education.

Conclusions

1. …

A Review Of Educational Balance And Its Relationship To The Daily Schedule In Eighteen Seventh-Day Adventist Residence Academies In The United States, Eugene W. Rau

Dissertations

Problem. Within the time constraints of the 24-hour day and the sevenday week, and under the pressure of the increased number of units to be earned before graduation from Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) residence academies, it was doubtful that students were experiencing educational balance. The number of and time for activities in which a student could be engaged, plus the content and emphasis on daily functions, were studied and reported under five areas of educational balance: academic achievement, vocational and professional interests, social growth, physical activities, and religious experience.

Method. Representing grades ten, eleven, and twelve in 18 out of 36 …

Edward Alexander Sutherland And The Seventh-Day Adventist Educational Reform: The Denominational Years, Warren Sidney Ashworth

Dissertations

Problem. Edward Alexander Sutherland, 1865-1955, was one of the most notable and successful educational reformers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He served the church for sixty years, fifty-three of them as president of four Adventist colleges. This study has been delimited to his years of denominational employment, 1890 through 1904, but does not include his forty-one years as president of Madison College--a self-suporting Adventist institution that received no direct financial assistance from the denomination.

Method. This study, investigating Sutherland's life from the perspective of his work as an educational reformer, employed the historical method of research. Major sources included extensive …

Indonesia Union College : A Historical Study Of A Seventh-Day Adventist Institution, Rajoaman Nainggolan

Dissertations

Problem

The first Seventh-day Adventist training school established in Indonesia was the Netherlands East Indies Training School (Indonesia Union College after 1962) founded in 1929. The school has since grown considerably and achieved university status, but no comprehensive history of it has been written. This lack points to a need for a systematic examination of the development of Seventh-day Adventist higher education in Indonesia. This study reconstructs the history of this institution from 1929 to 1970.

Method

The documentary-historical method, based on published and unpublished materials, was used. Materials included books, periodicals, school bulletins, minutes of the Indonesia Union Mission, …

Frederick Griggs, Seventh-Day Adventist Educator And Administrator, Arnold Colin Reye

Dissertations

Problem. Frederick Griggs was a pivotal figure in the development of Seventh-day Adventist education. As an administrator he was influential in clarifying educational goals, defining the scope of the educational program, and building the structure and organization necessary to achieve and maintain an educational system. Despite his considerable contribution to Adventist education, there has been no comprehensive investigation of his life.

Method. This study has investigated Grigg's life from the perspective of his work as an educational administrator. A historical-documentary method of research has been used. Major sources have been collections of official correspondence; minutes of committees, boards, and faculties; …

Planning A Needs-Assessment-Based Approach To Continuing Education Programs For Seventh-Day Adventist Clergy In The Eastern Africa Division, Baraka G. Muganda

Dissertations

Problem. This study attempts to determine the extent to which the needs-assessment-based approach to educational planning can be validated and used in planning continuing-education programs for the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) ministers serving in the Eastern Africa Division (EAD).

Method. The sample of the population for this study was drawn from the SDA clergy and a selected group of laity in the EAD. The data were gathered through a two-part questionnaire. The first part sought the demographic profiles of respondents. The second part was designed to enable the respondents to rank each one of the thirty items for preparation and importance. …

A Study Of Selected Variables Dealing With Continuing Education Interests Of Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors And Judicatory In The North American Division, Penny Shell

Dissertations

Background and Purpose of the Study. The study grew out of an increased Seventh-day Adventist interest in continuing education for ministry in the church's North American Division. This interest had generally been accompanied by a lack of current data for careful planning and development of resources. As a needs assessment, the study sought opinions on continuing education for ministry from the pastors, the local conference presidents, and the local conference ministerial directors in the North American division. The four specific areas covered by the study were (1) subject-matter preferences, (2) learning-situation preferences, (3) motivations, and (4) obstacles. Also covered were …

A Study Of Teacher Motivation In Five Selected Seventh-Day Adventist Colleges In The United States, Allen F. Stembridge

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to determine what positive and negative motivating factors affect teachers at Seventh-day Adventist colleges, to determine if these factors are different for public university teachers as identified in a similar study by Morgan, and to determine what factors influenced teachers to accept an appointment at an Adventist college.

Method. Respondents were asked to describe positive or negative incidents that related to their jobs as teachers and to answer twenty forced-choice-structured questions to indicate their level of satisfaction of dissatisfaction. The critical incidents were coded within a set of categories adapted for …

Resource Allocation In Seventh-Day Adventist Elementary Schools: An Educational Production Function Study, Gerald Alan Brown

Dissertations

Problem. Scarce resources and declining student achievement, heighten the need for schools to examine the resource allocation function more closely than ever to ensure that resources are being used most effectively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of selected school controlled variables on student achievement in Seventh-day Adventist elementary schools and to develop guidelines for the resource allocation function relative to these selected variables.

Method. Thirty schools on both grades three and six served as the population sample. Achievement scores were used as the determiner of school effectiveness. Three basic multiple regression procedures were used in …

The Impact Of Student Evaluative Feedback On The Perception Of The Teaching Faculty At Andrews University, Edmund Siagian

Dissertations

Problem. Educational researchers have little consensus of opinion regarding the usefulness of student evaluations and much less of the use of student evaluative feedback as a means of improving teachers' performance. However, because a movement of educational accountability pervades institutions of higher learning and administrators desire to keep students content, many school administrators periodically assess the performance of their teaching faculty by student evaluation. This study investigates the impact of student evaluative feedback on the perception of the teaching faculty at Andrews University, with the hope that the findings may help resolve whether student evaluation is helpful for improvement of …

A Study Of Parental Attitudes Regarding Secondary Boarding Schools Of The Mid-America Union Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Lawrence Gilbert Kromann

Dissertations

Problem. One of the challenging problems of SDA education in North America is the possible trend of declining enrollment of boarding academies, which have been the mainstay of the SDA secondary school system. It was the purpose of this study to determine if a relationship existed between the declining enrollment and parental attitudes concerning the boarding academies.

Method. A five-page Likert-type scale survey was used to gather information from randomly selected parents of high-school-age students in the Mid-America Union. Seven sub-hypotheses were used to test the major hypothesis which stated there would be a significant relationship between declining boarding school …

Goodloe Harper Bell, Pioneer Seventh-Day Adventist Christian Educator, Allan G. Lindsay

Dissertations

The Seventh-day Adventist church operates a worldwide system of Christian education. The pioneer educator who played a most significant part in laying its foundations was Goodloe Harper Bell (1832-1899).

Bell was a public school teacher in central Michigan from 1851 through 1866. He became a Seventh-day Adventist in 1867 and was subsequently invited to open a small private school in Battle Creek, Michigan. The success attending this school encouraged the church to employ Bell as the first teacher to operate a denominationally sponsored school in 1872. The school became Battle Creek College in 1875. Until 1882, Bell taught a variety …

Nonclassroom Teacher-Student Association In Seventh-Day Adventist Academies In The Northern And Central California Conferences, John G. Kerbs

Dissertations

Problem. Nonclassroom teacher-student relationships were studied in the secondary-school setting with regard to their occurrence; their perceived value, adequacy, and effects; their preferred forms or types; and the perceived barriers to teacher-student association.

Method. This was a descriptive study employing survey research. A 53-item questionnaire was completed by 671 senior students, full-time teachers, and principals in the eleven SDA academies and two boarding academies in the Northern and Central California Conferences. The data from the questionnaires were summarized--totaling responses and calculating percentages, means, and standard deviations. Comparisons were made and some differences were evaluated by applying t tests, accepting .05 …

A Conceptual Model For The Professional Practice Of Seventh-Day Adventist Educational Administration Based On The Proclamations Of The Three Angels Of Revelation 14, Rilla Taylor

Dissertations

Problem. Since the Seventh-day Adventist administrator must define a suitable mode of practice, the question must be addressed; does the Seventh-day Adventist religion require a distinctive mode of practice or simply suggest a characteristic approach to a common mode of practice?

Method. While the Seventh-day Adventists share many beliefs in common with all Christians, their most distinctive belief is found in the messages of three angels described in Revelation 14:6-12. Therefore, these messages are examined to determine whether or not they contain concepts which lead to a characteristic mode of administrative practice. Firstly, the three angels' messages are …