Education Commons^™

Assessing Spiritual Formation: Perceptions Of Challenges And Successes, Amy H. Bagby, James Drexler

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

P-12 Christian schools are faced with the challenge of assessing spiritual formation. This research aims to understand the perceptions of spiritual formation assessment, describe the difficulties related to this form of evaluation, and make practical suggestions for next steps. Through survey and interview, we gained the perspective of individuals working in P-12 schools. Findings show that there are currently gaps and needs between: (1) mission and vision statements regarding spiritual formation and what is being practiced, (2) biblical integration both in content and in pedagogy, (3) godly relationships with students as an indispensable key in the formation of students spiritually, …

How A Christian Worldview Enhances And Interacts With Academic Service Learning, Paul Angel Flores, Mark Arvidson

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Abstract

This study assesses how a Christian worldview enhances and interacts with academic service learning. It explains the importance of a Christian worldview and development at the undergraduate level. Faith integration is a distinctive to Christian higher education as part of attaining course objectives and fulfilling the mission of the institution. It considers academic service learning as a tool for teaching and learning in pre-service teacher education with faith integration. Findings explain the interaction of Christian worldview and academic service learning informing university student’s perceptions of teaching and understanding of students with special needs. Quantitative research methods demonstrate that academic …

Ready Or Not: The Leadership Preparation Of Preservice Teachers At Christian Liberal Arts Institutions, Kelly A. Lenarz

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Teacher leadership is a component of teaching that exists from the beginning of a teacher’s career and continues to develop over the course of their career trajectory. Research on teacher leadership at the preservice level is limited, but it does speak to the consideration for the starting point of teacher leadership development to be within teacher preparation programs. This quantitative study examined the preparation of preservice teachers for leadership at Christian liberal arts institutions of higher education. One hundred student teachers completed an online survey to determine the relationship between teacher licensure area (elementary, secondary, K-12, and special education) and …

Sustaining The Growth Curve: How Christian Schools Can Sustain The Post-Covid Growth Surge, Jared B. Johnston

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Prior to the 2019-2020 school year, the Christian school movement as a whole was in decline. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a surge in enrollment growth to Christian schools across the country. While this is encouraging news, Christian school leaders must be cautious and work to sustain the current growth surge. To maintain the growth surge, Christian school leaders can implement financial and non-financial factors of sustainability. Financial factors of sustainability include budgeting effectively, developing strategic plans, forecasting economic futures, and adhering to sound financial practices. Non-financial factors include a vibrant biblical worldview and Christian culture, effective leadership, a conducive …

Book Review: Missio Dei In A Digital Age, Christina Belcher

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

No abstract provided.

Instilling Biblical Dispositions In Faith-Based Teacher Education Programs, Jeff Wiesman

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Education faculty understand the importance of emphasizing and assessing teacher candidates’ professional dispositions. While all educator preparation providers examine dispositions, should faculty in our community of Christian colleges and universities include a stronger emphasis on Biblically-based dispositions? This essay explores the beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and values Christian educators should embrace, including dispositions teachers should display in a public or private-school setting. Christians are called to conform to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28) and, therefore, they should exemplify the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:22) and the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22). In addition, the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), a service …

Understanding Motivational Differences Through The Lens Of Gamification User Types, Heather J. S. Birch

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

In the context of an educational technology course, teacher candidates completed Marczewski’s User Types Hexad Test, a questionnaire based on a typology for classifying both intrinsic and extrinsic motivational tendencies. The test results showed teacher candidates' motivational tendencies, through indicating their resonance with six different User Types, including Socializers, Free Spirits, Achievers, Philanthropists, Players, and Disruptors. Knowing their User Type allowed teacher candidates to reflect on their own personal motivations to use various types of digital tools, as well as to consider how their peers and their students with different user profiles may be motivated differently than themselves. The …

Restoration: Emerging With Courage, Michelle C. Hughes Dr.

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This essay, first presented at the conference (name has been changed) as a talk at anonymous university, examines one pre-service faculty’s scholarly journey. Written during the Covid-19 pandemic, the author highlights research about professional teaching dispositions specifically exploring the disposition of courage. The essay reveals how the author’s research and scholarship became life-giving during a challenging season. The author encourages colleagues to cultivate space to reflect, summon courage and consider where they can seek and find restoration in their work and scholarship. The author concludes that seeking restoration is a life-giving practice that reminds educators of our faith and calling––and …

Using Online Video Observations And Real Time, Peer Reflective Analysis Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Pedagogy In A University Teacher Preparatory Program For Preservice Teachers, Adrian E. Cortes

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This research aimed to understand the impacts of using online video observations and real-time peer reflection to teach and address culturally responsive teaching in a Pacific Northwest university’s teacher preparatory program. Six active university students enrolled in a university’s new teacher preparatory program (i.e., preservice, new teacher candidates) actively participated in all areas of this study (i.e., nonrandom sampling) and provided both quantitative and qualitative data. Study participants completed self-evaluative pre- and post-surveys in a research group session. Surveys were built using the ready 4 rigor framework (Hammond & Jackson, 2015) and the four areas of culturally responsive teaching as …

Demystifying Preservice Teacher Reflective Thinking: A Systematic Literature Review, Joan Flora

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This systematic literature review responds to the need for research on clarity of what reflective thinking practice is and in determining the value of that practice for preservice teachers. While much has been written about preservice teacher reflective thinking, few studies have explored empirical research on the processes that inform and shape preservice teachers’ reflective practice. This study examines the existing literature to discern common themes in the diverse definitions of reflective thinking. This study also examines diverse frameworks that help teacher educators guide, analyze, assess, and measure the quality of preservice teacher reflective thinking. This study helps inform education …

The Wise Professor: The Skillful Art Of Living In God's Mission, Aaron Badenhop

Doctor of Ministry

Today’s Christian professor in the secular university setting is likely an expert in their academic field. Likewise, many Christian faculty are sincere in their faith and devout in their practice. The Christian professor’s expert knowledge is impressive and their heart for God is admirable. Yet, today’s Christian professor is simultaneously likely to be ill-equipped and disconnected from having a missional impact in their secular university context. In my work with Cru at The Ohio State University, this challenge is complex; there are no easy answers. Christian faculty are typically educated and trained in environments that assume the irrelevance of God …

Book Review: Education For Hope: A Course Correction, Sean Schat

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

A review of Hull, J. E. (2023). Education for hope: A course correction. Friesenpress. (ISBN: 978-1-03-914533-7, 431 pages, soft cover)

From The Editor, Sean Schat

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

No abstract provided.

From The Editor, Sean Schat

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

In a fascinating twist, the manuscripts in this issue all coalesced around a common thread: worldview-informed Christian education.