Education Commons^™

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 …

Instructional Practices And Attitudes Of Teachers In One- And Two-Room Schools In The Seventh-Day Adventist School System In North America, Judith Leist Anderson

Dissertations

Problem. This study examines the instructional practices, perceptions, and attitudes of multi-grade teachers in one- and two-room schools in the Seventh-day Adventist educational system.

Method. The researcher developed a survey and mailed it to a randomly selected stratified sample of 500 teachers in one- and two-room schools in the Seventh-day Adventist educational system in the United States and Canada. Two hundred eighty surveys were returned; 276 were used in the data analysis. Descriptive statistics give a demographic picture of these teachers--the practices used, their perceived levels of expertise, methods of grouping students for instruction, and their assessment of multi-grade students' …

The Empirical Development Of A Curriculum On The Issues Concerning The History Of Ancient Israel, Ruzica Gregor

Dissertations

Problem. An understanding of Israel's history is crucial to a Christian view of history, including its morals and values, and is a foundation stone of most conservative Christians including Seventh-day Adventists and their religious educational philosophy. There is a vital need for a curriculum that provides reasonable answers to the most frequently asked questions about Israel's early history and builds a solid base for the Christian/Adventist faith. The purpose of this study was to meet this need by empirically developing a curriculum for religion majors in Seventh-day Adventist colleges. Issues discussed include the Philosophical Background and Importance of History; the …

Guidelines For Developing A Campus Master Plan Document For Small Colleges And Universities, Bradley Allen Jamison

Dissertations

Problem. From a review of dissertations in the field of campus master planning, no study was found that attempted to identify the essential elements, principles, configuration and format of campus master plans for guiding small colleges and universities in developing a master plan document. The lack of this type of study left a void in the campus planning process in regards to developing a campus master plan, its purpose, and how it contributed to the overall strength of a small college or university with little campus planning experience.

Results. A campus master plan document was developed from the summation of …

Teacher Thinking And The Change Process: A Qualitative Study Of Experienced Teachers Learning And Implementing New Models Of Teaching, Susan J. Karrer

Dissertations

The responsibility for improvement and change in schools ultimately depends on what teachers do and think. This study investigated the personal side of change by following the thinking of experienced teachers as they are learning and implementing new models of teaching. During a 4-week summer training institute, the thinking of them 36 participants was explored through daily reflective journals, interviews, and observations. Four categories of thought emerged during the analysis of the data: (1) encountering the learning environment, (2) navigating the social milieu, (3) managing the personal, and (4) anticipating the future.

Following the training institute, three teachers agreed to …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Psychological Androgyny And College Adjustment Among Korean American College Students, Daniel Donghyun Kim

Dissertations

Problem. The process of adjusting to college has been difficult for many Korean-Americans because of the tension that exists between traditional sex roles versus androgynous sex roles. While it has opened doors to new and exciting opportunities in personal growth, complex challenges of academic, emotional, and social adjustments must be made. The traditional views of the subculture have posed unique problems for young Korean Americans who have enrolled in higher education. This descriptive study examined the relationship between androgynous flexibility and the college adjustment of Korean American students. Androgynous flexibility was investigated in terms of college adjustment.

Method. The sample …

The Relationship Of Student Retention To Teacher/Student Personality Types At Summit Christian College, C. Joseph Martin

Dissertations

For the past 3 decades, retention studies have emerged as being of significant importance to the smaller colleges and universities, especially the private colleges and universities, including Summit Christian College. With the decline in the high-school population, which was predicted to occur in the mid-70s, retention was going to be of even more importance to the smaller educational institutions. All of this pointed toward a time when colleges would have to compete for the high-school graduate in a more aggressive manner. It was possible that unless new ways of coping with the drop-out rate were initiated, a number of smaller …

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? …

Spiritual Nurture In The Local Seventh-Day Adventist Congregation Through The Spiritual Gifts Of Prophecy And Shepherding, Francy Duran

Dissertations

The purpose. The purpose of this research was to analyze the church as a nurturing entity, and the spiritual gifts that enable the church to develop a ministry of spiritual nurture.

Method. This study followed the documentary methodology. The Scripture data, in both Old and New Testaments, regarding the purpose of the church and the gifts of prophecy and shepherding were analyzed indepth. Secondary sources, including books, journal articles, and research reports, were used where applicable.

Conclusion. The church was called to accomplish a specific ministry. This ministry is much more than the Gospel proclamation that leads to conversion and …

A Descriptive Case Study Of Staff Development In Two Seventh-Day Adventist Districts As They Relate To Potential Change, Michael G. England

Dissertations

Problem. Leadership at the superintendent level is paramount in the process of change in Seventh-day Adventist schools. The superintendent/education director of state-sized districts, known as conferences, is responsible for staff development programs. How a superintendent performs his or her duties in the area of staff development is the focus of this study.

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to describe staff development programs of two Seventh-day Adventist districts who have a reputation for being "active" in promoting staff development among their teachers. I wanted to know what the superintendents of these districts were doing in this "active" mode of …

The Empirical Development Of A Curriculum On Psalms Utilizing A Modified Form-Critical Approach, Ted Ewing

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to empirically develop a curriculum on the book of Psalms for readers of the English text that would bridge historical, theological, cultural, and linguistic distance, as well as overcome literary challenges associated with Hebrew poetry including figures of speech, parallelism, and psalm forms.

Method. The instructional product development methodology employed in this study was based on the work of Baker and Schutz (1971) and Naden (1993). The need for the product was established through a literature review, the specific learners were described, behavioral objectives were constructed, an identical pre-test and post-test were prepared, …

The Empirical Development Of An Instructional Product On The Religion Of Islam From A Missiological Perspective, Raja D. Farah

Dissertations

Problem. There is considerable misunderstanding in the contemporary world about the religion of Islam. Its swift growth has been a challenge to Christianity, and efforts to share Christ's message with Muslims have been relatively fruitless. The purpose of this study was to prepare a pedagogical module to instruct Seventh-day Adventist college students about the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam. Topics include the Judaistic and Islamic heritage, Jesus and Muhammad, Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic marriage and family, the Muslim worldview, and practical Christian channels of missionary outreach to Muslims.

Method. The methodology of this instructional product development followed the pattern of …

A Study Of The Concomitant Problems Facing Most Of The "At-Risk" African American Students In The Benton Harbor Elementary School System: A Case For An Alternative Model, Simon M. Honore

Dissertations

Problem

It would appear that the problem of school truancy, retention, and subsequent academic failure is a major educational crisis which puts most of the African American students at risk in the Benton Harbor area schools.

Purpose

The purpose of this study has been to determine the concomitant educational problems facing the "at-risk" African American students in the Benton Harbor Elementary School System and to suggest positive changes through an alternative model.

Results

The results of the survey indicated that approximately 90-95% of Benton Harbor educators agreed to changes. Administrators and teachers strongly agreed that the recommendations, based on the …