How do teachers reconcile their religious identity with their teacher identity in diverse settings? Two case studies of K-8 teachers, drawn from the same religious community and teaching at the same school, are used to examine teacher dispositions and how they integrate religious dispositions with their life and work as teachers. This article…

The author discusses reading "The Bridge to Terebithia" to a third-grade class prior to release of the film version. Reading of the final chapter followed by two days the April 16, 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech University, just seventy miles from the classroom. Although none of the college students from the author's town died, everyone…

This paper builds on and develops the English findings of the qualitative study of European teenagers' perspectives on religion and religious education (RE), part of "Religion in Education: a Contribution to Dialogue or a Factor of Conflict in Transforming Societies of European Countries?" (REDCo) project. It uses data gathered from 27…

This study aimed to gain more insight into the way in which teachers' ideological identity and their perceptions of educational innovations come together and result in choices with regard to the arrangement of learning environments. Interviews held with six Dutch upper secondary school teachers from reformational schools illustrate that teachers…

As public school principals articulate policies and implement procedures for the establishment of special education programs, the same programs are not always provided in Christian schools. The question is raised as to why Christian schools do not provide these services. This phenomenological study investigated the experiences of Christian school…

Both worldview and conceptions of nature of science (NOS) are important components in teaching and learning science. However, few empirical studies have examined the interplay between both of these components for teachers or students. Therefore, this study examines the possible relationship between worldview and conceptions of nature of science…

Exploring the development of excellent teachers could contribute to the revision of current practices in faculty recruitment, evaluation, workload expectations, and reward systems. This grounded theory study examined the professional careers of nine award-winning faculty members of a faith-based institution of higher education. The data, collected…

The article reports the final results of a collaborative action research project that devised a reflective approach to theological education. This project lives within the tension between prescribing and implementing a model of theological education and working at the level of applied understanding. Living within this tension are six professors in…

Sense of calling is often described with language steeped in religious tradition. It is variously described as a spiritual process or endeavor or as a summons by God to fulfill a specific purpose or task in life. This ethnographic case study examines how 18 senior faculty members of differing faith traditions expressed a religious sense of calling…

Education students in Australian state and Christian universities expressed their views on ideals, lived experience, and help expected from schools in four domains of spiritual well-being (personal, communal, environmental, and transcendental) (SWB), using the Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM). Students' lived experiences…

This article examines what happened within one Church of England primary school during an action research project concerning sexualities. "No Outsiders" aimed at exploring how teachers developed classroom practices that promoted greater inclusion of sexual minorities, at the same time as working to eradicate homophobic bullying and…

Despite healthy growth in past decades, in a time of national and global economic instability small, private Christian colleges now find themselves in a precarious position. Leading effectively in such colleges and universities in a time of external and/or internal crisis is a great challenge. This research is about a small, Christian college with…

Today's educational environment requires teachers who understand teaching and learning, have strong content knowledge, and can make connections between life experiences and the curriculum. Teachers are expected to be continually learning to improve their practice. Professional learning is essential in this process. Research on professional…

Approximately one-fourth of biology teachers in public schools include creationism in their biology courses. Most of these teachers 1) present creationism as a scientific alternative to evolution, and 2) present only the biblical (i.e., Christian) story of creation. State science-education standards, position statements from professional…

Many religious-studies professors consider personal references to one's own faith to be out of place in an academic context. However, the author contends that students nowadays need to know what a professor thinks, including what he believes about some matter of faith, if the comments compare his position with other possibilities and invite…