ERIC Number: ED552402
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 419
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-2679-1149-0
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Semantic Ambiguity & Theological Diversity: A Descriptive Study of the "Integration of Faith and Learning" in Protestant Higher Education
Cosgrove, Preston B.
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Cardinal Stritch University
In 1971 ten Christian colleges resisted the ongoing trend of secularization within American higher education through the formation of a Consortium designed promote collaboration among Christian institutions. Since then, the Consortium has transformed into the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), with 116 member institutions dedicated to the advancement of Christ-centered higher education. One of the primary distinctives of the CCCU has been to promote the "integration of faith and learning.". Given that membership in the CCCU requires faculty to integrate their faith into the classroom, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of faculty members at seven CCCU member institutions about their preference of different faith-learning integration approaches and their level of involvement in the integration process. Related research questions sought to identify the presence and size of any significant relationships, differences, and associations between/among the perceptions of different faculty groups. The researcher used descriptive research methodology and a survey to collect the data. Seven institutions were randomly selected through a stratified random sample, with faith tradition serving as the stratum. A survey measuring faculty perceptions, with confirmed validity and internal reliability, was developed, piloted, and completed by 305 faculty. Perceptions of integration approaches were measured against seven different integration models created by the researcher through a meta-synthesis of the literature. Perceptions of integration involvement were measured against an adaptation Korniejczuk and Kijai's (1994) scale of integration implementation. The study found that six faculty characteristics had a significant affect on perceptions of different integration approaches, and 19 faculty characteristics had a significant affect on perceptions of involvement. Overall, the greatest influences were institution of employment, academic discipline, age, years employed, personal religious orientation, and participation in professional development. These findings suggest that leaders of CCCU member institutions are able to identify which types of faculty would agree with certain models of integration, and how involved they would likely be in a newly created, four-stage integration involvement process. The study also confirms the importance of professional development for institutional leaders who want to improve their faculty's understanding and involvement in the integration of faith and learning. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Church Related Colleges, Protestants, Beliefs, College Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Preferences, Teacher Surveys, Teacher Characteristics, Integrated Activities
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A