ERIC Number: ED652954
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 246
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3826-0612-5
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Revealing Vistas: Facilitating Wonder for Redemptive, Transformative Learning
Stacy R. Lung
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Trinity International University
This study explores how Christian educators in liberal arts universities understand the contribution of wonder-filled moments in their classrooms. As a transformative emotion, wonder and the related awe challenge education's prevailing objectification and instrumentalization, inviting students and educators to embrace an appreciative and open posture towards the subjects taught and each other. It encourages the interdisciplinary engagement that is the hallmark of the liberal arts. Despite extensive research on transformative learning in higher education, little research has explored the potential role of wonder as a disequilibrating emotion in the transformative process. The study extends this consideration of transformative learning to the redemptive transformation toward Christlikeness proposed by James Loder. In Christian education, the transformation toward Christlikeness, or wisdom, requires openness to transcendence and responsiveness to the transcendentals of truth, beauty, and goodness that wonder seems to encourage. Exploring how wonder contributes to cultivating biblical wisdom and forming an orientation to transcendence offers insights for Christian educators looking to provide a compelling mission that holds reason and ineffable mysteries in tension. In practice, this research could influence pedagogical approaches, encouraging educators to incorporate wonder-filled moments that promote transformative learning and a deeper connection to faith. It also underscores the potential for wonder to foster a sense of gratitude, belonging, and connectedness within educational communities that promote human flourishing. This study suggests that wonder can play a role in reinvigorating education, offering a pathway to wisdom, worship, and meaningful learning experiences, particularly in the context of Christian higher education. [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: Transformative Learning, Christianity, Liberal Arts, Psychological Patterns, Interdisciplinary Approach, Role of Religion, College Faculty, Educational Experience, Interpersonal Relationship, Academic Education, Beliefs
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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