Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Spirituality for education'

The purpose of this basic qualitative research was to gain a deeper understanding of how spirituality informs adult learning. Using transformative and holistic learning as major theoretical frameworks, qualitative interviewing was used to identify the viewpoints of eight spiritually focused adult educators associated with the Center for Spirituality. Transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed using inductive and comparative methods to develop a series of codes and themes related to participants’ understandings of spirituality, adult learning, and how spirituality may inform or affect learning as an adult. Results of the study suggest that spirituality informs transformative learning by providing: (a) a context through which adults may understand the meaning of their learning experience, and (b) a context for the justification of deeply held understandings and beliefs—both of which inform the foundation of transformative learning: habits of mind and points of view.

The purpose of this constructivist study was to gain information about a criterion sample of atheist social work students concerning their experiences and perspectives of spirituality and curriculum content on spirituality. Most of the twenty-two participants formed their atheist worldviews against the tide of a religious upbringing, primarily due to their assessment of a dissonance between their evaluations of reality and religious beliefs. From the findings and the literature, suggestions are made for curriculum content on spirituality: (a) educators should frame worldviews as constructions and treat mystical elements as cultural phenomena; (b) content should have a professional focus with academically appropriate content; (c) curriculum content should be planned around the goal of training social work students to effectively address issues about worldviews in practice; (d) inclusive language and content should be utilized that covers all worldviews, including atheist and other naturalist worldviews; (e) biases, stereotypes, and privilege should be addressed and countered; (f) specific dialogic techniques should be developed for use in the classroom; (g) educators who will teach content on worldviews should have specific training for teaching material on spirituality and worldviews; and (h) a task force should be formed to create guidelines for curriculum content on spirituality.

Preparing nursing students to address spiritual needs of clients is a challenge for nursing education programs. There is minimal evidence in the literature exploring the spiritual needs of clients from the perspectives of nursing students and faculty. While licensed nurses can confirm the importance of meeting the physiological and psychosocial needs of the client, nursing professional practice standards demand nurses include acknowledging the client’s spirituality. As required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), American Association of Credentialing Nursing (AACN), and the National Council State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), spiritual care is a requirement, not an option. By determining how nursing students are prepared to address the spiritual needs of the client in a large Midwestern baccalaureate nursing program, nursing faculty can identify effective methods of including spirituality in the nursing education curriculum. This research study used qualitative inquiry and focused on understanding experiences from nursing students and nurse educators. A grounded theory approach was utilized to assess faculty and student perceptions of preparation of senior baccalaureate nursing (BSN) students to address the spiritual needs of the clients. Two themes emerged from the faculty interviews: students need a clear definition of spirituality, and students are not prepared to address the spiritual needs of clients with a spiritual assessment tool. Three themes emerged from the student interviews: students cannot clearly define spirituality versus culture versus religion, they are not equipped to do a spiritual assessment, and there is a lack of role models by both nursing faculty and staff in the clinical setting demonstrating how to address the spiritual needs of clients. There are two sub-categories that support how to define spirituality and how to better equip students to address the spiritual needs of clients. Using a grounded theory approach, the outcomes of this study support a new theory to facilitate nurse inclusion of spirituality in the nursing curriculum.

This study provides support for integration in the nursing curriculum and inclusion of teaching strategies focusing on spirituality in the nursing curriculum. Findings from this study help minimize gaps in the literature by contributing new knowledge about spirituality in the nursing curriculum that previously had not been empirically identified.

The purpose of this qualitative, ethnographic study was to discover whether a relationship exists between discipline and spirituality in high school males. This study is important because it will apply traditional reasons for Catholics to send their children to private Catholic schools, to the disciplined curricular rigor and spiritual environment offered at one single-gender, military and college preparatory, Catholic high school. This qualitative, ethnographic study investigated the relationship between discipline and spirituality, and the researcher was a participant-observer. The participants were stakeholders, ranging from 18 to 65 years of age. The following data was used for purposes of triangulation: interviews with students, parents, alumni, teachers (faculty group), and observations of teacher practice; a preference survey of alumni; and a comparative study of randomly selected blind (unnamed) student data, from JROTC and Administration records. These data were collected and analyzed to provide validity and integrity to interpreted qualitative data, and added a quantitative component to the study. The researcher's analysis considered the data collected to identify the themes that emerged, and to find the voice of the stakeholder community. The study revealed 8 broad sub-themes that were paired as follows: (a) choice and culture; (b) brotherhood and camaraderie; (c) acculturation and enjoyment; and (d) Catholic and Mass. From the sub-theme pairs 4 overarching major themes emerged. They were choice, brotherhood, acculturation, and Catholic. These major themes represent the heart of the investigation. The study revealed that a relationship does exist between discipline and spirituality. This study contributes to the academic discussion, regarding single-gender education, and a positive learning environment. This study presents an invitation to future research.

Higher education has taken pride in the holistic development of students. However, research has shown that there is a void or lack in addressing students’ holistic development; more specifically, the lack or void is in addressing the spiritual development of students (Love & Talbot, 1999; Stewart, Kocet, & Lobdell, 2011). There remains little research on programs that directly and explicitly focus on spiritual development, especially in public institutions of higher education. It is important to study such programs to understand their components and implications as possible models and best practices for addressing spirituality in higher education. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how a four-year, public institution of higher education addresses students’ spirituality through the use of an interfaith center, reflection room, and student organizations focused on religion, faith, and spirituality.

A multi-case study methodology design was used to implement this research study. There were three cases being studied – an interfaith center, a reflection room, and student organizations focused on religion, faith, and/or spirituality. Each case involved interviews with student users, interviews with staff, and a review of documents. Based on the theoretical framework and research questions, data accumulated from the data collection process were analyzed for emerging and convergent themes that relate to how these spiritually-related services impact students’ development.

Research findings concluded that these spiritually-related services do address various measures of spirituality in students. However, there are areas in which spiritually-related services could improve to address more measures of spirituality. Additionally, there are some negative factors that need to be addressed to improve the efficacy of existing services. Some of these factors include visibility of the services provided and more specific training for staff. Recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are presented as ways for public institutions of higher education to implement and address spirituality among their students.

The aim of this research was to investigate the transformational experience of teachers who had training and experience with traditional education and then moved to an experiential teaching method as found in the One Earth School, Bali, Indonesia. The researcher conducted interviews with eight teachers and made observations of the teachers’ practices in the One Earth School. This study sought to answer the main research question: What was the transformative experience of teachers who moved from traditional to experiential forms of education? This primary research question was expanded to include sub-research questions that explored: How did an experiential educational method influence teacher practice, what were the barriers in transitioning to an education in experiential learning, how did the teachers address those barriers? The primary researcher used a multiple case study method. Six key themes emerged from this analysis, which were a sense of purpose, transformation of educational beliefs, experiences of transformative learning, sense of community, sense of intimacy, and self-transformation. The findings of this study provided data to support the theories and practices of transformative experiences for teachers who converted to this method. The experiences of teaching in the OES provided teachers impactful learning experiences that facilitated their transformation. The findings will provide a model for articulating and disseminating the transformative practices of educators as co-learners.

This qualitative research study explored student affairs administrators’ spirituality and leadership. In light of recent research into the spiritual lives of students and faculty in higher education, this study sought to explore if student affairs administrators could articulate any connection between spirituality and their leadership, as well as how they view and support the spiritual concerns of their students. By interviewing 8 participants, 4 themes emerged, (a) I know who I am, (b) different paths to leadership, (c) working with others, and (d) supporting student spiritual concerns. These 4 themes demonstrate how student affairs administrators articulate their spirituality, how that spirituality influences their leadership, and how they support the spiritual concerns of their students. This study adds to the research on spirituality in higher education, and offers recommendations for further exploration into the spirituality of student affairs administrators.

Spirituality in the workplace has received increased focus over the past two decades. This heuristic study examined how religious spirituality informs and/or influences individual perceptions of meaningful work experiences. A literature review on the subject found a dearth of research.

The primary research question was the following: What is the relationship between religious spirituality and meaningful work for the co-researchers in the study? The eight co-researchers were members of a United Methodist congregation in Washington, DC. The co-researchers ranged in age from 30 to 53 years old. All identified as African American. Six discussed meaningful work experiences that involved paid work, while the other two mentioned meaningful work experiences as unpaid volunteers. Semi-structured interviews were used as the primary means of collecting data.

The researcher analyzed and synthesized the data using Moustakas’s (1990) approach. The co-researchers’ experiences shared four themes. The first, seeking God’s purpose, relates to the co-researcher’s desire to do work considered pleasing in God’s sight and in pursuit of the fulfillment of a higher purpose or calling. The second theme involves placing a priority on the mission of the work versus the monetary benefit. The third, growing spiritually through meaningful work, describes the intangible benefit co-researchers received through their meaningful work experiences. Finally, the fourth theme, impacting the lives of others, is described as a key component of all of the co-researcher’s meaningful work experiences. Based on the results, a creative synthesis was developed, and implications and recommendations are suggested.

College is often considered a time when students grapple with life questions and identity development. Astin, Astin, and Lindholm (2011) define the process of identity development and the search for meaning and purpose as college student spirituality. Research reveals that 80% of college students are seeking purpose and meaning in their lives (Astin et al., 2011; Clydesdale, 2015). One opportunity for students to explore their purpose and define their values is through co-curricular activities, such as leadership development programs (Astin et al., 2011).

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate and explore the relationship between spirituality and leadership development in undergraduate college students who participated in a regional leadership development program. The following research questions guided this study:

1. Is there a relationship between spiritual quest and equanimity and dimensions of social change leadership for students participating in a leadership development program? (QN)

2. To what extent is variation in both spirituality measures and social change leadership measures related to gender, class year, institution type, and institutional religious affiliation? (QN)

3. How do students participating in a leadership development program describe spirituality and leadership? (QL) Phase I data collection surveyed (N=54) undergraduate students in a leadership development program. Multiple concurrent qualitative phases included Phase I students in dyadic and individual interviews (N=5), key informant interviews with staff members who advise leadership programs (N=2), and reflective student questionnaires (N=4).

Quantitative analysis yielded a significant positive relationship between various measures of leadership and spirituality. Neither gender, class year, institution type, nor institutional religious affiliation had a significant impact on students’ leadership or spirituality. Three primary concepts emerged from the qualitative findings: 1) leadership, 2) spirituality, and 3) relationship between leadership and spirituality, supported by detailed sub-concepts. Results of the connected findings between data sources suggested that students participating in a leadership development program identify a positive relationship between leadership and spirituality and seek opportunities to develop both.

The benefit of this study may be to assist student affairs practitioners in developing an understanding of the role of spirituality in leadership development and in implementing leadership programs that incorporate spirituality.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship among strength of religious faith, a set of demographic variables, and self-perceived spiritual competence of master’s-level clinical mental health counseling students enrolled in CACREP accredited programs. The study methodology was a quantitative correlational survey research design using multiple linear regression analysis.

Data were collected from 178 participants through an online survey comprised of three instruments: the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Scale (Plante & Boccaccini, 1997), and the Revised Spiritual Competency Scale (Dailey, Robertson, & Gill, 2015), and a demographic survey developed by the researcher. Results of the multiple linear regression revealed that 30% of the total variance in scores on the SCS-R-II was predicted by the model. In terms of individual relationships between the independent variables and scores on the Spiritual Competency Scale, strength of religious faith (p < .001), sexual orientation (p = .027), and awareness of the ASERVIC Spiritual Competencies (p = .034) each were statistically significant predictors of higher scores on the SCS-R-II. The remaining seven predictor variables – age, gender, ethnicity (2), university affiliation, exposure to SRIC in program, and hours completed in program – were not found to be statistically significant predictors of scores on the SCS-R-II.

By integrating spiritual development theories with Sanford's theory of challenge and support and study findings, this mixed methods study examines how spiritual development may be occurring through service-learning. The relationship between service-learning participation and spiritual growth is analyzed by addressing the following research questions: 1) Does spiritual growth occur among undergraduates participating in service-learning? 2) Which aspects of the service-learning experience relate to the occurrence of spiritual growth? 3) What role do "challenge" and "support" play in the process of spiritual growth?

The 272 study participants are drawn from the Boston College PULSE Program, a service-learning program that requires 10-12 hours of weekly service for the full academic year while students simultaneously take an interdisciplinary philosophy and theology course entitled, Person and Social Responsibility. The quantitative strand of this study sought to objectively understand the components of the PULSE program that may relate to spiritual development among undergraduates through a pre-test/post-test survey adapted from the College Student Beliefs and Values instrument created by Astin, Astin, & Lindholm (2011). The qualitative strand consisted of semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with eleven study participants whose quantitative survey results demonstrated particularly high or low levels of spiritual change.

Study findings indicate that nearly 80% of study participants grew spiritually during the service-learning experience. Consistent with Sanford's (1962, 1966,1967) theory of college student development and the spiritual development theories of Fowler (1981) and Daloz Parks (2000), spiritual growth was most likely to occur when students experienced significant challenge balanced with support. Qualitative and quantitative results found that challenge was related to the eye opening experience of witnessing injustice at service sites while simultaneously being exposed to diverse perspectives through course assignments and discussions. This eye opening experience led students to struggle spiritually as they questioned prior assumptions and beliefs. Support was found in relationships and effective integration of course content with the service experience.

Most studies on relationships in education are not about human relationships in itself, but about what teachers or students perceived to be a good teacher-students relationship or the outcome of a good teacher-students relationship. This dissertation, however, attempts to unfold the complex and implicit elements of human relationships and investigate how it can be practiced in teacher-student relationships in current educational settings. For this purpose, this dissertation explores two figures who had significantly contributed to the knowledge of human relationships—Martin Buber and Jalaluddin Rumi. The aim of this study is to explore how an understanding of human relationships from a spiritual perspective can improve teacher-student relationships in educational settings and help students to learn to perceive any relationship with another person not only as multicultural relationships but also as relationships between human beings. There are three principles of spirituality in human relationships derived from the teachings of Buber and Rumi. First, the human reason cannot be the foundation of the relationships between human beings because of certain limitations. Second, there is a state of a unified-self where qualities including ones that are paradoxical to each other can be reconciled and hold together within the unified self. Third, the relationship between a human being and the world is a microcosm-macrocosm relationship. Spiritual relationship is a relationship of microcosm¹-macrocosm-microcosm² where two individuals are sharing the same macrocosm. In educational settings, teachers play an important role in establishing spiritual relationships with students. Spirituality is not something that the human reason can observe and assess. What teachers can do is to make sure that the spiritual barriers are removed and turn towards the students as a whole person. Such a relationship between teachers and students of different race and religion can possibly establish a harmonious multicultural society in Malaysia.

Purpose. The purpose of this quantitative study, consistent with the original study by Bell (2006), was to examine the relationships between spirituality and job satisfaction among elementary school teachers.

Methodology. The Spirituality Assessment Scale (SAS; Howden, 1992) was used to determine the spirituality scores and the level of spirituality among teachers. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) short form (Weiss, Dawis, England, & Lofquist, 1967) was used to determine intrinsic satisfaction and general satisfaction. The general satisfaction and spirituality scores were compared to determine if a relationship exists between job satisfaction and spirituality. Demographic variables of age, educational level, grade level taught, and numbers of years teaching were used to determine additional relationships between spirituality and job satisfaction among teachers.

Findings and Conclusions. A moderate significant positive correlation was found between spirituality and general job satisfaction. Similarly, a higher significant positive correlation was found between spirituality and intrinsic job satisfaction. These findings seem to confirm the idea that spirituality is closely related to general job satisfaction levels for elementary school teachers. No significant differences where noted on the spirituality measure or the general job satisfaction scale on any of the demographic aspects of the participant sample.

Recommendations. Future research should utilize this study to examine whether a strong sense of spirituality among educational leaders correlates to teacher job satisfaction. Studies should also examine where high levels of spirituality among teachers would positively impact the academic performance of their students. Researchers may also wish to consider the following question: Why did the correlation between spirituality and job satisfaction have a moderate significant relationship, and yet the overall job satisfaction scores of this group indicate low levels of general job satisfaction?

The aim of this study was is to uncover the interdependence between self-transformation and community participation through analyzing the self-reports of participants in a 30-day community-based transformative educational program called the True School, organized by the Konohana Family in Fujinomiya, Japan. This research explored the question: What conscious phenomena, in terms of self-awareness, were experienced through participating in a 30-day community-based transformative educational program called the True School? The Konohana Family is an intentional community located in Fujinomiya, Japan, whose cultural belief system is based on transcending ego. Daily journals and a critical hermeneutic conversation were used to explicate the conscious phenomena experienced. Some experiences that the participants aspired for were later felt, and some experiences that participants felt were later aspired for. The researcher found that, prior to the True School, participants experienced emotional conflicts and repressed their personal desires. They desired acceptance, personal ownership, transformation, and wisdom. They aspired to feel autonomy, confidence, creative expression, fulfillment, and vulnerability. During the True School, participants wanted to feel confidence, creative expression, and vulnerability. They experienced compassion, embodiment, empowerment, gratitude, intuition, joy, vulnerability, will, and wisdom. After the True School, participants felt acceptance, faith, joy, non-attachment, and wisdom. More so, locus of control (LoC), the belief in a source of control as internal or external, was found to modulate self-construal and worldview. LoC was considered to be synonymous with ego, as the belief in a separate self. When ego is intended to be acknowledged and suspended or transcended, harmony is experienced and community forms. This research addresses the significance for further applications of community-based learning environments, specifically with the intention of transcending ego.