This dissertation identified and analyzed the impact of learning environment factors on the retention and attrition of members of adult Sunday School classes in Kentucky Baptist Convention churches. The study was delimited to spiritual, physical, and social learning environment factors internal to adult classes meeting at church on Sunday led by the same teacher for the previous twelve months. The research questions focused on the strength and relationships of these factors and demographic data gathered. Precedent literature was investigated next. First, since adults in Sunday School study the Bible, an understanding of the impact of God and theological assumptions was presented. Then, adult learning assumptions, learning environment factors, and retention and attrition (assimilation) issues were applied to the context of adult Sunday School classes. Because limited literature was available addressing these issues in the church, resources from a diversity of fields were utilized, analyzed, and applied to this setting. The methodological design of the research involved creating and validating a research instrument, contacting and training church leaders, surveying classes on Sunday morning, and mailing instruments to no/low attenders. The random proportionally stratified sample included teachers and members of adult classes in nineteen KBC churches of the Long Run Baptist Association (Louisville area). The two instruments (teacher and member) contained seventy-two statements utilizing a Likert response scale along with twenty-two and sixteen demographic variables, respectively. Chronbach alpha reliability testing of the 762 instruments produced a score of .8801. In the analysis of findings, means, modes, medians, standard deviations, rankings, cross tabulations, percentages, and ANOVA data were provided to help answer the six research questions. The statements were combined into twenty-four triangulated learning environment factors in response to precedent literature. The strength of spiritual, physical, and social factors were examined along with the impact of retention (high/average attenders) and attrition (low/no attenders) and various demographic variables. Tables and figures helped to display findings in helpful ways. Conclusions drawn from the research findings were that spiritual and social learning environment factors did impact retention and attrition of the adult Sunday School classes in the sample. The impact of friends upon high/average attenders was evident, as was the impact of the teacher upon low/no attenders. Even though physical factors did not impact retention and attrition, several findings need application in the local church such as flexibility and physical arrangement. Several suggestions for further research were presented, including replication and utilization of the instrumentation and methodology in other locations and other denominations. Focusing on part of the learning environment factors could also produce helpful results. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2003. / Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 211-223).

The content of books published for adult beginner readers reveals as much about how literacy is understood and valued as it does about how literacy learners are viewed and constructed. This research consists of a description and analysis of the corpus of easy readers or stories published specifically for adult beginner readers in South Africa from 1990 to 2000. It is based on the assumption that texts can be used as evidence of the educational theories which underpin and inform them. The research consist of three parts: the development of analytical tools; a broad descriptive review of books published in all South Africa's official languages; a detailed content analysis of English books. The analytical tools are derived from research into children's literature, dominant conceptions of the meanings and purposes of adult literacy and research into gender and language. The corpus of books is examined in terms of literary quality, pedagogy and ideology. 120 books published in all South African languages are analysed according to various criteria relating to genre, theme, setting and design. The 38 English books in the sample are, in addition, analysed in depth in relation to plot, narrative features, character, emotions, direct speech, gender, imagery and readability. The research reveals that unlike fiction for children beginner readers, fiction for adult beginner readers in South Africa is relatively restricted in terms of genre, theme and literary quality in general. While a significant number of stories conform to conventional notions of what constitutes good fiction, many others are simply overdetermined vehicles for "development" messages - non-fiction masquerading as fiction. Despite the presence of a surprising number of humorous titles, many of the books are characterised by overtly moralising and didactic themes.The majority of the books do not substantially challenge stereotypes. The readership is generally portrayed as docile, predictable, hard-working, decent and stoical. Male characters tend to be more varied and complex and female characters conform to their stereotypical roles. Stories are mostly set in domestic, racially homogeneous domains populated by poor African people. Although there are notable exceptions to the above trends, the stories generally depict an uncontested, harmonious, homogeneous and docile world. In terms of issues relating to pedagogy the corpus reveals an overwhelming dominance of English second language books. This suggests that literacy acquisition in mother tongue African languages is not a serious endeavour in the current South African context. In terms of readability features, aside from surface similarities, there are wide discrepancies between publishers. Books are mainly written in naturally occurring language and do not appear to be written with predictability or decodability features particularly in mind. The analysis overall illustrates the complex nature of fiction for adult beginner readers which has to meet the simultaneous demands of readability and engagement. The corpus of books for adult beginner readers reflects competing conceptions of the purposes of promoting adult literacy: functionality, immediate application and relevance versus long-term development of reading through the evocation of emotion and imagination. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

The study investigates the use of the Asifunde! materials by educators and learners in mother tongue literacy classes at two learning sites namely, Msunduzi and uMngeni Municipalities located in KwaZulu-Natal. The study focuses on the ways in which the Asifunde! Materials (learners' workbook, educators guide and easy readers) are used in the classroom. The study contributes to a gap in current literature on the use of materials by adult educators and learners. The study poses one critical question: "How do educators and learners in ABE classes use the Asifunde! materials?" This question is further elaborated into six subquestions: • Do educators mediate the content? If so, how? • How much time do educators spend on each section/page/unit? • To what extent do educators discuss the content and exercises with learners? • What is the learners' response (interest/extent of engagement/amount of discussion and enjoyment)? • How does the level of the material match the learners' needs? • How much communication is there between learners about the content of the material? Asifunde! materials were developed in response to call of the then Minister of Education Kader Asmal for a National Literacy Campaign in 1999. The Asifunde! material is a literacy course developed specifically for adults who have not had educational opportunities in the past. Its emphasis is on reading and writing mother tongue as well as on the implementation of these skills. The study is on literacy and literacy learning, which is understood here as the study of reading and writing processes that learners use as they engage in interpreting text Topics such as: literacy acquisition; purposes of literacy; the role of materials in acquisition of literacy; approaches to teaching reading and writing; and the educator as mediator of learning, are explored in the literature review as they are pertinent to the study. The study revealed that: 1. The use of the learner's book and the educator's guide varies between educators. 2. The educators do not fully understand the educational rationale behind the materials. 3. Learners respond positively to the materials. 4. There is very little use of the easy readers by both the educators and the learners. 5. Learners' learning and progress is largely influenced by the educator's use of the materials. 6. The learners are very excited about learning to read English now that they are competent in reading and writing their mother tongue. The study presents the following recommendations: 1. Training of educators in the use of the material. 2. The revision of the educator's guide to accommodate a range of educators in terms of experience and creativity. 3. Clarification of the focus and purpose of the materials regarding reading and writing. 4. Emphasis on the importance of the easy readers. 5. Inclusion of longer writing exercises towards the end of the book. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Thesis (D. Ed. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2007. / Includes abstract and vita. "March 2007" Includes final project proposal. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-116, 33-38).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2007. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes final project proposal. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 131-139).

Thesis (D.W.S.)--Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 340-355).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1996. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Mary Boys. Dissertation Committee: Douglas M. Sloan. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 205-215).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 1996. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 184-189).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2003. / Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 211-223).