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<p> Teacher retention is a concern in all educational sectors in America. It is of special importance to Islamic schools, which tend to lack the resources necessary in recruiting and training new teachers. This dissertation addressed this problem in full-time Islamic schools in New York State by conducting a discrete choice experiment, which reflects an innovative, interdisciplinary, new methodological approach borrowed primarily from the fields of economics, social psychology, and decision theory. This approach re-conceptualized teacher retention as a series of decisions or discrete choices made throughout a teacher's career (as suggested by human capital theory) and has not been employed in this manner previously in educational research on teacher retention. This new approach offered additional insights in this important area of educational research, theory, and practice. This study examined the effects of six position-related characteristics in the discrete choice experiment: (a) opportunities to practice Islam, (b) work environment, (c) amount of work, (d) salary, (e) prestige, and (f) health benefits on the decisions of teachers in Islamic schools to continue teaching in those schools. The study also determined how the subjects&rsquo; characteristics (case-specific attributes) interacted with these position-related characteristics (alternative-specific attributes). All six alternative-specific attributes were found to be important to a certain extent, but their levels of influence varied across three preference profiles. Generally, the single most important factor affecting teacher retention in Islamic schools is the work environment of the school followed by the presence of opportunities to practice the Islamic faith. Contrary to the common belief, salary (and prestige) had the least impact on retaining Islamic school teachers. </p>

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<p>In many ways, Christian education of the Presbyterian Church was deeply influenced with the public education in Egypt. One of the negative consequences of such influence is the significant lack of developing and using critical thinking as a basic element of the process. While multiple factors and reasons, educational and theological, contribute forming it, this problem manifests itself in many ways. This research, therefore, deals with the problem of the lack of critical thinking as a central element of the problematic reality of education process in the Presbyterian Church in Egypt. In order to illuminate and address this problematic situation, an American philosopher, psychologist, and educator John Dewey was brought into a dialogue with a reformer and theologian John Calvin within the framework of understanding Christian education as practical theology of Christian educator and practical theologian Richard Osmer. </p><p> In the light of this dialogue, not only the lack of critical thinking, but also other multiple dimensions of the problematic situation of Christian education in the Presbyterian Church in Egypt have become apparently distinguished. Lack of democracy, lack of using experience, lack of creative pedagogies, lack of practical reason, and lack of theology from the process are some of these dimensions. Yet, it has become increasingly evident that division and dualistic thinking are fundamental elements, which reflected the deep need for a different approach to the Presbyterian education in Egypt. Adapting Osmer&rsquo;s comprehensive approach to Christian education as practical theology, I propose a &ldquo;holistic approach towards Christian education,&rdquo; which aims at transforming education into a reconciling process. Through the holistic approach, the Presbyterian education process in Egypt will be able to work on reconciling the divine authority with the human agency; creation theology with the redemption theology; faith with reason; and theology with philosophy. It is through this approach that the Christian education process is able, not only to create critical theologians, but also to develop a contextual theology that is Eastern Egyptian Arabic contemporary theology. </p><p> <i>Keywords</i>: practical theology, critical thinking, practical reason, democracy, experience, and holistic approach </p>

<p>Given the frequently observed disconnect between people's learning experiences and their subsequent behavior or practice, this research inquired into the factors that contribute to coherence or congruence between learning and practice as perceived by graduates of ISTEL (Instituto Superior de Teologia Evang&eacute;lica no Lubango), an interdenominational theological college in Angola, Africa. </p><p> Characteristics of African indigenous knowledge systems and general cultural characteristics were taken into consideration when analyzing these findings. Twenty seven graduates of ISTEL who completed their bachelor's degree in theology between 1997 and 2012 were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol. Research questions for this study inquired into graduates' perceptions regarding their learning experiences prior to ISTEL. They were also asked to recount how their learning at ISTEL differed from previous schooling. Finally graduates were asked to recount how their learning experiences were influencing their present ministry practice. It was found that the most frequently mentioned factors that contributed to coherence were: 1. The modeling of qualities of Christian life by faculty; 2. Experience in small group fellowships for spiritual formation; 3. Apprenticeships and "hands on" practical ministry experience; 4. Critical thinking skills. </p>

Human rights education (HRE) is a growing pedagogical force that lacks conceptual theorisation and awareness of an emerging postsecular context. This hampers the extent to which it can accomplish its aims of encouraging friendship between people of different religious and philosophical traditions while advancing a universal culture of rights. The thesis analyses the role of religion within HRE literature, both at an international and theoretical level, and in the curriculum documents for English schools, finding parallel weaknesses resulting from this shallow theoretical base. The thesis contributes to HRE literature with a distinctive analysis of the foundational concept of dignity and the meaning-giving narratives that contributed to the concept’s development. It unravels the complexities surrounding an often mentioned but seldom explained concept, identifying relationships between inherent worth, human flourishing and societal recognition. It demonstrates that taking an inclusive approach to this conceptual framework allows for two crucial ingredients in contemporary society: different meaning-giving narratives may be held, while a common ethical understanding of rights based on dignity is adhered to. It argues that the concept of dignity is a foundation for a particular pedagogical approach that advances a commitment to the inherent worth of the human person. The approach consists of two reflexive elements: a self-reflective enquiry into the faiths and philosophies of the individual learners and a dialogue with and for others. These elements are essential if the colonial mistakes of earlier human rights movements are to be avoided, and they identify the significance of religious education in HRE. A proposal for a recontextualised form of HRE that is theologically and religiously literate presents a distinctive offering to guide policy and practice. The proposal acknowledges the overlap between educational movement and theological thought and makes specific reference to contributions from contemporary Catholic thinking. The thesis aims to motivate further research to carry forward the HRE proposal and develop new thinking about postsecular education.

<p>This purpose of this doctoral project is to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing a new education methodology in teaching systematic theology. The project assesses the level of engagement and application seminary students are able to gauge in their classroom experiences. The intervention methodology is called the ?sermonic/narrative? and it was applied as the andragogical methodology in systematic theology courses at Alliance Theological Seminary. In explaining the conceptual framework, studying the theological foundations, and researching the effectiveness of the methodology, this study has shown that the sermonic/narrative approach is more effective in engaging students in the classroom experience than the traditional lecture methods. Additionally, students were able to more readily apply the lessons they had been exposed to when being taught through the sermonic/narrative method. Although student performance levels were not evaluated in this study, the literature will show that deeper engagement in classroom experiences leads to better student learning.

<p> The present study sought to discover the extent to which personal mentoring enabled members of the Millennial generation to develop as Christ followers in the areas of orthodoxy, orthopraxy, and orthopathy. The precedent literature revealed that Millennials comprise the largest generation in American history. Church leaders must therefore engage this vital demographic and invest significant effort into making disciples among this generation. Such discipleship can be effectively accomplished through personal mentoring, as this relational means of passing on principles for spiritual growth finds precedent throughout Scripture as well as more recent history. Proper balance in biblical discipleship requires an emphasis on all three elements of orthodoxy, orthopraxy, and orthopathy. While much has been written about the Millennial generation and the topics of mentoring and discipleship, no studies have been conducted to explore the extent to which Millennials experienced growth in orthodoxy, orthopraxy, and orthopathy as a result of personal mentoring.</p><p> Numerous authors have argued that holistic discipleship encompasses right thinking (orthodoxy), right acting (orthopraxy), and right affections (orthopathy). Each of these realms must be consistent with biblical truth to produce spiritual growth. The doctrinal commitment of orthodoxy provides the necessary guidance to enable the believer to continually grow in his relationship with Christ. The practical element of orthopraxy empowers the believer to impact the world around him through demonstrations of faith and acts of service. The devotional sphere of orthopathy motivates the believer toward continued Christlikeness from a heart of deep love for God and others. While many of those who follow Christ emphasize one of these areas at the expense of the others, this imbalance impedes spiritual growth and diminishes gospel impact on the surrounding culture. To achieve optimal progress in discipleship and maximum influence for the kingdom of God, each of these three elements must be integrated into a holistic Christian experience.</p><p> To secure research results for this investigation, members of the Millennial generation who had experienced personal mentoring were asked to complete a Transformational Discipleship Assessment. This tool constructed by LifeWay Research was utilized to determine the extent, if any, to which these mentoring experiences enabled the participants to develop in each of the discipleship areas listed above. In addition to completing the assessment, respondents were asked to provide the researcher with information concerning their gender, age, and the number of hours they had invested in a personal mentoring experience. The researcher identified a purposive sample of survey participants with the assistance of ministry leaders within the Navigators organization as well as a number of churches. The church leaders who participated in the study were recommended by individuals serving in the LEAD222 and Leader Treks organizations. These ministries champion the value of mentoring and provide resources to assist churches in this endeavor.</p><p> Because the intent of this study was to discover the impact of mentoring upon members of the Millennial generation, this study was delimited to individuals born between the years of 1982&ndash;2004. A further delimitation was that study participants were students from churches affiliated with the LEAD222 and Leader Treks organizations, as well as those involved with the Navigators ministry. Because the sample population is restricted to members of the Millennial generation within the United States, the results can be generalized only to the Millennials of our nation. The respondents chosen to participate live in select regions of the United States, so the results will be limited in their applicability to other regions.</p><p> Upon receiving the survey results, the researcher organized the assessment scores into the categories of orthodoxy, orthopraxy, and orthopathy. The data concerning participant gender, age, and mentoring hours were established as dependent variables, while participant scores in the three categories of discipleship served as independent variables. Statistical analysis was then performed to determine the strength and direction of the association among these variables. Further investigations were conducted to examine the relationships between participant gender, age, and mentoring hours, and the individual scores received in the areas of orthodoxy, orthopraxy, and orthopathy. This examination of the data permitted the researcher to investigate trends and patterns to address the research questions, and to pose suggestions for further research. </p>

<p> Performance-based identity and sexual scripts play a critical role in shaping the masculine identity of young adult Christian males, undermining their spiritual formation. Young men&rsquo;s perceptions of, and interactions with, family culture, non-Christian peers, and society at large further intensify the impact of these scripts. The negative results of these influences include a license for premarital sex, the delay of marriage, and a view of manhood inconsistent with the good news of salvation by grace through Christ Jesus. Through interviews with eleven young adult men these scripts were identified and labeled to capture the characteristics of these sexual narratives. Eight scripts were discovered and named such as Stud, Venus, C.R.E.A.M, and Bachelor Pad among others. For instance, the Stud script is a young man who has achieved experiential wisdom and self-confidence from having lost his virginity. Most Studs typically experience a time of high sexual activity before moving into monogamous sexual relationships. The benefit of being initiated into the script removes any regrets from having engaged in premarital sex even though most were only teenagers. Ironically entry into the status of Stud occurred through the initiation of a Venus. Venus describes the assertive young lady, for most a fellow teenager, who was the co-initiator in the loss of virginity. Venus however was not a one-time sexual relationship but also the description of the sexual desires and expectations of their female counterparts.</p>

<p> The transition from a usually autocratic to generally participative style of leadership has been a process full of frustration, anxiety, and concerns for Nigerian immigrant pastors in The Apostolic Church (TAC) North America. These pastors have brought the values, concepts, practices, and behavior which they learned in Nigeria to lead the American church, but their inability to identify differences between the two cultures and make the necessary changes for easy adaptation has often led to conflict and power struggle between church authorities, pastors, and members in TAC North America. Thus, this study examined how Nigerian pastors in TAC North America are adapting the leadership style they learned in Nigeria to the North American context. </p><p> The study used the mixed method approach and data was gathered through self-reported questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews. A purposeful sampling method was used in conjunction with snowball sampling. Ten churches with congregations of 100 and above were purposefully selected. The participants included the pastor, an elder, and a member. A total of three participants from each church representing an overall total of thirty participants contributed to the study. The self-report questionnaires provided information on the demographic characteristics of the respondents as well as their cultural dimension and perception of leadership style. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were also used to provide a more thorough understanding of the pastor&rsquo;s life history, experiences, and leadership styles. </p><p> The results obtained showed that most of the participants scored low on power distance, but scored high on uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity, and long-term orientation. On the perceived leadership behavior scale, a greater number of the elders and members perceived their pastor&rsquo;s behavior as being high on Instrumental Leadership (IL), supportive leadership (SL), and participative leadership (PL). The pastors interviewed expressed some of their frustrations which includes their accents preventing them from reaching out to people who are not Africans, lack of funds to finance church projects, seemingly lack of respect for pastors as well as the congregation&rsquo;s lack of commitment, and poor attendance to church services. Some doctrinal challenges include men and women sitting together in church, women not covering their hair and wearing pants/trousers to church, allowing unmarried couples to partake in holy communion and even be ordained as church officers, and tithes and offering were concerns for the pastors. </p><p> Despite all the hindrances and challenges, the pastors expressed their determination to fulfill their calling and in their efforts to adapt and accept the democratic and participatory style of leadership, as opposed to the generally hierarchical and autocratic approach used in TAC Nigeria. Nigerian pastors in TAC North America and the executives in Nigeria need to examine these challenges and formulate better policies for sending and supporting missionary pastors in TAC North America.</p>