Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Advisor
Tony Pellegrini
Committee Member
Alice Lindsay
Committee Member
Ronald P. Kern
Keywords
biblical instruction, community ministry, case study, categorical aggregation, Christian leadership, community service learning, discipleship, faith, faith-based education, interviews, Junior Varsity Masters Commission Program, leadership, leadership development, private academy, qualitative research, servant leadership, service learning, spiritual growth, student leadership, surveys
Abstract
The private, faith-based academy under study did not have an intentional strategy or program for developing and preparing students to be Christian leaders in their school, community, and world. Although biblical instruction is integrated as a vital component of the curriculum; an intentional leadership program through which students could practice their faith had never been effectively established or implemented at the academy. The students need practical application to have a better understanding of their faith and to grow spiritually as servant leaders.
The purpose of this single-case study was to describe and explain a servant leadership program for juniors and seniors at a private, faith-based academy. The servant leadership program--the Junior Varsity Masters Commission Program--focused primarily on servant leadership training through faith-and-discipleship training and service learning through community ministry opportunities. Among the goals of the study were to describe and explain the influence of the program in preparing the students to base the living of their lives on Godly leadership principles. The goal of the program was for the participants to experience substantial growth in their understanding of their Christian faith.
This case study used a descriptive qualitative-method approach. The guiding research questions for the case study were as follows:
1. How do student participants at the private, faith-based academy define servant leadership?
2. Why is it important for faith-based schools to implement discipleship training for teenagers?
3. What components of the servant leadership program had the greatest effect on the participants?
The target population for this applied dissertation study comprised juniors and seniors at the private, faith-based academy. Primary data-collection techniques included interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and survey. Data were collected and organized through the process of categorical aggregation and direct interpretation for analysis.
The major finding in this descriptive case study was in agreement with the review of literature indicating that faith-based schools need to be intentional about the spiritual growth and training of students as servant leaders through discipleship. The participants who were interviewed agreed that the Junior Varsity Masters Commission Program influenced them as servant leaders, showing the need for the program to continue at the private, faith-based academy.