Stages of Deliberate Teacher Integration of Faith and Learning : the Development and Empirical Validation of a Model for Christian Education

Problem. Research is lacking on the many ways the integration of faith and learning is accomplished by teachers. The purpose of this study was to develop a model of the process by which teachers integrate faith and learning in the formal curriculum. The model was validated by investigating to what extent the integration of faith and learning was deliberately accomplished by teachers in six Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools located in three South American countries. Method. A multi-method approach involving questionnaire, interviews, and document analysis was used in order to study the process teachers experience in implementing integration of faith and learning in their classes. Triangulation occurred as observation from one source was cross-validated with observation from other sources. Results. The findings of this study support the notion of a stage model of implementation in which teachers find themselves in a continuum from no-interest, no-use, to dynamic collaboration. Teacher knowledge of integration of faith and learning is an important factor in the implementation process of integration. Other factors such as interest, planning, difficulty of the subject, leadership, and social, cultural, economic, and religious environment of the school affect the implementation of integration of faith and learning. Conclusions. 1. Teachers integrate faith in the formal curriculum in different stages of implementation. 2. Factors such as theoretical knowledge of integration of faith and learning, its implementation strategies, interest, concerns, and difficulty of the subject influence the degree of teacher implementation. 3. Student involvement in the integration of faith and learning process is an essential but frequently overlooked ingredient in the implementation process. 4. Support from the school administration and the parochial educational system provide direction and incentive for teacher implementation. 5. National, social, and cultural forces, along with the religious background of students and teachers, all directly or indirectly influence teacher implementation