Educational Studies (ES)
ES 7524 Children in the Church - 1-2 Hours
In this coursem participants investigate and develop a variety of options for contemporary educational and ministry experiences with children. Trends in the church's ministry to children will be considered. The variety of curricular and other resources, parachurch agencies, and networks that support children's ministry in the church will be explored.
ES 7535 Nurturing Families in the Church - 1-2 Hours
This course examines the nature of marital and family relationships in preparation for participants to understand these dynamics in their own families, in the families of those to whom they minister, and the impact of these on their ability to be effective ministers. The course concludes with a consideration of church as the family of God.
ES 7550 Local Church as System - 1-2 Hours
In this course, participants examine how local church bodies are interdependent systems of people and practices. Topics include local church life cycles, administrative practices that build gospel health, adaptive leadership, and cultivating gospel-centered teams and partnerships.
ES 7560 Program Planning Dynamics in the Church - 1-3 Hours
In this course, participants examine how gospel-centered leaders negotiate stakeholder interests toward advancement of God's Kingdom. Topics include identifying stakeholder interests, navigating power dynamics, and planning toward mission. Available online.
ES 7815 Change, Power, and Conflict - 1-2 Hours
This course explores the challenges of change, power, and conflict in relation to developing and transitioning Christian organizations (including but not limited to the local church). Participants will identify and clearly articulate common issues related to change, power, and conflict in organizations; create effective strategies and processes to address these issues; and foster personal attitudinal responses to change, power, and conflict that emanate from biblical wisdom.
ES 8000 Seminar: Current Issues in Educational Ministries - 1-4 Hours
Topics chosen deal with contemporary issues in Educational Ministries.
ES 8211 Teaching Others to Teach - 1-2 Hours
This course connects Bible teaching with equipping others to interpret and teach the Bible. Topics include utilizing Bible study tools and resources, employing sound interpretive principles, recognizing group dynamics, identifying Biblical genres, communicating Biblical themes, harnessing effective educational methods, and identifying creative teaching strategies.
ES 8240 Intergenerational Education in the Church - 1-2 Hours
In this course, participants examine current intergenerational theory and practice in light of Biblical texts and themes. Topics include generational developmental theories, personal mentoring and mentoring communities, and developing intergenerational teams.
ES 8258 Online Teaching and Learning - 1-2 Hours
This course assists participants to develop a philosophy and practice of online education for the educator. Topics include: planning online classes, designing online classes particularly for the adult learner, and implementing online classes with attention to the participant's context. Discussion will include the "flipped classroom", the abundance of content availability, access, and a philosophy of online teaching.
ES 8710 Social Intelligence and Leadership - 1-2 Hours
In this course, participants examine social intelligence and its relationship to leading organizations, teams, and individual organizational members. Social intelligence includes social awareness and relationship building skills that allow leaders to foster empathy, collaboration, and teamwork with others in their organizations. Participants critically reflect on the theological, theoretical, practical, and contextual aspects of this subject.
ES 8715 Appreciative Inquiry - 1-2 Hours
This course explores cultivating life-giving organizations through Appreciative Inquiry (AI). AI has been described as "The cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic discovery of what gives a system 'life' when the system is most effective and capable in economic, ecological, and human terms." It is more than a set of tools or methods, but "a way of thinking and being" that leads to innovation for the flourishing and wholeness of larger systems or networks. In this course, we think critically and reflect theologically about the philosophy, theory, practices, and processes of AI.
ES 9000 Current Issues in Educational Studies - 1-3 Hours
Topics are chosen to reflect research interests of faculty or program participants or that explore matters of concern to the field of educational studies. Offered on demand.
ES 9001 Guided Research - 1-4 Hours
Selected topics usually extended from foundational studies in seminars or courses. May be repeated for a maximum of twelve hours. Letter grade or Credit / No Credit.
ES 9110 Orientation to EDS Doctoral Studies - 1 Hour
The Educational Studies doctoral program is designed to further the development of leaders already serving in organizations such as higher education institutions, mission agencies, congregations, parachurch agencies, and relief and development agencies. This orientation course gathers new students into an understanding of the learning culture of the community, its values, core competencies, and expected learning outcomes. Offered Fall and Spring. Credit/No Credit.
ES 9150 Teaching in Higher Education - 2 Hours
Through Biblically shaped critical reflection, participants will examine the core elements of transformative learning theory and practice. Topics include critical reflection and the mind of Christ; personal and social change dynamics; whole person domain teaching and learning; and cultivating gospel healthy learning climates.
ES 9175 Leadership and the Development of Organizations - 3 Hours
The course will survey and analyze contemporary issues in developing and leading healthy organizations. Participants will engage in theological reflection regarding potential contributions from the field of Organization Development (OD) in leadership of organizations. Topics include organizational design; innovation; diagnosing and facilitating healthy organizational change; team building; collaborative leadership; leadership development and succession strategies; and the development of vision, mission and values using large group intervention strategies.
ES 9200 Adult Learning Foundations - 3 Hours
Participants will critically examine selected adult education theories and perspectives in light of Scripture and consider their application to the Christian adult educator's philosophy of educational ministry and practice. Topics include adult development, experiential education, critical educational theory, global models of adult learning, and transformational learning.
ES 9210 Curriculum Theory and Design - 2 Hours
An examination of the guidelines for the development of a coherent curriculum. Discussion of application of curricular theory to religious instruction.
ES 9215 Art, Beauty, and Creativity - 1-2 Hours
The relationship of art, beauty, and creativity to learning from a Christian perspective is the nature of this course. Topics include biblical and theological foundations for art, beauty, and creativity; artfulness and culture making; cultivating the true, good, and beautiful in learning; and image bearing and the creative process in learning.
ES 9250 Modes of Higher Education - 2-3 Hours
An examination of the historic and contemporary higher education modes and/or issues with consideration for the present and future direction of higher education. Models such as Bible colleges, liberal arts colleges, theological institutions, universities, church-based education, online distance education, extensions, and non-traditional modes may be examined. Issues related to the present and future will be considered. Offered on a two to three-year rotation.
ES 9260 Fundraising Principles and Practices - 1-2 Hours
This course provides an overview of topics related to fundraising principles and practices in the context of Christian organizations and institutions. Topics include nurturing generous donors; cultivating an institutional culture of generosity; theology, money, and fundraising; and fundraising skill development.
ES 9275 Higher Education Administration - 2 Hours
The basic elements of academic administration: faculty resources, student affairs, finance and budget, board and presidential roles, library services, development and public relations. Particular application is made to Christian higher education institutions and to administrative relationships with parent organizations. Offered alternate years.
ES 9280 Assessment in Higher Education - 1-2 Hours
Faculty in higher education are mandated by external stakeholders to demonstrate effectiveness in the classroom and institutionally. Assessment objectives shape classroom curriculum, program outcomes, and institutional ethos. Administrators expect faculty to understand and practice assessment in their teaching and institutional work. Assessment in Higher Education will seek to explicate assessment in the classroom, through program outcomes, and institutional ethos.
ES 9305 Developing Emerging Leaders - 1-2 Hours
Utilizing a scholar-practitioner model, this course will survey and analyze contemporary theory, practices, and processes in developing emerging leaders. A seminar format will be employed, relying on participants' independent research and learning in preparation for class presentations and class discussions. Offered on a two to three-year rotation.
ES 9310 Mid-Career Leadership Development - 2 Hours
This course focuses on the theory, practices, and processes of developing mid-career leaders. Participants will be challenged to personally apply what they learn to their development as a leader. In addition, participants.
ES 9316 Innovation, Agility, and Leading Change - 2 Hours
Participants in this course will explore the theological, theoretical, practical, and contextual aspects of cultivating innovation, designing organizations for agility, and leading change in organizations. Topics include classic and current theories of change; diffusion of innovation; types of organizational change; barriers to change; large system intervention strategies; social intelligence and the management of change transitions; and practical strategies for change implementation. A seminar format will be employed, relying on participants' independent research and learning in preparation for class presentation and class discussions. Offered on a two to three-year rotation.
ES 9330 Developing Collaborative Teams - 1-2 Hours
Participants will explore the theological, theoretical, and practical elements of developing collaborative teams. Topics include teams vs. groups; team selection and formation; building team trust; conflict as creative tension; measuring team effectiveness; and effective team coaching. Offered on a two to three-year rotation.
ES 9500 Psychological and Sociological Foundations of Education - 3 Hours
Through Biblically shaped critical reflection, participants will investigate the psychological and sociological underpinnings of educational theory and practice. Topics include major psychological and sociological theories; primary issues of educational psychology and sociology; and implications for contextualized teaching, learning, and educational practice.
ES 9510 Developmental Issues of Children, Youth, or Adults - 1-2 Hours
Participants will explore current developmental theories and issues related to children, youth, or adults rooted in redemptive image bearing. Topics include family of origin dynamics, learning disabilities, ministry to the whole person, and life transitions.
ES 9620 Education and Culture - 2 Hours
Examines the cultural values shaping Western and two-thirds world education systems. Greek versus traditional cultural value systems, learning styles, forms of logic, language structures, and other major cultural variances are considered with respect to educational function and purpose.
ES 9700 Biblical and Theological Formation of the Educator - 3 Hours
Because God's redemptive sovereignty is creation-wide, all aspects of life have eternal significance. Participants will address the implications of this revealed truth for life and educational ministry by examining Biblical, theological, historical, and contemporary resources. Topics include image bearing agency, vocational stewardship, worldview formation, and theologically shaped education.
ES 9725 Ethics in Education - 3 Hours
An examination of foundational principles in ethical thought, focusing on the source of ethical principles and the need for ethical absolutes. Discussion then focuses on ethical questions in education with emphasis on educational practices and ethics on institutional policies and culture. Offered alternate years.
ES 9750 Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education - 3 Hours
Through Biblically shaped critical reflection, participants will investigate the historical and philosophical underpinnings of educational theory and practice. Participants will explore historic and contemporary philosophical streams from major western and non-western resources. Topics include key philosophers and educational theorists; primary issues of educational philosophy; and implications for contextualized teaching, learning, and educational practice.
ES 9890 Professional Development Practicum - 0-2 Hours
Participants design, conduct, and evaluate at least one professional development activity for 0-2 credits. These integrative and generative activities could take the form of teaching, consulting, guest lecturing, conference presenting, developing curriculum, coaching, grant or article writing, etc. All activities must be conducted after EDS PhD program matriculation. Participants normally will have completed 15 credit hours prior to registering for a PDP. One credit hour is equivalent to approximately 35-40 hours of invested practicum work. Potential PDP deliverables include course syllabi, strategic plans, outlines, slides, grant proposals, supervisor/advisor debriefs, reflection logs, articles, presentations, etc. Each EDS student is responsible to initiate conversations toward PDP planning with an appropriate EDS faculty member. Participants may propose non-Trinity or Trinity-related activities and opportunities. Credit/No Credit.
ES 9910 Foundations in Social Science Literature - 3 Hours
Participants will learn to conduct systematic literature reviews of the social science research literature that serve as a theoretical framework for research design. Linkages will be made primarily from sociology, anthropology, psychology, business management, and education to the participants' present research interests. Offered every year.
ES 9915 Social Science Research Design - 3 Hours
The twofold purpose of this course is to engage in theological reflection on the complementary aspects of general and special revelation, and to provide an overview of research design. More specifically, the overview consists of understanding the preliminary considerations that go into selecting a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research design. These include knowing the definition for these different approaches, considering philosophical worldviews, reviewing the literature, understanding the use of theory, anticipating ethical issues, and developing writing strategies. We will discuss the process of research as it relates to each approach. This process includes writing an introduction, specifying a purpose statement, and developing research questions and/or hypotheses. This course will also discuss the methods and procedures for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies. Offered every year.
ES 9920 Qualitative Research Methods - 3 Hours
Prepares the participant to design and conduct fieldwork research in both Christian education and mission communities. Observation techniques and in-depth interviewing are the primary inquiry skills learned in order to discover the individual's perspective. Particular attention is given to the processes of gathering, recording, coding, and analyzing data in order to report rich descriptive findings and conclusions supported by the data. How qualitative research methodology is used to generate "grounded theory" is also examined.
ES 9975 Comprehensive Exam Preparation - 0-3 Hours
An independent study facilitating student preparation for the comprehensive examination. PhD/EDS program participants may repeat the course twice for a total of three hours. Counts as full-time student status when enrolled for 3 hours or when registrant affirms that a minimum of thirty-five hours per week are invested in comprehensive exam preparation and the requisite form has been completed at the time of registration in the Academic Doctoral Office. Counts as half-time student status when enrolled for 2 hours or when registrant affirms that a minimum of fifteen hours per week are invested in comprehensive exam preparation and the requisite form has been completed at the time of registration in the Academic Doctoral Office. Credit / No Credit.
ES 9990 Dissertation Proposal Preparation - 0-3 Hours
An independent study facilitating student preparation for the dissertation proposal. PhD/EDS program participants may repeat this course twice for a total of 3 hours. Counts as full-time student status when enrolled for 3 hours or when registrant affirms that a minimum of thirty-five hours per week are invested in dissertation proposal preparation and the requisite form has been completed at the time of registration in the Academic Doctoral Office. Counts as half-time student status when enrolled for 2 hours or when registrant affirms that a minimum of fifteen hours per week are invested in dissertation proposal preparation and the requisite form has been completed at the time of registration in the Academic Doctoral Office. Credit / No Credit.
ES 9991 Dissertation Research - 1-4 Hours
Courses taken for dissertation writing that embodies the results of original research and makes a genuine contribution to knowledge in the field of concentration. PhD students are eligible to register for Dissertation Research after the official acceptance of the proposal, and may register for two to six semesters totaling 6 hours. Counts as full-time student status when enrolled for 3 hours or when registrant affirms that a minimum of thirty-five hours per week are invested on the dissertation and the requisite form has been completed at the time of registration in the Academic Doctoral Office. Counts as half-time student status when enrolled for 2 hours or when registrant affirms that a minimum of fifteen hours per week are invested on the dissertation and the requisite form has been completed at the time of registration in the Academic Doctoral Office. Credit / No Credit.
ES 9992 Dissertation Extension - 0 Hours
One or more dissertation extension courses for the writing of the dissertation. Registrants for this course will be assessed a continuation fee. Less than half-time student status. No Credit.