Diversity and Quality in Christian Education

In this issue, we look at a range of issues related to diversity and quality in Christian education. Hockett and Thomas address diversity in two different ways. Hockett reports a case study on cultural competence, whereas Thomas looks at textual analysis and its implications for English language learners (ELLs). Martin approaches the issue of quality through a study of leaders of high-performing Christian schools. Dustman’s scholarly essay also focuses quality of Christian higher education and suggests we can improve through explicit teaching of emotional intelligence skills. Maitanmi’s review of Hockett’s and Muhanj’s book Lessons from Cross-Cultural Collaboration How Cultural Humility Informed and Shaped the Work of an American and a Kenyan brings the issue full circle back to the issue of cultural diversity, cultural competence, and cultural humility.

The issue is bookended by the work of Professor Eloise Hockett of George Fox University, highlighting the work she has done over time in Kenya, with Kenyans as full partners, her coauthor Muhanji in particular. In the lead article, Hockett presents a case study of an international immersion experience designed to help participants grow their understanding of cultural diversity. Four experience educators from the United States prepared and presented professional development sessions to Kenyan educators in two rural schools; the educators lived with local families during their immersion experience. Results showed that the experience influenced the American educators in terms of further development of their cultural competence. Hockett’s findings illustrate a process of deepening understanding of personal biases and assumptions and developing cultural insights in tandem with expanding cultural humility and spiritual insights.

Continuing with the theme of diversity and diverse learners, Darrin Thomas, a first-time author for JRCE, brings a new analysis technique to the pages of JRCE. Using quantitative text mining analysis, Thomas examined Testimonies for the Church (White, 2002), a nine-volume set of books often used in Seventh-day Adventist Education. Teachers, lecturers, and professors sometimes assign readings from these books—in their original American English—at various Adventist educational institutions around the world. As a result, many non-native English learners encounter White’s texts, which were written roughly between 1850 and 1914. Thomas’ analysis provides data-based information teachers can use to help determine if their ELL students will likely have success with these texts.

Next, Mary E. Martin presents an insightful study on leadership as demonstrated by principals of high-performing Christian schools. To qualify as a high-performing school for inclusion in her study, the school had to meet four criteria: (1) having 90% or higher of their graduates admitted to four-year colleges, (2) receiving local or state academic recognition, (3) having their students involved in purposeful, school-developed community outreach, and (4) being recommended by leaders from the Association of Christian Schools, International. Findings included a significant correlation between instructional leadership and servant leadership characteristics and another significant correlation between gender and instructional leadership.

The Clearinghouse section of this issue includes two entries. Teresa Dustman’s scholarly essay presents a biblical grounding for emotional intelligence. She builds on this foundation with an argument for the inclusion of emotional intelligence skills training in Christian colleges and universities. The issue of JRCE closes with Maitanmi’s review of Lessons from Cross-Cultural Collaboration How Cultural Humility Informed and Shaped the Work of an American and a Kenyan by Hockett and Muhanji (2017).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Larry D. Burton

Larry D. Burton is Professor of Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education in addition to working as Editor of JRCE. He also teaches a qualitative data analysis class and gives workshops on qualitative research and publishing social science research at various locations around the world.