Classroom research in church and synagogue: How lay volunteers can practice the scholarship of teaching

Religious Education, Fall 2002 by Gaeddert, Barry K

Abstract

The scholarship of teaching involves an understanding and application of the latest discoveries in the field of instructional excellence. This article explores how lay volunteers in churches and synagogues can implement personal research within the scholarship of teaching to improve their teaching. Two sides of the scholarship of teaching are explored: the knowledge learned from prior research and the knowledge discovered through personal experience. Prior-research knowledge helps lay teachers to know what has been written in the field. Experience knowledge encourages teachers to test that knowledge in their own classrooms and discover new knowledge applicable to their setting.

Ernest Boyer's Scholarship Reconsidered turned the world of higher education upside-down in 1990. Boyer proposed a new emphasis on teaching as a scholarly activity in colleges and universities instead of the traditional view that "real" academic scholarship is carried out by the researchers. Colleges and universities have since renewed their emphasis on excellence in teaching. A new notion has advanced that teaching itself is an academically challenging pursuit worthy of a high commitment.

It is interesting to note that a similar revolution with a renewed commitment to teaching excellence may have started in churches and synagogues as well. Curriculum writers now offer multiple instructional methods in lesson plans. A myriad of books has been written to help church teachers improve their instruction. Yet the question remains: Can lay volunteers, who have no formal pedagogical training, know and practice "the scholarship of teaching?"

The scholarship of teaching involves an understanding and application of the latest discoveries in the field of instructional excellence. Ultimately, it means moving beyond applied theory to actual discovery. Classroom teachers not only learn what others have written that will help them to be better teachers, but they can participate in the discovery of new knowledge that is useful for their particular setting. The scholarship of teaching utilizes both experience-based knowledge and research-based knowledge (Menges and Weimer 1996). Thus lay volunteers, serving as "scholars of teaching," learn to implement educational theory and then to further engage in personal research as part of their own practice of teaching.

Lay and volunteer teachers can know about exciting discoveries in the area of pedagogy. They can then test or try out those discoveries in their own classroom setting or other educational venues in church or synagogue. As they test these discoveries they will learn new information, bring to light new practices, and find new teaching approaches that are particularly meaningful in their classroom. This kind of setting-centered research can be accomplished successfully by religious teachers in communities of faith. There is an exciting exchange between the information gained from prior-research knowledge, how a teacher applies that information in their own class thus gaining experiential knowledge, and then ultimately how a teacher discovers new knowledge.

DOMAINS OF TEACHING KNOWLEDGE: WHAT PRIOR RESEARCH DO LAY TEACHERS NEED TO KNOW?

Kreber and Cranton (2000) have proposed three domains of knowledge about teaching. These domains include instructional knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and curricular knowledge. Each of these specific aspects of prior-research knowledge about teaching helps to contribute to an overall understanding about teaching.

Instructional knowledge focuses on the strategies, design, and methods used to teach. Some examples of instructional knowledge may include knowing how to develop teaching materials, how to facilitate discussions, or how to prepare a lecture. A church or synagogue volunteer may read an article outlining creative ways to teach the Ten Commandments to third graders. She would be gaining valuable instructional knowledge. Teaching techniques and methodology make up the vast majority of this domain. It is primarily concerned with the strategies used in a teaching endeavor.

Pedagogical knowledge involves information on how people learn and how this learning can best be facilitated. Grasping the trends in cognitive learning theory (see Mayer 1998) will help a teacher's knowledge in this area. In recent years a plethora of information on learning styles and group dynamics has been written. Some specific examples of pedagogical knowledge may involve a lay teacher talking with his rabbi or minister about how to motivate students with different learning styles. He may attend a workshop to find out how to help students to think critically or become aware of techniques that foster learning. Pedagogical knowledge is primarily concerned with understanding student learning.

Curricular knowledge focuses on the goals and rationale of the entire teaching program. It involves critical reflection on the practice of teaching and how a particular lesson or course fits in to the overall purposes of the institution. Some examples of curricular knowledge include being able to judge the quality of course goals, knowing the contributions a given course may make in students' existing knowledge, or having an ability to articulate how a particular class may affect a student's learning skills. Curricular knowledge is primarily concerned with why we teach the way that we teach.