What Does the Research Say?
Thomas Burkett, EdD, serves as the head of school of Banner Christian School in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Burkett and his wife, Julie, have been blessed with two wonderful children, McKinley and Michael, both of whom attend Banner Christian School.
Jerry, an administrator of a prominent Christian school, is excited about graduation night. The students in the largest graduating class in the history of the school are preparing to enter the next phase of their lives, and Jerry begins to reminisce about the progress of his students. Nearly all the students are planning to attend college, and several of them are going to attend very prestigious universities. Jerry feels confident that the graduates are prepared for the academic challenges that await them. Jerry’s attention turns to other aspects of the students’ lives. A few graduates have been offered athletic scholarships, whereas several other graduates will be attending college on fine arts scholarships. It seems the Christian school has been successful in its mission of excellence.
Through all the thoughts of success, a moment of concern enters Jerry’s mind: “What about the spiritual development of these graduates? Have we influenced their spiritual development to the point that they are prepared to enter the next phase of their lives spiritually?” Such questions regarding the spiritual development of students are very difficult to consider but very real for Christian school administrators. Christian school mission statements are littered with eloquent words about the development of students’ spiritual lives, but what effect do administrators have on the spiritual transformation of students?
For educational leaders to understand their influence on the spiritual transformation of students in their schools, a framework for the term spiritual transformation must be developed. The term spiritual transformation has its genesis in describing the training of men and women for full-time church ministry (Sheldrake 2005). This training was based on the cognitive areas of Scripture, theology, philosophy, and liturgy. In addition to the academic curriculum designed for those being trained, spiritual disciplines, such as one’s prayer life, were emphasized.
The modern definition of spiritual transformation is much more challenging to ascertain. The term spiritual transformation is defined as a person’s “conversion experience” and subsequent maturity in his or her faith (Burkett 2008). Additional terms such as spiritual formation, spiritual development, and spiritual maturity could be used interchangeably. Some authors have even used the term quantum change to describe this phenomenon as a profound religious experience that is considered the central turning point, or watershed moment, in a person’s life (Miller and C’deBaca 1994).
Very little empirical research explores the area of spiritual transformation. In fact, after conducting an extensive review of literature, Paloutzian, Richardson, and Rambo (1999) stated that rigorous empirical studies on the nature of spiritual transformation remain scarce. Burkett (2008) studied spiritual transformation from four different perspectives: psychological, behavioral sciences, theological, and community, or social interaction.
First, from a psychological perspective, Willard (2002) surmised that spiritual transformation directly relates to character transformation. He also described the pattern of spiritual transformation, using psychological theories with his VIM (vision, intention, means) theory.
Second, from a behavioral sciences perspective, the research indicated that if spiritual transformation were taking place, it would be evidenced in a person’s actions. These behaviors include such actions as reading the Bible, praying, and sharing one’s faith. In recent years, additional behaviors such as solitude and fasting have been studied (Barton 2004; Barton 2006; Peterson 2006; Pennington 1980; Ivens 1998; Chittister 1992).
Third, from a theological perspective, researchers combined the theories of the cognitive and the physical. Christians are in need of training that is intellectual, including a pedagogy that can challenge them in the areas of theology (Gorman 2001; Johnson 1989; Shults and Sandage 2006). Simply put, God created intellect, and Christians should pursue rigorous thoughts that culminate in actions.
Finally, from a community, or social-interaction, perspective, the surroundings of a person do affect his or her spiritual transformation. The influencing factors include the role of friends and mentors in the development of spiritual transformation.
Christian schools have two distinct education approaches that interweave to form an educational philosophy. While academic excellence is important, spiritual transformation is what distinguishes the mission of a Christian school from that of its secular counterparts. Smitherman (2003) states, “I would claim that Christian schooling is not about running or hiding from—rather it is about embracing and pursuing the mind of Christ. It is about pursuing the real understanding of what it means to be salt and light, about transformation by the renewing of the mind. It is about the development of fruitful bearers of the image of Christ in a world gone bland with its salt-less-ness, a world staggering in an abundance of darkness where the light has been all but snuffed out.”
The effectiveness of Christian schools is not measured only by facilities, SAT scores, state championships, college admissions statistics, or students’ potential earning power in 10 years. Instead, it is more important to measure effectiveness by the spiritual transformation that occurs in students’ lives as a result of the influences of the Christian school (Vryhof 2004–2005). God’s Word should penetrate every aspect of the educational process. Therefore, to measure school effectiveness, the Christian educator must use the lens of Scripture to determine success in both academics and spiritual transformation. Although many have attempted to quantify measures of religiosity (Hill and Hood 1999), few if any have attempted to discern the role of educational leaders in the spiritual transformation of their students.
The real question is whether Christian schools are achieving the desired spiritual objectives eloquently listed in so many of their mission statements and core values statements. Christian schools face the degeneration of the spiritual transformation in churched young people today. The statistics are staggering, statistics that Christian school boards, administrations, faculty, and parents seem to want to ignore. McDowell (2003) offered the following statistics about churched young people in the United States:
- 91 percent do not believe in absolute truth
- 96 percent do not believe that the Bible is without error
- 72 percent say that it is true if it works for the individual
- 81 percent believe that all truth relates to the individual
- 63 percent do not believe that Jesus is the Son of the one true God
- 65 percent believe that there is no way to determine which religion is true
- 58 percent believe that all religions teach equally valid truths
- 51 percent do not believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead
- 65 percent do not believe that Satan is a real entity
- 68 percent do not believe that the Holy Spirit is a real entity
- 64 percent believe that if you do enough good things you will earn a place in heaven
- 70 percent do not believe in a moral absolute truth
We are living in a postmodern, morally relativistic society, and we are failing in our homes, our churches, and our Christian schools. Students are graduating from Christian schools and going to college with academic knowledge, but they are walking away from their faith in alarming numbers. Christian school leaders must look in the mirror and ask the difficult questions regarding their role in the spiritual transformation of students.
There has long been an assumption that the behaviors of school administrators have a relationship to student outcomes. Research conducted over the past 30 years validates these assumptions (Scheerens and Bosker 1997). Ultimately, Christian school leaders must make the final decisions regarding the direction of their schools. Therefore, those leaders have a significant influence on the driving forces in their organizations. These forces make up an organization’s ethos or culture. Deal and Peterson (1999) explain that organizations, especially schools, must work in unison with a shared system of rules and traditions that infuse work with meaning, passion, and purpose. This shared system of rules and traditions must be directed, and the school leaders must take the responsibility for this direction.
In recent years, theorists have described the role of leaders in building culture. Fullan notes that the development of collaborative work cultures to help faculty deal with school improvement efforts is a major responsibility of the principal. Fullan asserted that “the message for both the school and district levels is captured in Schein’s (1985) observation:
‘The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture’ ” (1992, 20).
Earlier, Sergiovanni (1984) suggested that competent school principals must provide a school environment that focuses on the managerial, relational, and educational areas. The managerial refers to the ability of a principal to use skills to establish an orderly school in which students and faculty can effectively pursue learning. The relational refers to the ability of a principal to build a human environment of cordiality, respect, and cooperation among students and faculty. The educational refers to the ability of a principal to establish a learning community that is aware of state-of-the-art knowledge related to the functions of teaching and learning.
School culture develops through mission, vision, and values. In Christian schools, this culture is encompassed in a biblical worldview that must penetrate every aspect of decision making. School culture develops through the actions of parents, students, teachers, administrators, and board members. Educational leaders help guide this development (Cotton 2003).
The academic achievement of students can be measured and tracked, but what about the spiritual transformation of students? And even if measures of spiritual transformation are attainable (see Hall n.d.), do the educational leaders play any part in this development? In attempt to answer the latter questions, Burkett (2008) conducted a study to determine behavior traits of educational leaders in Christian schools that ultimately influence the spiritual transformation of their students. In this study, faculty, the senior school administrator, and 9th- through 12th-grade students took the Christian School Leadership Survey. The survey focused on 11 statements of leader behavior traits broken into two categories, observations and perceptions. The respondents rated how strongly they agreed or disagreed with each statement as it applied to the behavior traits exhibited by the educational leader and the relationship of those behavior traits to the spiritual transformation of students. The behavior traits were as follows:
Observation 1. The leader exhibits a good relationship with the faculty, and that relationship develops spiritual transformation in the culture of the school.
Observation 2. The leader demonstrates willingness to experiment with programs and techniques that could develop spiritual transformation in the students.
Observation 3. The leader displays high expectations of the faculty regarding developing spiritual transformation in the school.
Observation 4. The leader displays high expectations of students in their personal spiritual transformation.
Observation 5. The leader exhibits confidence in the work of the faculty concerning the development of spiritual transformation in students.
Observation 6. The leader exhibits helpful support for the faculty regarding developing spiritual transformation in students.
Observation 7. The leader provides students with avenues of input in the decision-making process associated with the spiritual development program.
Observation 8. The leader recognizes successes in the area of spiritual transformation in the school.
Perception 1. The leader genuinely cares about the spiritual transformation of the students in the school.
Perception 2. The leader is continually seeking to reach out to the base of knowledge in the field of spiritual transformation.
Perception 3. The leader is intentional about developing the spiritual transformation of students in the school.
The study produced some fairly remarkable findings. Although the faculty, the students, and the administrator all took the surveys separately, four statements received the highest degree of agreement from all the participants. Of these four statements, three involved the direct relationship of the educational leader and the faculty. The faculty, the students, and the educational leader all agreed that without high expectations and open communication between the educational leader and the faculty, it would be challenging if not impossible to have a significant impact on the spiritual transformation of students. The final statement, considered most important to the faculty, the students, and the administrator collectively, involved the genuine care the leader showed for the spiritual transformation of students.
From a practice standpoint, several recommendations emerged from this research. First, administrators need to exhibit genuine care for the spiritual transformation of students since this behavior is likely to relate to students’ spiritual development. Harris (2004) reflected on the role of principals in caring for students and teachers and recommended five specific behaviors: calling students by name, recognizing accomplishments publicly, encouraging feedback from the students and the teachers, showing integrity, and being authentic. These practical ideas lead to the building of relationships that show genuine care.
Second, to develop a school culture that supports the spiritual transformation of students, educational leaders must develop positive relationships with the teachers. Teachers and students perceive that one of the main avenues to culture building in schools is investment by administrators in the lives of the teachers. In particular, administrators need to exhibit good relationships with faculty, show high expectations of faculty, and allow faculty to have appropriate autonomy in seeking to develop students spiritually. The rationale for these three areas comes from the familyoriented ethos in Christian schools. Biblically, parents have the responsibility to rear their children (Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Proverbs 22:6). Inclusive in this upbringing are the spiritual and educational pursuits by the children. The responsibility of Christian schools is not to usurp the authority of the parents but to provide an environment that is an extension of the home. Therefore, it is feasible to equate the school’s hierarchical structure with the hierarchical structure of the home, thus the family-oriented ethos. The trickle-down effect from one generation to the next should be mirrored in the responsibility of administrators to develop teachers and the responsibility of teachers to develop students.
It is interesting that spiritual transformation is a product of relationships and not of programming. A genuine care for students and an intentionality to communicate with and develop teachers build the foundation for students’ spiritual transformation. The time to act is now. Relationships are not developed in a day, a week, or even a year. It takes time and focused effort on the part of administrators to seek out relationship-building opportunities with students and faculty. The days of administrators are filled with the tyranny of the urgent, but the eternal lives of students are worthy of their undivided attention.
References
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