Student Perceptions of the Integration of Faith, Learning, and Practice in a Selected Education Course.

This paper presents the results of a study conducted in a Christian teacher education program which describes students' perceptions of the integration of faith, learning, and practice in education contexts. The study answers the following questions: (1) How do students define the integration of faith and learning (IFL)?; (2) is there consensus among the students' evaluations of the presence of IFL in the class?; (3) What specific examples of IFL occurrences do students identify from the class?; (4) How do students perceive the relative value of different experiences in helping them integrate Christian principles and professional practice?; and (5) Does IFL in education courses help students outside of the class being studied? Data were collected from three sections of an elementary teaching methods course taught by the same professor between fall semester 1999 and fall semester 2000. Data were aggregated for analysis. The student responses help provide understanding of their perceptions of the unity of truth within the context of an elementary education course. The study provides tentative evidence of which types of learning experiences are efficacious in helping students integrate faith and learning. (Author/SM)