Date Approved
4-21-2023
Graduate Degree Type
Project
Degree Name
Education (M.Ed.)
Degree Program
College of Education
First Advisor
Dr. Laila McCloud
Academic Year
2022/2023
Abstract
Religion and worldview development is often ignored within higher education. Whether inside of the classroom or in initiatives towards diversity, equity, and inclusion, religions and worldviews are kept out. This project looks at why this is the case and uses the Interfaith Triangle as a theoretical framework to provide a possible solution to this problem. This project was completed in three chapters. The first provides an introduction into why religion and worldview identity development are left out of higher education and how this project will address the issue. The second is a literature review that uses the Interfaith Triangle to address the reasons for the lack of religion and worldview development in higher education. The thirds is a solution created by me and designed from the literature. This solution is a six-week professional development course for student affairs professionals. Each week of the course is centered around one of the themes that was found among the literature. The professionals taking the course will engage in discussions, reflections, case studies, and other activities to understand how and why to engage students in religion and worldview identity development. The literature shows how religion and worldview identity development is feared within higher education due to many misconceptions by faculty and staff. This project provides a course that educates professionals away from those misconceptions and provides concrete takeaways that can be applied to one’s current practice.
ScholarWorks Citation
Gibson, Matthew, "Higher Education Professionals are not Prepared to Support Students' Growth and Exploration of Religion and Worldviews" (2023). Culminating Experience Projects. 275.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gradprojects/275
