EDUC 305 Philosophy of Education for Teachers

Biblical Worldview Paper: Instructions and Rubric

This assignment is due on Monday of Module/Week 4, 11:59 pm (EST).

Rationale

The Biblical Worldview Assignment is course-embedded into every degree program in Liberty University’s School of Education (SOE).  Its purpose is to carry out LU’s mission to provide an education with a solid Christian foundation and to ensure that every SOE program completer understands the implications of a biblical worldview for the field of education.  While there are other assignments that require candidates to write a personal philosophy of education, that is not necessarily the intent of this assignment.  The goal of this activity is for candidates to accomplish the following: 

• Convey an understanding of what is meant by a biblical worldview.• Support and illustrate this understanding by citing the Bible and other literature on the topic of biblical worldview.• Apply principles of a biblical worldview to educational practice.• Articulate key components of a Christian philosophy of education, citing from the Bible and other literature on the topic of Christian philosophy of education. 

Mission of Liberty University: This assignment advances LU’s mission by promoting “the synthesis of academic knowledge and Christian worldview in order that there might be a maturing of spiritual, intellectual, social and physical value-driven behavior” and by encouraging “a commitment to the Christian life, one of personal integrity, sensitivity to the needs of others, social responsibility and active communication of the Christian faith, and, as it is lived out, a life that leads people to Jesus Christ as the Lord of the universe and their own personal Savior.”  Click on these links to learn more about LU’s Mission Statement and LU’s Doctrinal Statement.  

Mission of LU’s School of Education: This assignment advances the School of Education’s mission, which is “to develop competent professionals with a biblical worldview for Christian, public, and private schools.”  Click on this link to learn more about the SOE Conceptual Framework.

Directions

Write a 3 to 4-page paper in current APA format that conveys what is meant by a biblical worldview and a Christian philosophy of education.  Also, discuss the implications of these principles in their application to educational practice.  Page length requirement begins with the introductory paragraph and ends with the conclusion; it includes neither the title page nor the reference page.  An abstract is not required.  In addition to the Bible, cite a minimum of four references that represent the body of literature supporting and explaining biblical worldview and Christian philosophy of education. No more than 15% of the paper is to include direct quotes; therefore, you should do much more summarizing and paraphrasing than quoting.  Citations are required both for direct quotes and for summarized ideas drawn from references.  The format of the paper is to include the sections below with headings that follow current APA format.  

• Title Page• Introduction

Present a strong, clear thesis statement.  The focus of this paragraph is to introduce the reader to the thesis statement.  The remainder of the paper should support and illustrate the main point(s) of the thesis statement.  

• Biblical Worldview

Based upon your readings of the Bible and literature on the topic of biblical worldview, convey the foundational elements of a worldview that is based distinctively on a perspective of life drawn from Judeo-Christian scriptures.  Do not focus on the field of education in this section.  A common error is for writers to neglect the discussion of a biblical worldview by focusing too much on the field of education, which is to be addressed in subsequent sections of the paper.     

• Christian Philosophy of Education

Based upon your readings of the Bible and literature on the topic of Christian philosophy of education, convey a basic understanding of the elements of an educational philosophy that is based distinctively on a perspective drawn from Judeo-Christian scriptures.  Address metaphysical and axiological issues.  Metaphysical issues relate to questions of meaning and purpose.  Axiological issues relate to questions of values.  Minimize the discussion of practical application to the field of education in this section.  A common error is for writers to neglect the discussion of a Christian philosophy of education by focusing too much on the implications for educational practice, which will be addressed in the subsequent section.    

• Implications for Educational Practice

Discuss the implications of a biblical worldview and Christian philosophy for practical application to the overall field of education.  Ensure that you discuss these implications for the field in general, but you may also proceed to specify implications for your particular area of interest.  For example, if you are preparing to serve as a content area teacher, a special education teacher, an administrator, or a school counselor, you may—after addressing implications for the overall field of education—address implications for your area of service.

• Conclusion

An effective conclusion affirms the thesis statement and leaves the reader with a clear idea of how thoughts in the paper fit together to make a specific point.

• Reference Page

Cite the Bible in the body of the manuscript, but—per current APA—the Bible and other classical or holy scriptures are not to be listed on the reference page.  List here 4 references other than the Bible.  

Important Information
Academic integrity:  Plagiarized papers will be rejected, even self-plagiarized papers.  Every paper will be evaluated for originality by SafeAssign, which reports to the professor the degree to which your paper is suspected of plagiarism.  The following tips will help you avoid any problems with plagiarism:

Direct Quotes: No more than 15% of your paper should be made up of direct quotes.  Therefore, do more summarizing and paraphrasing than quoting.  Short quotes should be in quotation marks and longer quotes should be indented (see current APA style guide).  If you do not set off direct quotes in this manner and/or do not cite them, it is plagiarism. 

Ideas and Facts: If the idea or fact is not your own, you must cite its source.  When not directly quoting, summarize or analyze the idea in your own words.  

Submission: Submit the document by the due date in Blackboard through SafeAssign, which is a program that checks for plagiarism.  

References and Citations: Below are links to sources you might find helpful as you prepare:

• Articles and Websites o What’s a Christian Worldview? (Focus on the Family)o Biblical Worldview: What It Is, and What It Is Not (Christian Worldview Journal)o Developing a Biblical Worldview (Foundations for Living)o What Is a Christian Worldview (Israel Wayne)o The Importance of a Christian Worldview (The Gospel Project)o On Education (Francis Schaefer)o Writings in Christian Education (Calvin College)• Journals: Many journals on the topic are available via Liberty Databases.o Christian Worldview Journal (BreakPoint: The Chuck Colson Center)o ICCTE Journal (International Christian Community of Teacher Education)o Christian Education Journal (Biola University)o Christian Perspectives in Education (Liberty University, School of Education)• LU’s Jerry Falwell Library: Click this link to search Liberty Databases of academic sources.  Recommended search terms: biblical Christian worldview, Christian philosophy of education.• Bibliography: Books on Biblical Worldview and Christian Philosophy of Education• Course Readings: Relevant readings from present and past courses may be incorporated as appropriate, e.g., textbooks and articles.