| The problem addressed in this study focused on the need for more qualitative data on student learning in religious education. The purpose of this collective case study was to discover how BYU-Idaho religion students learn best and to better understand what factors positively and negatively influence their learning.;Twelve individual students participated in multiple, in-depth interviews about their religious education and forty other students participated in one of two focus group discussions. All of the students responded to the question, "How do you learn best?" They further discussed what factors positively or negatively influenced their learning, as well as what factors best helped them to build a more Christ-like character. Each individual participant provided a reflective writing piece related to their motivation to study and prepare outside of class, as well as how they determined whether or not a religious education experience was truly "effective.";Student responses were collected and organized using established qualitative procedures. Data analysis revealed twenty-five emergent themes: 1. Preparation; 2. Commitment & Motivation; 3. Reflection & Pondering; 4. Prayer; 5. Writing & Journaling; 6. Principle-based; 7. Application-oriented; 8. Structure & Direction; 9. Sharing Insights/Examples; 10. Character & Example; 11. Charity; 12. Passion & Enthusiasm; 13. Good Questions; 14. Correcting Misconceptions; 15. Encourage/Suggest Application; 16. Facilitate "Visualization"; 17. Flexible; 18. Question-friendly; 19. Participation & Discussion; 20. Small Groups; 21. Learning by Teaching; 22. Relationships & Synergy; 23. Attitude; 24. Life Experiences; 25. The Spirit.;These were later organized into three main categories: The Learner, The Teacher, and The Learning Community. Some themes were represented in more than one category, showing an overlapping relationship between the categories. |
