Date

3-22-2024

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Jerry Woodbridge

Keywords

innovation, seminaries and institutes of religion, instructional leadership

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of seminary principals in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I) as they have been called to innovate within an environment that may not support it. The central research question is What are the beliefs, attitudes, and desires of instructional leaders (seminary principals) in released-time seminary programs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding a call to innovate in a culture that may not support it? The theory guiding this study is Christensen’s disruptive innovation theory, as it outlines what is required to support innovation in organizations. The sample size consisted of 13 participants from a pool of seminary principals in S&I. The setting was in multiple S&I centers on the Wasatch Front of Utah. This qualitative work drew heavily from the lived experiences of seminary principals through interviews, journal entries, and survey/questionnaires. Data analysis involved triangulation, evaluation, and description of the experiences, followed by a synthesis of the data. Eight themes emerged that addressed the central research question and three sub-questions. The findings show that seminary principals hold diverse beliefs, attitudes, and desires concerning innovation within their programs, with the overarching challenge being that they are called to innovate in an environment that may only partially support such changes. These findings underscore the complex nature of innovation within religious education and the need for an innovative approach to address the intricate interplay of cultural, organizational, and leadership factors affecting the introduction of innovative practices in seminary programs.

Download

Share

COinS