Date

11-11-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (EdD)

Chair

Charis Rooks

Keywords

micro-practice discipleship, spiritual formation, vocational education, Self-Determination Theory, faith-work integration

Disciplines

Adult and Continuing Education | Educational Leadership

Abstract

This Dissertation-in-Praxis addressed the difficulty of sustaining consistent spiritual formation among welding students at the Kentucky Welding Institute (KWI), where long shop hours, physical fatigue, and variable schedules limited participation in traditional discipleship models. The purpose was to design, implement, and evaluate a brief, choice-driven, mentor-supported pathway intended to increase engagement with core spiritual practices and strengthen integrity on the job. Grounded in biblical principles of obedience and vocation and informed by Self-Determination Theory, the four-week intervention combined brief digital instruction, in-person reinforcement, James 1:22 micro-practices, and relational support. Twenty KWI students participated. Data were collected through surveys, weekly check-ins, pre-watch responses, pulse measures, and participant reflections. Pre-watch responses rose from 30% in Week 1 to 100% in Weeks 3 and 4, while weekly check-in participation rose from 85% to 100%. Week 1 and Week 4 cohort-level means were 1.76 and 4.40 for perceived competence and 2.29 and 4.30 for perceived relational support. On the comparable pre/post faith-habit item, 13 participants reported practicing outside Sunday on zero to two days per week at baseline, while 13 reported practicing on five to seven days after the intervention. Although the pilot did not establish causation or long-term transformation, it demonstrated feasibility and provided positive descriptive evidence concerning spiritual-practice consistency, competence, relational support, and faith-work integration.

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