Date
9-2020
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Sarah Jeanne Pannone
Keywords
Faith, Family, Fatherhood, Homeschooling, Discipleship
Disciplines
Education | Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Farrington, William Robert, "The Lived Experience of Evangelical Christian Homeschooling Fathers in Fulfilling the Biblical Role of Disciple-Maker: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 2645.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2645
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of Evangelical Christian homeschooling fathers in discipling their children. The theological framework that guided this study was that of the biblical call to discipleship by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20, and how that calling applies to parenting. The theoretical framework that guided this study was the responsible fathering theory, as it focuses on the complex relationships between the father, the mother, the children, and contextual or outside influences. The central research question of the study was: How do Evangelical Christian homeschooling fathers describe the lived experience of discipling their children? This study focused on current homeschooling fathers in the Mountain West Region of the United States who self-identify as Evangelical Christians. Semi-structured interviews were the primary source of data collection for this study. The researcher also utilized a survey, and Facebook discussion group to provide a rich, thick, and deep palate of information. The interviews were all completed via Facetime, Skype, or telephone, which provided interviewees the privacy necessary to feel comfortable discussing the topics of fatherhood, homeschooling, and discipleship. Data was collected and analyzed simultaneously, utilizing Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological reduction, and imaginative variation. Codes were developed as they emerge from the data analysis process. The researcher looked at the data numerous times until the meaning units were coded, and then themes and subthemes were identified. Once subsequent interviews did not reveal any new codes or themes, the data collection process was concluded, as saturation was achieved. The essence of the phenomenon then was developed from the synthesis of the composite textural and composite structural descriptions, focusing on the centrality of the fathers’ faith in discipleship.
