Date

2-28-2025

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Christine Saba

Keywords

homeschooling, Christian education, spiritual formation, biblical critical theory, classical education, parenting practices, hybrid schools, collaborative schools

Disciplines

Education | Religion

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how parents participate in the Christian education and spiritual formation of their children who are enrolled in a classical Christian, hybrid-model school in the DC Metro Region. The theory that guided this case study was Christopher Watkin’s biblical critical theory, as it provides the proper framework for interpreting how parents enculturate their children in the Christian belief system of the family. The central research question was, “How do parents participate in the Christian education and spiritual formation of their children who are enrolled in a classical Christian, hybrid-model school in the DC Metro Region?” The study site was a classical Christian, hybrid-model school in the DC Metro Region, and the participants were 13 moms with one or more children enrolled in the school for one or more years. The participants completed individual interviews, engaged in focus group discussions, and submitted written responses to a prompt. All transcripts and written responses were uploaded to ATLAS.ti. Data analysis included three coding rounds and identification of themes that answered the research questions. Three themes that tied closely to Watkin’s cultural figures were identified; those three themes were relationships nurtured in Christian identity, content shapes Christian education and spiritual formation, and parenting practices establish family culture. The study concluded with three interpretations of findings: policy, practice, empirical, and theoretical implications; study limitations and delimitations; and recommendations for future research.

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