Birmingham Theological Seminary s2

Birmingham Theological Seminary 2200 Briarwood Way Birmingham, Alabama 35243 205- 776-5650

BC7623 Understanding & Evaluating Professional Literature Instructor: Dr. Larry Dozier 256-404-1294 Spring 2015 [email protected] Room A202

COURSE PURPOSE: To introduce the student to professional literature providing the student with an understanding of the basic statistical structure, the types of research models used, and the meaning of the findings reported in journal articles. To acquaint the student with specific methodologies to use in order to evaluate research and literature in the disciplines of scientific psychology and biblical counseling.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. The student will identify the role of research in biblical counseling. 2. The student will learn how to evaluate and critique the relationship between scientific psychology and biblical counseling research. 3. The student will interpret basic statistical analyses. 4. The student will design a research proposal in biblical counseling. 5. The student will identify the basic elements of meaningful research.

TEXTBOOKS:

Required: Conducting Educational Research, Fifth Edition, by Bruce W. Tuckman ISBN 0-15-505477-5 Assigned Journal articles (I will give out the articles when we meet) . Evaluating Information: A Guide for Users of Social Science Research,3rd Ed., Katzer, J., Cook, J.H. & Crouch, W.W. (1991). New York: McGraw- Hill Suggested Collateral Reading:

Interpreting Educational Research, 2nd Ed., by Hittleman, D.R., & Simon, A.J. (1997). Columbus, OH: Merrill. Evaluating Information: A guide for users of social science research, 3rd Ed., Katzer, J., Cook, J.H. & Crouch, W.W. (1991). New York: McGraw-Hill. Statistical Analysis in Psychology and Education, 6th Ed., by George A. Ferguson and Yoshio Takane (McGraw-Hill Book Co.) ISBN 0-07-020485- 3 How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff Statistics for the Utterly Confused by Lloyd Jaisingh, Ph.D. ISBN 0-07- 135005-5

COURSE FLOW

 Please note that all course materials must be submitted to the respective professors at the end of the semester (last day of classes). Thereafter, course materials may be submitted for up to six (6) weeks after the end of the semester directly to the office of the Registrar with the permission of the professor. If a student submits course materials after the end of the semester, the student’s grade will be lowered by one letter grade. The course materials will not be accepted after the six (6) week period and a failing grade will be posted to the student’s transcript.

CLASS SCHEDULE:

June 2 Review chapter 1 of Tuckman’s textbook: The Role of Research. Read the journal article assignment number 1, Does the Shoe Fit? for next week’s class, June 9. Be prepared to discuss the article in class.

June 9 Chapters 2 & 3: Selecting a Problem and Reviewing the Literature. Read the journal article assignment number 2, How Theology Shapes Ministry: Jay Adams’ View of the Flesh and An Alternative. Be prepared to discuss the article in class on June 16. Outline of article, Does the Shoe Fit? due today.

June 16 Chapters 4 & 5: Hypothesis & Variables. Read the journal article assignment number 3, Modern Idolatry: Understanding and Overcoming the Attraction of Your Broken Cisterns. Be prepared to discuss the article in class on June 23. Outline of How Theology Shapes Ministry due today.

June 23 Chapters 6 & 7: Operational Definition and Manipulation of Variables. Read the journal article assignment number 4, Psychoanalysis, Attachment and Spirituality Part 1: The Emergence of Two Relational Traditions. Be prepared to discuss article on July 11th. Outline of Modern Idolatry due today.

June 30 Chapter 8: Constructing Research Design. Read the journal article assignment number 5, Psychoanalysis, Attachment and Spirituality Part 11: The Spiritual Stories We Live By. Be prepared to discuss the article on July 14. Outline of Psychoanalysis, Attachment and Spirituality Part 1 due today.

July 7 Chapters 9 & 10: Describing Procedures for Observation & Measurement: Using Questionaire & Interview Schedules. Read the journal assignment number 6, Measuring Faith Development. Be prepared to discuss the article on July 21th. Today you will turn in a research proposal in outline form. On the last day of class, you will present a 5 page proposal for this project complete with an abstract and how you think you will proceed with the research. Outline of Psychoanalysis, Attachment and Spirituality Part II due today.

July 14 Chapters 11 & 12: Statistical Analysis: Data Inspection, Interpretation & Conclusion of Result/ Writing a Research Report. Read the journal article assignment number 7, Higher Stages? Some Criticism for Christian Integration with Kohlberg’s Theory. Be prepared to discuss the article on

July 21 August 8th. Outline of Measuring Faith Development due today.

July 28 Chapters 13 & 14: Conducting Evaluation Studies & Qualitative or Case Study Research. Read the journal article assignment number 8, Biblical Metaphors for Corrective Emotional Relationships in Group Work. Be prepared to discuss article on August 11th. Outline of Higher Stages? Due today.

August 4 Chapter 15: Analyzing and Critiquing a Research Study. Outline of Biblical Metaphors for Corrective Emotional Relationships in Group Work due today. Class review.

August 11 Collaborative actives developing the flow chart Research.

August 18 Collaborative actives

August 25 Finals and class presentation of suggested research. Test questions related to class readings and article discussions. BTS FORMAT AND STYLE STANDARDS

NOTE: All papers must be formatted in accordance with Turabian Chicago standards including the title page. Any paper not conforming to these standards will automatically be dropped one letter grade. It goes without saying that no handwritten papers will be considered acceptable.

Please note that all course materials must be submitted to the respective professors at the end of the semester (last day of classes). Thereafter, course materials may be submitted for up to six (6) weeks after the end of the semester directly to the office of the Registrar with the permission of the professor. If a student submits course materials after the end of the semester but within the six (6) week grace period, the student’s grade will be lowered by one letter grade. The course materials will not be accepted after the six (6) week period and a failing grade will be posted to the student’s transcript

GRADING

1. Flow Chart 40% 2. Reading 40% 3. Research Proposal 20%