ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY HOW SELF-REGULATORY FOUNDATIONS OF RELIGION INFORM ONLINE TEACHING PRACTICE: A STUDY OF HINDU MONKS WHO TEACH ONLINE BY SHAMINI RAMANUJAN SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES CENTRE FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY DECEMBER, 2018 © SHAMINI RAMANUJAN ii The future of learning. FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES Approval of Dissertation The undersigned certify that they have read the dissertation entitled HOW SELF-REGULATORY FOUNDATIONS OF RELIGION INFORM ONLINE TEACHING PRACTICE: A STUDY OF HINDU MONKS WHO TEACH ONLINE Submitted by: Shamini Ramanujan In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Distance Education The examination committee certifies that the dissertation and the oral examination is approved Internal Co-Supervisor: Dr. Susan Moisey Athabasca University External Co-Supervisor: Dr. Cynthia Blodgett-Griffin Athabasca University Committee Members: Dr. Agnieszka Palalas Athabasca University Dr. Shandip Saha Athabasca University External Examiner: Dr. Héfer Bembenutty City University of New York December 19, 2018 1 University Drive, Athabasca, AB, T9S 3A3 Canada P: 780.675-6821 | Toll-free (CAN/U.S.) 1.800.788.9041 (6821) [email protected] | fgs.athabascau.ca | athabascau.ca iii Dedication To my Devas and Mahadevas, I felt your presence and guidance every step of the way. To my dad C.G. Ramanujan, a scholar extraordinaire and a humble soul, you were in my thoughts on this journey – you are missed. To all online educators and learners, irrespective of the nature of work that you do, your beliefs, values, knowledge or expertise, your triumphs and turbulence in online education have inspired my dissertation and forever opened up my worldview on self-regulation. iv Acknowledgements This dissertation represents the culmination of a laborious and yet uplifting journey and, in itself, was a test of my own self-regulation. My heartfelt appreciation goes to Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and all the monks of Kauai Hindu Monastery who opened their gates, welcomed me into their home and participated in my study. Mika Nandri Swamis! I am hugely appreciative of my co-supervisors Dr. Cynthia Blodgett- Griffin and Dr. Susan Moisey. Dr. Cynthia Blodgett-Griffin, I am grateful not only for your tremendous academic support but also for showing me that physical distance knows no barrier in online education when educators have boundless passion for teaching and are resolute on seeing their students accomplish what they have begun. You laboured over the prose with me and went far beyond the call of duty. I am forever indebted for all that you have done. Dr. Susan Moisey, I am immensely thankful to you for your candid and constructive advice. You have been a force behind critical decisions I made to my research direction. I would also like to thank my research committee members: Dr. Aga Palalas and Dr. Shandip Saha for their time, feedback and sharing their insights from their fields of expertise. A special thanks to my Cohort 5 members for their camaraderie, especially Dr. Djenana Jalovcic who was always just a Skype call away. I am also thankful to all the Faculty members, Faculty of Graduate Studies and for the Athabasca University doctoral student award. My family, my life- my husband Nagarajan, my children Archana, Divyesh and Dishanna, and my mom Leela who has been a pillar of support. I cannot thank you all enough for your unconditional love and patience. SELF-REGULATION IN RELIGION AND ONLINE TEACHING v Abstract This ethnographic case study explored how self-regulatory foundations of the educator’s religious beliefs inform online teaching practice. To understand this phenomenon, the culture and practices of five Hindu monks who teach in online environments were studied, adopting observational, interviewing, and artefact analysis for data collection techniques. The seven major themes that were abstracted from the data reveal that (1) spirituality modulates the emotional, cognitive, social, prosocial, dimensions of self- regulation for overall balance; (2) self-regulation comes from an awareness and the movement of life forces and energies within every being; (3) praxis supports a disciplined life in the forms of codes of conduct, responsibilities and life skills throughout one’s lifespan; (4) an educator-student tradition that embraces teacher presence, authentic listening, developing a sensitivity to unspoken words supports self-directedness; (5) self- regulation is a supported process where self and communal support are equally important. (6) adaptivity and responsiveness to the environment in a timely, relevant, meaningful and responsible manner are key characteristics of self-regulation; and (7) feedback and collaboration strengthen educator self-regulation. These findings indicate an acceptance and practice of self-regulation in online teaching as an intricately integrated construct, individualized and yet highly collaborative. The monks’ indiscriminate stance on self- regulation comes from their religion. To the monks, all of life and the universe are based on principles of self-regulation. It is this exact way of being that is translated into their online teaching practice. These findings may deepen our understanding of the influence of an online educator’s personal religious beliefs on their teaching practice. SELF-REGULATION IN RELIGION AND ONLINE TEACHING vi Keywords: self-regulation, online teaching practice, educator role, religious education, religion, beliefs, values, Hinduism, Shaivism, Shaivite, Shaiva Siddhantha, spirituality, religion, mindfulness, ethnographic case study. SELF-REGULATION IN RELIGION AND ONLINE TEACHING vii Table of Contents Approval of Dissertation ..................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Abstract ................................................................................................................................v Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. vii List of Tables .....................................................................................................................xv List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xvi Chapter I – INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................1 Self-Regulation Models ...........................................................................................2 Religious Belief Systems and Self-Regulation ........................................................4 Hinduism and Self-regulation ..................................................................................5 The Religious Educator ..........................................................................................10 The Hindu Educator ...............................................................................................12 Teacher-student relationship ......................................................................12 Educator skill and personality ....................................................................12 Discipline and self-control. ........................................................................12 Setting and Participants ..........................................................................................13 Problem Statement .................................................................................................16 SELF-REGULATION IN RELIGION AND ONLINE TEACHING viii Statement of Purpose and Research Questions ......................................................19 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................20 Delimitations ..........................................................................................................21 Limitations .............................................................................................................23 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................23 Personal Lens .........................................................................................................27 Chapter I Summary ................................................................................................33 Organization of the Study ......................................................................................33 Chapter II – LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................34 Overview of Self-Regulation History ....................................................................35 Self-regulation in 21st Century Educational Contexts ...........................................35 Evolutionary aspects of self-regulation. ....................................................37 Implicit and explicit aspects of self-regulation. .........................................37 Self-Regulation and Goals .....................................................................................38