THEOLOGICAL HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS AMIDST THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC

Ayuk Ausaji Ayuk

doi:10.47135/mahabbah.v3i1.40

THEOLOGICAL HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS AMIDST THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC

Ayuk Ausaji Ayuk⁽¹⁾,

(1) Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries, Silang

Corresponding Author

Abstract

A hermeneutical study on higher education response to the crisis in education during the pandemic. It was discovered that higher educational institutions were able to handle the crisis of the time creatively and successfully as the positive points of the challenges outweigh the negative points of the situation. The negative experiences included: Poor internet connection, lack of necessary technological equipment, online education health related issues, and home distractions. Whereas the positive points are as follows: The reawakening of the online learning system, a viable alternative to the classroom, sociability, opportunity for parents to nurture their children while studying, practical and safe access to education, and the future of education online. This shows clearly that the challenge became an opportunity in disguise by creating an added means of providing an opportunity for people to have access to education. The study has made educators aware of the fact that online education is no more a dream very far away, but rather a reality at the doorstep if we are willing to take advantage of it and expand our classrooms far beyond the enclave of our educational institution’s campuses.

Keywords

pandemic, education, online; theological; higher education; leadership; solutions

References

Ayandokun, Esther O. "Theological Education and Leadership Integrity: A Response to Leadership Challenges in Africa." InSights Journal 6, No.2 (2021): 60-71. https://insightsjournal.org/theological-education-and-leadership-integrity-a-response-to-leadership-challenges-in-africa.

Blackmon, Stephanie J. and Claire Major. “STUDENT EXPERIENCES IN ONLINE COURSES: A Qualitative Research Synthesis.” The Quarterly Review of Distance Education 13, no.2 (2012): 77–85. https://www.cu.edu/doc/student-experiences-online-classesqual-study.pdf.

Bockmuehlt, K. Evangelicals and Social Ethics: A Commentary on Articles 5 of the Lausanne Covenant, U. S. Catholic Bishops, Economic Justice for All. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarity, 1979.

Chan, Chak Kwan. “Safeguarding the Dignity of My Poor Brothers and Sisters: A Reflection of Hong Kong Christian Churches' Financial Assistance.” Journal of Asian Mission 4, no.2 (2002): 267-286.

Chang, K. H. and Stephen Horrocks . “Is there a place for ontological hermeneutics in mental-health nursing research? A review of a hermeneutic study.” International Journal of Nursing Practice 14, iss.5 (2008): 383–390. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-172X.2008.00702.x.

Chen, Yong & He, Wu. “Security Risks and Protection in Online Learning: A Survey.” The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 14, no.5 (2013): 108-127. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/171371.

Coggle, B. J. and J. P. Byrnes. Christian Social Ethics: A Methodist Approach. London: Epworth, 1956.

Noorderhaven, N.G. “Positivist, hermeneutical and postmodem positions in the comparative management debate.” in M. Maurice and A. Sorge (eds.). Embedding Organizations: Societal Analysis of Actors, Organizations and Socio-Economic Context. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2000, 117-137.

El Gedawy, M. Hermeneutics as a Research Method. Fall 2004 Para. 5. Retrieved May 15, 2012, from the Website: http://www.people.iup.edu/rhml/Hermeneutics.htm.

Ferguson, Kristen A. Excellence in Online Education: Creating a Christian Community on Mission. MLA 8th Edition B&H Academic, Nashville, Tennessee, 2020.

Forsgren, M. Some Critical Notes On Learning In The Uppsala Internationalization Process Model. Occasional Paper 2000/2. Uppsala, Sweden: Företagsekonomiska Institutionen, Uppsala University, 2000, 1-24. https://ideas.repec.org/p/hhb/uufewp/0002.html. March 18, 2021.

Fuentes, Gonzalo. “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. This is how.” World Economic Forum, April 29, 2020. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning. Accesed March 18, 2021.

Grondin, J. Introduction to Philosophical Hermeneutics. Yale Studies in Hermeneutics edition. John Cleary and Pádraig Hogan (ed.), New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1997.

Klein, H.K. and Michael D. Meyers. “A Set of Principles for Conducting and Evaluating Interpretive Field Studies in Information Systems.” MIS Quarterly, 23 (1999): 67–94. https://doi.org/10.2307/249410.

Kruse, Sharon D., Donald G. Hackmann, and Jane Clark Lindle. “Academic Leadership During a Pandemic: Department Heads Leading With a Focus on Equity.” Frontiers in Education 5 (17 December 2020): 614641. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.614641.

Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. London, UK: Pearson Education, 1998.

Neisser, U., G. Boodoo, T. J. Bouchard, Jr., A. W. Boykin, N. Brody, Ceci, S. J., D. F. Halpern, J. C. Loehlin, R. Perloff, R. J. Sternberg, and S. Urbina. “Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns. “ American Psychologist 51, no.2 (1996): 77–101. https://doi.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0003-066X.51.2.77.

Noorderhaven, N.G. “Positivist, hermeneutical and postmodern positions in the comparative management debate.” in M. Maurice and A. Sorge (eds.). Embedding Organizations. Amsterdam: John Benjamin, 2000a, 117-137.

Noorderhaven, N.G. Hermeneutic Methodology and International Management Research. Occasional Paper 2000/2. Uppsala, Sweden: Uppsala University, 2000b.

Paterson, Margo and Joy Higgs. “Using Hermeneutics as a Qualitative Research Approach in Professional Practice.” The Qualitative Report 10, no.2 (2005): 339-357. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2005.1853.

Patterson, Michael E. and Daniel R. Williams. “Collecting and analyzing qualitative data: Hermeneutic principles, methods and case examples.” Advances in Tourism Applications Series, Volume 9. Champaign, IL: Sagamore Publishing, Inc., 2002.

Renning, Lisa. “Hermeneutics in Qualitative Research.” EDUC 867. https://www.sfu.ca/educ867/htm/hermenteutics.htm. Retrieved April 3, 2012.

Ricoeur, Paul. The Conflict of Interpretations: Essays in Hermeneutics (Studies in Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy). Don Ihde (ed.). Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, Edition 13, 2007.

___________. From Text to Action: Essays in Hermeneutics, II (Studies in Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy). K. Blarney and J.B. Thompson (transl.). London: The Athlone Press, Edition 13, 2007.

Ruthven, Jon Mark. “Are Pentecostal Seminaries a Good Idea?” Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 26, no.2 (Fall 2004): 339–345. https://doi.org/10.1163/157007404776111009.

Sun, Benjamin. “Assemblies of God Theological Education in Asia Pacific: A Reflection.” Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 3, no.2 (2000): 227-251. https://www.academia.edu/64155583/Benjamin_Sun_Assemblies_of_God_Theological_Education_in_Asia_Pacific_A_Reflection_pp_227_251.

Tomaro, Queenie Pearl Villalon. “ICT integration in the educational system of Philippines.” Journal of Governance and Public Policy 5, no.3 (2018): 259-282. https://doi.org/10.18196/jgpp.5399.

Van Wart, Montgomery, Anna Ni, Pamela Medina, Jesus Canelon, Melika Kordrostami, Jing Zhang, and Yu Liu. “Integrating students’ perspectives about online learning: a hierarchy of factors.” International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 17, no.53 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-020-00229-8.

Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Church. Manila: OMF Literature Inc., 1998.

Wishart, Jocelyn. “Internet Safety in Emerging Educational Contexts.” Computers & Education 43, iss.1-2 (2004): 193–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2003.12.013.

Full Text: PDF