TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTION AND LEARNING IN ON-LINE THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION. PART III: METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

Many theological educators ask how on-line classes can provide students with the kind of personal teacher-student interaction that is needed in a healthy and holistic approach to preparation for ministry. A quantitative study was undertaken for the purposes of examining the relationships between three major types of teacher-student interaction (organizational, social, and intellectual) and two types of learning outcomes (cognitive and affective). Seminary students from nine seminaries accredited by the Association of Theological Schools were invited to complete a Web-based survey about their experience in on-line courses. In the first two sections of this four-part report, the research concern was introduced and the theoretical framework was reviewed. Literature relevant to teacher-student interaction in on-line higher education, the teacher-student relationship in theological education, learning outcomes in higher education, and the Web-based survey research approach used in this study was considered. This third section explains the author's methodological approach to the research, the results of which will be reported in Part IV.