COURSE DESCRIPTION

Students will develop the foundations for qualitative research in ministry contexts, focusing primarily on ways that qualitative assessment can assist with understanding and evaluating ministry effectiveness. Taking advantage of the unique environment provided at the National Youth Workers’ Convention, this course combines a vibrant classroom experience with the “laboratory” of a Convention to develop basic observation, interviewing, and data analysis abilities. Research projects will help students apply their skills and knowledge to youth ministry-related contexts.

This class will be taught on location each year during the final NYWC of the fall season and will require students to also register for the NYWC at a significantly discounted rate. (3 credits)

A WORD FROM PROFESSOR LINHART . . .

I know that this course sounds it could be like the least-exciting thing to be studying, especially when connected to the riveting energy of the National Youth Workers Convention.  But, qualitative research can be a powerful tool to help you grow in your expertise in areas like understanding youth, how students think about youth ministry, large programming ministries, and evaluating the impact a youth ministry is having. I’m going to build on the energy and people of the National Youth Workers Convention to give you some hands-on learning in qualitative research.  Doing well in this class will give you a head start on your final project in this degree program. 

Getting a graduate degree means you will start learning about the theory and nature of subjects beyond what quick glances can reveal.  Qualitative research helps answer questions like, “What is the nature of the curriculum of a short-term mission trip,” or “What is it like to be a volunteer youth worker at a church?”  Recent studies on short-term missions and on adolescent religiosity relied heavily on qualitative methods.  I will make this class applicable to adolescent-related issues the entire time.  

This course focuses students on how to think about qualitative research, how to conduct data through interviews, observation, and documents (e.g. brochures, training manuals, student journals), how analyze the accumulated data, and how to research in an ethical manner.  We’ll use the National Youth Workers Convention as our classroom laboratory. 

YL 525 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 18, 2009

YL 525 major assignments:

1. Read and discuss 400 pages of a major textbook on qualitative research before class.

2. Conduct two small research projects on youth ministry before class and write a three-page narrative for each. 

3. Read three journal articles or chapters on an area of qualitative research post-class and write a two-page response for each. 

4. Write a final paper (15+ pages).  Three are two options for this:

   1. Conduct and summarize a small youth ministry-related research project that you did post-class.   – OR -

   2. Read and synthesize major points of a particular approach to qualitative research and write about that methodology as it relates to doing research in a youth ministry setting. 

 Additional YL 525 details are available to registered students only.