Copyright (c) 2009 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci Recent documents in Frederick Milacci en-us Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:48:51 PDT 3600 http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/9 http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/9 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:44:50 PDT This phenomenological investigation examined how eight student-nominated faculty who teach at an evangelical Christian liberal arts university describe their understanding and practice of the Integration of Faith and Learning (IFL). Collected data via informal, conversational, taped interviews led to the emergence of two primary themes: the Inseparability of Faith from Practice and the Outworking of Faith in Practice. The findings of the study highlight the need to create a more conducive context in which students can learn IFL and call for a re-examination of the already murky discourse surrounding definitional aspects of IFL. The study proposes to move the discourse forward by offering a new, yet to be discussed construct that emanated from the participants of this study, ontological foundation. A conceptual model describing its relationship with IFL is proposed. Elizabeth C. Sites http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/8 http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/8 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:49:31 PDT This study examined how eight adult education practitioners understand spirituality. The investigation defined and grounded the notion of spirituality within a specific religious/theological tradition, Christianity broadly defined. Data were collected via informal, conversational, taped interviews, and several themes emerged. The study used these results to interrogate the discourse of spirituality and found several serious problems including: the nondefinition and misuse by the discourse of the term spirituality, the hazards of individualized spirituality caused by imprecise definitions of the term, a failure to address the issues of faith substantively, and the separation in the discourse of religion from spirituality. The study concluded that by couching discussions in spiritual terminology, the discourse creates the illusion of confronting or dealing with issues of faith in a substantive manner. In reality, the difficult issues are avoided. The study proposes to move the discussion from issues framed in terms of spirituality towards a discourse of faith. Frederick Milacci http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/7 http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/7 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:49:30 PDT In this study, 4 researchers conduct phenomenological interviews to find out how adults describe their learning experiences and what meanings they attach to those descriptions. The study proposes common structural and functional features of adults' learning experiences, while noting important substantive differences between and among the participants interviewed. The study also raises questions concerning the differences between experiences in general and learning experiences in particular; between learning and performance; and it questions the meaning and validity of the construct, group learning. It also draws several implications regarding the teaching of adults. Lastly, it proposes a way to reconcile he apparent chasm between the two dominant phenomenological schools: transcendental and existential phenomenology. Frederick Milacci http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/6 http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/6 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:49:30 PDT Using the findings from an analysis of articles appearing in the Journal of Adult Education, this paper shows how early adult educators used religious imagery to express their fervor and enthusiasm for the field of adult education. This religious-like sense of mission and purpose among early leaders in the field was grounded in the belief that adult education could bring hope and help to a troubled world and provides a refreshing alternative to the present-day push towards professionalization. Frederick Milacci http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/5 http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/5 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:49:29 PDT This presentation is designed to facilitate participants in creating an active learning environment in the classroom. More specifically, by drawing on both theory and practice from the academic discipline of adult education, the session seeks to introduce participants to the dialogic approach to teaching and learning and show how that approach can be effectively implemented in both formal (e.g. graduate, undergraduate, seminary, etc.) and non-formal learning environments. Frederick Milacci http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/4 http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/4 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:49:29 PDT This phenomenological study examined how eight adult education practitioners understand spirituality and how that understanding impacts their practice. The investigation defined and grounded the notion of spirituality within a specific religious/theological tradition, Christianity broadly defined. The study began by exploring the religious, theological, and etymological foundations of a Christian understanding of spirituality. The analysis was framed around two organizing principles: first, viewing research through the metaphoric lens of the story and second, the notion of filling in gaps.Using informal, conversational, taped interviews as the primary means of data collection, three main themes and thirteen subsuming themes emerged. The study used these results to interrogate the discourse of spirituality within the field of adult education. The research found that a number of serious problems exist within that discourse including the non-definition and misuse by the discourse of the term spirituality, the hazards of individualized spirituality caused by imprecise definitions of the term, a failure to address issues of faith substantively, and the separation in the discourse of religion from spirituality.The study concluded that by couching discussions in spiritual terminology, the discourse creates the illusion of confronting and dealing with issues of faith in a substantive manner. In reality, however, the difficult issues are avoided. Suggestions for future research on spirituality in adult education are given, including a proposal to move the discussion from issues framed in terms of spirituality towards a discourse of faith. Frederick A. Milacci Jr. http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/2 http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/2 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:49:28 PDT The purpose of the present symposium is twofold: 1) to evaluate the definition of spirituality and explore the misuse of the construct in the literature, and 2) to present positive alternatives for using spirituality in psychology. The symposium intends to present the material in a developmental sequence, building on previous material. The first presenter describes the problem of an ambiguous definition of spirituality. Then, citing examples from the literature, the presenter shows how this definition, although broad, can result in an abuse of power in order to force acquiescence to desired behaviors and calls for a spirituality more explicitly and consistently defined. The other presenters explain how spirituality, thus defined, can be used effectively within the context of psychology. Specifically, the second presenter describes spirituality within the context of academics that allows openness and dialogue over religious issues. The final presenter discusses spirituality from a practitioner/supervisor's perspective, empowering the training of licensed psychologists. Frederick Milacci http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/3 http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/3 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:49:28 PDT This paper examines the way spirituality is co-opted and commodified to serve the interests of marketplace from a faith-based perspective. Frederick Milacci http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/1 http://works.bepress.com/fred_milacci/1 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:49:27 PDT Frederick Milacci