Assessing Epistemological Development among Evangelical Seminarians

Abstract

This thesis is a contribution to Perry Scheme studies that have described and rated the intellectual and ethical development of students and others. The population of evangelical seminary students among three institutional types of seminaries is the unique contribution of this work. Seminary students are preparing for a career that requires critical thinking skills and the ability to discern solutions to complex problems. Developing thinking that is able to recognize and weigh divergent views is of the utmost concern. This qualitative research project was conducted through a semi-structured interview of seminary students, using open-ended questions and follow-up probes designed to elicit the students’ understanding of the nature and justification of knowledge. The Center for the Study of Intellectual Development rated these according to the scheme developed by William Perry. The interviews were also analyzed by the researcher according to John David Trentham’s categories of epistemological priorities and competencies.