'Perspectives on Parenting,' an undergraduate course for the University of Valley Forge.

摘要

The University of Valley Forge (UVF) is part of the international network of Assemblies of God colleges and universities. It serves students primarily based in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States. UVF provides undergraduate, graduate, and lifelong learning programs. Under the direction of UVF leadership, this project initiated the development of a new undergraduate course to prepare students for ministry with, and to, parents. The course, Perspectives on Parenting, fills a void in course requirements for children's ministry and family studies, two of the sixty-seven undergraduate degree programs offered at this institution.;The creation of Perspectives on Parenting required this project to identify the need, obtain approval for course development, design the course and its content, then teach and evaluate the course. Biblical and contemporary literary research laid the foundation for successful completion of this project. Pretest and posttests, combined with student and peer evaluations, assessed the impact of the course.;The course was launched in the spring 2014 semester. Evaluation of this project confirmed the need for and effectiveness of this course. Students learned about parenting perspectives with application of that knowledge in real world settings. The project produced a wealth of research notes and course materials. These will benefit future students of children's and family ministries, local churches through seminars, and others through the development of parenting support materials.