Running head: FINAL PAPER: CUSTOMIZED LEARNING THEORY 1
Final Paper: God’s Way Customized Learning Theory
Liberty University
FINAL PAPER: CUSTOMIZED LEARNING THEORY 2
Abstract
This paper has been written to describe a customized learning theory called God’s Way. This
theory has been developed through examining various established learning theories and adapting
those to construct a biblically based character education theory designed for use in the upper
elementary grades. The God’s Way theory contains aspects of various secular moral
development and behavioral learning techniques. More importantly the theory is based on
Christian doctrine regarding teaching of moral values, respect for all people and accountability
for one’s actions. Administrative note: all journal articles referenced in this paper are peer
reviewed and drawn from the Jerry Falwell Library located at Liberty University and were
accessed through electronic means.
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God’s Way Customized Learning Theory
Introduction and Theory Development
While researching and studying the various learning and behavior theories and strategies
I encountered in this course, it became apparent to me that many of the theories show great
promise for application to a Christian character education curriculum. I have incorporated many
parts of these theories into the God’s Way Theory, known hereafter in this paper as GWT. The
GWT is primarily designed for application as a Christian character education curriculum but
could also be incorporated into a secular curriculum with some adjustments. The individual
concepts that I have designed for the GWT are discussed throughout the remainder of this paper.
The GWT is by no means completely developed and has not been scientifically tested in the
classroom environment therefore no results have been substantiated and no claims of success are
offered. The holy and infallible Word of God has provided the foundation of the GWT. All
credit for any future success of this theory as a viable and trustworthy instructional method for
the education of children is freely given to the One True Living God.
Learning Theory and Its Importance
All educators ascribe to some type of learning theory upon which they base their
individual teaching style. On the Merriam-Webster dictionary website the definition of teaching
is given as: “to cause to know something, to accustom to some action or attitude, to impart
knowledge of or to instruct by precept, example or experience”. (www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/teach) Each teacher must constantly adjust their teaching style based on
their interpretation of the subject matter being taught and the abilities of each individual student
they teach. The teacher must recognize the individual needs of each student and the best way to
encourage each student to learn. Our text book defines learning as “an enduring change in
behavior, or in the capacity to behave in a given fashion, which results from practice or other
forms of experience”. (Slavin, R., & Schunk, D. 2018 p. 3) A teacher cannot force a student to
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learn anything, instead the teacher must understand which avenue of approach will yield the best
results for each student. Some students learn best when the teacher employs the four phases of
the observational learning strategy described by Albert Bandura as part of his social learning
theory. (Slavin, R., & Schunk, D. 2018 p. 85) Using modeling the teacher can demonstrate what
the student is expected to learn and be able to demonstrate. Other students may benefit more if
the teacher employs the scaffolding strategy from Vygotsky’s assisted learning concept. Using
the scaffolding strategy, the teacher leads the students to the final learning objective by starting
with the basic parts of the objective and adding more components while giving increasingly more
responsibility to the students until the learning objective is mastered. (Slavin, R., & Schunk, D.
2018 p. 180) It is of the upmost importance that teachers are knowledgeable in many types of
learning theories. Knowing what learning theory/strategy to use is what makes a teacher
effective.
Description of an Effective Teacher
The description of an effective teacher includes a combination of personality
characteristics, subject knowledge, and perceived instructional efficacy. The article titled:
Elementary School Students' Strategic Learning: Does Task-Type Matter? provides a detailed
description of various learning strategies students used to solve scientific problems during a
research study. (Malmberg, J., Järvelä, S., & Kirschner, P. A. 2014) This study is important
because it shows that students do not always use the same learning strategies to reach a
successful solution to the same assignment. The effective teacher needs to be adaptable and able
to employ multiple strategies to teach a lesson if necessary. Teaching skills alone do not make a
teacher effective, the teacher must also be able to create an atmosphere that is conducive to
student comprehension. Fortunately, we have the ultimate example of a teaching style to emulate
in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ever patient, loving, and gracious when instructing people,
Jesus always presented himself as the ultimate model for his teachings. He is the most effective
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educator that will ever exist. This quote from the Old Testament gives us examples of some of
the methods Jesus used when teaching, “You shall teach them to your children, talking of them
when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie
down, and when you rise”. (Deuteronomy 11:19 English Standard Version) Jesus always took
advantage of any opportunity to teach. He used teachable moments, normal conversations,
parables, and even prayer to teach extremely hard to understand doctrines to his disciples and
other students. Jesus continually used the strategies of observational learning (Slavin, R., &
Schunk, D. 2018 p. 85), and scaffolding (Slavin, R., & Schunk, D. 2018 p. 180) to enhance and
assess the comprehension levels of his students. He started many of his lessons by teaching
basic life principles and building on those basics until he had presented an entire doctrine. To be
a truly effective teacher we need to emulate the loving, patient, and selfless example the Jesus
has given us. Maintaining a calm loving demeanor and being patient will have a much more
positive impact on a child and the classroom than being a clinical type teacher who does not
develop a real connection with each student. The GWT presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the
ultimate example of an effective teacher. Although we can never attain the instructional efficacy
that Jesus possesses we can surely aspire to emulate his teaching style in our own classrooms to
develop an effective learning environment.
Description of an Effective Learning Environment
An effective learning environment can take many forms and encompass the use of many
learning and behavioral strategies. Pianta, R., Downer, J., and Hamre, B. (2016), provide a
framework around which to build an effective learning environment. They state that the
structural elements of an educational program are paramount to creating an effective learning
environment. Factors such as the curriculum used, class sizes, the length of the school day and
teachers' qualifications all influence the effectiveness of a learning environment. Another crucial
factor to consider when describing an effective learning environment is the classroom/school
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atmosphere. This includes aspects such as classroom and playground equipment, availability of
required supplies, security procedures, and extracurricular activities. The authors assert that the
perceived quality of the school itself will have a direct effect on the learning environment. This
includes the perception of quality held by the parents of students, community leaders and the
faculty members.
The key factor discussed in the article as essential to creating a quality efficient learning
environment is proper teacher-student interactions. This is predicated by the teacher’s attitude
toward and sensitivity to, the needs of each student. A teachers' ability to provide quality
teacher-student interactions is directly connected with the degree of professional development
the teacher has completed. Without proper training the teacher has an inadequate knowledge
base to draw on and will only be able to use their experience to guide them in the classroom.
New or inexperienced teachers will struggle to establish and maintain proper teacher-student
interactions and the effectiveness of the learning environment will suffer. The GWT
recommends pairing new teachers with an experienced teacher for mentorship. Other factors that
affect the teacher’s ability to interact properly with students are their mental health status, social
supports, sense of instructional efficacy, and job satisfaction level. The methods of instruction
and types of equipment that teachers choose to use can also have a direct impact on the
effectiveness of the learning environment. Another journal article titled: Hacking our Brains for
Learning, provides a plethora of suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the learning
environment. The author suggests that making learning environments more exciting and
memorable will stimulate and enhance learning. He promotes the idea of developing a learner
friendly environment that gains and keeps the student’s attention while honoring the fact that not
all students learn in the same way or at the same pace. (Tillas, A. 2018)
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These ideas fit directly into the effective learning environment design of the GWT. This
quote from the Bible provides the key quality that teachers and administrators must possess to
safeguard the effectiveness of any learning environment.
“Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love as Christ also
loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among
saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but
rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure or covetous
man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God”. (Ephesians 5 vs.
1-5 New American Standard Bible)
This is a key bible passage for the GWT because it includes the most essential trait
required to teach young students God’s way, which is the only truly effective way. Foremost a
teacher must love God. Without a relationship with Jesus Christ a teacher has no protection
against the ways of the enemy and therefore is weak and wide open to temptation and may fall
into immoral or impure teaching behaviors. Through the strength of Christ, a teacher can serve
sacrificially with love, patience, integrity, and proper morality which will positively impact the
effectiveness of any learning environment. An effective learning environment design will follow
Jesus’ example in the approach to direct instruction. Incorporating all available opportunities
into the design will allow the teacher the latitude to find the correct teaching method to reach
each student and ensure comprehension. This would also translate into technological teaching
methods. Most students today are familiar with technology on some level. By using a variety of
media applications, the teacher can take advantage of that familiarity to connect with their
students in a way they are comfortable with. Many modern schools assign each student a laptop
or tablet that they use during lessons, to complete assignments and for access to textbooks.
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Classroom management is always a balancing act since every student has a distinctive
personality and diverse needs. These differences in student personalities and needs are a crucial
factor to consider when developing an effective learning environment design. Creating a
dynamic learning environment which incorporates multiple learning platforms will not only
assist in classroom management by keeping the students engaged in active learning but will also
positively impact student motivation.
Actively Including and Engaging Learners with Diverse Needs and Exceptionalities
The inclusion of students with diverse needs and exceptionalities is not only correct and
required by law it is also based on biblical principles. The Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) became law in 1990 and acted as an update to previous laws governing
the education of students with diverse needs and exceptionalities. (Slavin, R., & Schunk, D. 2018
p. 249-258) The IDEA incorporated concepts such as requiring students with exceptionalities to
be placed in the least restrictive environment possible. This means these students must be
included in regular classroom environments with non-disabled students as much as possible with
respect to their individual exceptionalities. The GWT includes provisions for students with
diverse needs and exceptionalities. I have developed the teacher’s creed as a cornerstone of the
GWT: In my life I must be respectful to all, especially those in need and love them as God
through Christ loves me. Only then am I honoring God. I must always approach my classroom
behaviors and teaching styles from a biblical world view. I must treat all people with respect and
dignity and love them as Christ loves us. I must immediately address and eliminate any abusive
or neglectful behavior, no matter who is perpetrating it. I have no right to abuse or denigrate
any other human being. As an educator I have a sacred responsibility to protect all students, but
especially those with disabilities. (Some people may disagree with that statement, but the Bible
supports it. This verse corroborates my statement: “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly,
encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone”. 1 Thessalonians 5:14) By
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welcoming, nurturing, and educating learners with diverse needs or exceptionalities I continue to
follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have accepted salvation through Christ’s
sacrificial gift, so I must be willing to share that gift with all others. When I fail to be loving,
patient, and respectful to all people I will run to my Savior for comfort and forgiveness. I will
pray constantly for the wisdom and strength I will need to educate my students in God’s way.
Addressing Behavior and Character Development
Maintaining an effective learning environment will only be possible if we can also
maintain order and discipline in the classroom. Allowing continual disturbances will have a
negative impact on all students in the class. There are many behavioral learning theories that can
be used to address students with problematic behavior. An interesting theory developed by B.F.
Skinner is that of Operant Conditioning. (Robert, S., & Schunk, D. 2018 p. 72-75) This theory is
based on consequences of behavior and is directly adaptable to the classroom environment of the
GWT. By applying the correct reinforcements in response to observed behavior we can either
encourage or discourage said behavior. A student with behavior problems can be steered into a
proper behavioral pattern using a series of reinforcements to encourage acceptable behavior
through positive reinforcement and dissuade unacceptable behavior through negative
reinforcement. The use of consequences to adjust an individual’s behavior ties in with the
principle of Triadic Reciprocal Causation, described by Bandura as the relationship of an
individual’s characteristics or personality, their behavior patterns, and their environment.
(Davidson, 2003) As a student observes and collects information about how other students
behave and witness the consequences (positive or negative) of that behavior they can then use
those results to build their own successful pattern of behavior. These concepts form the core the
behavioral learning features of the GWT.
In his book Walking with God in the Classroom, Van Brummelen (2009) stated,
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“Teachers help students develop ethical reflection and reasoning. They encourage
students to apply general ethical principles to concrete situations and moral dilemmas. Some
issues become part of the planned curriculum. Others arise in the daily life of the school.
Teachers give moral guidance through explanation, storytelling, discussion, encouraging positive
behavior, and feedback. Students learn to apply value-based norms and to respect the rights and
needs of others” (p. 234).
This is the attitude taken in the GWT and even though the quote is referencing a
biblically framed curriculum, these same techniques can also be used in the public-school
setting. The research study “Perceived Impact of a Character Education Program at a Midwest
Rural Middle School: A Case Study”, gives some insight into the effects of character education
in the public-school setting. The purpose of the study was to document the effects of the
character education program on attendance, academic performance, and disciplinary issues over
a five-year period. The data was collected and analyzed and revealed significant positive effects
on all three areas of interest. The character education program employed at the school was based
on the teaching of virtue-centered character traits. The traits mentioned in the study are:
fortitude, love, justice, gratitude, positive attitude, hard-work, self-control, integrity, and
humility. (Goss and Holt 2014) The Bible lists the virtue-centered traits mentioned in the study
as fruits of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)
The concepts in both lists are similar suggesting that there was a biblical influence on the list
given in the study. When determining how I would integrate character education principles into
my classroom and the GWT it is apparent to me that the students will need to be involved in
moral and ethical activities and lessons on a level appropriate to their cognitive development.
Using the traits mentioned earlier I would design tag along worksheets and projects that would
be linked to the existing curriculum, this would allow the exploitation of current lessons to teach
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character education principles. Many of the aspects of observational learning are integral to the
GWT, specifically vicarious learning defined in our text as: “Learning that occurs without overt
performance, such as by observing live or symbolic models”. (Slavin, R., & Schunk, D. 2018 p.
383) Scheduling brief talks from adult models of good reputation and suitable character would
allow a break from the regular school routine and afford opportunities to refocus the attention of
the students on character education. This activity will also be incorporated most aspects of the
GWT curriculum to give the students exposure to many more acceptable adult models than are
available through traditional school activities such as field trips.
Engaging Students in Learning, Building Self-Efficacy and Motivation
Consider this quote from the journal article Motivational Teacher Strategies: The Role of
Beliefs and Contextual Factors: “Teachers are key actors who shape the learning environment
and whose main tasks include motivating students to learn”. (Hornstra, L., Mansfield, C., van
der Veen, I., Peetsma, T., & Volman, M. 2015) While the authors of this article go in depth is
their discussion of the various techniques used by teachers to motivate students I believe that the
quote above accentuates the fact that teachers drive the motivation of their students. They
accomplish this through their own motivation levels and other aspects of the learning
environment. Some aspects of five motivational and learning theories that are vital to engaging
students and building self-efficacy and motivation are discussed in the article: Motivation to
learn: An overview of contemporary theories. (Cook, D., & Artino, A. 2016) The theories
discussed are: expectancy-value theory, attribution theory, social cognitive theory, goal
orientation theory, and self-determination theory. The expectancy-value theory is the expectation
of success by an individual if they attempt a task and value is the individual’s perception of
personal benefit and interest in doing the task. The attribution theory discusses the creation of
subconscious causal explanations (attributions) for the results of performing a task. These
attributions affect the emotions and determine motivation levels for future tasks. The social
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cognitive theory is defined as the results of learning caused by reciprocal interactions between
personal, behavioral, and environmental factors (Triadic Reciprocal Causation) in which
motivation is driven by the individual’s sense of self-efficacy regarding the task. The goal
orientation theory states that learners take part in tasks with the incentive of mastering content to
perform better than others or avoid failure. In self-determination theory individuals are
motivated by autonomy, competence, and relatedness to a group. (Cook, D., & Artino, A. 2016)
Many of the ideologies involved with engaging students while building self-efficacy and
motivation levels are interrelated I have designed this cycle of learning for the GWT to take
advantage of this fact. To fully engage students, the learning environment and curriculum must
be dynamic and stimulating. Students need ongoing feedback on subject mastery to gauge their
levels of self-efficacy. The students must be able to see tangible and timely results of their
efforts to increase and maintain their motivation levels. When students perceive their learning
environment as dynamic and stimulating they will be suitably motivated to put forth maximum
effort to master tasks and goals. Successful mastery of tasks and goals will improve the students
perceived self-efficacy levels. When all these factors are operational and functioning efficiently,
the students will continually cycle through the learning process with vigor and determination.
And since levels of self-efficacy are sure to influence future choices regarding courses of study
and career paths, the importance of maintaining a dynamic learning environment is even more
critical.
Personal Reflections/Conclusion
The development of the GWT has been a personal journey for me, a journey that has
brought revelation, caused soul searching, and may have changed my future in the education
field. When I originally started this course, my plan was to teach at the community college level
upon completing my certification. After all the studying and research into the various learning
and behavioral theories I am now considering working in the elementary grades. I am pondering
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this change because I want to be an agent of change in the lives of younger students, steering
them toward a more promising future through biblically based character education. The GWT
while not complete provides at least the skeleton to build on. Much more research and studying
is needed before I can complete the theory. Much of the decision about when to implement the
GWT and what to include in it was gleaned from chapter three of our main text. (Slavin, R., &
Schunk, D. 2017 p. 48-68) Additional information was taken from the video titled: A Child's
Mind: How Kids Learn Right & Wrong. (Ryan, 2011)
Some of the influences on the GWT are: Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development, Piaget
believed that children were unable to use moral reasoning until after the child had developed the
ability to deliberate on moral problems. Piaget’s theory states that a child passes from
heteronomous morality to autonomous morality through cognitive developments and peer
relations. Lawrence Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development has aspects in common with
Piaget’s but were described using six stages. The stages were contained within three levels:
preconventional, conventional and post conventional. With each stage the individual’s
perception of morality changes in response cognitive developments with most children being
able to under stand moral dilemmas by the age of nine. Elliot Turiel’s Moral Domain Theory is
comprised of the moral, social, and psychological domains. These components while being
separate develop together to make up a child’s overall moral mindset. Bandura’s Theory of
Moral Development through Social Learning is based on the idea that children develop their
moral identity by modeling the behavior of those they see as being influential. These behaviors
can be positive or negative depending on the social situation and models. (Slavin, R., & Schunk,
D., p. 48-68, 2018) Based on what I have learned from these theories, I believe the ideal grade to
start teaching with the GWT is the third grade. By starting in the third grade the student is
exposed to proper moral concepts at a time in their cognitive development that should allow
them to comprehend and retain the concepts. By continuing to use the GWT through the fifth
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grade the concepts will be reinforced many times and will hopefully become a part of the
student’s cognitive processes for the rest of their school career, even the rest of their lives.
All the scriptures quoted in this paper are important to the GWT, but the inspiration for
the theory started with this Bible verse: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he
is old he will not depart from it”. (Proverbs 22:6) I plan to continue to research and develop the
GWT and hope to one day get it to the point where it can be implemented in my own classroom.
I praise God and the Lord Jesus Christ for giving me the strength and determination to get this
far and I trust in His grace for the wisdom and strength to continue.
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