Although there are several of Jesus’ teaching strategies outlined by James,
Martinez, & Herbers (2015) with which I resonate and plan to utilize in my
teaching, the method of storytelling and narrative holds significant in Jesus’
ministry. According to adult learning theory, the use of storytelling and
symbolism evokes emotion in order to produce meaning and enhance learning
through embodied learning (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). In Matthew 13, Jesus
tells the famous parable of the sower. The power of this parable is not only
the story itself and how Jesus used it to engage his followers, but also how it
engaged the disciples to ask Jesus why He taught in parables. The way Jesus
explains this shows a remarkable way He uses the story to teach why He
employs the use of storytelling. After explaining to His disciples that He tells
parables to awaken the hearts of the people which have grown dull, to open
their eyes and ears to see and understand what they cannot see otherwise
(New American Standard Bible, 2020, Matthew 13: 13-15), Jesus translates the
parable’s meaning, bringing to light the principle He was attempting to teach: A
fruitful life requires the person be grounded in good soil of the heart receptive
of the word of God, lest one be easily deceived and swayed by the
circumstances of life (New American Standard Bible, 2020, Matthew 13: 19-23).
c c c c c c c c c Jesus then goes on to tell three more parables to the people, one of
which was the story of the wheat and the weeds. c Here, we see the disciples
deeply engaged as they immediately ask Jesus for an interpretation of this
second parable. He goes on to explain its meaning as the triumph of a
righteous God over the enemy in the end of the age (New American Standard
Bible, 2020, Matthew 13: 37-43). Yet, Jesus does not stop there. He continues
by using analogy and symbolism to describe the kingdom of Heaven in three
different ways. He concludes by confirming the disciples understanding of these
principles, confirming their high level of engagement in His teaching and that
their own hearts have awakened. All of us can relate to a situation where the
power of narrative and analogy brought about deeper reflection, critical thinking,
and the challenging of assumptions, leading us to draw our own conclusions
(James et al., 2015). The result is double-loop learning, where norms are not
only questioned but changed (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). This deeper learning
level is what transforms the student and impacts their lives, even beyond the
classroom.
c c c c c c c c c Employing the technique of Jesus, this same parable of the sower
may be applied by the instructor in an I/O psychology course to the
relationships between worker engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational
commitment. Research shows job satisfaction and organizational commitment
have a high positive correlation suggesting workers are less likely to leave an
organization if they are highly satisfied at work (Riggio, 2017). Translating the
parable of the sower, the less engaged worker is like the seed that is easily
snatched away because they do not have solid roots within the organization’s
mission. A worker who is planted in good soil, a company with purpose, leaders
who care, and work that is fulfilling, are more fruitful and therefore, higher
performing, benefiting the company and the worker. An instructor could then
also ask students to reflect on current or past jobs, and which type of seed
best relates to their work experiences and share this with the class, leading to
the next lesson of what strategies an organization can implement to “have
good soil”. This is merely one example of how storytelling in education inspires
and makes the learning more meaningful, and Jesus’ masterful use of these
exceptional teaching techniques from which we can all learn.
References
Bernstein, D.S., Frantz, S, & Chew, S. (2020). Teaching psychology: A step by
step guide (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Merriam, S. B. & Bierema, L.L. c (2014). Adult learning – Linking theory and
practice. Jossey-Bass.
New American Standard Bible (2020). BibleGateway.
https://www.biblegateway.com/ Links to an external site.. (Original work
published 1971).
Riggio, R. E. (2017). Introduction to industrial/organizational psychology (7th Ed.).
Taylor & Francis Group.
