Spiritual programs in Adventist higher educational institutions in the Philippines : an appreciative inquiry case study

Abstract

Adventist higher educational institutions (AHEIs) exist to provide avenues for academic pursuits of their various stakeholders. More importantly, they are tasked to nurture the spiritual development for students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the larger community. However, there is a need for a clearer concept of what comprises spirituality in the context of AHEIs. This study aimed to develop an innovation configuration (IC) map that presents the components of spirituality in AHEIs in the Philippines. Anchored on the role of higher educational institutions to spirituality by Parks (2011) and Astin, Astin, and Lindholm (2010), I used the embedded case study design, with AI as a framework for the data collection. Sources of data included interviews, observations, document analysis,

focus group discussions, and a review of literature, while I functioned as the research instrument. Data was collected from 3 AHEIs from March 2019 to April 2019. Of the 3 AHEIs, 2 presidents and 2 spiritual life directors participated in the interviews. Also, 38 students and 17 faculty and staff participated in the FGDs. I collected documents on spiritual programs such as spiritual master plans, brochures, and annual work plans. I observed church services, small group meetings, dormitory services, and physical facilities. Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework was used to identify patterns in the data, utilizing Nvivo software in the coding and construction of themes and categories. Forty-four categories and 14 themes emerged in response to Research Questions 1, 2, 3, and 4. The last phase, which was on the delivery of sustainable programs, discussed the pervading concepts of (a) leadership, (b) people, (c) policy, and (d) evaluation, as reflected in the different themes. The IC map was further developed through the integration of the 5D results. The IC map on spiritual programs was articulated in 11 distinct components with 3 variations. The study represented these components into a triad made up of (a) transformation, (b) transcendence, and (c) relationships. While the components may be utilized to assess the status of the spiritual programs of AHEIs in the Philippines, the study recommends further exploration of faculty and staff spirituality and spiritual mentoring.