In August 2023 dr. Bram Kunz was appointed as an associate professor at Driestar Christian University. His lectorate aims to do research into the formation of Christian professionals in the 21st century.
We are currently in the first phase of this research. The lectorate aims to connect higher education (e.g. Driestar Christian University) with Christian primary schools to do collaborative research on what Christian teachers need in their formation process: who are you as a Christian teacher?
How do you take responsibility for your work as a teacher? What ideals do you have and where do those ideals come under tension?
We explore the formation of Christian teachers in the context of the Christian pedagogical tradition(sources you draw from, ideals, and missions as formed in the school’s history) and also in the context of the 21st century: the specific situation in which teachers do their work (Christians as a minority, influence of secularisation, influences from government and civil society).
Currently, we are working on question articulation: we interview school board members and teachers to collect their views on the formation of Christian teachers. We also ask them which topics the lectorate should research.
For ourselves, the guiding principle at the moment is that we choose a narrative approach: how does the school's grand story (history, vision, mission) relate to the teacher's own story (biography, ideals, critical situations) and vice versa?
Would you like more information?
Please, contact dr. Bram Kunz: a.j.kunz@driestar-educatief.nl.
