Abstract:
This research is an exploratory qualitative investigation into the challenges of teaching
religious material to individuals with cognitive disabilities. The study setting was a
single large evangelical Christian church known for excellence in ministry to individuals
with disabilities and their families. The following issues were explored: (a) classroom
management and teaching strategies utilized in Sunday school classes for students with
disabilities, (b) the ways that Sunday school teachers evaluate the effectiveness of their
teaching and assess student comprehension of material, and (c) the influence of religious
beliefs regarding disability on the approach to teaching and expectations for student
learning. Data were collected in the form of interviews with church staff workers and
volunteer Sunday school teachers and observations of Sunday school classes. Findings
show that teachers utilized many of the same instructional strategies and classroom
management techniques to present Biblical material as teachers of traditional academic
content. Teachers were resourceful in making adaptations to address the unique needs of
their students. Based on the limited cognitive abilities of their students, teachers reported
few techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching and limited methods to
evaluate student understanding. Regarding beliefs of the participants about disability and
the influence of these beliefs on teaching religious material, teachers reported doing their
best to offer the message of the gospel to students but believed that it was God’s work to
enable students to understand and to bring individuals to a point of conversion. Teachers
persisted in teaching Biblical concepts to children regardless of the limited ability to
determine what portion of the material children understand. Findings are examined in
relationship to theories of learning and recommendations are made for applying this
research to other church communities.
