The student will complete 4 discussions in this course. These discussion will vary in point value based on the time, work, and reading related required of the student. The student will post one thread of at least 300 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Thursday of the assigned Module: Week. The student must then post 2 replies of at least 150 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the assigned Module: Week, except in Module 8: Week 8, the replies are due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. For each thread and reply, students must support their assertions with at appropriate citations in APA format. Acceptable sources include the textbook, the Bible, scholarly words and popular writings.

Discussion Thread: The Dissertation – The Big Picture

MANAGE DISCUSSION week 5

This is a graded discussion: 100 points possible

due Apr 22

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One of the best ways to learn to write a dissertation is to read dissertations. Dissertations typically follow common designs and are almost template-like in their structure. This helps when you develop your own dissertation. In this module, we are going to discuss how dissertations are constructed by deconstructing a few. Take a look at these four dissertations by skimming them. Look at their table of contents, purpose statements, research questions, and overall design.

The following dissertations are located in the Learn section:

1. Dunlow, J. (2014). The relationship between mentoring and spiritual formation among nontraditional theological seminary students. (Publication #3581136 ) [Doctoral Dissertation, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary], ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

2. Erdvig, R. (2016). A model for biblical worldview development in Evangelical Christian emerging adults. Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. (Publication #10243195) [Doctoral Dissertation, Liberty University], ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

3. Kiedis, T. L. (2009). A comparative analysis of leadership development models in post -baccalaureate theological education. (Publication #3401812) [Doctoral Dissertation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary], ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

4. Grusendorf, S. A. (2016). A correlational study of the communication styles and use of power among lead pastors. (Publication #10786916 ) [Lancaster Bible College/Capital Seminary and Graduate School], ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Now consider and briefly respond to the following discussion questions.

· What do these dissertations have in common?

· How are their content outlines similar and how are they different?

· What do you see that is different between quantitative dissertations and qualitative dissertations with regard to their purpose statements? Research questions?

· What have you learned about the dissertation structure and research design from looking at these four dissertations?

Now, take a moment to look at pages 24–27 of the Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership Program Handbook located in the Learn section.

· How are they similar and dissimilar to the dissertations you viewed for this module? These are the outlines you will follow as you create your own dissertation.