The Development And Evaluation Of An Eight-Week, Small Group-Based Bible Study Course For Married Couples Specifically Designed To Strengthen The Marriage Relationship

David Alan Shaffer

Etd

The Development And Evaluation Of An Eight-Week, Small Group-Based Bible Study Course For Married Couples Specifically Designed To Strengthen The Marriage Relationship

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MLA citation style (9th ed.)

David Alan Shaffer. The Development And Evaluation Of An Eight-week, Small Group-based Bible Study Course For Married Couples Specifically Designed To Strengthen The Marriage Relationship. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/e287e738-8e4c-421e-a0dd-f4133c169e89?q=2020.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

D. A. Shaffer. The Development And Evaluation Of An Eight-Week, Small Group-Based Bible Study Course For Married Couples Specifically Designed To Strengthen The Marriage Relationship. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/e287e738-8e4c-421e-a0dd-f4133c169e89?q=2020

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

David Alan Shaffer. The Development And Evaluation Of An Eight-Week, Small Group-Based Bible Study Course For Married Couples Specifically Designed To Strengthen The Marriage Relationship. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/e287e738-8e4c-421e-a0dd-f4133c169e89?q=2020.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Creator

David Alan Shaffer

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Abstract

This project seeks to answer the research question, “Does an eight-week, small group-based Bible study course for married couples strengthen the marriage relationships of its participants?” Today’s most effective marriage programs focus on important themes relevant to marriage and include transparency, a biblical foundation, and gentle accountability. Still, the question follows, “What comes next to further strengthen marriages?” This project answers this question with a process-based Bible study that, because of its design, strengthens the marriage relationship with improved communication, conflict resolution, and increased overall marital satisfaction (the three measures of this project). This methodology includes weekly individual study, couple discussion, and small group interaction.Through the use of pre- and post-course surveys, the couples who participated in a study of Galatians provided ample quantitative research that yielded group, couples, and gender statistics. The couples’ data was measured by Positive Couple Agreement (PCA), which identifies couples’ responses as a relational strength when they choose the same response or are within one choice of each other (4 [agree] or 5 [strongly agree] on a positively worded statement, 2 [disagree] or 1 [strongly disagree] on a negatively worded statement).The researcher designed Galatians: True Freedom – A Small Group Study for Couples to implement the new methodology to be evaluated. The quantitative data based on the pre- and post-course surveys provided the means to prove whether the three measures strengthened the marriages of the participating couples. The data supports the veracity of all three hypotheses (improved communication, improved conflict resolution, and increased overall marital satisfaction), showing strong growth in each measure, most notably with communication. These results led to the research conclusion: Yes, the methodology used in this eight-week, small group-based Bible study course for married couples developed for this applied research project did strengthen the marriage relationships of its participants.

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