Development and Application of English Bible Study Materials: A Case of Pre-Service Christian English Teachers' Service Learning

Abstract

This paper summarizes findings from investigations into the development and application of English bible study materials for middle school students in two local churches in Seoul, Korea. Six pre-service Christian English teachers have participated in the development of the materials. After the application of the new materials, the pre-service teachers' and bible study teachers' perception of the new materials have been investigated. To analyze the data, the pre-service teachers and bible study teachers were interviewed. The interview data was recorded, transcribed and analyzed based on content analysis method. The findings indicated that the pre-service teachers' church service learning gave them a sense of satisfaction and it also helped them develop professionalism in teacher education. To both the pre-service teachers and bible study teachers, keeping balance between bible teaching and English teaching was found to be a difficult task. The fact that the themes in the new materials are closely related to the lives of the students has been positively evaluated by the bible study teachers.