12 Therefore, it would be important for strategic content that yields student success (Christianity, the Bible, and attributes of God) in the most strategic of relationships (parent and child) to focus on this experiential approach in teaching and learning. The Q Methodological Design explored the perceptions of a panel of spiritual formation experts on the ranked importance of the God Cards curriculum. These experts sorted and ranked 42 attributes of God presented in the God Cards to verify the most important attributes to include. In the post-sort interviews, the researcher learned the rationale for the sort and rank process as well as perceptions on spiritual formation and focusing on attributes of God. In a qualitative focus group of education experts, the researcher also learned if the God Cards’ delivery system aligned with best practices in teaching and learning as espoused by the Constructivist theory. These interviews as well as the “sorting and ranking” process of the Q Methodology established the relevance and effectiveness of the spiritual formation curriculum, God Cards. The God Cards are one part to a three-part curriculum housed in The Whole Peach ministry and website— www.thewholepeach.com. For the current study, the focus was on the God Cards and the support offered in this curriculum for spiritual development in the life of a child. Summary of Findings and Interpretation of Results The results of the current study offered the most important God Cards to include in a spiritual formation curriculum as well as the most effective way to deliver that curriculum based on best practices in teaching and learning. These results were determined by two groups of experts within two different research methodologies - spiritual formation experts using the Q Methodology and a group of education experts using a qualitative focus group. These groups of experts were determined by level of degree earned as well as over 20 years of experience in their chosen field. Related to RQ1, the spiritual formation experts defined spiritual formation, supported a focus on attributes of God as important in a spiritual formation curriculum, and ranked the attributes of God in the God Cards into the most important ones to include. Like Freeman (2002), the group of spiritual formation experts defined it as a “process of becoming what a Christian should be and the enabling of what a Christian should do” (p. 25). Like Grudem (1999), Lawrence (2004), Mulholland (2000), Packer (1973), Sproul (1992), Spurgeon (1970), Stonehouse (1998), Tozer (1961, 1997), and Willard (1998), these spiritual formation experts all believed that a focus on attributes of God was important in a spiritual formation curriculum. In fact, some of the spiritual formation experts cited it as the most important step in one’s spiritual development. They also noted that a person’s knowing and understanding of God would also impact their actions and service to the world. Spiritual formation expert Burgin said, “the word of God pulls life together for us,” and Still remarked that “to see God as clearly as we are able is vital to following him as closely as we ought.” Relating pulls life together for us,” and Still remarked that “to see God as clearly as we are able is vital to following him as closely as we ought.” Relating such a study as paramount to a person’s trust of God and experience of God, these spiritual formation experts had overwhelming consensus in such a focus. Concerning the most important d C rds to include in a spiritual formation curriculu , the 16 experts ranked collectively Valentine, Creator, Easter, and Knows My Name as the top cards of i portance related to their mean score. The God Cards of Artist, Promise Keeper, and Shepherd were the ext highest group. Table 42 lists the cards receiving the most important rankings from both f ct r array . A factor array is a representation of several expert God Cards sorts into one single sort. This sort showed the cor lation amongst vi wpoints b sed on the strength of the Z scores. Table 2 Highest Ranking God Cards in Two Factor Array # God Card Factor A Score Factor B Score Total Mean Score 40 Valentine 4 4 4 7 Creator 4 2 3 8 Easter 3 2 2.5 21 Knows My Name 1 4 2.5 3 Artist 3 1 2 32 Promise Keeper 2 2 2 35 Shepherd 1 3 2 The researcher chose to focus further analysis on these two factors for three reasons: all 16 spiritual formation experts were included in this two-factor array, the Eigenvalues were Table 1 Highest Ranking God Cards in Two Factor Array Karla Beth Hagan, EdD
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