Philosophy of Education

International Baptist College is a post-secondary academic institution committed to preparing men and women for Christian living and church-related vocations. It holds that the sovereign God of the universe has revealed Himself in creation, in the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ, and in the inerrant and divinely inspired Word of God.

Man is a spiritual, moral, rational, social, and physical being created in the image of God. Thus, people are able to know and value God, themselves, others, and the created universe. The Bible is the ultimate standard for knowing goodness and righteousness.

Noah Webster rightly held in his 1828 edition of his dictionary that education is the "series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth and fit them for usefulness in their future stations." This definition is compatible with the challenge of training in the cognitive, affective, and psycho-motor domains.

Education, to be complete, must combine knowing and doing, theory and practice, and the science and art of Christian living and ministry. Jesus said, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them" (John 13:17). International Baptist College expects its staff and students to know right, then practice the right, and only then expect to feel right.

Simply put, the teaching/learning process involves planning the lesson, presenting the lesson, measuring, and recording the degree to which the lesson was learned—planning, presenting, evaluating, and recording.

1. Planning is challenging but necessary work. The teacher's plan must be subordinate to the doctrine, mission, and objectives of the College. It needs to reflect proven pedagogical practices such as taking students in a logical sequence from the known to the next nearest unknown. Planning must look at the big picture and the small details that comprise the whole.
2. Presenting the lesson with feeling, enthusiasm, conviction, and intensity will increase a student's ability to more quickly grasp the lesson. Presenting the lesson with an attitude of appreciation for the student, a love for the subject, and an attitude that the student wants to and can learn the material will increase teaching/learning effectiveness.
3. Educational measurement is a worthy science and art for the dedicated, professional teacher. Changed thinking, values, skills, and behavior are desired outcomes from the teaching/learning process. It is possible and important to evaluate whether or not the lesson has been learned. It is helpful to use formative as well as summative evaluation. Formative evaluation includes the use of frequent quizzes and tests to allow for in-flight correction. The semester final exam is summative evaluation. Formative evaluation provides the feedback helpful to student and teacher alike to know how effective is the teaching/learning process. Summative evaluation is important to evaluate if the student has grasped the whole and is prepared to apply the learning.
4. The work of recording a student's academic progress is a moral and ethical work. The work begins with the teacher’s keeping an accurate attendance and grade record book and includes the Registrar recording and protecting those grades. The teacher and Registrar are honor bound to follow the academic guidelines established and recorded by the College in its publications.