Are small groups really good for megachurches? How do the people within these megachurches view racial inequality? What happens when congregations do try to improve their racial and ethnic diversity? How do entrepreneurs within congregations see God?
These are questions you might not think about — but Dr. Kevin Dougherty, a Baylor sociology professor and researcher, certainly does. Dougherty teaches large sections of Introduction to Sociology, as well as a few graduate-level courses, twice earning recognition as one of Baylor’s outstanding professors of the year (2010 and 2015).
The rest of the time, he’s researching topics that have real-world applications in churches across the country — subjects such as racial diversity in congregations, congregational growth and decline, religious affiliation and participation, and the impact of religion on other areas of life such as community involvement, politics and work.
Dougherty’s interest in sociology isn’t limited to religion, however; he also regularly writes and speaks about innovative teaching, with some of his research focusing on how students learn. He’s studied whether social media helps students in the classroom, finding that using a Facebook group for a class turned students “from anonymous spectators into a community of active learners.” Then, he tested what would happen when you remove the dread associated with test days; unsurprisingly, students’ scores improved.
Dougherty’s work has been published in leading academic journals — and has also been featured by national media outlets ranging from USA Today and CNN to Christianity Today and HuffPost.
Sic ’em, Dr. Dougherty!
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