Cindy Miller-Perrin Don Thompson Pepperdine University ACSD National Conference June 5, 2007
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The Development of Faith and Life Purpose Among College
Students: The Role of an International Living
and Learning Experience
Cindy Miller-PerrinDon Thompson
Pepperdine University
ACSD National ConferenceJune 5, 2007
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International Programs at Pepperdine University
Provide students a life changing international experience designed for intellectual, social, personal and spiritual transformation.
Buenos Aires, Costa Rica, Florence, Heidelberg, Honduras, Hong Kong, Lausanne, London, Madrid, Thailand
55% of sophomores participate Student Experiences
Academic – Full Semester/Year Coursework Living Community – House and Home-stay Spiritual – Student Led Bible Studies, House Church Service Projects Cultural
Extensive Local Travel Opportunities Group Field trips – Spain, Greece, France, Austria, Brazil,
Uruguay Mentoring – Visiting Faculty, Staff, Peers
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Heidelberg
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Travel
Students travel each weekend Program-wide field trip each term
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Living & Learning Community: Moore Haus
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Home to 55 sophomores & the visiting faculty family
Library, computer lab, administrative offices, dorm rooms, and student center
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Spiritual Community
Weekly Bible Studies and House Church
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Mentoring Community
The mentor-protégé relationship is based on trust and love.
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Question
Did you have an international living/learning experience during your college years?
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Research Hypothesis
Students who participate in an International Program have more significant growth in faith and sense of life purpose than those who do not.
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Method Student Samples
Seniors assessed in the spring of senior year Students assessed longitudinally at baseline
and every year of college career Sophomores in all International Programs
assessed each semester Surveys
Questionnaires assessing faith, identity, vocation, and International Program experience
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Measures
Faith Attitudes and Behaviors Faith Maturity Spiritual Transcendence Strength of Faith Vocational Discernment and Action
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Faith Attitudes and Behaviors
Subscales Sample Items
Strength of Belief(alpha = .81)
•I view myself as a religious person.•I have doubts about whether my religious beliefs are true.
Faith Behavior(alpha = .88)
•How often do you attend religious services?•How often have you read a devotional, religious, or spiritual book in the last year?
Application of Faith(alpha = .90)
•I depend on my faith in God for decision-making and direction.•I try hard to carry my religious beliefs into all other dealings in my life.
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Faith Maturity Scale Measures values and behavioral manifestations
of faith Sample items
My life is filled with meaning and purpose I have a real sense that God is guiding me My faith shapes how I think and act each and every
day I devote time to reading and studying the Bible
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Spiritual Transcendence Scale Measures ability to step outside of oneself and immediate
surroundings to view life on large scale, yielding three subscales:
Connectedness: assesses participants’ sense of community and relationships with others
I am concerned about those who will come after me in life Prayer Fulfillment: assesses participants’ prayer or meditation
experience I have experienced deep fulfillment and bliss through my prayers or
meditations Universality: assesses participants’ sense of a greater meaning in life
I believe that death is a doorway to another plane of existence
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Santa Clara Strength of Faith Scale
Measures general construct of strength of faith Sample items
My religious faith is extremely important to me I look to my faith as a source of inspiration My relationship with God is extremely important to
me I look to my faith as a source of comfort
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Vocational Discernment and Action
Subscales Sample Items
Discernment and Purpose(alpha = .76)
•I have a good sense for my life purpose.•I know of the many ways that I can use my gifts and talents within the context of my professional career.•I am unsure about what God is specifically calling me to do.
Service to Others(alpha = .68)
•I am motivated to choose a career that will enable me to provide some type of service to others.•I feel a deep sense of responsibility for reducing pain and suffering in the world.
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Question
What was your life purpose when you graduated from college?
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Results Senior Sample: IP vs. No IP Differences
Faith Attitudes and Behaviors Faith Maturity Spiritual Transcendence Strength of Faith Vocational Discernment and Action
Longitudinal Sample: IP vs. No IP Over Time Faith Development Vocational Discernment and Action
Sophomore Sample from International Programs
Travel, Community, and Mentoring Experiences leading to Spiritual Growth
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Senior Sample 283 Seniors
IP Group = 133 seniors who participated in an International Program
No IP Group = 150 seniors who did not participate in an International Program
No significant differences between groups on demographic variables (e.g., age, ethnicity, faith tradition, gender, & socioeconomic status)
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Faith Attitudes and Behaviors for Seniors
2022242628303234363840
Strength of Belief FaithApplication**
Faith Behavior*
IPNo IP
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Faith & Spiritual Transcendence Scores for Seniors
020406080
100120140160180200
FaithMaturity**
SpiritualTranscendence*
Strength ofFaith**
IPNo IP
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Spiritual Transcendence Subscores for Seniors
15
20
25
30
35
40
PrayerFulfillment
Universality* Connectedness
IPNo IP
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Vocation Scores for Seniors
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Discernment Service*
IPNo IP
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Conclusions Summary of findings
Students who participate in an IP have higher faith scores using a variety of measures
Students who participate in an IP are more likely to engage in vocational service
Limitation
Study design does not allow for conclusions about the direct impact of an IP experience, suggesting the need for a longitudinal approach
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Longitudinal Sample Participants (and Response Rates) from initial
sample of 300 Baseline – 113 (38%) First-Year – 191 (68%) Sophomore – 111 (64%) Junior – 132 (83%) Senior – 114 (70%)
Analyzed subsample matched on age and sex IP Group = 43 students who attended an
international program during their sophomore year No IP Group = 43 students who did not attend and
international program
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Strength of Belief Scores for First-Year and Senior Time Periods
32
32.5
33
33.5
34
34.5
35
35.5
First-Year Senior Year
IPNo IP
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Faith Application Scores for First-Year and Senior Time Periods
21
21.5
22
22.5
23
23.5
First-Year Senior Year
IPNo IP
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Faith Behavior Scores for First-Year and Senior Time Periods
37
37.5
38
38.5
39
39.5
40
40.5
41
41.5
First-Year Senior Year
IPNo IP
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Discernment Scores for First-Year and Senior Time Periods
20.5
21
21.5
22
22.5
23
23.5
First-Year Senior Year
IPNo IP
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Service Scores for First-Year and Senior Time Periods
18.5
19
19.5
20
20.5
21
21.5
22
22.5
First-Year Senior Year
IPNo IP
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Conclusions Summary of findings
International Living and Learning Experiences enhance
Belief Strength Faith Application Vocational Discernment Vocational Service
Faith Behavior decreases over time for all students, and more so for IP students
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Question
What was the most spiritually challenging experience you had during your college years?
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Sophomore International Programs Sample
300 Sophomores sampled each term
80-100% response rate
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Factors Contributing to Spiritual Growth in International Programs
Travel
Community
Mentoring
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TravelWhat has been the most spiritually challenging part of your International Program experience?
This has been the hardest but also the best year of my life. Living overseas forced me to either embrace or reject what I have believed all my life. It removed my safety nets.
I have grown through having to lean on God in almost every situation: from traveling to school to just living in a different culture, speaking another language.
My month long trip to Africa between semesters challenged my sense of self.
Traveling alone over Christmas Vacation showed me how to depend on the grace of God for support.
A person I met in Greece helped me realize my selfishness, making me want to be more generous.
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Ego Identity Status Measures Classifies subjects into one of four identity groups:
Achievement: exploration and commitment “It took me a while to figure it out, but now I really know what I want for a
career.” Moratorium: exploration without commitment
“Religion is confusing to me right now. I keep changing my views on what is right and wrong for me.”
Foreclosure: no exploration, but commitment “My parents decided a long time ago what I should go into for employment
and I’m following through with their plans.” Diffusion: no exploration or commitment
“I haven’t really considered politics. It just doesn’t excite me much.”
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Diffusion Identity Scores for IP and No IP Groups
16.5
17
17.5
18
18.5
19
19.5
20
First-Year Sophomore Year
IPNo IP
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Foreclosure Identity Scores for IP and No IP Groups
16
16.5
17
17.5
18
18.5
19
First-Year Sophomore Year
IPNo IP
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Moratorium Identity Scores for IP and No IP Groups
21.5
22
22.5
23
23.5
24
24.5
25
First-Year Sophomore Year
IPNo IP
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CommunityHow has the community of the international program experience enhanced your spiritual
growth?
Our weekly, student led Bible studies & student run worship have had the greatest spiritual impact on me.
Women's small group and student-led worship were an AMAZING support system. The best community I've ever had. This is my home away from home.
The guys’ small group was a time where we could be open and honest.
I have grown more here in my spirituality than I did in Malibu and all of that growth was due to other students.
Simply by living with and engaging with such incredible individuals, who have not only helped me through difficult times, but who have encouraged me to seek God more, I've experienced a growth in spirituality.
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MentoringWho has been most instrumental in helping
you grow spiritually? Why?
One of the other students in the program made me challenge myself and helped me grow spiritually.
The host family impacted me the most because we are in worship with them and they are the leaders that we look up to in the house.
When I felt weak, my faculty “mom” knew and was someone that would come up to me and ask what was wrong. She would help me understand and trust in God.
She made me feel at home and always made time to check on me and how I was doing.
The program assistant had a great impact on me spiritually this semester through her incredible yet humble display of faith. She is such an inspirational woman of God.
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Transferability
Shake students loose. Introduce them to an experience, preferably in another culture, that demands that they question life assumptions.
Facilitate a sense of community, requiring mutual dependency and trust.
Practice mentoring. Train faculty and staff. Provide opportunities for the mentor-protégé connection.
Transformation will occur – watch for and nurture it.
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Final Conclusions
International living and learning experiences facilitate greater growth in faith and sense of life purpose
Significant opportunities for spiritual growth occur when students leave their cultural comfort zone and rely on communities with mentoring support.
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[email protected]@pepperdine.edu