Performance correlates of spiritual expression and spiritual development

1. Performance correlates of spiritual expression and spiritual development Ronald Miller William Neal Clayton Hubner Amber Hanza Kelsey Olds Keitaro Yoshida Kin Yu Au Yan Yan Ho

2. BYU-Hawaii • Mission to serve Asia and the Pacific • A highly multi-cultural environment • 48% are international students • International students are from all educational and economical background • Participation in NSSE since 2002

3. National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) • “The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is designed to obtain, on an annual basis, information from scores of colleges and universities nationwide about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development.” -National Survey of Student Engagement

4. BYU-H Spirituality • BYU-H Spirituality 04-05 NSSE Scores • Comparison with scores of • Bac-Gen (Baccalaureate–General) • Students in undergraduate programs • National • Students in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs

5. Benchmark Comparisons First-Year Students Senior Students Both first-year and Senior BYU-Hawaii students ranked generally higher on levels of spirituality than comparable institutions and the national average in both 2004 and 2005.

6. Past studies • Spirituality...can create a campus environments that supports and enhances the sense of wholeness, connection, and community for students, faculty and staff. (Rogers & Dantley, 2001) • “The graduates of the nation’s religious colleges are quite distinctive from their secular counterparts…They study hard, leaving little time for sitting in or walking out.” (Riley, 2003) • The study done by Hugo (2000) showed that spiritual well being (ß = .54) and hardiness (ß = 1.38) are strong predictors of self-esteem (P<.01). • Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA examined the spiritual development of undergraduate students during their college career. “They (Mormon students) received the highest scores of all groups on five of the 12 measures: Religious Commitment, Religious Engagement, Religious/Social Conservatism, Spirituality, and Equanimity.” (Astin, A. W., Astin, H. S., Lindholm, Bryant, Calderone, & Szelenyi, 2003)

7. Research Questions • Do BYU-H students arrive on campus being spiritual or do they become more spiritual during their college experience? • How does spirituality affect students’ performance? • What are the effect moderators (co-variates)?

8. Hypotheses Hypothesis 1 • Senior students score higher on deepened sense of spirituality than do First-Year students because BYU-Hawaii students reported a higher sense of spirituality than do students from comparable institutions and the NSSE national average. If students consider the institution a major contributor to their spiritual development, the institutional environment should be more spiritual as a whole. Thus, the highly spiritual environment should influence students’ spirituality over time. Hypothesis 2 • Regardless of the degree of spirituality at the time of students’ first arrival on campus, all students will show an increase in spiritual development as the institution’s environment is highly spiritual. Hypothesis 3 • Higher spirituality correlates with positive academic outcomes and has a positive influence on student life because spirituality seems to contribute to the welfare of student in general as shown in the past literature on spirituality.

9. Participants • Brigham Young University-Hawaii students • 410 First-Year students • 247 Senior students

10. NSSE Spirituality items • Analyze 2004-2005 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data. The NSSE Spirituality items were as follows: 1. During the current school year, about how often have you done each of the following? • Students were asked to rate how often they participated in activities to enhance their spirituality. 1-Never, 2-Sometimes, 3-Often, 4-Very Often 2. To what extent has your experience at this institution contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas? • Developing a deepened sense of spirituality 1-Very little, 2-Some, 3-Quite a bit, 4-Very much

11. Research Question and Hypothesis Research Question • Do BYU-H students arrive on campus being spiritual or do they become more spiritual during their college experience? Hypothesis 1 • Senior students score higher on deepened sense of spirituality than do First-Year students because BYU-Hawaii students reported a higher sense of spirituality than do students from comparable institutions and the NSSE national average. If more students consider that the institution contributes to their spiritual development compared to student at other institutions, the environment at the institution should be more spiritual as a whole than other institutions. Thus, the highly spiritual environment should influence students’ spirituality over time.

12. Analysis • T-test on developed deepened sense of spirituality • Between First-Year and Senior students • T-test on attending worship services • Between First-Year and Senior students

13. The difference between First-Year and Senior Students in spirituality Students were asked to rate to what extent their experience at this institution has contributed to their knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following area: Developing a deepened sense of spirituality 1-Very little, 2-Some, 3-Quite a bit, 4-Very much * *Significant at .01 level. It was found that Seniors rated themselves significantly higher than First-Year students in terms of developing a deepened sense of spirituality.

14. The difference between First-Year and Senior Students in spirituality (cont.) Students were asked about how often they have done each of the following during the current school year. Participated in activities to enhance your spirituality (worship, meditation, prayer, etc.) 1=Never, 2=Sometimes, 3=Often, 4=Very often * *Significant at .01 level. Senior students report significantly more frequent participation in worship services than do First-Year students.

15. The difference between First-Year and Senior Students in spirituality (cont.) 2004 2005 In comparing First-Year to Senior year in both 2004 and 2005, student’s ratings on their sense of spirituality increases at BYU-Hawaii. In contrast, ratings from comparable institutions and the NSSE average show a decrease in terms of their sense of spirituality. The only reason why I present 2004 and 2005 results separately is because we do not have combined (2004 and 2005) result for Bac-Gen and NSSE average.

16. Discussion on the difference between First-Year and Senior Students in spirituality • T-test results show that Senior students have a higher sense of spirituality than do First-Year students. This suggests that students improve over time in terms of spirituality. • A comparison with the national average shows that students come to BYU-H with a high level of spirituality. However, students at BYU-H develop an even higher level of spirituality over time while students at comparable institutions in general show a slight decrease from their First-Year to Senior year.

17. Discussion on the difference between First-Year and Senior Students in spirituality (cont.) • This implies that a highly spiritual campus environment does influence the development of spirituality of students at the institution. “This is like a greenhouse kind of place; it is protected. Worldly things do not affect us in ways that do other schools. If students spend four years here and they are in an environment where spiritual growth is encouraged, supported and facilitated, [there is a] strong social support [for spiritual growth] .” -2006 Focus Group Member

18. Research Question and Hypothesis Research Question • Do BYU-H students arrive on campus being spiritual or do they become more spiritual during their college experience? Hypothesis 2 • Regardless of the degree of spirituality at the time of students’ first arrival on campus, all students will show an increase in spiritual development if the institution’s environment is highly spiritual.

19. Analysis • Two-way ANOVA • On the differences between • Ethnicity • Class rank • Interaction between ethnicity and class rank • In terms of deepened sense of spirituality

20. The difference between Ethnicity and Class Rank in Spirituality * * Significant at .01 level. Although First-Year Asian students scored significantly lower than all the other groups of students in terms of deepened sense of spirituality, Senior Asian students show as high a level of deepened sense of spirituality as Caucasian and Pacific Islander Senior students.

21. Discussion on the difference between ethnicity and class rank in spirituality • ANOVA results show that • First-Year Asian students scored significantly lower than Senior Asian, both First-year and Senior Caucasian and Pacific Islander students. • Senior Asian students rank as high as Caucasian and Pacific Islander students in terms of the deepened sense of spirituality • Caucasian and Pacific Islander Senior students report no significant increase in the deepened sense of spirituality compared to their First-year students • These results do not support our hypothesis because only students with relatively low sense of spirituality at the time of their arrival show significant increase in their sense of spirituality • However, these results suggest that a highly spiritual campus environment does influence students, especially those who enter the university with a relatively low sense of spirituality “It seems you cannot escape spiritual growth here.” -2006 Focus Group Member

22. Research Question and Hypothesis Research Question • How does spirituality affect students’ performance? • What are the effect moderators (co-variates)? Hypothesis 3 • Higher spirituality correlates with positive academic outcomes and positive influence in students’ life because spirituality seems to contribute to the welfare of student in general as shown in the past literature on spirituality.

23. Analysis on Hypothesis 3 Part I: Spirituality and academic outcomes Part II: Spirituality and student life Part III: Implication of spirituality on students’ life • Relationship with others • Personal growth

24. Analysis on Hypothesis 3 (cont.) Part I: Spirituality and academic outcomes • Correlation • Between deepened sense of spirituality/attending worship service, and coming to class prepared • Between deepened sense of spirituality/attending worship service and GPA

25. Results on the Correlation between spirituality and academic outcomes • Correlation • Coming to class prepared • With spirituality • r = .0, p > .10 • With worship • r = .19, p > .10 • GPA • With spirituality • r = -.005, p > .10 • With worship • r = .14, p < .01

26. Discussion on correlation between spirituality and academic outcomes • Although the major religion at the institution emphasizes preparation and diligence, higher sense of spirituality did not correlate with preparedness nor better academic outcomes. • The following analyses on spirituality and students’ life helps answer why spirituality does not correlate with better academic outcomes.

27. Analysis on Hypothesis 3 Part II: Spirituality and Students’ Life • Correlation • Between spirituality/attending worship service and extracurricular activities • Participation in physical activities • Attendance to art exhibits etc. • Giving tutoring to other students • Volunteering

28. Results on Correlation between Spirituality and Extracurricular activities • Participation in physical activities • With Spirituality : r = .10, p < .01 • With worship service : r = .31, p < .01 • Attendance to art exhibits etc. • With Spirituality :r = .17, p < .01 • With worship service : r = .28, p < .01 • Giving tutoring to other students • With Spirituality :r = .17, p < .05 • With worship service : r = .10, p < .05 • Volunteering • With Spirituality :r = .22, p < .01 • With worship service : r = .33, p < .01

29. Discussion on Correlation between Spirituality and Extracurricular Activities • All of these extracurricular activities are correlated with spirituality items. • This may imply that those students who have a higher sense of spirituality also have a sense of balanced work. They do not focus merely on academic studies. • This may be one of the reasons why higher spirituality does not correlate with better academic outcomes.

30. Analysis on Hypothesis 3 Part III: Implication of spirituality on students’ life • Correlation • Between deepened sense of spirituality/attending worship service and relationship with: • Other students • Faculty • Administrative Personnel and Officers Relationships with others

31. Results on Correlation between Spirituality and Relationship with Others • Correlation • Deepened sense of spirituality with: • Relationship with Other students • r = .36, p < .01 • Relationship with Faculty • r = .41, p < .01 • Relationship with Administrative Personnel and Officers • r = .35, p < .01

32. Discussion on Correlation between Spirituality and Relationship with Others • It was found that a deepened sense of spirituality significantly correlated with relationships with other students, with faculty members, and administrative personnel and officers • This result suggests that spirituality in general contributes to the development of better relationships with other people

33. Analysis on Hypothesis 3 Part III: Implication of spirituality on students’ life Personal Growth • Correlation • Between spirituality/attending worship service and outcomes on personal growth Students were asked to what extent has their experience at the institution contributed to their knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas: • Understanding yourself • Acquiring a broad general education • Acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills • Developing a personal code of values and ethics • Contributing to the welfare of your community • If you could start over again, would you go to the same institutionyou are now attending?

34. Results on Correlation between Spirituality and Personal Growth • Correlation • Between spirituality/attending worship service and : • Understanding yourself • With spirituality : r = .40, p < .01 • With worship : r = .21, p < .01 • Acquiring a broad general education • With spirituality : r = .46, p < .01 • With worship : r = .26, p < .05 • Acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills • With spirituality : r = .25, p < .01 • With worship : r = .28, p < .01 • Developing a personal code of values and ethics • With spirituality : r = .54, p < .01 • With worship : r = .30, p < .01 • Contributing to the welfare of your community • With spirituality : r = .38, p < .01 • With worship : r = .28, p < .01 • If you could start over again, would you go to the same institutionyou are now attending? • With spirituality : r = .40, p < .01 • With worship : r = .40, p < .01

35. Discussion on Correlation between Spirituality and Personal Growth • All of these personal development items are correlated with spirituality. Therefore, students with higher spirituality tend to acquire more knowledge, skills, and increase in personal development • In addition, they are more satisfied with their educational experience at their institution than do other students “I think BYU-Hawaii’s spiritual environment really makes a difference in my education, career and personal goals, because before I came here I thought I would be satisfied with a bachelor’s degree, but now I want to continue. I want to go to graduate school…” -2006 Focus Group Response

36. Additional Analysis • Result : • Asian students reported significant increase in spirituality from First-year to Senior year while Caucasians and Pacific Islanders did not. • Result : • Spirituality correlates with student life outcomes. • Question: • Did Asian students report significant increase in student life outcome variables? What about Caucasians and Pacific Islanders?

37. The Differences between First-Year and Senior Asian Students in Personal Growth Understanding yourself 1=Very much, 2=Quite a bit, 3=Some, 4=Very little Acquiring a broad general education 1=Very much, 2=Quite a bit, 3=Some, 4=Very little * * *Significant at .01 level. It was found that Senior Asian students rated themselves significantly higher than First-Year Asian students in both areas.

38. The Differences between First-Year and Senior Asian Students in Personal Growth (cont.) Acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills 4=Very much, 3=Quite a bit, 2=Some, 1=Very little Developing a personal code of values and ethics 4=Very much, 3=Quite a bit, 2=Some, 1=Very little * * *Significant at .05 level. It was found that Senior Asian students rated themselves significantly higher than First-Year Asian students in both areas.

39. Difference between First-Year and Senior Asian Students in Personal Growth (cont.) If you could start over again, would you go to the same institution you are now attending? Contributing to the welfare of your community 4=Very much, 3=Quite a bit, 2=Some, 1=Very little 4=Definitely yes, 3=Probably yes, 2=Probably no, 1=Definitely no * * *Significant at .01 level. It was found that Senior Asian students rated themselves significantly higher than First-Year Asian students.

40. Discussion on the difference in personal growth • The t-test shows that Senior Asian students report significant increases compared to First-year Asian students in the following areas: • Understanding yourself • Acquiring a broad general education • Acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills • Developing a personal code of values and ethics • Contributing to the welfare of your community • If you could start over again, would you go to the same institutionyou are now attending? • However, when we ran the same t-tests on the difference between First-year and Senior students for both Caucasians and Pacific Islanders, there was no significant increase in these areas as their sense of spirituality does not increase over the same period. • Therefore, the increase in spirituality does contribute to the increase in student life outcomes.

41. Discussion on the difference in personal growth (cont.) • Based on these correlation and t-test results, we conclude that spirituality helps students enrich their educational experience personal life experience and consequently better prepare them for life beyond university studies “ [My experience here at BYU-Hawaii], particularly in how people treat custodians has taught me how to treat my future employees, to have equality and to not look down on others.” -2006 Focus Group Member

42. Conclusions • Student at this institution generally have high spirituality and improve even more over time in terms of spirituality. • A highly spiritual environment at a institution does influence not only students who have come with high spirituality, but also students who have come with relatively low spirituality. • Spirituality in general, contributes to the development of better relationships with other people. • Although higher spirituality does not contribute to better academic outcomes, those students with higher sense of spirituality seem to have a sense of balanced work. • Higher spirituality helps students enrich their overall educational experience and personal development. • The increase in spirituality does contribute to the increase in student life outcomes. • These positive results show that spirituality in general helps students increase their learning ability, enrich their personal development, and consequently prepare them to go into the world better prepared.