This paper describes a comprehensive set of 12 new measures for studying undergraduate students' spiritual and religious development. The three measures of spirituality, four measures of "spiritually-related" qualities, and five measures of religiousness demonstrate satisfactory reliability, robustness, and both concurrent and predictive validity. It is hoped that these new measures can not only provide researchers with some new tools for tracking important aspects of student development that have so far received very little attention in the higher education literature, but also provide new insights for practitioners who are working to implement a more holistic approach to enhancing the undergraduate experience.Research on college student development has periodically examined various aspects of students' religious development, but little systemic study has been carried out so far on the broader topic of spirituality. In this paper we describe a comprehensive set of new measures of spirituality and religiousness that have been developed in connection with a national longitudinal study of students' spiritual development in American higher education.1 In presenting these measures we hope not only to provide student development researchers with some new tools, but also to stimulate greater interest among practitioners in this critical but often neglected area of student development.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
This qualitative study examines how faculty define the key elements within the
university work environment that promote their personal sense of organizational
fit. Findings show that intellectual stimulation and social-emotional support derived
from connections with institutional colleagues are important in establishing
a sense of fit. Even more important for some is the institution's capacity to provide
structural support that enables them to fulfill their professional ambitions.
Using data from a national survey of college faculty, this study examines faculty members' preferred teaching practices as one aspect of their professional behavior that may reflect the spiritual dimension of their own lives. Findings show that faculty who are highly spiritual are more likely than their less spiritual colleagues to use student-centered pedagogy. The results have implications both for enhancing understanding of pedagogical practice and addressing faculty personal and professional development issues.
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