A Longitudinal Study of Moral, Religious, and Identity Development in a Christian Liberal Arts Environment

Foster, James D.; Laforce, Beth

doi:10.1177/009164719902700105

Cited by 28 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Across these studies, students' use of conventional level reasoning decreased during college, and their use of postconventional moral reasoning increased (Burwell, Butman, and Van Wicklin, 1992;Foster and LaForce, 1999;King and Kitchener, 1994;King, Kitchener, and Wood, 1985;Mentkowski and Strait, 1983;Rest, 1979b;Shaver, 1985Shaver, , 1987Whiteley, 1982), offering evidence that collegiate experiences promote the development of moral reasoning among undergraduate students. The first of these are longitudinal studies, which are essential for the validation of any developmental model.…”

Section: Effects Of Participation In Higher Education On Moral Reasoningmentioning

confidence: 96%

Theory and Research on the Development of Moral Reasoning Among College Students

King

Mayhew

Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research

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Section: Effects Of Participation In Higher Education On Moral Reasoningmentioning

confidence: 96%

Theory and Research on the Development of Moral Reasoning Among College Students

King

Mayhew

Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research

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“…For instance, relating empathetically with others or learning to help others in need may stimulate values of respecting all individuals despite their diverse backgrounds and characteristics. Foster and LaForce (1999) found that students who persisted in Christian higher education colleges across 4 years grew significantly in their moral reasoning, their personal identity changed from a diffuse to more committed style, compared to students who did not continue at their faith-based schools. This study suggested that faith-based higher education institutions might transmit values and enable students to achieve ethical and moral development that reflects the institution's mission statement.…”

Section: The Current Project: Assessing Institutional Mission and Valuesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Exploring the relationship between students’ values and the values of postsecondary institutions

2005

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Little is known of how institutional and individual value systems are related among university undergraduates. With three different measures and samples of college students, perceptions of university mission and values (i.e., institutional values, creating pro-social climates, and developing a life-long commitment to values) loaded independently of their personal values systems, and often negatively with social desirability. Perceptions of institutional values were generally independent of personal value systems, using either a rank-order (Sample 1, n = 199) or rating scale method (Sample 2, n = 107), or by focusing on moral behavior structures (Sample 3, n = 208). Together, these results indicate that higher education assessment may reflect institutional values that are independent of student personal value systems.

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“…In a longitudinal study conducted by Foster and LaForce (1999), students were able to most benefit from the Christian college experience when they actively engaged in attempting to form their identity. Lee (2002) also noted that students who were able to use self as agent in their college experience were most successful in forming identity.…”

Section: Active Searchingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Faith Development in Graduating Christian College Seniors

Powell

Tisdale

Willingham

et al. 2012

Christian Higher Education

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This qualitative study involved conducting semistructured interviews with 12 students attending a Christian liberal arts college. The study sought to identify how students' Christian faith changes over the course of time they are attending college. The factors identified as potentially influencing changes in faith within students attending a Christian liberal arts college include: relationships with mentors and peers, gender differences, and active searching by the student. Results of this study found several areas that influenced the participants' development of faith while attending college. Three main themes were found to be the most salient aspects of the participants' development of faith: (a) discovering self and an authentic connection with self, (b) discovering others and an authentic connection with others, and (c) discovering God and an authentic connection with God. Several applications of the results of this research are discussed, including implications for churches as well as universities.College is a time when students are able to experience a variety of new people, ideas, and beliefs. The experience of college affects the person as a whole. Classroom learning, dormitory life, outside activities, and interactions with peers all add to the experience. Education includes not only academic subjects but emotional, spiritual, and cognitive growth as well. There is a transformation occurring in all areas of development for the young adult. Spiritual development and faith identity are two areas of development occurring at this time.While searching for their identity, college students also often search out a system of faith. The college environment provides an optimal environment for the exploration of beliefs related to faith for young adults (Parks, 2000). The college student is trying to reconcile both the social forces that were all-consuming during adolescence, and a new sense of self that brings responsibility and knowledge. During this struggle, the emergence of faith is caught between these two worlds as well. Students strive toward making faith personal while still understanding its relational qualities.For college students who are examining faith at this stage, ownership of their beliefs becomes a central aspect of development. This time of life has begun to be referred to as emerging adulthood. The emerging adult will take new information found in classrooms, along with new experiences outside the classroom, into the process of developing a faith structure. In emerging adulthood, the young adult forms a differentiated faith, one that includes a reciprocal relationship with God

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A Longitudinal Study of Moral, Religious, and Identity Development in a Christian Liberal Arts Environment

Cited by 28 publications

References 17 publications

Theory and Research on the Development of Moral Reasoning Among College Students

Theory and Research on the Development of Moral Reasoning Among College Students

Exploring the relationship between students’ values and the values of postsecondary institutions

Faith Development in Graduating Christian College Seniors

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