UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES - GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND INFORMATION STUDIES

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Spirituality in Higher Education:  A National Study of College Students’ Search for Meaning and Purpose

Alexander W. Astin and Helen S. Astin, Co-Principal Investigators; Jennifer A. Lindholm, Project Director

What is the level and intensity of spiritual experiences among today’s college students? How are spiritual searching and behavior changing on campus? And what does this mean for higher education institutions and students? Funded by the John Templeton Foundation, this major new program of research tracks the spiritual growth of students during their college years. The study employs a multi-institutional and longitudinal design to identify trends, patterns, and principles of spirituality and religiousness among college students. Eleven broad areas are covered: spiritual outlook/orientation/worldview; spiritual well being; religious/spiritual practices and behaviors; self-assessments of spirituality and related qualities; spiritual quest; spiritual/mystical experiences; attitudes toward religion/spirituality; religious affiliation/identity; theological/metaphysical beliefs; facilitators and inhibitors of spiritual behavior; and compassionate behavior. The study is designed to ensure that all students—regardless of their particular theological perspective or belief system—will be able to respond in a meaningful way.

A pilot survey was administered in Spring 2003 to approximately 12,000 undergraduate students attending a representative sample of 47 baccalaureate-granting colleges and universities who participated in the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman Survey three years earlier. This longitudinal data will provide information on how the college experience impacts students’ spiritual life and development. A revised questionnaire will be administered in Fall 2004 to approximately 90,000 students comprising the entering freshmen classes at a representative sample of 150 baccalaureate-granting colleges and universities. Data from the survey will be widely disseminated in Spring 2005. The long-range design of the project anticipates additional longitudinal follow-ups and new freshman surveys to be conducted every three years to track students’ spiritual growth and assess changes and trends. The study also includes a qualitative component designed to assess the spiritual life of college students in more depth by conducting individual and focus group interviews. 

For more details about this project, please click here.

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