Christian Mission Heritage SeriesSeptember 15, 2009
Don ThompsonProfessor of Great Books & Mathematics
Cindy Miller-PerrinProfessor of Psychology
Chair of Social Science Division
Student Development Survey Goal: To understand how students define vocation and
develop their own personal sense of vocation
2002 – 2006 Surveyed 300 students Surveyed at 5 different time periods
Baseline – summer before beginning at Pepperdine Each spring throughout undergraduate career
Cell-Phone Text Message Poll
What is Vocation?
The secular definition views vocation as work or career
Vocation is God’s calling for one’s life – the reason God made you
Vocation is the intersection of faith development and identity development
Vocation is “the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”
College years are “critical years” in vocational development
College students consider issues associated with personal identity, faith beliefs, and career options
Faith, identity, and vocational development are not uniform across the college years
Total applications: 6407, total enrolled: 815 (13%)
GPA 3.66 SAT Verbal 604 SAT Math 623 SAT Writing 610
Business
Communication
Fine Arts
Humanities
International Studies & Languages
Natural Science
Social Science
Undeclared
Students receive scores on four identity scales:◦ Diffusion: no exploration or commitment
“I haven’t really considered politics. It just doesn’t excite me much.”◦ 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.”
◦ Moratorium: exploration without commitment “Religion is confusing to me right now. I keep changing my views on what is
right and wrong for me.”◦ Achievement: exploration and commitment
“It took me a while to figure it out, but now I really know what I want for a career.”
10
15
20
25
30
35
Baseline First-Year Sophomore Junior Senior
Diffusion
Foreclosure
Moratorium
Achievement
Universal City, TXInternational Studies
- Political StudiesClass of 2010
Fulbright Scholarship
to Bangladesh or Peace Corps or
Graduate School at Columbia U.
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Baseline
First-Year
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Faith
Religion
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.
05
1015202530354045
Bas
elin
e
Fir
st Y
ear
So
ph
om
ore
Jun
ior
Sen
ior
Belief Strength
Behavior
Application
Strength of Belief varied significantly over time
Faith Behavior varied significantly over time
Application of Faith did not vary significantly over time
00.51
1.52
2.53
3.54
4.55
Baseline
First-Year
Sophomor
Junior
Senior
Financial
Personal
Service
Subscales Barriers to life purpose fulfillment
Personal Barriers(alpha = .84)
•Fear•Emotional Problems•Self-doubt•Lack of motivation
Interpersonal Barriers(alpha = .86)
•A parent•A friend•A boy/girl friend•A teacher or professor
Social and Cultural Barriers(alpha = .90)
•Lack of financial resources•Feeling pressure or a desire to get married•Feeling that my opportunities are limited by the gender stereotypes of society
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Bas
elin
e
Fir
st Y
ear
So
ph
om
ore
Jun
ior
Sen
ior
Personal
Total Personal Barriers scores varied over time, marginally
Seattle, WashingtonPsychology Major
Class of 2009
Clinical Ph.D. student - Fuller Theological Seminary Student
College students experience significant developmental variation over time◦ Strength of faith belief◦ Faith behavior◦ Identity development
Foreclosure, Moratorium, Achievement
◦ Personal Barriers
Faith matters – Stay spiritually nourished, seek wisdom
Know Thyself – look for ways to challenge your assumptions
Barriers are real – live through and with them Sophomore year - expect a watershed Purpose - bigger and broader than your career