Christian Mission Heritage SeriesOctober 28, 2008

Don ThompsonProfessor of Mathematics

Associate Vice President of Educational and Institutional Research

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”

Total applications: 7414, total enrolled: 838 (11%)

GPA 3.69 SAT Verbal 610 SAT Math 621 SAT Writing 605

Cell-Phone Text Message Poll

Motives, Discernment, and

Barriers

Seattle, WashingtonPsychology Major

Class of 2009Graduate School

Bound

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

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.

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.”

Subscales Sample Items

Discernment and Purpose(alpha = .76)

•I have a good sense for my life purpose.•I know of the many ways that I can use my gifts and talents within the context of my professional career.•I am unsure about what God is specifically calling me to do.

Service to Others(alpha = .68)

•I am motivated to choose a career that will enable me to provide some type of service to others.•I feel a deep sense of responsibility for reducing pain and suffering in the world.

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

05

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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

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Baseline

First-Year

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Faith

Religion

10

15

20

25

30

35

Baseline First-Year Sophomore Junior Senior

DiffusionForeclosureMoratoriumAchievement

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Baseline First-Year Sophomore Junior Senior

00.51

1.52

2.53

3.54

4.55

Baseline

First-Year

Sophomor

Junior

Senior

FinancialPersonalService

20212223242526

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Personal

Total Personal Barriers scores varied over time, marginally

South Bend, Indiana

Philosophy MajorClass of 2008

Law School Bound

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

Cindy Miller-Perrin: Cindy.Perrin@pepperdine.edu

Don Thompson:thompson@pepperdine.edu