Date of Award
2005
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a series of collegiate experience factors on the civic engagement of seniors in faith-based colleges and universities. The independent variables for this study included freshman level of civic engagement, academic major, participation in leadership, faculty interaction, service participation, diversity experiences, and spirituality and religious activity. The definition of civic engagement guiding this study implies morally motivated and informed, active, committed, and skillful participation in the processes necessary for the sustenance and promotion of social and civic welfare. The experiences examined in thisDissertation are understood in light of Astin's involvement theory which asserts that the manner in which a college student invests his or her time and energy will determine what is gained in college. The sample consisted of 2,626 students from 46 CCCU institutions who had completed both the Cooperative Institutional Research Project Freshman Survey upon college entry in 1998 and the College Student Survey prior to graduation in 2002. The dependent and independent variables were represented by either individual items or factor composites from the CIRP and CSS. The primary analysis employed multiple regression to assess the impact of the independent involvement variables on the dependent variable. All variables were found to be statistically significant predictors of senior civic engagement. It was concluded that the experiences that foster civic engagement among students within faith-based institutions are similar to those that impact students in other collegiate environments. Additionally it was concluded that our understanding of the factors that explain civic engagement remain limited and that some of the experiences upon which we place great emphasis may have smaller impact than has been assumed. However, service participation and interaction with faculty are experiences that exert a strong influence on student civic engagement, a finding in alignment with previous literature.
Recommended Citation
Herrmann, Timothy W., "Student Involvement Effects On Civic Engagement In The Faith -Based College Setting: An Empirical Study" (2005). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1064.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/1064