Faith Integration and Learning in Classrooms

Abstract

The present study explored the effectiveness of faith integration in university classrooms by measuring the changes in students’ level of understanding of faith integration and academic learning over a 13-week semester. Researchers surveyed undergraduate students (N=156) at a Christian university. Students reported their degree of faith integration by taking the Psychology and Faith Integration (Psy-FI) Scale (Collison et al., 2019), which was administered at the beginning of the semester (pre-test) and end of the semester (post-test). The current grade level, current course taken, past psychology courses taken, assigned instructor, and level of spirituality (self and instructor) were included as contributing factors. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the Psy-FI pre-test score (measured at the beginning of the semester, β = -.20) and self-spirituality (β = 2.3) were associated with changes in faith integration, even after accounting for control variables. The study results show that the effectiveness of faith integration in classrooms varies depending on students’ spirituality and their initial level of faith integration at the beginning of the semester. Greater increases in faith integration were observed among students who reported a lower degree of faith integration at the beginning of the semester.  Students who reported higher self-spirituality had a statistically significant positive association with changes in faith integration. In summary, the study found that faith integration in classrooms may not benefit all students to the degree to which they engage in faith integration in their course work.