Faith Commitments and Spiritual Influences As Correlates of Adolescents' Involvement in Service in the Valuegenesis Study
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Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2014 Faith Commitments and Spiritual Influences as Correlates of Adolescents' Involvement in Service in the Valuegenesis Study Andrea Cristina Nagy Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Nagy, Andrea Cristina, "Faith Commitments and Spiritual Influences as Correlates of Adolescents' Involvement in Service in the Valuegenesis Study" (2014). Dissertations. 594. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/594 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT FAITH COMMITMENTS AND SPIRITUAL INFLUENCES AS CORRELATES OF ADOLESCENTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN SERVICE IN THE VALUEGENESIS STUDY by Andrea Cristina Nagy Chair: Raymond J. Ostrander ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University School of Education Title: FAITH COMMITMENTS AND SPIRITUAL INFLUENCES AS CORRELATES OF ADOLESCENTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN SERVICE IN THE VALUEGENESIS STUDY Name of researcher: Andrea Cristina Nagy Name and degree of faculty chair: Raymond J. Ostrander, Ph.D. Date completed: November 2014 Problem There are very few studies that address the relationship between adolescents’ commitment to religious values and beliefs and their involvement in service as well as the impact of home, school, and church influences on the service involvement of teenage students attending Seventh-day Adventist schools based on findings from the Valuegenesis study. While some of the research studies on Valuegenesis are too specific to another topic, other studies are too broad in focus. Therefore this study focuses specifically on teenagers’ involvement in service in relation to the spiritual influences they receive from parents and spiritual leaders. Purpose The first goal of this research was to examine the changes that took place over the three administrations of the Valuegenesis survey, in terms of students’ involvement in service. Secondly this study sought to determine the relationship between adolescents’ commitment to religious values and Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, and their involvement in service to others. The third goal of this research was to explore the relationship between home, church, and school variables, and the participation in acts of service of students attending Seventh-day Adventist schools. Methodology The present research study uses quantitative research methods and is a secondary analysis. Correlations studies were done using the Valuegenesis data obtained by permission from the Hancock Research Institute. The population sample included students in Grades 6 through 12 from Seventh-day Adventist schools across North America. Results Findings from one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) provided empirical evidence to the changes in adolescents’ service involvement patterns over the three administrations of the Valuegenesis study (1990–1991, 2000–2001, and 2010–2011). ANOVA test results for the Horizontal Faith scale indicated a decrease in adolescents’ service involvement patterns from Valuegenesis1 to Valuegenesis2 and Valuegenesis3. Although results for the Evangelism scale were slightly higher in Valuegenesis1 than in Valuegenesis2 and Valuegenesis3, the mean scores in all three studies indicated the same frequency of students’ involvement in mission-oriented service. Likewise, though a slight increase was shown for the Altruism scale from Valuegenesis1 to Valuegenesis2, the mean scores indicated the same frequency of voluntary service involvement among adolescents participating in the studies. Canonical correlation employed to test the second hypothesis revealed significant relationship between adolescents’ commitment to religious values and their involvement in service. Results indicated that the greater adolescents’ commitment to religious values and Seventh-day Adventist beliefs the greater their involvement in service. Canonical correlational analysis, employed to test the third hypothesis, identified significant relationship between home, church, and school variables, and the service involvement of adolescents attending Seventh-day Adventist schools. Thus findings from the canonical correlation revealed that the greater the spiritual influences at home, at church, and at the Seventh-day Adventist school the greater adolescents’ involvement in service. Conclusions Consistent with results from this study, there are some changes in the service involvement attitudes of teenagers from the first to the second and third administrations of the Valuegenesis study. Meanwhile this research indicated that adolescents’ commitment to religious values and beliefs is significantly related to their involvement in serving others. The current study also revealed a close connection between the influences of the home, the denominational school, and the church, and adolescent students’ voluntary participation in service to others. Andrews University School of Education FAITH COMMITMENTS AND SPIRITUAL INFLUENCES AS CORRELATES OF ADOLESCENTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN SERVICE IN THE VALUEGENESIS STUDY A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Andrea Cristina Nagy November 2014 ©Copyright by Andrea C. Nagy 2014 All Rights Reserved FAITH COMMITMENTS AND SPIRITUAL INFLUENCES AS CORRELATES OF ADOLESCENTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN SERVICE IN THE VALUEGENESIS STUDY A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy by Andrea Cristina Nagy APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: ____________________________ ______________________________ Chair: Raymond J. Ostrander Dean, School of Education James R. Jeffery ____________________________ Member: Jimmy Kijai ____________________________ Member: John Matthews ____________________________ ______________________________ External: Melchizedek M. Ponniah Date approved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................... viii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................1 Background ..............................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................5 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................5 Significance of the Study .........................................................................................6 Research Questions ..................................................................................................6 Research Hypotheses ...............................................................................................7 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................7 Limitations .............................................................................................................10 Delimitations ..........................................................................................................12 Definition of Terms................................................................................................12 Methodology ..........................................................................................................15 Summary ................................................................................................................16 2. REVIEW OF RELATED RESEARCH LITERATURE .........................................17 Introduction ............................................................................................................17 Implications of Adolescent Development to Kolb’s Learning Cycle ....................18 Biological Development and Learning Theories .......................................19 Cognitive Development and Learning Theories ........................................23 Psycho-social Development and Learning Theories..................................27 Spiritual Development and Learning Theories ..........................................34 Conceptual Understandings of Spirituality, Religiousness, and Faith ...................43 Implications of Postmodern Thinking to Adolescents’ Spiritual Lives .................48 Overview of Terms Associated With the Concept of Service ...............................52 Current Perspectives on Adolescents’ Service Involvement .................................56 iii Adolescents’ Faith-Based Involvement in Service ................................................60