| Abstract |
- Objectives of the Study
The study attempted to accomplish the following:
1. Document the fundamental or conservative nature of
early American higher education, especially the nine
colonial colleges, and verify its seemingly irrepressible
progression toward liberalism.
2. Determine the nature of variables associated with the
process of liberalization.
3. Isolate one variable, i. e. student values, and note its
relationship to campus atmosphere and its potential in
the liberalization process.
4. Complete a statistical study of student values designed to
determine whether or not liberal arts programs have
students with significantly different values than those of
religious studies programs.
Research Procedures
A values instrument,the Value Micro-Analysis Inventory,was
designed specifically for use in the Bible institute, the Bible college
and the Christian liberal arts college. The Inventory was developed,
modified, field tested and validated by the researcher.
Copies of the values inventory were mailed to participating
institutions and tables of random numbers were used in random
sampling of the student populations. A total of 599 usable copies,
or 43.6 percent of those distributed, were returned from all institutions
and 13.0 percent of the total population of all institutions was
represented by usable copies returned. Of the total returned, 1Z
percent or 8Z were not usable copies.
The first analysis was designed to determine whether or not
there was a difference, at the .05 percent level of significance,
between the mean value scores of religious studies students and
liberal arts students in the Bible college as measured by the VM -AI.
A composite of data from three Bible colleges was used in Analysis I.
The second analysis was designed to determine whether or
not there was a difference, at the .05 percent level of significance, in the mean value scores of five student categories represented by
students with majors or minors in, a) Bible institute, religious
studies, b) Bible college, religious studies, c) Bible college,
liberal arts, d) Christian liberal arts college, religious studies and
e) Christian liberal arts college, liberal arts as measured by the
VM-AI. One Bible institute, three Bible colleges and one Christian
liberal arts college were included in the study. The data were
processed at the Oregon State University Computer Center.
Conclusions
The F statistic, using the one-way analysis of variance,
indicated there was no difference, at the . 05 level of significance,
between the mean value scores of students in both Analysis I and
Analysis II of the statistical study.
The study tends to indicate that the addition. of liberal arts
programs does not involve students with values differing significantly
from those of students in religious studies programs and that institutions
with more comprehensive liberal arts programs do not attract
a student body with significantly different values than schools with
little or no liberal arts. Caution must be exercised in generalizing
beyond the five institutions participating in the study because of a
number of variables affecting student values and campus atmosphere.
Variables affecting generalization are those of faculty composition,
subscription to, and practice of, a Christian philosophy of education,
entrance requirements for students, administrative procedures and
a required core of at least 45 credits of Bible and theology. It is
important that subjective as well as objective criteria and valuations
be utilized in curriculum determinations related to, or requiring,
the measurement and understanding of student values and campus
atmosphere including vital Christian fellowship, spiritual atmosphere
and student dedication to non-materialistic enterprise.
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