Reconceptualizing college students' spirituality: alternative framings and methodological approaches

As people in higher education have increasingly discussed the importance of education for whole person, spirituality has been explored more often in higher education research. Because there is no single shared definition of spirituality, scholars have strived to provide comprehensive descriptions of how they conceptualize spirituality in their work, all of which consist of universal elements that embrace holistic student development. Despite efforts to differentiate spirituality from religiosity, many in higher education continue to link these terms, which then leads to an avoidance of discussing spirituality at the college level. For this reason, the current study explored how college students and scholars agree or diverge in their unique perceptions of spirituality. The study also identified an alternative method for thinking about and measuring the core elements of spirituality without actually using the controversial term “spirituality.” Finally, this study examined experiences that predict changes in students’ spirituality during their four years of college.