PERSPECTIVE OF SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PHINMA FIRST YEAR

STUDENTS TOWARDS THEIR SPIRITUAL BELIEF

A RESEARCH PRESENTED TO THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PHINMA

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

COURSE GEN 002- UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

[ 1:30 – 3:00 / GEC 1-3B]

RESEARCHERS:

ALJUN VILLACARLOS

SHERIMAE SANOY

KOVIN EINSTEIN CIERVO

MARIELLE CABRILLOS

MARTHY VILLAREAL

GILBERT NIYONSHUTI

CHLOE TUÑACAO

CHRISTINE JANE NENE

JOHN LESTER MOLINA

ROVEN NORTE

INSTRUCTOR:

ELEONOR R. VALENCIA
RATIONALE

Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives. In general, it includes a

sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a

search for meaning in life. As such, it is a universal human experience—something that

touches us all. People may describe a spiritual experience as sacred or transcendent or

simply a deep sense of aliveness and interconnectedness.The practitioner's ability to

conceptualize spirituality as a construct that transcends religious or philosophical

ideologies is discussed, as they may lead to an increased acknowledgment of the

client's guiding spiritual beliefs and values, which would have therapeutic benefit. Some

may find that their spiritual life is intricately linked to their association with a church,

temple, mosque, or synagogue. Others may pray or find comfort in a personal

relationship with God or a higher power. Still others seek meaning through their

connections to nature or art. Like your sense of purpose, your personal definition of

spirituality may change throughout your life, adapting to your own experiences and

relationships.While spirituality may incorporate elements of religion, it is generally a

broader concept. Religion and spirituality are not the same thing, nor are they entirely

distinct from one another. Spirituality is about seeking a meaningful connection with

something bigger than yourself, which can result in positive emotions, such as peace,

awe, contentment, gratitude, and acceptance.Being a spiritual person is synonymous

with being a person whose highest priority is to be loving to yourself and others. A

spiritual person cares about people, animals and the planet. A spiritual person knows

that we are all One, and consciously attempts to honor this Oneness. A spiritual person

is a kind person. A relationship with God, a higher power or other mystical beings, is
reported to be a source of strength for people. It creates a belief in individuals that they

would be able to cope with any adversity in life. A study of what are the perspectives of

randomly selected students about their spiritual beliefs is conducted at Southwestern

University PHINMA is a private and an open educational community committed to the

pursuit of world class academic exellence and the upliftment of the quality of life of

those we touch. Knowing that Southwestern University PHINMA , it caters students with

different religion with different spiritual beliefs . The researchers wanted to know what

are the perspectives of students in their own belief or religion . In this study, researchers

would want to know what are the perspectives of first year students in their belief . How

they view their religion and how they act based on their belief .
THEORETICAL – CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The spirituality model proposed in this study is developed within a framework of

cognitive-behaviorism theory. This theoretical framework is a synthesis and elaboration

upon the behavioral/cognitive approach to spirituality (Brown, Peterson, & Cunningham,

1988). This approach fits well with a cognitive-behavioral orientation in which human

behavior is predicated on a cognitive interpretation and evaluation of a stimulus. This

framework explains spirituality as a function of beliefs, values, behaviors, and

experiences. It is a circular relationship in which beliefs give rise to values, which inform

our behaviors, resulting in an experiential impact upon the spiritual belief system. There

is no beginning or end to this circle, at different times any of the phases may be the

catalyst toward a change in the belief system. Beliefs are the core component of

spirituality framework. Spiritual beliefs are driven by a humanistic innate need for

seeking meaning and purpose (Frankl, 1967; Maslow, 1968). In a qualitative study,

Canda (1988a) examined the spirituality of “helpers” across major religious orientations.

An area of agreement was in the belief that there is an innate need for humans to

search for meaning and purpose in their lives. A spiritual person has been on a quest

for meaning and purpose, and emerges with confidence that life is deeply meaningful

and that his or her own existence has purpose (Elkins, Hedstrom, Hughes, Leaf, &

Saunders, 1988). While behaviors may be more easily measured than beliefs it would

be difficult to quantify a differential spirituality ‘score’ for various acts (e.g., prayer verses

altruistic behavior). Another obstacle towards measuring the spirituality of a behavior is

that within a cognitive/behavioral framework the spirituality of an act is grounded in

reference to the individual’s own belief system. As such, preparing tea may be very
spiritual to a person within a Zen tradition and inconsequential to others. For the above

reasons the belief system has been chosen as a logical point of departure for the

conceptualization of spirituality. A complete theory of spirituality would include a

conceptualization of the other components of the spirituality framework (i.e., spiritual

values, behaviors, and experiences). The author proposes that first the spiritual belief

component should be conceptualized and validated, then the other components of the

framework can be constructed upon this foundation.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to determine the perspectives of Southwestern University PHINMA

students on their spiritual belief.

Research Objectives:

1. To know the perspectives of the students towards their spiritual belief

2. To deepen of one's understanding in terms of spirituality.

3. To discover the role of our spiritual beliefs on our day to day living.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The following stakeholders will benefit from this study:

Students - The students will be able to deepen their faith and their spiritual belief.

People - This study will serve as an eye opener to see and to focus on what truly

matters.

Researcher - This study will help the researcher for a better understanding towards

spiritual beliefs.

Future Researchers - This can be eye of interest for the future researchers to delve and

discover more about the study.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Review of Related Literature This study seeks to determine the various factors that

affect the spirituality beliefs of the 1st year college students of SouthWestern University

PHINMA of the Academic Year 2019-2020.

Religiosity is traditionally considered with respect to specific religious traditions while

spirituality is understood in either way: as a function of religious lifestyle irrespective of

one’s religious affiliation or as a purely interior mindset. In recent sociological studies,

religiosity is measured in terms of religious affiliation, behavior and commitment (Voas

2007). MacDonald . (2015) sees how spirituality can be treated distinctly from religiosity,

as a multidimensional concept, as a psychological issue, and as a “universal domain of

functioning” beyond its traditional associations with age and gender.

The study suggests the students or the respondents are reappropriating their religious

and spiritual search by moving away from organized religion or what they perceive

organized religion to be. The study states that students are shifting the ways in which

they think about religion and preserve their freedom to find their own way. In analyzing

the findings of the study ,one may conclude that students at one end of the college-age

developmental spectrum have an understanding of religion as practices, rules, and

formal requirements. Yet, they sense that this is not an adequate concept of f being

religious, and, therefore, desire to move away from organized religion. This may be part

of the reason why these students say they are not religious. Due to their perception of

what it means to be religious rather than associate themselves with organized religion,

many of the students in the study are probing their own authenticity and sincerity.