THE EFFECT OF MODALITY ON SPIRITUALITY OUTCOMES IN THEOLOGICAL HIGHER EDUCATION

The purpose of this research study was to examine differences in perceptions of spirituality outcomes between online and in-person students taking theology courses at a Christian liberal arts college in the Midwestern United States. Using a validated instrument, the Religious Education Survey (RES), 71 students were surveyed. A one sample t test was used to evaluate the statistical significance of mean perceptions of spirituality between the online and in-person students. The difference in mean score perceptions of spirituality between online and in-person students was not statistically significant, and the null hypothesis was retained. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to evaluate the effect of covariates in the comparison of mean perceptions of spirituality by participant instructional modality. The effect of participant instructional modality upon perceptions of spirituality while controlling for the identified covariates (age, course, school term, and ethnicity) was not statistically significant, and the null hypothesis was retained.