Date of Award
Spring 5-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Division of Education and Counseling
First Advisor
Bethel Cager
Second Advisor
Timothy Glaude
Third Advisor
Walter Breaux, III
Keywords
campus ministry, self-efficacy, spirituality, phenomenological, academic, achievement, success
Abstract
Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which emphasizes the importance of self-efficacy in motivation and achievement (Bandura, 1994), provided a lens through which to analyze the influence of Historically Black Colleges and University’s (HBCUs) campus ministry on the development of spiritual self-efficacy and academic achievement among Black males. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have a long history of providing higher education opportunities to Black students, and they have been instrumental in fostering academic, personal, and social growth (Smith & Allen, 2014). However, little is known about the specific impact of campus ministry programs on the development of Black males’ spiritual self-efficacy and academic success at HBCUs. In response to this gap in knowledge, this phenomenological study explored the role of Historical Black Colleges and University’s (HBCU) campus ministry in the development of spiritual self-efficacy and academic achievement among its Black male students. Comprehensive data on the experiences of Black males engaged in HBCU campus ministry programs were collected using surveys and semi-structured interviews. The study participants were 14 Black male students enrolled at Brotherhood University, a historically Black college or university located in the Southeast United States. These participants, aged 19 to 26 years, were actively involved in the campus ministry and ranged from sophomores to seniors in their academic standing. Previous studies concluded that campus ministry programs create supportive environments that foster self-belief, resilience, and a sense of purpose through a combination of mentorship, spiritual guidance, community engagement, and personal development opportunities (Palmer et al., 2011). Similarly, this study’s findings suggested that campus ministry at HBCUs played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of community and belonging and significantly enhanced the spiritual self-efficacy and academic performance of vii Black male students. By offering targeted mentorship, spiritual guidance, and opportunities for personal development and community engagement, these programs were instrumental in supporting students’ journeys toward academic success and personal growth, illustrating the critical intersection of spirituality and education at HBCUs. Based on this study’s findings, future research should include longitudinal studies that explore the long-term effects of campus ministry engagement, comparative analyses across different types of higher education institutions, and intersectional examinations of factors like gender, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation with spirituality and campus ministry engagement among Black male students.
Recommended Citation
Stevens, Mitchell, "Campus Ministry and Spiritual Self-Efficacy: A Phenomenological Study of Academic Achievement among Black Male Students at an Historically Black College and University" (2024). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation. 172.
https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/etd/172