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Church Attendance Boosts Student Performance

Good to know. 

Researchers found that church attendance has as much effect on a teen’s GPA as whether the parents earned a college degree. Students in grades 7 to 12 who went to church weekly also had lower dropout rates and felt more a part of their schools.

On average, students whose parents received a four-year college degree average a GPA .12 higher than those whose parents completed high school only. Students who attend religious services weekly average a GPA .144 higher than those who never attend services, said Jennifer Glanville, a sociologist at the University of Iowa.

The study does not suggest God is smiling on the students, per se. Rather, it identifies several reasons the students do better:

- They have regular contact with adults from various generations who serve as role models.
- Their parents are more likely to communicate with their friends’ parents.
- They develop friendships with peers who have similar norms and values.
- They’re more likely to participate in extracurricular activities.

Those factors account for only half the predicted effect, Glanville and colleagues say.

 

Posted by Owen at 1930 hrs
Culture + Off-Duty

1. ‘scuse me while I shout “Amen”!

   Posted by GAMazy on August 19, 2008 at 2015 hrs
   
   
   

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