Religious Beliefs, Attachment, and Commitment

Research indicates that religion has played a vital role in the founding of the American nation as well as the American education system. However, over the years, religion has been taken from the educational realm and is no longer considered an important variable in impacting educational outcomes. This study examined the National Study of Youth & Religion dataset to further explore what was the most important component of religiosity (religious cognitive beliefs, emotional attachment, or behavioral commitment) in impacting academic and behavioral success. This study is important for education and has many implications for schools because prayer, scripture reading, and moral absolutes have been taken out of education. Children are being kept from knowing, developing a relationship with, and following God, which this study supports has the potential to impact self-regulation and, ultimately, educational outcomes.