(71)EXPLORING AMISH CULTURE: THE IMPACT OF A FIRST SEMINARPROGRAM FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

摘要

This study addresses the questions, “What is the impact of a First Seminar Program (FSP)on Amish culture for college students? How much content did the students learn in theirFSP? A great deal of research has been done by those who have studied the effects of FirstSeminar Programs, for example, to determine students’ rate of retention; their writing skills,study skills, and social skills; their knowledge of campus organizations and events; and theirsuccess at making new friends. There is, however, a paucity of research to determine whatstudents actually learn in terms of the content in their FSP. In September 2009, students atThe College of New Jersey (TCNJ) completed a fourteen (14) week First Seminar Programstudying Amish culture. Students were assigned topics on Amish culture to present to theclass in PowerPoint presentations; they read books of fiction and nonfiction pertaining toAmish culture; they wrote skits, plays, and short stories depicting Amish culture; and theclass visited an Old Order Amish farm where everyone was treated to a traditional Amishmeal and was given a tour of an Amish farm, an Amish cemetery, and an Amish school.Students were administered a 40-item pre-survey before the class began and the samesurvey was given at the end of the semester. When the two surveys were analyzed, it wasevident that the students benefited greatly from the 14-week course: stereotypes and mythsabout the Amish were mitigated; students showed retention of the course content and agreater understanding and appreciation of Amish culture and their own culture; and mostexpressed the opinion that the Amish are an important part of the cultural fabric of LancasterCounty, Pennsylvania.