3 Questions to Discover Students’ Biblical Worldview
January 10, 2023
Katherine Schultz
Teachers in Christian education settings who want their students to develop a mature biblical worldview can struggle with knowing how well they are succeeding. It’s easy to ask questions about a student’s knowledge, but a worldview is 3-dimensional, and we want to understand all the aspects of our students’ worldview: beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes. So what might be a way to discover students’ worldview in each of those dimensions?
A question to discover students’ worldview beliefs
It’s not difficult to ask students what they know, understand, and believe. Worldview includes all of those things, and it’s important for teachers to know what their students know. Questions about knowledge are common in school assessments, and can cover every aspect of worldview, from biology and history to philosophy and doctrine.
Here’s an example of a question to discover worldview beliefs:
On a 5-point Scale, how strongly do you Agree (5) or Disagree(5)?
I can know what is morally right and wrong for other people.
A secular worldview would promote individual, personal standards of right and wrong, and would result in a belief that people can only know what is right and wrong for themselves, but not for others.
Students with a mature biblical worldview will understand that the Bible has a universal standard for what is right and wrong for everyone, whether or not that person believes the Bible is true.
A question to discover students’ worldview behaviors
Asking students about their behaviors can also help you discover their worldview. Because beliefs and behaviors influence each other, what a person does is also part of their worldview. There are all sorts of behaviors–specifically religious or every day actions–that are a part of our worldview. And many behaviors can simply be observed, while others happen in private. Here’s a question to ask your students to discover worldview behavior:
On a 5-point Scale, how Frequently (5) or Rarely (1) is this you?
Repentance is a part of my private prayers to God.
A secular worldview will claim independence from God. But even believers can fall into presuming on God (Romans 2:3-4), and taking his forgiveness for granted.
Students with a mature biblical worldview understand that their relationship with God began in the past, and continues in the present and into the future. But while we live on this earth, our fallen, sinful selves get in the way of that relationship. And because we love God, we acknowledge it to him when we fall short. Of course, we hope to become mature disciples and have less need of repentance as we submit to the Holy Spirit working in us, but we also know our status is as his children, sometimes naughty, and we want to make that right with him by repentance.
A question to discover students’ worldview attitudes
Of course, there is no way to discover people’s attitudes just by looking at them from the outside. But we can do a few things: we can observe their behaviors, listen to what they say, and draw likely conclusions when we see patterns. And we can also ask them outright about their attitudes to help us understand their worldview.
Here’s another question you can use to discover worldview attitude:
On a 5-point Scale Frequently (5) or Rarely (1) is this you?
I look forward to moving away from home so I can take a break from going to church.
A secular or overly independent worldview seeks to escape from time with God’s family. People who regularly miss church tend to remain immature in their faith, and have no reliable checks on how their worldview aligns with the Bible. They are missing out on opportunities to learn, grow, serve, share, and interact with others who want to follow Jesus Christ in every aspect of their lives.
Students with a mature biblical worldview will want to spend time with God’s people. They will desire to gather with other believers regularly for corporate worship, study of the Word, fellowship, and service. They love being with other believers, and want to do it regularly, even when they are feeling hurt, or sad, or lonely. They know that the hurt they receive even from other Christians doesn’t represent the way God wants his Church, his Body, to be. And they return to be part of it, working to bring about restored relationships, and a loving community that is appealing to outsiders, whether they are believers or not.
What do I do now?
These questions are a sample of what’s on the 3-Dimensional Worldview Survey (3DWS). If you want more questions to try with your students, grab the pdf “10 Questions to Discover Your Worldview” linked below.
