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1
Laffan, Carmel Therese, i res cand@acu edu au. "An Ethnographic Study of a Victorian Catholic Secondary School". Australian Catholic University. School of Religious Education, 2004. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp46.29082005.
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This thesis constitutes a study of a Catholic secondary school in the State of Victoria, Australia, in the year 2001. It addresses the issue of the nature and purpose of Catholic schools in situ, the focus of the research being an in-depth analytical description of the participant school. Consequently, the findings are of potential relevance to those interested in the issue of the nature and purpose of the Catholic school in situ from a general and holistic perspective. Specifically, given the concern of the research with the nature and purpose of a Catholic school in situ, two anticipated areas of focus for the study were identified. These were the defining features of the school, in relation to the concern of the study with the nature of the school, and the ends of the school, in relation to the concern of the study with the purpose of the school. The study was thus governed by 2 two-part general research questions. 1. What are the defining features of the school, and how are they maintained? 2. To what ends is the school oriented, and how is this orientation sustained? In the form of an ethnographic study, the research describes and interprets the participant school from the perspective of those who constitute the day-to-day community. The findings of the study are located within a contextual understanding involving historical and prescriptive perspectives for, and literature pertaining to, the contemporary Catholic school. Given the concern of the ethnography with the development, as opposed to the verification, of theory, data gathered from five major sources over the period of a school Section headings for the Introduction through to the References have necessarily been deleted for electronic presentation. Likewise, page numbers have necessarily been deleted for electronic presentation. year were focused and analysed, through the method of grounded theory, to arrive at the findings of the study. These five sources were participant-observation, in-depth interviews conducted with a number of the school personnel, observation of various school meetings, school documents, and a survey of the student body. The findings of the study, in their descriptive and analytical dimensions, are presented in four chapters. Specifically, these are presented in Chapters Five through to Eight, in relation to four main organising principles pertaining (a) to the description of the school, (b) to predominant perspectives on the school from within its day-to-day community, (c) to the prevailing characteristics upon which the perspectives of the day-today community turn, and (d) to the theoretical construct consequent upon the description, the predominant perspectives, and the prevailing characteristics. As with the descriptive aspect, to which the first two organising principles predominantly pertain, the interpretive dimension of the findings is largely undertaken in two chapters. The first of these chapters (i.e., Chapter Seven), pertaining to the delineation of the prevailing features evident within the perspectives of the day-to-day community, provides an interpretation of the descriptive findings in terms of an autocratic hegemony, a managerial administrative focus, and a bureaucratic organisational culture. Thus, this chapter signifies the primary analysis of the findings of the two previous chapters through completion of the descriptive dimension. The second of these chapters (i.e., Chapter Eight) places this preliminary analysis of the descriptive findings within a theoretical construct pertaining to concepts of disparity and congruity, opposition and compliance. The concepts of disparity and congruity relate to the school's adherence to ideological and primitive imperatives respectively. Those of opposition and compliance relate to the degrees of consonance, within the day-to-day community, in terms of assent to the prevailing order within the school. Consequently, it is to be observed that the elements of description and interpretation, essential to the in-depth analytical description demanded of the ethnographic methodological approach, decrease and increase, respectively, across these four chapters. Section headings for the Introduction through to the References have necessarily been deleted for electronic presentation. Likewise, page numbers have necessarily been deleted for electronic presentation. The study concluded that the nature and purpose of the school were consequent upon its prevailing autocratic hegemony, its pre-eminently managerial administrative focus, and its profoundly bureaucratic organisational culture. These interconnected elements of the school's practices, disparate from the ideological imperatives advocated for the Catholic school, were found to effect a latent opposition within the school community, principally in relation to the teaching personnel, masked by the overall compliance of the day-to-day community with the prevailing order.
2
Balliett, Timothy R. Stevens Robert J. "Motivated by grace? exploring achievement motivation in catholic secondary schools /". [University Park, Pa.] : Pennsylvania State University, 2008. http://etda.libraries.psu.edu/theses/approved/WorldWideIndex/ETD-2559/index.html.
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Leung, Hin-ki Stella. "The teaching of English in Hong Kong secondary schools : a sociolinguistic approach /". Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B20353844.
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McEvoy, Francis Joseph, i res cand@acu edu au. "How is Religious Leadership Understood and Practised by Principals in Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia?" Australian Catholic University. School of Educational Leadership, 2006. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp125.25102006.
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This thesis explores the religious dimension of the role of the principal in the Catholic Secondary Schools of South Australia. The study is set in the context of a complex and changing environment. Society is becoming increasingly secular, and religious values are on the wane. The role of the principal has become progressively more encumbered by government regulation and policy and an increased level of accountability for a wide range of school outcomes, many of these outside the core purposes of the school (Fullan, 2003). In Catholic schools, the numbers of the professed religious men and women, traditionally the backbone of those schools, has declined dramatically in the last two decades and lay persons have taken over from members of religious congregations as principals in most Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia This represents a paradigm shift in leadership in the Catholic schools. It has resulted in an increased focus from within both the Church and the Catholic Education System on the essential Catholic nature of those schools, and the role of the Principal in nurturing and managing this. The study found that principals had a deep sense of the importance of this dimension of their role, but that they felt a real need for more support and formation, especially in the scriptural and theological aspects of leadership. Most felt pressured by the ‘normal’ routine of principalship, and were looking for ways to ‘make time’ for reflection in order to better ground their actions and decisions in the core values of the schools, the System and the Church. As a result of this research, a series of recommendations are offered to Church and System authorities, to principals and to those aspiring to be principals in the Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia. These relate to professional practice in such areas as defining the nature of the Catholic schools, and recognizing their particular charisms; developing leadership succession strategies and preparation courses for aspiring leaders; exploring alternative approaches to the principal selection process, and developing a mentoring program and professional support networks.
5
Morris, Andrew Bernard. "School ethos and academic productivity : the Catholic effect". Thesis, University of Warwick, 1996. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/36338/.
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This thesis is a study of the comparative academic effectiveness of Catholic schools in England. It uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate the hypothesis that, pupils who attend Catholic comprehensive schools will, all things being equal, achieve higher levels of academic attainment in GCSE examinations at the age of sixteen than similar pupils attending other maintained comprehensive schools. The study reviews the published findings of research in this field in England and the United States of America and reports previously unpublished analysis of the results of school inspections made under Section 9 of the Education Act 1992 by OFSTED. There has been very little empirical research into the academic effectiveness of Catholic schools in England. Findings that have been reported have arisen from studies which were focused on other issues and this facet of the results has not been investigated further. In contrast, in the USA there has been a significant quantity of large scale research indicating the academic superiority of schools in the Catholic sector. The research uses a simple form of multi-level modelling as the main analytical tool to compare the performance of pupils (n = 2335) attending eighteen comprehensive schools in a medium sized shire county. In addition, a case study approach is used to compare two different models of Catholic school in the sample to highlight factors which may contribute to their differing levels of academic productivity. The findings partly confirm previous research that has indicated the superiority of Catholic schools in England and extends understanding of the possible causes of that superiority. The study suggests areas for further research and possible applications of the findings for Church authorities and other providers of maintained schools.
6
Blowes, Michael. "Building Capacity for Leading Learning in Low Socio-Economic Status Catholic Secondary Schools". Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2017. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/38921e211e094a22dca2dde9a1b7bf440a3032c9fb070351ddcef135e1eb41ca/4360775/Thesis_for_Examination_2018_Michael_Blowes___FINAL.pdf.
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The purpose of the research was to explore how leaders and teachers of low socio-economic status (SES) Catholic secondary schools engaged with a system led reform to build capacity for leadership to improve learning in their school communities. The research was informed by the school and system improvement literature which noted the limited success of large-scale reforms in secondary schools and identified the need to understand how leaders can better build capacity for improvement.
The case study focussed on the leadership of four low SES Catholic secondary schools from New South Wales (NSW), Australia who were part of the National Partnerships programme under the direction of a Diocesan school system. The research explored the experiences of system leaders, principals, curriculum coordinators, leaders of pedagogy, heads of department and teachers as they engaged with the system driven reform.
The research demonstrated that leadership of learning in secondary schools should be shared with heads of department who are professionally valued, developed and positioned to work closely with classroom teachers. The study confirmed that leaders of learning who share whole school approaches to promote literacy, student centred pedagogy, use of data and the moral purpose of the reform initiative improve student outcomes. In this study a broadly distributed model of leadership characterised by relational trust and teamwork built both a learning culture and the capacity to improve student outcomes. It also found that system reform was more likely to succeed when it was adapted by school leaders to meet their local context.
This research is significant in this field because it provides a practical understanding of how leadership should be distributed to build capacity and improve student outcomes, as well as contributing towards better understanding of the importance of middle leadership of heads of departments and instructional coaches in reforming and improving learning outcomes in secondary schools.
7
Fincham, David William. "Personal, social, health and citizenship education in Catholic secondary schools : stakeholders' views". Thesis, University of Surrey, 2003. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/2242/.
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Voss, Kenneth E. "Perceptions of the Correlates of Academic Achievement in Selected Union and Non-union Catholic Secondary Schools in Pennsylvania". Youngstown State University / OhioLINK, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1181565305.
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Davison, Liam G. "Lay principals under contract: 'Going Down for the Good Turf': An exploration of the perceptions of selected secondary lay principals in relation to the religious and spiritual dimensions of their role". Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2006. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/2dfacd8f2ac0a198ec44f954171140fc6961e0f2463fe0cf77d07783ab44732f/730352/64839_downloaded_stream_64.pdf.
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The purpose of this research study was to consider the understanding and experience of a selected number of lay principals of diocesan secondary Catholic schools in Victoria as to the religious and spiritual dimensions of their leadership role and to identify what supported them in the discharge of their responsibilities in these domains of their leadership.
10
Carroll, Michael John, i res cand@acu edu au. "An Investigation Into Students’ Perceptions of Multicultural Classroom Environments in Queensland Catholic Secondary Schools". Australian Catholic University. School of Education, 2006. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp119.25102006.
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Australia continues to become culturally diverse. This diversity is being witnessed in Catholic schools. This thesis reports research which employed quantitative data collection methods in investigating students’ perceptions of their multicultural classroom environment. By drawing on Catholic school literature, multicultural literature, previous learning environment research and the perceptions of stakeholders, an instrument, known as the Multicultural Classroom Environment Instrument (MCEI), was developed to assess psychosocial dimensions of classroom environments in Queensland Catholic secondary schools. These dimensions were: Collaboration, Competition, Teacher Authority, Teacher Support, Congruence, Deference, Teacher Directedness and Gender Equity. The use of the instrument with a sample of 1,460 students in 24 Catholic secondary schools in Queensland revealed some statistically significant differences in students’ perceptions of their classroom environment. Differences were revealed according to the country of birth of the student and those of the parents. Investigations examining school type, subject, year level and gender were also undertaken. Single-sex schools were shown to be more concerned with Teacher Authority and Competition compared to coeducational schools. Religion and Study of Religion classes were perceived as very similar, irrespective of school type. There were differences in students’ perception of the classroom environment across different year levels, with year 8 students’ perceptions significantly different to that of years 10 and 12 students. Girls generally perceived their classroom environment more positively than boys, with greater Collaboration, Teacher Support and Gender Equity and less Competition and Teacher Authority. The results of this thesis suggest that differences in students’ perceptions of multicultural classroom environments in Queensland Catholic secondary schools do exist. It also suggests that in order to continue to provide quality education, Catholic schools must acknowledge these differences. They must also ensure that curriculum initiatives, staff professional development and training, and other educational and pastoral initiatives are designed to incorporate the differences identified in this thesis. Further investigation into a variety of multicultural classroom environments is recommended.
11
Roy, John J. "Catholic identity of primary and secondary schools in the United States in light of canon 803". Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1998. http://www.tren.com.
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Holmquist, Ann Louise Conley. "Walking the Labyrinthine Pathway: An Ethnographic Perspective on Forming Persons-In-Community in a Catholic Secondary School". Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School, 2008. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/549.
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Catholic schools make distinct claims about their mission and the identity of their schools as communities - places where teachers and students are to be formed as "persons-in-community" (Bryk, Lee & Holland, 1993; National Conference of Catholic Bishops [NCCB], 1972). Yet, there is a paucity of qualitative research that has explored the experiences of beginning teachers' induction into Catholic school communities. One way to address this lacuna is to use ethnographic methods to explore the experiences of beginning teachers and write a thick description (Goeertz, 1973) of the newcomers' experiences. I conducted such a qualitative inquiry at Our Lady of Grace Academy (OLGA), an independent, Catholic girls day and resident college-preparatory school. I spent one semester with a group of six newcomers-four classroom teachers, an academic counselor, and a librarian/technology specialist-as a participant observer in their daily work lives.
Implementing qualitative ethnographic methods, encompassing life history interviews, participant observation, and journal writing, newcomers described their experiences and dispositions on topics germane to Catholic school mission and community, in particular, what brought newcomers to OLGA in the first place and their experiences of a sense of membership in the community by way of their socially mediated participation in multiple communities of practice.
Time constraints and my insider status were limitations. The goals of the study were met, but more conclusive findings would have resulted from a longer study. There were limits to what I could ethically report due to the fact that I conducted fieldwork on my own workplace. Ethnographic inquiry is a viable way for a practitioner to conduct research because the workplace is where the practitioner will need to exercise his or her best observation and listening skills.
Using creative analytic processes (CAP) ethnographies (Richardson & St. Pierre, 2005), the findings of the study take shape around the participants' walk along a metaphorical labyrinthine pathway. Vignette's of newcomer's experiences unfold to dialogic interplay with theory. The dissertation culminates with insights and multiple truths that surfaces along the way, additional questions that resulted, and recommendations for implementing ethnographic methods as a way into induction practices in Catholic secondary schools.
13
Mtumbuka, Martin Anwel. "An empirical study of Catholic secondary schools in Malawi : strengths, weaknesses and challenges". Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2003. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10020411/.
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Griffiths, William Robert, i res cand@acu edu au. "Parent Expectations of Catholic Secondary Education: A study over time in one particular school". Australian Catholic University. Department of Educational Leadership, 1998. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp206.10082009.
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This thesis explores the expectations that parents had of a particular Catholic secondary school for boys during the first half of the 1990s. By exploring in some detail the expectations of one group of parents whose children attended one particular Catholic secondary school in suburban Adelaide (South Australia), the research illuminates the larger issue of the changing nature of parent expectations of Catholic secondary schooling, and how these expectations were being shaped in the last decade of the twentieth century. The social, educational and ecclesial context within which Catholic secondary education operates has altered in the three decades following the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The literature reviewed in this thesis indicates that parent expectations of Catholic secondary education in the 1990s were increasingly shaped by a complex variety of factors beyond traditional religious or denominational loyalty. The post-1973 organisational and administrative structures established for the delivery and development of Catholic schooling in Australia reset the centralisation/decentralisation balance. These changes in administrative centre of gravity have of themselves created a climate in which a greater range of parent expectations is evident. This research used an established questionnaire to gather data from parents about their expectations of the school as their sons entered the first year of secondary schooling. The same parents were then surveyed four years later to gauge the extent to which they believed the school had met their expectations. Exploratory analyses were conducted to investigate if there were significant statistical differences in parent expectations, or in parent perceptions of the school's meeting their expectations, that were due to different parent characteristics. In particular, the research investigated whether parent gender, religion, religious practice, level of education, or length of parent association with the school played a significant role in parent expectations. A further important research aim was to investigate the statistical properties of the research questionnaire, first used to explore parent expectations of Catholic secondary education in the early 1980s, and to suggest appropriate changes to the way in which the items and scales of the questionnaire were constructed. Eight of the nine scales of the research instrument, whether used in the first round of the survey (as the student entered Year 8, and parents were asked what their expectations were in anticipation of their child's Catholic secondary education) or the second round (as the student entered Year 12, and parents were asked to indicate the degree to which the school had met their expectations) were found to be reliable. The results from the research reported in this thesis indicate that the parents believed that the school in large measure met their expectations. The results also demonstrate that, for these parents, there was no significant relationship between their expectations of the school and the sample characteristics of parent religion, gender, or level of education. Only two parent characteristics were found to demonstrate a significant relationship with parent expectations as measured by the questionnaire scales: the frequency of parent religious practice (as measured by reported church attendance) and whether the parents had earlier enrolled their sons in the primary section of the school. A more finely-nuanced examination of the data indicated that parent religion and parent gender may indeed have an influence on parent expectations of the school, but that the influence of these parent characteristics on parent expectations of the school are mediated by the degree to which the parents practice their religion. This research appears to confirm that parent expectations of Catholic secondary schooling are not a simple function of parent religion. The research indicates that parents, whether Catholic or not, whether practising church goers or not, tend to share a reasonably coherent view of what a Catholic secondary education should include, and of what constitutes a
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De, Souza Marian, i res cand@acu edu au. "Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Year 12 Religious Education Programs in Catholic Schools in Victoria: Implications for curriculum". Australian Catholic University. Department of Religious Education, 1999. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp201.02072009.
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This research study aimed to explore and describe students' and teachers' perceptions of religious education programs for Year 12 students in Catholic schools in Victoria in light of theoretical concepts of religious education. It sought to discover how appropriate these programs were in meeting the needs of today's students and achieving the aims of religious education for senior secondary students in Catholic schools in Victoria. The purpose was to propose guiding principles that could inform a review of Year 12 religious education curriculum in Catholic schools. There were two broad areas of investigation to this study: the theory and the practice of religious education in Catholic schools, with special attention given to the Year 12 programs. With the first area, there was an examination of religious education theory as revealed in the literature. This was concerned with the nature and purpose of religious education in Catholic schools. Different approaches to religious education were explored and their strengths and weaknesses for senior secondary programs were highlighted. In addition, recent approaches to teaching and learning at the broader curriculum level were investigated to highlight possible relevance to religious education. Thirdly, the theory of and approaches to religious education were considered in relation to some aspects of the context of contemporary classrooms. The second area was an investigation into current practices in the compulsory or core Year 12 religious education programs since these were accessed by all or most students in Catholic schools. Eleven schools were involved in the study. They were drawn from the four dioceses in Victoria and were chosen because they displayed certain characteristics which were seen as representative of the wider range of Catholic schools. In order to gain an insight into classroom practices, three sources of data were collected from these schools and examined. Firstly, through the use of questionnaires and interviews, data was collected on students' perceptions of their experiences in their religious education program. Secondly, questionnaires were used to gather information on the teachers' experiences of the program, their perceptions of their students' experiences and their background in religious education. Teachers' perceptions were used as a point of comparison with students' perceptions. Thirdly, religious education documents were examined and analysed to discover their aims and objectives, the content and topics included and their assessment strategies. In general, the various approaches (in terms of content and method) to Year 12 religious education classroom programs in Catholic schools in Victoria either emphasized cognitive learning or it focused on affective learning. With the former, an intellectual study of religion through a study of different religious traditions was offered which, it was hoped, would lead to an increased understanding and appreciation of the subject. With the latter, more attention was given to the personal dimension in religious education in terms of interpersonal and intrapersonal learning. The findings of this research study indicated that, in the perceptions of a majority of students, the religious education programs were not meeting their needs. This raises the question of the pertinence of the aims for senior secondary religious education as proposed in curriculum guidelines for Catholic schools in Victoria. The findings, therefore, suggest a need for a review of such programs in Catholic schools. The study concluded with the proposal of thirteen guiding principles that could inform the development, implementation and evaluation of future Year 12 religious education programs in Catholic schools. The principles, drawn from key insights from both the theory and current practice of religious education, could have relevance for Catholic school administrators, policy makers and religious education teachers. In addition, other areas were identified which could be useful for further investigation to enhance existing knowledge in this field of study.
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Harney, Peter John, i res cand@acu edu au. "Changing the Social System of a Catholic Secondary School: An examination of salient design features pertinent to the change process from a permacultural perspective". Australian Catholic University. Department of Educational Foundations, 1997. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp209.13082009.
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The purpose of the research documented in this thesis is to identify and investigate the organisational design principles that influence change processes in a school context. The study analyses the various design features of the system which impinge on the processes of organisation change. Organisational design for the purpose of this study is defined as the beneficial assembly of organisational components in their proper relationships, a notion derived from studies in the natural order - permaculture (Mollison, 1990). There are four design principles that provide a perspective for the study of salient features that impinge on the processes of organisational change. These four perspectives are - site, social, energy and abstract. This conceptual framework based on a
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van, der Nest Theo. "Reconceptualising the preservation of special character in Catholic secondary schools: An investigation of the role of the Director of Religions Studies in Catholic secondary schools in the Hamilton Diocese, Aotearoa New Zealand". Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2015. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/4fa73659af78f6d08891561a07275344a3e17d14d6ecc6afcf3f03166125d3a8/7778194/201511_Van_der_Nest..pdf.
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Since the enactment of the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act in New Zealand in 1975, leadership in Catholic schools has become increasingly complex. Under the legislation Catholic schools are required to develop and maintain the special character of the school. In recent times the position of Director of Religious Studies (DRS) has become a prominent leadership position with a key responsibility to ensure the structural transmission of the special character of the school. Financial or State-aid is dependent upon each school’s ability to develop and maintain its special character. The challenges and demands placed on DRSs to develop and maintain the special character of the Catholic school has impacted perceptions of the role of the DRS to the point where it has become necessary to reconceptualise the role. This study provides insights into the central responsibilities and characteristics of the DRS which are vital to any considerations pertaining to reconceptualising the DRS role for contemporary leadership.
18
Owen, Siân Maree. "How the Principals of New Zealand Catholic Secondary Schools Understand and Implement Special Character". Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2018. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/35a48eeb113a6edee92eb07733a5df8f76387df242fa268f46e8bb08c056665f/2791203/OWEN_Sian_Maree_2018_How_the_principles_of_New_Zealand.pdf.
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The purpose of this study is to explore how Catholic education authorities guarantee the Special Character of New Zealand Catholic schools. Since principals hold primary responsibilities in demonstrating evidence of Special Character of the Catholic school, this study particularly explores how secondary school principals fulfil this responsibility.
New Zealand Catholic schools are State integrated schools under the 1975 Private Schools Conditional Integration Act (PSCIA). This Act enabled private schools to be fully government funded, while continuing to maintain and enhance their Special Character. Special Character is important to the Catholic Church because it enables its schools to offer an authentic Catholic education as a State funded school. They are State schools with a Special Character
The following specific research questions were generated from the Literature Review to focus the study:
1. What do principals understand by the term Special Character?
2. How do principals implement Special Character in their schools?
3. How do Catholic education authorities understand the role of the Catholic school in mission?
An epistemological framework of constructionism underpins this study as it explores the meaning constructed through the experiences of principals. An interpretivist design is adopted, with Symbolic Interactionism providing the particular interpretivist lens. Case study is the methodology chosen to orchestrate the data gathering strategies. The strategies utilised are focus groups, semi-structured interviews and questionnaire. There were 31 participants in the study: 20 principals and 11 members of the National Catholic Special Character review group.
The research generates six conclusions that contribute to new knowledge about the Special Character of Catholic schools. First, New Zealand Catholic schools operate in a pluralistic society where the Christian Worldview no longer prevails. This influences the traditional school-family-Church relationships. This lack of clarity of relationships impacts the implementation of Special Character.
Second, while Special Character is a term used extensively in New Zealand education, there is a lack of clarity about the precise meaning of this term. Consequently, there is a dissonance between Government and Church expectations of what demonstrates Special Character.
Third, principals recognise that the implementation and enhancement of the Special Character of their school is important to both their school identity (Catholic) and purpose (education).
Fourth, tensions concerning the status of Religious Education in the timetable have been mitigated with the introduction of Achievement Standards in Religious Education. Religious Education is acknowledged as a primary contributor to demonstrating a Catholic school’s Special Character.
Fifth, principals are concerned that Catholic education authorities critique schools’ mission endeavours through evidence concerning students’ personal relationship with Jesus. Principals perceive that Catholic education authorities ‘measure’ this relationship by student attendance at Sunday Mass.
Finally, principals are expected to nurture Special Character by assuming the role of faith leader. Principals lack understanding about this role and its practicalities.
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Carroll, Michael John. "An investigation into students' perceptions of multicultural classroom environments in Queensland Catholic secondary schools". Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2006. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/649f10177aef1d196338d7336561df7ca78c0df1f7398380f2b3c16c75a1a54f/1817308/64816_downloaded_stream_41.pdf.
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Australia continues to become culturally diverse. This diversity is being witnessed in Catholic schools. This thesis reports research which employed quantitative data collection methods in investigating students' perceptions of their multicultural classroom environment. By drawing on Catholic school literature, multicultural literature, previous learning environment research and the perceptions of stakeholders, an instrument, known as the Multicultural Classroom Environment Instrument (MCEI), was developed to assess psychosocial dimensions of classroom environments in Queensland Catholic secondary schools. These dimensions were: Collaboration, Competition, Teacher Authority, Teacher Support, Congruence, Deference, Teacher Directedness and Gender Equity. The use of the instrument with a sample of 1,460 students in 24 Catholic secondary schools in Queensland revealed some statistically significant differences in students' perceptions of their classroom environment. Differences were revealed according to the country of birth of the student and those of the parents. Investigations examining school type, subject, year level and gender were also undertaken. Single-sex schools were shown to be more concerned with Teacher Authority and Competition compared to coeducational schools. Religion and Study of Religion classes were perceived as very similar, irrespective of school type. There were differences in students' perception of the classroom environment across different year levels, with year 8 students' perceptions significantly different to that of years 10 and 12 students. Girls generally perceived their classroom environment more positively than boys, with greater Collaboration, Teacher Support and Gender Equity and less Competition and Teacher Authority. The results of this thesis suggest that differences in students' perceptions of multicultural classroom environments in Queensland Catholic secondary schools do exist.;It also suggests that in order to continue to provide quality education, Catholic schools must acknowledge these differences. They must also ensure that curriculum initiatives, staff professional development and training, and other educational and pastoral initiatives are designed to incorporate the differences identified in this thesis. Further investigation into a variety of multicultural classroom environments is recommended.
20
Maroney, Michael, i res cand@acu edu au. "An Exploration of a Contemporary Youth Spirituality Among Senior Students in Three Catholic Schools". Australian Catholic University. Religious Education, 2008. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp177.11112008.
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The theory and practice of Catholic schooling, particularly with respect to religious education, have the purpose of promoting the spiritual and moral development of young people. This includes a special emphasis on acquainting them with the religious traditions and spirituality of the Catholic Church. Because Catholic schooling has always endeavoured to meet the religious and personal needs of students, there has been an ongoing interest in monitoring the spirituality of youth to inform the development and planning of a relevant and effective religious education. Hence, there has long been an interest within the Catholic education sector in research on youth spirituality. A significant volume of research has been conducted on the spirituality of contemporary youth within the last decade. This has included a number of major studies in Australia (Crawford and Rossiter, 2006; Flynn and Mok, 2002; Hughes, 2007; Mason et. al. 2005, 2007) and in North America, Smith & Denton (2004). This project reports on an empirical investigation of the views of senior school students in three metropolitan Catholic schools in Australia. The first part of the study, a literature review, provided an opportunity to review research on the spirituality of young people to give a broad perspective on developments and issues, particularly for young people in westernised cultures. The first section of the review considered the way in which structural development theories have been used to interpret young people’s spirituality. The second section explored research related to the components and development of youth spirituality. The third section examined a number of cultural influences on young people’s spiritual and moral development. The second part of the project canvassed the views of all 207 Year 12 students in three metropolitan Catholic high schools about their understanding of spirituality and about the links between their spirituality and the experience of Catholic schooling. Each school has its own gender, charism, and multicultural dynamic. A systematic questionnaire provided quantitative data, a summary of which was then discussed in focus groups of students in each of the three schools. In this way, students were invited to interpret the empirical data and to attempt to explain why young people thought and felt as they did – yielding qualitative data. The focus groups also responded to an innovative use of cartoon caricatures of God which prompted participants to talk about the ways in which they and other teenagers imagined God and God’s role in the world and in their own lives. The study contributed to the current body of research information on youth spirituality, especially in a sample group of senior school students in Catholic schools. The key findings were: Evidence that youth spirituality is both eclectic and diverse; Evidence of some non-religious elements to spirituality; it is not linked exclusively with religion; Young people are conscious of their roles in ‘choosing’ and ‘constructing’ a spirituality, rather than just accepting a ‘traditional’ pattern of spirituality; Acknowledged a strong parental influence; also the importance of friends; While a number of students identified their spirituality as ‘religious’, the trend was a spirituality that was not as strongly rooted in religious traditions as was the case for previous generations; The most prominent image of God for this sample of young people was a God of unconditional love and forgiveness. There was less emphasis on a ‘checking’ and ‘punishing’ God that seemed more prominent for earlier generations of Catholics. In discussing the meaning and significance of the empirical data, a comparison was made between the results of this study and those of five recent major studies of youth spirituality examined in the literature review. In conclusion, the project explored a number of issues and implications for educators interested in the spiritual and moral education of young people, especially in the Catholic education sector. These included: In the light of a significant and continuing increase in both ‘individualism’ and ‘moral selfreliance’ in children and adolescents, there is a need for refinement in the ways developmental theories (such as those of Kohlberg and Fowler in particular) are used for interpreting the spiritual and moral development of young people; There is a need for further understanding of how cultural factors like ‘postmodernity’, ‘individualism’ and ‘relativism’ affect young people’s spirituality, particularly as regards linkage with religious traditions; Young people’s images of God and their ideas about how God might ‘work’ within the world are key transcendent elements to youth spirituality; Planning for a ‘relevant’ religious education – which helps young people negotiate contemporary spiritual/moral issues, as well as provide access to spiritual heritage – needs to take into account the findings of research on youth spirituality.
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Beaumier, Casey Christopher. "For Richer, For Poorer: Jesuit Secondary Education in America and the Challenge of Elitism". Thesis, Boston College, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104064.
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Thesis advisor: James O'TooleIn the 1960s American Jesuit secondary school administrators struggled to resolve a profound tension within their institutions. The religious order's traditional educational aim dating back to the 1500s emphasized influence through contact with "important and public persons" in order that the Jesuits might in turn help direct cultures around the world to a more universal good. This historical foundation clashed sharply with what was emerging as the Jesuits' new emphasis on a preferential option for the poor. This dissertation argues that the greater cultural and religious changes of the 1960s posed a fundamental challenge to Catholic elite education in the United States. The competing visions of the Jesuits produced a crisis of identity, causing some Jesuit high schools either to collapse or reinvent themselves in the debate over whether Jesuit schools were for richer or for poorer Americans. The dissertation examines briefly the historical process that led to this crisis of identity, beginning with the contribution of Jesuit education to the Americanization of massive numbers of first and second-generation immigrant Catholics as they adjusted to life in America in the first half of the twentieth century. As Catholics adapted, increasingly sophisticated American Jesuit schools became instrumental in the formation of a Catholic elite, and many of the institutions found themselves among elite American schools. This elite identity was disrupted by two factors: the cultural volatility of the 1960s and the Jesuits' election of a new leader, Pedro Arrupe. While some Jesuit educators embraced Arrupe's preferential option for the poor, others feared it would undercut the traditional approach of outreach to the elite. Through a case study of one Jesuit boarding school, the dissertation seeks to expand our understanding of the impact of 1960s social change into the less-explored realms of religion and education
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013
Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: History
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Grace, Michael James, i res cand@acu edu au. "The Use of Scripture in the Teaching of Religious Education in Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools". Australian Catholic University. School of Religious Education, 2003. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp31.29082005.
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This thesis examines the use of scripture by religious education teachers with their students in Victorian Catholic secondary schools in late 1999. The aims of the research were: to present a picture of the incorporation of scripture into the religious education program of Victorian Catholic secondary schools in 1999, and in particular the incorporation of the historical-critical method of modern biblical scholarship (focus will also be placed on the purpose for which scripture is used, the extent to which it is used and the methods employed in its use); to investigate how and to what extent VCE Texts and Traditions1 Units 1 to 4 have been adopted by senior Victorian Catholic secondary students and its influence on Years Seven to Ten religious education curriculum; and to extend the work of Stead (1996b) into the use of scripture in Victorian Catholic primary schools. This study is built on an understanding of religious education based on an educational rationale, and it examines the use of scripture in the light of modern critical biblical scholarship, particularly the historical-critical method. Religious Education Coordinators from 67 of the 99 Victorian Catholic secondary schools and 61 teachers of Years Seven to Ten religious education in these same schools completed self administering questionnaires in this area. The research demonstrated that while there is an extensive range of good modern biblical scholarship material present in these schools, there is no policy concerning how scripture is to be used in the curriculum, questionable translations of the bible are used, and there is a limited use of many sections of the bible. A key finding of the research is that a thematic, proof-texting use of scripture is prevalent in these schools. This thematic use can lead to a literal, fundamentalist use of scripture within Catholic secondary religious education. This approach is linked with many religious education teachers. predominantly catechetical understanding of the nature of religious education. The self administering questionnaires asked for an indication of the personal practice of respondents in their own religious education classrooms. The data indicated the presence of the historical-critical method in the classrooms of Victorian Catholic secondary schools, however there was an over-reliance on the student text and the predominance of a thematic, literal, non-critical use of scripture. This thesis indicates that this misuse of scripture comes about from teachers. catechetical understanding of the nature of religious education. In particular the study of scripture in Years 11 and 12 is an area of concern. Except for a small percentage of students studying Texts and Traditions (13%), the use of the historical-critical method of biblical studies is almost non-existent.
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Grace, Michael James. "The use of Scripture in the teaching of religious education in Victorian Catholic secondary schools". Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2003. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/8fdeebf9b26fc69d0d17f0a73daa7c62b4a0138e90a35837999f5ce7cffb8c5f/1688482/64888_downloaded_stream_113.pdf.
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This thesis examines the use of scripture by religious education teachers with their students in Victorian Catholic secondary schools in late 1999. The aims of the research were: to present a picture of the incorporation of scripture into the religious education program of Victorian Catholic secondary schools in 1999, and in particular the incorporation of the historical-critical method of modern biblical scholarship (focus will also be placed on the purpose for which scripture is used, the extent to which it is used and the methods employed in its use); to investigate how and to what extent VCE Texts and Traditions Units 1 to 4 have been adopted by senior Victorian Catholic secondary students and its influence on Years Seven to Ten religious education curriculum; and to extend the work of Stead (1996b) into the use of scripture in Victorian Catholic primary schools.
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Wanden, Kevin Patrick Win. "Teachers' perception of the purpose of classroom religious education in New Zealand Catholic secondary schools". Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2009. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/bfad56582f418e3512d81fa976b2bd79d005ccb22db1629b1fad7a1161125e59/2019958/65125_downloaded_stream_350.pdf.
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The nature of Religious Education in Catholic secondary schools has generated significant interest since the Second Vatican Council. A number of theoretical approaches to classroom Religious Education have been used in Catholic secondary schools in New Zealand since the mid 1960s (Crawford & Rossiter, 1985; Groome, 1980; van Caster, 1965). The debate regarding the most suitable approach for classroom Religious Education at this level has largely settled on a Subject-Oriented approach (Larkin, 2006). In New Zealand there has been a considerable investment of resources in the development of curricula and textbooks (Finlay, 2000). However there has been little research about teacher beliefs concerning the purpose of the subject. This thesis reports research into teachers' beliefs about the purpose of classroom Religious Education in Catholic secondary schools in New Zealand. The literature was reviewed to identify the range of purposes in the normative Church documents and in the writings of theorists. In addition it examined a number of issues that could have some bearing on teachers' understanding of purposes. A survey that collected both quantitative and qualitative data was distributed to 37 of the 49 Catholic secondary schools in New Zealand that agreed to participate and resulted in 173 responses. This study found that teachers worked out of a Subject-Oriented approach to the teaching of Religious Education that was consistent with the Understanding Faith curriculum. Teachers perceived Religious Education as a complex subject with multiple purposes. The primary purpose was to teach knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith tradition. The subject also had subsidiary aspirational purposes of faith formation and personal development. The importance of appropriate qualifications and formation of teachers was identified as a challenge facing Religious Education in Catholic secondary schools in New Zealand.;There was a high degree of consensus among respondents related to the purpose of classroom Religious Education. This research contributes to the discourse concerning the purpose of Religious Education. It has implications for theoretical aspects of Religious Education, classroom practice and planning, school based curriculum planning, teacher professional development and curriculum policy.
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Dauguet, Kathleen, i res cand@acu edu au. "Understanding the ‘Mixed Ability’ Program in Catholic Secondary Schools in Mauritius: Perceptions of educators for best practice in the middle years of schooling". Australian Catholic University. School of Education, 2007. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp181.20112008.
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The mission of Catholic Education in Mauritius is to ‘humanise’ education and pedagogies to be consistent with Catholic values. The vision of a ‘humanised’ education explicitly teaches collaboration and cooperation. In January 2005, the Catholic Education Bureau (BEC) opted for a ‘mixed ability’ philosophy whose articulation fosters inclusiveness in all Catholic secondary schools. To achieve this, schools need to re-invent and restructure themselves into learning organisations to make obvious the ‘mixed ability’ philosophy at the middle level of schooling from Form I to Form III.The first purpose of this study is to explore an integral model for an effective education for Catholic secondary schools in Mauritius that acknowledges diversity in the classroom particularly in Form I. The second purpose is to investigate the beliefs and understandings of educators in Catholic secondary education in Mauritius of this model.For the first purpose, a review of the literature was undertaken to understand the concepts of middle schooling, differentiation, learning theories and implications for practice, the enabling structures for Catholic secondary schools to develop into learning communities and the leadership role of key actors. For the second purpose, the perceptions of educators were investigated using a predominantly qualitative, interpretative methodology around an instrumental multi-site case study.The study found a number of challenges faced by Catholic educators in Mauritius regarding the implementation of the integral model. These challenges present a new direction for these schools to focus on the human person, leading to the development and implementation of the ‘mixed ability’ program. The study concluded with a cogent set of recommendations and directions which need to be put in place in order to improve student learning outcomes at the middle level of schooling and achieve the vision of a human-centered education within the espoused Catholic mission.
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Leung, Hin-ki Stella, i 梁顯奇. "The teaching of English in Hong Kong secondary schools: a sociolinguistic approach". Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31952124.
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Hong, Man-hoi Michael, i 康文海. "Staff development as perceived by a sample of Hong Kong Catholic secondary school teachers: implications forfuture staff development programmes". Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1987. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31955666.
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Winslow, Mary Ann. "Where the boys are: The educational aspirations and future expectations of working class girls in an all-female high school". Diss., The University of Arizona, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/187399.
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The purpose of this study was to ascertain the educational aspirations and future expectations of working class youth in an all-female Catholic high school. The ethnographic methods of primarily interviews and participant observation were used to discover the plans and the decision processes of approximately 21% of the senior class. Sixty girls were interviewed four weeks before graduation, as well as 20 teachers and administrators. Almost 100% of the sample (59) planned to attend college the following fall. While most institutions were competitive, only one planned to attend a most competitive, most selective institution, although several met the admissions requirements to do so. One-fourth of the sample planned to attend community colleges. The institution helped to facilitate the process of college entrance. However, many of the girls' decisions were determined before high school, and most were influenced by family members, most of whom had never attended a finished college. It was observed and reported by the girls that the all-female environment enhanced their educational experiences.
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Price, Damien Faust, i res cand@acu edu au. "An Exploration of Participant Experience of the Service Learning Program at an Australian Catholic Boys’ Secondary School". Australian Catholic University. School of Educational Leadership, 2008. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp192.04032009.
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This research explores participant experience of the Service Learning Program in the context of an Australian Catholic Boys’ Secondary School. The research aims to explore what is happening as adolescent participants engage in working and relating with homeless people over an extended period of time. What are they learning? What sense or meaning are they making of their experiences, and are they deepening their value and belief system towards existential change? Service Learning is a curriculum initiative that Australian Secondary Schools are implementing to assist in the development of both the ethos of schools and in attempts to meet the needs of Twenty-first Century youth for a relevant education. While the benefits for participants in Service Learning are well documented, the effects upon recipients of the services provided, and whether the benefits for participants are the result of prior learning, family factors, or predispositions to this type of experiential learning, remain unclear. While Service Learning Programs are proving to be increasingly popular for school administrators, there appears to be a lack of clear models for Service Learning, its links to academic curriculum, or clearly articulated goals to assess success and achievement. A real danger of an adhoc approach to Service Learning in schools exists. The discussion of benefits to participants has not clearly identified links between program elements and hoped for benefits, nor has it examined the process or journey that participants have engaged in. Critical reflection on these issues has informed the purpose of this research and helped to shape the following research questions that focus the conduct of the study: Research Question One What features of the Service Learning Program at Holy Family College impact on participant experience? Research Question Two What changes are there in the meanings participants give to their experiences in the Service Learning Program over time? Research Question Three How do participants perceive their Service Learning experience in terms of their personal world view and the world view promoted by the school? The theoretical framework for this study was that of Constructionism as the criteria for judging that neither ‘reality’ nor ‘validity’ are absolute; rather they are derived from community consensus of what is ‘real’, what is useful, and what has meaning. In exploring participants’ experience as they served and related with homeless people ‘reality’, ‘usefulness’ and ‘meaning’ were derived from the student’s reflection upon their experience and their communal dialogue. Hence this study used Symbolic Interactionism as the perspective to explore experience. An interpretive approach was utilised, as humans interpret their environment, evaluate beliefs in terms of their usefulness in situations, select what they notice in every situation and focus on human action and interaction. A case study approach was used as it acknowledged the unique setting of a ‘van site’ for homeless people. Using personal journaling and focus groups data was collected from fifty-three Year 11 students who had volunteered to participate on the van for a period of six months. All fifty-three participants in the Service Learning Program experienced particular phases regardless of prior service experience, variables linked to family or personality type. These phases were: Expectations, Exposure, Reframing, Disillusionment, Awareness and Agency. This study concluded that within these phases, participant experience was influenced by the length of time of the program, the presence of active mentors facilitating the experience, ongoing reflection upon experience and situating the experience in a clear ideological framework. While each participant experienced the phases mentioned above no two students derived the same meaning or level of meaning from their experiences. The research concluded that each participant will exit a Service Learning Program with varying levels of internalisation of the core values of the program. Some will exit with a surface appreciation of what the program was about; others deeper, others tacit; some will arrive at a point of existential change. While acknowledging the influence of family and personality factors in this journey, this research shows that the presence of active mentors, reflection upon experience, a clear ideological framework and a significant length of time to allow for the maturation of both reflection and experience will move participants further along towards existential change than would otherwise have occurred. A model; the Spiral Model of Service Learning is proposed to support these findings.
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Chambers, David. "Using Assessment Data for Informed Decision-Making in Catholic High Schools". Thesis, Loyola Marymount University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10688584.
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School leaders and principals have an obligation to use every tool at their disposal to maximize student achievement. All students deserve the best use of data to inform the decision-making of those entrusted to deliver the finest education available to them. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of principals in Los Angeles Archdiocesan high schools about the use of assessment data in their schools by finding how they were using assessment data to inform curricular and pedagogical decisions, and then determining what factors affect the use of assessment data to inform their curricular decision-making.
This study was a mixed-method investigation using a quantitative survey to find processes in Archdiocesan high schools that capture and utilize assessment data to inform decision-making, as well as to determine the principals’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges related to assessment data usage. The qualitative aspect of this study consisted of interviews of Archdiocesan high school principals meant to expand upon the findings of the survey. The findings of the study, viewed through the lens of a conceptual framework, suggest a breakdown in the use of data from the very beginning of the process. Standardized assessment data are the information used to drive curricular decisions while data from formative assessments and curriculum maps, are utilized less frequently. The study also found that, while principals feel that their teachers valued the use of data, there was room for growth in the protocols enlisted to analyze assessment data, and in the cultivation of a culture of collaboration and learning.
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McKenzie, Meagan Louise, i res cand@acu edu au. "Stories of Buoyancy and Despondency: five beginning teachers’ experiences in their first year in the teaching profession". Australian Catholic University. School of Educational Leadership, 2005. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp97.29052006.
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This case study research explores the experiences of five beginning teachers within four Catholic secondary schools in Australia. The research employs a qualitative approach framed within an interpretative paradigm, drawing on perspectives of symbolic interaction to interpret interview and journal data. These perspectives are used, in conjunction with a conceptual framework derived from the relevant literature, to interpret the experiences of five new teachers against the relevant data. The literature typically investigates the stages of teacher development, where the first year is often seen by researchers as a survival year. Key literature themes include the development of self image and the impact school culture has on beginning teachers. There are two other features less often present in the literature but central in this research. One is the life history of the beginning teacher. A second, which is the major notion employed in this study, is that of professional identity and specifically how identity develops once the novice teacher is immersed within the school organisation. Each teacher was interviewed several times during their first year and each kept a journal. The discussion includes matters of comparison and contrast between the five teachers’ experiences. The symbolic interactionist framework seeks to identify the meanings individuals construct of their experiences. These meanings are located from the journal and interview data gathered. Each text is examined both independently, in relation to other texts and in the light of the conceptual framework. A key procedure is to identify critical events which are then analysed and connections made to the experience of other teachers and literature themes. The key findings of the research include developing a new model for understanding the experience of beginning teachers. The research suggests that the current literature on beginning teachers is limited. It neglects beginning teacher individuality and in particular agency and competency and centrally the dynamic and complex interaction between culture and identity. This research seeks to add significantly to the beginning teacher literature.
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Sharkey, Kevin T. "An exploration of the use of Web 2.0 to enhance teaching and learning in an Australian Catholic secondary school". Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2012. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/ca3a17a03853e633b4a3b065dd04c2e174e91f8eb3b5157bcc2aff5f5321e9a4/2479771/65083_downloaded_stream_308.pdf.
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The rapid development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) over recent years presents educators with significant challenges. There are many options emerging to enhance the process of teaching and learning, particularly through the use of Web 2.0 Internet sites. These have become part of the lifestyles of today's students yet schools are struggling to come to terms with the effective use of these emerging technologies. Although Web 2.0 offers significant potential to enhance learning this is proving to be difficult to implement effectively. The general research question is What factors influence Secondary School teachers to use Web 2.0 effectively to enhance learning? This research was conducted in the interpretive paradigm using a case study methodology involving me as researcher in the role of senior secondary school teacher with a position of leadership as learning technology facilitator. The study was conducted in the Years 10 to 12 Sandhurst Diocese co educational campus of a Catholic Secondary School of approximately eight hundred students. The contextual characteristics of the case study at the college were identified through a questionnaire distributed to teachers and source documents relating to the curriculum and the ICT resources in place at the college. Teachers participated in interviews and a series of workshops to promote the advancement of pedagogy with Web 2.0 leading to enhanced student learning. Data analysis was done manually which resulted in the production of a series of conclusions and recommendations. The research highlighted the importance of the formation and articulation of a vision of the place of Web 2.0 in schools. Having this vision can lead to an improved understanding amongst teachers of curriculum frameworks for teaching and learning with Web 2.0. The promotion of a collegial and collaborative environment amongst teachers was found to be important in enabling them to improve their practice.;This collaboration includes the cultivation of on-line personal learning networks for teachers. Teachers' effective use of Web 2.0 was found to depend largely on a pedagogical focus to foster higher order thinking, individualised learning and information literacy in students. The research involved an exploration of the effectiveness of senior leaders and teachers in leading whole school change in promoting the effective use of Web 2.0 to enhance teaching and learning. Recommendations based on these findings have been made for professional learning leaders, curriculum leaders, school leadership teams and systemic authorities. The research findings have implications for further research into improvements in effective teaching practice with Web 2.0 to enhance learning. More research is needed to investigate personal learning networks for students and teachers, semantic aware applications, the re-definition of the mission of schools in this digital age and drivers for sustainable technological change in schools.
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Burley, Stephanie. "None more anonymous? : Catholic teaching nuns, their secondary schools and students in South Australia, 1880-1925 /". Title page, contents and abstract only, 1992. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09EDM/09edmb961.pdf.
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Knowles, Catherine. "Moral education in Catholic secondary schools : a statistical study of student responses in England and France". Thesis, University of Kent, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.433123.
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McEvoy, Francis Joseph. "How is religious leadership understood and practised by principles in Catholic secondary schools in South Australia?" Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2006. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/5a1e4d850721e10574540c4b761356c519619e31f605d4a52ceba6480d4fe6cf/1202776/64989_downloaded_stream_214.pdf.
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This thesis explores the religious dimension of the role of the principal in the Catholic Secondary Schools of South Australia. The study is set in the context of a complex and changing environment. Society is becoming increasingly secular, and religious values are on the wane. The role of the principal has become progressively more encumbered by government regulation and policy and an increased level of accountability for a wide range of school outcomes, many of these outside the core purposes of the school (Fullan, 2003). In Catholic schools, the numbers of the professed religious men and women, traditionally the backbone of those schools, has declined dramatically in the last two decades and lay persons have taken over from members of religious congregations as principals in most Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia.
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Collins, Caron L. "A study of the instrumental music programs in the secondary Catholic Schools of the United States". The Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1180115929.
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Davies, Michael, i res cand@acu edu au. "The Search for Success in a Charismatic Environment: senior teacher’s responses to high stakes testing in academically successful Christian Brothers’ schools". Australian Catholic University. Education (VIC), 2008. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp193.19032009.
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In Australia, traditionally a wide range of measures have been used to identify academically successful schools. The mix of these measures has varied from state to state. But recently, added to this mix, and perhaps becoming the most influential factor, has been the examination results of senior students. These have become far more available to the prospective parents and governing bodies. They are used to gauge the ranking of the school, and to whether parents can expect their children to gain entry into the more prestigious tertiary programs available. But these scores are also being used to rank staff, and in turn, the ‘quality’ of staff becomes yet another factor in identifying an academically successful school. In other words, the notion of high stakes testing is gaining wide spread use across all forms of schooling in Australia, including State, Independent and Catholic schools. This thesis is about teachers in academically successful Christian Brothers’ schools. It is an interpretive study that seeks to understand how these teachers respond to this form of assessment: high stakes testing. Their responses include emotional responses, how they change their teaching style and how they feel about teaching in Christian Brothers’ schools striving for academic success. In this research I interviewed teachers and administrators at three academically successful Christian Brothers’ schools in three different states in Australia. I developed three cases from these interviews and document searches, one drawn from each school, that indicate the range of issues that emerged, for them, as teachers in academically successful Christian Brothers’ schools. The specific use of high stakes testing was found to be very different in each of the schools. One school used high stakes testing as an accountability measure for staff, another used it as an accountability measure for students, and the third had no history of using high stakes testing. The study concludes that academic excellence can be achieved in Christian Brothers’ schools whilst remaining faithful to the ethos that underpins these schools: the Charism of Edmund Rice. Significant factors in the determination of the successful implementation of high stakes testing in these schools were found to be: the effect of senior management; influence of the media; the influence of culture; and changing culture and the nature of the schools. The thesis concludes with a blueprint for a hypothetical Christian Brothers’ school to follow that may lead to academic success.
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Joll, Lois A. "An examination of the reasons why parents send their daughters to specific, independent, non-Catholic schools for their secondary education in Western Australia". Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1989. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1112.
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This study examines the reasons why parents send their daughters to specific, independent, non-Catholic Schools for their secondary education in Perth, Western Australia. Initially, through a review of related literature, variables which might influence parental choice of a private school were identified. In order to establish the relevance of these variables, and to identify any other previously unidentified variables which may influence parental selection of a particular independent girls' school, a survey was undertaken of sample groups of parents whose daughters had entered Year 8 in 1989. Further data was obtained through interviews of a small number of parents from each of the five schools in the study. Analysis of the data was undertaken through consideration of the percentage frequency of responses to statements with Likert scale response fields; cross tabulation of responses with background data supplied by the parents; factor analysis and canonical variate analysis. The latter analyses established that there were several important influences on choice which were common to all schools and some elements which distinguished between schools. The common factors included: a desire for a well-rounded education, a caring environment, a desire for good communication between the school and home, firm discipline, a strong academic programme, a competent teaching staff and a good reputation, although the importance of these variables varied between schools. The variables which were of special importance in parental choice of a particular school included family tradition, distance between the home and the particular school and location with respect to an independent boys' school. This research identified a group of variables which influence parental choice of independent, non-Catholic girls' schools in Western Australia. The nature of the variables indicates that, overall, parents are seeking an education for their daughters which combines a strong academic programne with opportunities for a variety of enriching educational experiences in a caring environment.
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Cox, Philip F. "Student beliefs about learning in religion and science in Catholic schools". Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/799.
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The focus of this study is the impact of student perception of the validity of content on student learning. It is proposed that, if the content of a subject is perceived by students as being different to the content of another subject, a result of this perceived difference is that students will treat their learning in these subjects differently. To test this proposal, student beliefs about items from the content of the religious education course are compared with student responses to items of content of their science course. A sample of 1418, year 11 students from nine co-educational Catholic secondary schools were asked to respond to a series of outcome statements from the year 10 religious education and science courses. The questionnaire asks two questions; one, can• the student recall being taught each item; and two, does the student believe that the item is true. If the students believe that the item is true, they are asked to indicate one of three possible reasons for their belief. One, they believe the item because the teacher had provided them with evidence that convinced them that the item is true; two, they believe the item because they trust the teacher to teach them what is true, or three they believe the item for some other reason such as faith. This study does not deal with the issue of faith formation, catechesis, new evangelisation or evangelisation which are significant raison•d'etre of Catholic schools and are closely linked to the study of religious education in Catholic schools. Student and staff responses to a number of open-ended questions, and extensive discussions with students in a Reference Group, provide additional insights into the student beliefs regarding the nature of knowledge particularly for the content of their religious education and science courses.
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Degenhardt, Leoni Marilyn, i res cand@acu edu au. "Reinventing a School for the 21st Century: a case study of change in a Mary Ward School". Australian Catholic University. School of Educational Leadership, 2006. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp99.29082006.
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The focus of this study is the attempt of one school, Loreto Normanhurst, to draw from its values base and traditions to develop and implement a new holistic paradigm of schooling, more relevant to the needs of its 21st century students. Loreto Normanhurst is a Catholic secondary day and boarding school for girls in the northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. It is a school over 100 years old, associated with the 400 year old, Mary Ward, international tradition of educating women. The aims of the study were threefold: to document and analyse the process of reinvention from a ‘living systems’ perspective (Senge et al., 2000; Sergiovanni, 2000), while it was happening, thereby enhancing the reinvention process itself through a reflexive approach; to document and acknowledge the efforts of the members of the school community in seeking to meet the needs of its students in a 21st century context; and, through its blend of theory and practice, to contribute both to the literature on educational leadership and school reform, and to practice in schools. The study was limited to Loreto Normanhurst, the school in which the researcher is principal. A mixed methodology was adopted, although the study was chiefly qualitative. As an ethnographic case study, it incorporated phenomenological data from the school community, as well as some quantitative data. The particular situation of the researcher, however, as an insider researcher in a position of power within the community studied, necessitated some innovative methodological strategies in order to protect both the participants and the integrity of the research. The situation of the researcher led also to the incorporation of the research traditions of autoethnography and transpersonal research methodologies. The researcher drew from the literature on change, culture and leadership to analyse and interpret data gathered, predominantly, over a five-year period. The study traces the process of reinvention within the school from 2001 to 2005. Most of the data were gathered between 2001 and 2004, although antecedent data, particularly from 1994 to 2000, were included, as well as some data from 2005, by which stage the new paradigm had been implemented for two years within the school. The study presents findings in three main areas: change processes in schools; educational leadership; and insider research methodology. Findings related to change processes are addressed in two parts. The first of these relates to the development, implementation and evaluation of the new educational paradigm, while the second relates to the school’s attempt to ‘continually reinvent’ itself, thus institutionalising change (Schein, 1992). The school’s values played an important role in both of these aspects of change. Findings related to educational leadership are derived from the study of the school’s reinvention processes. These findings include insights into how a range of leadership theories supported, or failed to adequately support, leadership of the reinvention process as well as the identification of twelve dilemmas associated with leadership for change in a Mary Ward school. Findings related to methodologies for insider researchers in positions of power address the need for techniques, methods and research traditions which will protect participants and the research, as well as assisting the researcher in managing the multiple roles entailed in research of this kind. The study concludes with important contributions to the fields of school reform, educational leadership, and insider research methodology. First, it offers a framework for the reinvention of a school and the development of a culture of continual reinvention. This is the eight-step ‘Framework for Reinventing a School’. Second, it proposes a model of leadership for such a reinvention, identified as ‘Contemplative-reflexive leadership for reinvention’. Third, it presents a more fully developed method for conducting insider research, which can be used by school principals and others in positions of authority. This is known as ‘PIRM – Powerful Insider Research Method’: a research method for use by insider researchers in positions of power in their own organisation.
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Casson, Ann Elizabeth. "Perceptions of Catholicity in a plural society : an ethnographic case study of Catholic secondary schools in England". Thesis, University of Warwick, 2010. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/35207/.
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This is an ethnographic study of a small sample of Catholic secondary schools in England evaluating their role within the Catholic faith tradition and their contribution to community cohesion. The research is firmly based within an ethnographic framework; it explores the perception of Catholic schools by members, in particular the young people, of the Catholic school community. The ethnographic data was collected through semi-structured focus group interviews and observations. The understanding of religion is developed from the work of Hervieu-Léger on religion as a chain of memory. The concept of social capital in the form of bonding and bridging, and both religious and spiritual capital provides a framework to understand the factors within Catholic schools, which are perceived to create a Catholic community and those which are perceived to develop or hinder cohesion in plural society. The students’ understandings of their Catholic identity were diverse and fragmentary, with precarious links to the Catholic Church as an institution. However, there was a valuing of aspects of the Catholic faith tradition which were used to construct their own understanding of Catholicism, leading to a conclusion that the Catholic school is a source of spiritual capital for its members. The participants perceived their schools to have a Catholic nature, a strong ‘sense of community’. The Catholic schools were good generators of bonding capital, although this was focused on the school rather than the wider Catholic community. Perceptions of the boundaries of the school focused on everyday encounters with outsiders such as ‘the school next door’ rather than members of other faith communities. This research has implications: for the faith school debate and issues concerning social cohesion; for the Catholic school’s role in the transmission of the faith tradition and for an understanding of young people’s Catholic identity.
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Boyle, Patricia. "Exploring Potential Connections between Philadelphia-Area Catholic High School Experiences and Graduates' Later Life Pathways| Are These Schools Helping to Shape Service-Oriented Citizens?" Thesis, University of Pennsylvania, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10600942.
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As the continuous search for educational alternatives in Philadelphia intensifies, one only has to look at the current landscape, our surrounding communities, and fiscal pressures to appreciate the need for better alternatives to our public system. This study examines one such “alternative,” though long-standing education model, Philadelphia’s Catholic schools. Within these schools, perhaps we have leaders and a system that may be positioned to play an even greater role in providing a set of experiences that may impact the later life pathways of graduates, potentially predisposing them to community or civic service interests in their adult lives. I have completed an analysis of recollections of Catholic high school graduates across multiple graduation eras and collected insights from their narratives, to help illuminate those potential connection points. Further, unlike many previous longitudinal and correlational studies, in both Catholic and secular schools, I have conducted qualitative research to map earlier student experiences to current-day life practices and dispositions. Through surveys, one-on-one interviews and a focus group with graduates of Philadelphia’s area high schools, I am surfacing findings to determine if graduates are embracing certain values from their experiences and whether and how this may have helped shaped their civic and community interests years later.
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Stewart, Dalys A. "Principals' post-observation feedback and its influence on teacher professional growth at two Southern California Catholic high schools". Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3588574.
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The principal plays a key role in establishing a culture of collaboration and ongoing learning, and his/her actions related to effecting change are vital to the success of the school. A principal can contribute to the advancement of teacher expertise by engaging in specific behaviors. One such behavior is focused feedback, which leads teachers to reflect on their instructional routines. Given with intentionality, it is a powerful tool. Therein lies the motivation for this study.
The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to examine the practices in which principals engage during classroom post-observation feedback, and their effect on teacher professional growth. Seven teachers at 2 Southern California Catholic high schools were interviewed to capture their perceptions of the effect that principal feedback has had on their professional growth. Although much research has revolved around the impact that principals' actions have on the enhancement of teacher practice, very little research has focused on these effects from the perspective of the teacher. Capturing teachers' perceptions about the way their principals' actions impact their instructional practice may add to the existing body of knowledge in the field of education related to the way principals promote the use of effective practices at their schools. It may also shed light on the need for the teacher's voice to be heard and taken into consideration when making decisions on and implementing policies that are directly related to improving teacher practice.
Three main ideas emerged from a review of the existing literature: (a) there is a direct connection between the principal's actions and teachers' professional growth; (b) principal feedback produces lasting changes in instructional practice, especially when given immediately following the teaching; and (c) teachers are reflective practitioners seeking to improve their practice on an ongoing basis. Educational institutions may be able to utilize the findings of this study to inform their practice, and or to re-examine their policy on evaluation processes.
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Fleming, Gerard Patrick. "An analysis of Religious Educaton Coordinators' perceptions of their role in Catholic Secondary Schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne". Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2002. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/98ea641381f2f539248ecfeeb973d7df4c2f4bb2845e4bfce905fe0da1d0f282/2517436/64867_downloaded_stream_92.pdf.
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This thesis analysed Religious Education Coordinators' perceptions of their role in Catholic secondary schools of the Archdiocese of Melbourne from 1970 - 2000. The theoretical framework for the study, which was reported on in this thesis, was drawn from Catholic Church documents on religious education at both international and national levels, and from the work of researchers within the field of religious education. In particular the study investigated the diversity of language used to describe religious education and religious education theory and analysed the significance that this has had in the development of an understanding of the role of the Religious Education Coordinator. It was argued that there were significant factors in the development of the role of the Religious Education Coordinator that included changes in the understanding of the nature and purpose of religious education during the second half of the twentieth century. In addition there were historical factors peculiar to the Archdiocese of Melbourne that played an important part in the understanding of the RECs role. Quantitative data in the form of annual survey material (1988-1999) from the Catholic Education Office Melbourne provided a framework for the empirical component of the research. The empirical component involved the interviewing of Religious Education Coordinators from a deliberately selected sample that covered the range of skills and experiences deemed necessary in the research. The purpose was to ascertain from the perspective of the Religious Education Coordinators themselves how they analysed their role. Grounded theory methodology was used as the basis for the inductive analysis of the data that emerged from the in-depth interviews. Theory that was generated on the role of the Religious Education Coordinator includes: the importance of an understanding of the theoretical dimensions of religious education and the role of the Religious Education Coordinator; an elaboration of the role of the Religious Education Coordinator in the school context and the necessary skills and attributes that are required to meet the challenges in the role; and the complexity of the challenges that are faced by the Religious Education Coordinator.
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Thiveos, Ekaterina. "Lower secondary students’ perspectives towards Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) at three Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) schools". Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2020. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2357.
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Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) is one of eight mandated learning areas in the Australian Curriculum and its adaptation for Western Australian (WA) schools, the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline. This learning area has undergone considerable change over the past 20 years, with little accompanying research. In 2000, a single case study examined lower secondary students’ (Year 8 to Year 10) attitudes to a previous version of the curriculum that used different nomenclature, Social Studies, in one metropolitan co-educational Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) school (Thiveos, 2000). The results of that research established that students valued and were moderately positive towards Social Studies; however, their liking for the subject area declined by 13.3% over the course of lower secondary schooling. At that time, Social Studies was ranked eleventh out of 14 school subjects and its low status was attributed to teacher-centred delivery of the curriculum and limited learning activities (Thiveos, 2000). Those results are now outdated and do not take into account the multitude of curricular, pedagogical and assessment developments over the two decades since, therefore motivating the current research.
This mixed methods research investigated lower secondary students’ (Year 7 to Year 10) perspectives towards the HASS learning area and identified the factors influencing those perspectives at three metropolitan co-educational CEWA schools. One of the participating schools was also the original case study in the historical research, allowing for comparisons with the current research. The two other schools enlarged the sample of students that enabled generalisation of the findings to other, similar CEWA schools.
A survey of 1,425 lower secondary students involved the completion of a Student Perspectives of Humanities and Social Sciences (SPHASS) questionnaire that measured their perspectives of teaching and learning in HASS, the frequency of learning activities in HASS and the status of HASS and other school subjects by means of subsequent descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Students’ feedback in semistructured focus group interviews with each year level at the three sample schools, in combination with their responses to two open-ended questions in the SPHASS questionnaire, were coded to identify emergent themes in the data. Analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data measured overall responses across the three CEWA schools, with a particular focus on gender (male and female) and age (year level) differences.
The findings revealed a positive perspective towards teaching and learning in HASS at the three CEWA schools; however, this declined by 3.8% from Year 7 to Year 10. HASS was ranked the eighth most popular subject out of 15 surveyed, and of the four mandated HASS subjects (Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business, Geography and History), History was the most preferred and Civics and Citizenship the least preferred, with students signifying a negative view of the subject. Furthermore, there were significant differences in students’ liking for HASS based on gender (male and female) and age (year level), with males and Year 8 students the most positive, and Year 9 students the least positive. The inclusion of Year 7 students in secondary school had a positive impact on students’ perspectives of HASS, contradicting the findings of earlier research (Moroz, 1995) and signalling a much-improved status for the HASS learning area.
Students considered the HASS classroom a positive learning environment; valued and considered HASS useful; were positive about their abilities and success in HASS; and indicated strong parental support for the learning area. The centrality of the teacher was a major finding of this research. Students had positive views of their HASS teachers; however, were more enthusiastic about interactive, collaborative and studentcentred pedagogical approaches in lessons.
Despite recent reforms to the HASS curriculum, advancements in digital technology and the endorsement of 21st century pedagogical practices, teachers at the three CEWA schools appeared to rely upon teacher-centred pedagogical practices, particularly the use of textbooks. Although the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was more prevalent in HASS classrooms compared to two decades ago, it became evident that teachers missed opportunities to integrate digital technology effectively and meaningfully into student learning.
This research concluded that curriculum, teachers, the learning environment, students and parents were all factors that influenced students’ perspective of HASS at the three CEWA schools. The insights gained have significant implications for administrators and teachers at these schools and beyond, to decision makers in other education sectors and school contexts. To impact and improve students’ perspectives of HASS further, this research found that teacher practice, and particularly the choice of student-centred teaching and learning activities, is necessary.
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Davison, Liam G., i res cand@acu edu au. "Lay Principals Under Contract: ‘Going Down for the Good Turf’: An exploration of the perceptions of selected secondary lay principals in relation to the religious and spiritual dimensions of their role". Australian Catholic University. School of Educational Leadership, 2006. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp122.25102006.
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The purpose of this research study was to consider the understanding and experience of a selected number of lay principals of diocesan secondary Catholic schools in Victoria as to the religious and spiritual dimensions of their leadership role and to identify what supported them in the discharge of their responsibilities in these domains of their leadership. Based on this purpose, I identified three research questions: 1. What is the understanding of lay Catholic secondary principals in Victoria, of their role as a ministry within the Catholic Church? 2. In what ways have principals experienced the spiritual and religious dimensions of their leadership role? 3. In what ways have principals sought and/or experienced formation beyond academic study which has enriched their practice of principalship? The theoretical perspective of the research is Interpretative Constructionism and the methodology adopted is Multiple Informant Case Study. The researcher has taken the stance of ‘interrogatory fellow traveller’ in relation to the research informants. The methods used to gather data are (a) focus group, (b) biographical written statements, (c) document analysis and (d) personal reflection in response to the previous three methods. In general, the findings of this research study suggest that lay principals of Catholic secondary schools who were informants in the study understand the role of principal of a diocesan secondary school as a ministry within the Catholic Church. While the informants did not use overtly theological terms to articulate this understanding, the accounts of their experience in principalship and the insights gained through reflection on their leadership behaviour have led them to believe that they are in fact exercising a legitimate ministry within the field of Catholic secondary education in Victoria. This research has brought to light a body of knowledge about the work of a group of principals which has not previously been subject to critical scrutiny. While the study is of intrinsic merit in recognising and describing the work of secondary lay principals, from an instrumental perspective these findings raise a number of issues relating to the preparation, induction and support available to newly appointed and continuing principals in diocesan Catholic secondary schools in Victoria. As a consequence the following propositions are offered: Further study using a wider informant group of principals is warranted to confirm the findings of this enquiry and to expand on the knowledge already gained. Such study might include parallel studies of lay principals in congregation-owned schools, in other states of Australia or in other countries where the Catholic Church has established schools as an agency of its evangelising mission in education. This study is of potential assistance to aspiring principals, principals and system authorities in the planning and development of appropriate professional learning and support, including formal academic study and formational opportunities. The findings confirm the importance for leaders and aspiring leaders in Catholic education of sound theological and spiritual education as a necessary part of their preparation for leadership, both pre-service and in-service. The findings confirm the significance of appropriate liturgical induction or commissioning for principals. It is suggested that one practical form of support for principals is the provision of access to regular professional supervision and spiritual direction. It is recommended that the process of appointment and induction of principals be undertaken more systematically, perhaps using the principles of project management, especially in relation to the identification of enhancing and inhibiting factors present within the staff community at the time of the appointment of a new principal. The findings indicate that schools have had varied experiences of developing a distinctive ethos and charism, based on a particular founder or group of founders. It is recommended that all diocesan secondary schools be encouraged to develop an appropriate charism and spirituality, based on the character of the local faith community and the history of the particular school. The findings point to the need for further development of an authentic spirituality of educational and faith leadership, based in the reality of principals’ lives as family and community members and educators in faith of their staff and wider community. Informants to the study indicated their awareness of the tension between occupying a leadership role in the Church and personal positions in conscience on matters of Church teaching. Some further study of this issue may be warranted.
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White, Greer, i res cand@acu edu au. "A Call for a Level Playing Field A Study of Masculinity 1999–2000". Australian Catholic University. School of Educational Leadership, 2004. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp61.29082005.
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The impetus of this study was a concern for the education and general welfare of boys. The interest in boys’ education has grown notably over the past ten years. This interest is evident in media reports, popular psychology texts, education reports and scholarly writing. Academic research on boys’ experience of education is less prolific although it does include studies conducted by Australian and international researchers. Central to this commentary on boys’ education is the concept of masculinity. Here there is a strong claim that boys’ academic performance and behaviour is influenced by the way they construct and live out masculine expressions. This research study is situated in a Catholic secondary school for boys (referred to as the College) and seeks to illumine the school experiences of students at the school. As school Counsellor I noted that some boys were displaying a lack of motivation for learning, resisted independent thinking and seemed to be opposed to authority. These characteristics, in turn, contributed to diminished academic performance and troublesome classroom behaviour. This observation raised issues in respect to the boys’ perceptions of masculinity and the various expressions of masculinity within the school. An analysis of historical and contemporary documents identified a mismatch between the stated vision and mission of the school and the structural organization it creates. This mismatch pointed to a critical gap between the stated purpose of its education and the social reality of boys’ educational experience. This critical gap was particularly evident in the school’s commitment to educating boys within a social justice framework. It seemed that investigation into the gender regime of the school and the implications this has for students was warranted. A review of literature in respect to the concept of masculinity and boys’ education served to further clarify the research problem and the purpose of this study. This review identified the various contemporary understandings of masculinity. It also explored the current debate about what is happening to boys in education and provided an outline of particular elements of the social constructionist’s understanding of collective masculinity expressions within a school setting. Commentary on how a school can configure its particular gender regime was of particular interest to this study. This review identified three research questions to guide this study. These questions are: Research Question 1: How do the students of the College understand masculinity? Research Question 2: What is the College’s gender regime? Research Question 3: What are the implications for students of the College’s gender regime? This research study was informed by a pragmatic understanding of the epistemology of constructivism and the principles associated with the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism. A two-stage research design of exploration and inspection was employed to aid data collection, analysis and interpretation. In the exploratory stage data was collected through a questionnaire to 255 of the 301 Year 12 cohort. These data were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods and the results gave direction to the type of data needed in the second stage of the study, the stage of inspection. In the stage of inspection, data were obtained through two processes, one-to-one interviews and focus group discussions. An analysis of data collected in the second stage of the study led to the identification of a number of key findings in the way boys understand masculinity and the school has organized its gender regime. These findings highlight the domination of playing sport and the subordination and marginalization of other masculine expressions. They also give evidence of the existence of a critical gap between the school’s stated purpose based on Christian values, justice, holistic development, respect for the dignity of the individual, human striving and so on, and the reality it produces. The study concludes by outlining a number of recommendations that suggest themselves for the future development of the College. It recommends that the school introduce a gender education programme for students, review the gender regime that supports playing sport as the dominant masculine expression, and provide structures and opportunity for other masculine expressions to find approval and acceptance. Finally it is recommended that the vision that the school holds for the education of boys and its structural organization be open to scrutiny and exploration in order that what the school holds to be most important in the education of boys will be intentionally pursued.
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Fleming, Gerard Patrick, i res cand@acu edu au. "An Analysis of Religious Education Coordinators’ Perceptions of their Role in Catholic Secondary Schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne". Australian Catholic University. School of Religious Education, 2002. http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/digitaltheses/public/adt-acuvp17.16082005.
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This thesis analysed Religious Education Coordinators’ perceptions of their role in Catholic secondary schools of the Archdiocese of Melbourne from 1970 – 2000. The theoretical framework for the study, which was reported on in this thesis, was drawn from Catholic Church documents on religious education at both international and national levels, and from the work of researchers within the field of religious education. In particular the study investigated the diversity of language used to describe religious education and religious education theory and analysed the significance that this has had in the development of an understanding of the role of the Religious Education Coordinator. It was argued that there were significant factors in the development of the role of the Religious Education Coordinator that included changes in the understanding of the nature and purpose of religious education during the second half of the twentieth century. In addition there were historical factors peculiar to the Archdiocese of Melbourne that played an important part in the understanding of the RECs role. Quantitative data in the form of annual survey material (1988-1999) from the Catholic Education Office Melbourne provided a framework for the empirical component of the research. The empirical component involved the interviewing of Religious Education Coordinators from a deliberately selected sample that covered the range of skills and experiences deemed necessary in the research. The purpose was to ascertain from the perspective of the Religious Education Coordinators themselves how they analysed their role. Grounded theory methodology was used as the basis for the inductive analysis of the data that emerged from the in-depth interviews. Theory that was generated on the role of the Religious Education Coordinator includes: the importance of an understanding of the theoretical dimensions of religious education and the role of the Religious Education Coordinator; an elaboration of the role of the Religious Education Coordinator in the school context and the necessary skills and attributes that are required to meet the challenges in the role; and the complexity of the challenges that are faced by the Religious Education Coordinator.
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Cauchi, Cuschieri Rose Anne. "The view from the top : a study on economical leadership in Roman Catholic Church primary and secondary schools in Malta". Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2007. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/6098/.
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This Research studies leadership in Roman Catholic primary and secondary schools in Malta. The study takes a grounded approach in order to investigate what it is like to be a headteacher in a church-run school, through an exploration of attitudes, behaviours, leadership styles and managerial skills and approaches. The initial phase of the project involved interviews with ten Roman Catholic school headteachers (five primary and five secondary). On the basis of these interviews a questionnaire was constructed, focusing on what had been identified as the key issues. The questionnaire was then distributed to the Heads of all Roman Catholic schools in Malta (forty schools). The findings of the study give some privileged insights into the perceptions and experiences of church school Heads, providing information about positive and negative aspects of the job, indicating areas where organisational and / or administrative changes would be helpful and also highlighting areas for further headteacher education and training.
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Mention, Brittany LeVonne. "21st Century Segregation: An analysis of racial disparity in Midwest Ohio Parochial schools". University of Findlay / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=findlay1533165949620468.
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