Abstract
As staffing in Catholic K-12 schools has transitioned to a predominantly lay teaching corps over the past 50 years, a parallel process of secularization has taken place in teacher education programs at Catholic colleges and universities. The tradition of teaching as a vocation in the formation of vowed religious has been replaced by standard programs of educational foundations, course work, and field experiences with a primary emphasis on the issues and needs of public schools. Many factors contribute to this focus in Catholic higher education: financial concerns; teacher candidate preference; state laws; lack of proximity, affiliation, or experience with Catholic schools. Many programs function under a mission to prepare teachers for any school setting, public, private, or parochial, and view an intentional focus on Catholic Education as limiting or debilitating to the professional development of teacher candidates. This article asks the question: can an alternative teacher program based in service to Catholic education prepare teachers to be effective in both parochial and secular settings? The study investigated the professional preparedness of M.Ed. in program teacher candidates (n= 163) working in Catholic Schools and program graduates (n= 137) and these graduates’ principals (n= 112) working in either Catholic or public schools. Results of the administration of a professional preparedness inventory indicated teacher self-reported and principal reported rates at comparable levels to replicated national surveys. Comparison of graduate and principal responses by school context indicated no statistically significant difference for overall measures of preparedness. Specific areas of significant difference were identified in the Catholic school context (higher preparedness rates in curriculum and instruction and questioning and discussion skills) and public school context (higher rates of preparedness in encouraging critical thinking, reflective practice, and use of technology). Discussion focuses on the Catholic school context as a viable alternative for the preparation of teachers for multiple school contexts.
Highlights
Imagine the reduction of the teaching force in the United States by 80% within a span of 4 decades
Teacher professional preparedness increases with experience, with the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) teachers engaged in their first year of teaching and graduate studies associated with the lowest means
The central question addressed in this study was whether a mission, counterintuitive in Catholic higher education, which places the Catholic school context as its core and that is alternative in design, can effectively prepare teachers for the profession
Summary
Imagine the reduction of the teaching force in the United States by 80% within a span of 4 decades. The shift from religious and clergy to a lay teaching force has unfolded since the 1960s, there has been no national plan for this transition, no systematic program to form lay teachers for work in Catholic schools, and an increasing reliance on public education as a model for the professional preparation of teachers for these schools. This article investigates the potential of alternative teacher education based in the Catholic school tradition to serve as a foundation for the formation and professional preparedness of teachers. It begins with a review of changes in staffing and teacher preparation for Catholic schools amid renewed support for the role teachers play in the formation of Catholic identity. The ensuing discussion focuses on the Catholic school context as a viable alternative for the preparation of teachers for both parochial and public schools
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