Catholic Schools Research Articles

How Can We Improve Employee Well-Being in Teachers? The Importance of Individual and Job Resources

According to one of the UN agencies, UNESCO, during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, more than sixty-three million teachers worldwide experienced technical and psychological problems due to changes in the learning process. This is not only because of the pandemic and monetary crisis in Indonesia but also because the increasing number of teachers' tasks and demands for professionalism can make teachers experience changes in the perceived condition of employee well-being. Several factors, including work stress, perceived organizational support and emotional regulation, psychologically influence the condition of teachers' employee well-being. Based on the existing model, perceived organizational support and emotional regulation can directly and indirectly influence teachers' employee well-being through work stress as a mediator. This research aims to prove the model above. The number of subjects in this research was 129 high school teachers from superior accredited Catholic schools in the province of East Java, Indonesia. The results of the data analysis show that the construct validity and reliability tests are met. Apart from that, perceived organizational support and emotional regulation can influence teachers' employee well-being both directly and indirectly through work stress as a mediator.

Parental attitudes towards sexual orientation and gender diversity: challenging LGBT discrimination in Australian schools.

As Australia considers legislative reform regarding the rights of religious schools to discriminate against LGBT students and staff, claims are often made that religious parents or those enrolling children in religious schools do not affirm diversity of sexuality or gender. Using a national dataset of parents (n = 2418), attitudes towards sexual orientation, gender diversity, homophobia and transphobia were examined. Across all religiosities, school sectors and attitudinal statements, significant majorities of parents reported positive attitudes (62.7%-93.5%). Only small minorities expressly reported negative attitudes (1.6%-20.2%). Pairwise religiosity comparisons between parents with children only at a secular school, versus any religious school, revealed few differences. Amongst Catholic parents, those with children at Catholic schools and those with children only at secular schools, held similar attitudes towards LGBT issues and a majority held favourable attitudes, suggesting most Catholic parents who enrol their children in Catholic schools do so despite or in ignorance of Catholic doctrine. Findings suggest a significant majority of parents sending children to religious schools hold supportive attitudes towards diverse sexual orientations, gender diversity, and actions to address homophobia and transphobia. This empirical evidence contradicts religious schools' calls for the rights to discriminate against LGBT persons based on parental values and attitudes.

Climate Change-Based Speaking Instructional Material for Students at Saint Paul’s Junior Seminary: Students’ Needs Analysis

Through education, awareness of the importance of climate change as a global issue can be delivered. Aligned with the encyclical Laudato si issued by Pope Francis that mentioned climate change, the seminary as a Catholic school is expected to fulfill the Pope's call. This study aimed to determine the needs of Saint Paul's Junior Seminary students to design English speaking materials based on climate change. This study used mixed methods with ADDIE development model. The data was obtained through questionnaires and face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The participants of this research were 31 students of the 4th grade at Saint Paul’s Junior Seminary and an English teacher. The results of the needs analysis showed that: 1) students still had difficulty speaking English; 2) there were no English-speaking materials that specifically discuss climate change; 3) students needed learning resources that provide English language materials that specifically discuss climate change; 4) there should be more practice speaking English about climate change which will increase students' awareness of the environment, in line with Pope Francis' Laudato si. From these needs, it was necessary to develop English-speaking material based on climate change because of the students' inability to speak English about climate change and to increase students’ awareness of climate change.

Genders, sexualities, and Catholic schools: towards a theological anthropology of adolescent flourishing

ABSTRACT Good religious education needs to be rooted in a robust theological anthropology. The Roman Catholic Church’s gender complementarity approach is inadequate for accompanying adolescents in Catholic schools as they engage in questions of gender and sexuality; instead, educators need a theological anthropology oriented towards adolescent flourishing. To construct a more capacious theological anthropological approach, one that is still authentically Catholic and rooted in the Church’s official documents, this essay turns to Pope Francis’ Christus Vivit and Fratelli Tutti. From Francis’ concern for mercy and accompaniment, a theological approach to the goodness of adolescence is described, which can ground theological reflection on gender and sexuality in love and human dignity, rather than shame and exclusion.

The Effect of Using ChatGPT 3.5 on the Motivation and Independence in Learning Mathematics of Santo Thomas Aquino Catholic High School Students in the Era of Society 5.0

Hasil observasi di SMA Katolik St. Thomas Aquino menunjukkan bahwa sebagian siswa mengalami kesulitan dalam mencapai kemandirian belajar karena kurangnya motivasi. Penyebabnya antara lain kesulitan memahami materi secara mandiri, kebosanan, dan kurangnya arahan dalam belajar. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh ChatGPT 3.5 terhadap pembelajaran matematika, motivasi, dan kemandirian. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain quasi eksperimen dan metodologi kuantitatif. Populasi penelitian adalah siswa kelas X SMA Katolik St. Thomas Aquino yang berjumlah 96 orang. Sampel penelitian terdiri dari kelas eksperimen yang berjumlah 36 orang di kelas X-1 dan kelas kontrol yang berjumlah 28 orang di kelas X-3. Strategi pengambilan sampel yang digunakan adalah purposive sampling dan pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan menggunakan kuesioner. Metode analisis data yang digunakan adalah uji T. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan nilai sig = 0,001 untuk motivasi dan kemandirian dalam pembelajaran matematika, sehingga H01 dan H02 ditolak serta Ha1 dan Ha2 diterima. Kesimpulannya adalah ada pengaruh penggunaan ChatGPT 3.5 terhadap motivasi dan kemandirian belajar matematika siswa kelas X SMA Katolik St. Thomas Aquino Era Society 5.0.

Functional Ovulatory Menstrual Health Literacy Amongst Adolescent Females in Western Australia

Study objectiveTo assess the knowledge of ovulation and menstruation of adolescent females in Western Australia. MethodsA validated adolescent ovulatory menstrual health literacy questionnaire was used in a cross-sectional study, which included an open-response question inviting participants’ reflections. ResultsParticipants (n=297) were from two single sex and seven co-educational schools of varied socio-educational advantage. Mean chronological age was 15 years and mean gynaecological age was two years. The prevalence of dysmenorrhoea was 69%. Primary sources of information included mothers (91%), friends (61%) and, for post-menarcheal participants (n=274), mobile applications (52%). Most adolescents enjoyed finding out information about ovulatory menstrual health, and understood the information given to them. However, participants’ knowledge of ovulation, menstruation and their occurrence in the cycle were low. Attendance at a single sex or Catholic school or use of mobile applications did not confer a knowledge advantage overall (p<0.05), except for knowing the meaning of cervical mucus. Thematic content analysis of open-ended responses resulted in five themes, including normality, menstrual flow, charting, ovulation and dysmenorrhoea. ConclusionInadequate functional ovulatory menstrual health literacy hampers progression to acquiring complete health literacy. This has negative implications for progressing towards the interactive and critical ovulatory menstrual health literacy domains, which include providing an accurate menstrual history when engaging with healthcare providers.

COVID-19 Disruptions and Choice: Student Movement and Academic Outcomes in Indiana During the Pandemic

ABSTRACT Faced with, nearly all U.S. schools transitioned to remote instruction in March 2020. The following year, the majority of public schools remained closed, but most Catholic schools offered in-person learning. In Indiana, many parents had additional opportunity to switch to a private school for in-person instruction. We examine student and school administrative data to consider movement between sectors and achievement outcomes for students moving to Catholic schools compared to matched peers in their previous public schools. Students who moved to in-person instruction in a Catholic school during this time fared better academically than those remaining in their previous public school.

Church-State Collaboration in Management of Catholic Church Sponsored Public Secondary Schools in Nandi County, Kenya

Church-State Collaboration in Management of Catholic Church Sponsored Public Secondary Schools in Nandi County, Kenya

Challenges of Church-State Collaborations in Management of Catholic Church Sponsored Public Secondary Schools in Nandi County, Kenya

Challenges of Church-State Collaborations in Management of Catholic Church Sponsored Public Secondary Schools in Nandi County, Kenya

Unequal City and Inequitable Choice: The Neoliberal State’s Development of School Choice and Marketization in the Publicly Funded Catholic School Board in Toronto, Canada

ABSTRACT This study examines the extent to which school choice in the Toronto Catholic District School Board impacts equity and segregation. This examination is important because full public funding for the Board should adhere to the goals of public education, namely, equity and inclusion of all students. A critical policy geography perspective is applied to illuminate the dynamics of school choice as a neoliberal reform in the context of a global city where residential polarization and occupational bifurcation along racialized social class lines have intensified. Guided by critical space analysis, this research uses student enrollment data (Grades 9–12), Canadian Census data, school website information, and secondary literature. The findings suggest that school choice increases spatial inequity by giving those who are already socially and racially advantaged easier access to prestigious academic programs of choice. School segregation according to students’ economic backgrounds thereby increases. This study calls for implementing sociospatially conscious education policies that can undo rather than reinforce global city inequality.

Remote secondary education retention: What helps First Nations students stay until, and complete, year 12

Over recent years there has been a strong emphasis on year 12 completion as an indicator of success in remote First Nations education. The research reported in this article explores what students, school staff and community members say leads to secondary school retention and, ultimately, completion. The research was conducted in the Northern Territory and Western Australia during 2023 by a team of researchers from Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, Curtin University and University of Notre Dame. The research focused on remote and very remote independent and Catholic schools. The findings suggest several factors encourage retention, including the supportive role of families (although questions remain on how families might also be supported to encourage their children), the quality of teachers and their teaching, specific school programs and initiatives, post-school pathways, and boarding schools. Student aspirations and motivation are also critical for retention. The findings have implications for schools, school systems, state and federal policies, and associated funding priorities.

Catholic Schools in the Marketplace: Changing and Enduring Religious Identities

ABSTRACT Despite controversies surrounding faith-based schooling, religious schools continue to play a prominent role in numerous education systems. Nonetheless, empirical research on nonstate religious schools operating in a market context remains limited and fragmented. On the one hand, while religious and cultural studies investigate the evolution of religious education (RE), they tend to focus on state schools while overlooking the impact of market forces. On the other hand, research on education markets often treats religious private schools as a uniform category with a fixed identity. This study aims to bridge this gap by delving into the responses of religious private schools to competitive pressures, focusing on how these schools negotiate their religious identities in a market context. With this objective, the paper presents a case study of Catholic school networks in Catalonia, Spain. We identify three different approaches to RE and religious identity developed by these school networks—confessional, culture-centric and value-centric. The triggering factors and enabling conditions behind these approaches are examined in detail. The study concludes by discussing the relevance of these findings for ongoing debates around the public funding of faith-based schools and the tensions posed by such policies in terms of social cohesion, educational pluralism, and equity.

Spiritual Leadership of Principals Imbued with Monastic Vows in Malang, Indonesia

This study aims to describe the implementation of the spiritual leadership of the monks in Catholic schools. The research method used is a descriptive qualitative approach. The research design used a multi-site study conducted at three Catholic Junior High Schools (CJHI) in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. The results of the study show that in developing spiritual leadership in Catholic schools, school principals are imbued with monastic vows namely poverty, chastity and obedience. Embracing monastic vows in leadership assignments has a positive impact on teachers, staff and students.

New York City Catholic Schools Operating in the Public Space in a Post-Makin World

ABSTRACT Given recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, specifically Carson v. Makin, which permit public funding for religious schools, we examine how Catholic diocese and school leaders interpret these legal shifts for Catholic education. We utilize the Catholic education sector in New York City as a case study to examine how Catholic school leaders interpret local, state, and national policy shifts in funding for Catholic education. Specifically, we examine how Catholic school leaders currently navigate public–private partnerships and how they think Makin will affect future funding of Catholic education in New York City. We find that Catholic school leaders are already participating in limited public–private partnerships and are enthusiastic about potential policy windows for opportunities such as tax-credits and religious charter schools. However, Catholic school leaders in New York face challenges in terms of state politics, Catholic identity of schools, and other school-choice advocates including public charter schools.

Toward an Authentic Understanding of Catholic School Identity

AbstractResearchers have studied Catholic schools for decades, often in an attempt to extrapolate from them lessons that may help public schools accomplish similar levels of academic achievement and other desirable goals, such as social mobility, social efficiency, and democratic equality. But research that attempts to understand Catholic education from a secular perspective inevitably misunderstands the purpose of education that Catholic schools themselves claim to pursue, i.e., beatitude. This unique purpose is the source of Catholic school identity. Here, Christopher Hurst argues that by considering Catholic education as the practice of a distinctly Catholic tradition, researchers can authentically assess how well Catholic schools are achieving their own stated goals, and whether their practices can be applied outside of a particular Catholic context.

As Reformas religiosas e o nascimento da escolarização ocidental

The religious reforms of the 16th century served as the midwives of early modernity. At a time when the Iberian expansion was globalizing the continents, these reforms sparked religious wars and deeply fragmented the European landscape. This confessionalization of society led to the emergence of a more rationalized form of Christianity, represented by various Protestant churches and Tridentine Catholicism, particularly exemplified by the Society of Jesus. Diverging from medieval Christianity, Lutherans, Calvinists, and Anglicans invested in creating their own networks of educational institutions, sparking an unprecedented wave of schooling that aimed to solidify the religious practices of their followers. In response, the Catholic Church also equipped itself, establishing parish schools and, notably, a network of Jesuit colleges that spread throughout the Catholic regions of Europe, Asia, and the New World. In 1599, the Society of Jesus unified its educational establishments with the institution of the Ratio Studiorum — a comprehensive set of Jesuit educational rules that became the foundational curriculum for Catholic schooling in the early modern period. This study argues that the religious reforms were instrumental in the birth of Western schooling, emerging from different Christian matrices — both Protestant and Catholic. This represents a historical shift — in the Foucauldian sense — that led to the rise of schooling in the Western world, characterized by modern discipline, manifested through mechanisms such as time control, spatial organization, the arrangement of forces, a climate of competition and student reward, and an emphasis on moral punishments. This issue is examined through three recent historical-sociological works published in Europe and Latin America: Produção da escola/produção da sociedade: Análise sócio-histórica de alguns momentos decisivos da evolução escolar no Ocidente by sociologist André Petitat; Arqueología de la escuela by sociologists Julia Varela and Fernando Álvarez-Uría; and A invenção da sala de aula: Uma genealogia das formas de ensinar by historians Inés Dussel and Marcelo Caruso. This historiographical reflection examines the emergence of Western schooling, aiming to identify common analytical elements across these three books, while also noting differences, particularly those related to theoretical foundations and socio-spatial contexts.

The Effect of a Nature-Based Environmental Education of Children: The Importance of Environmental Knowledge and the Connectedness to Nature, Together, are Related to Ecological Behavior and Environmental Attitude

There is a lack of rigorous research studies investigating the impact of nature-based training on environmental activism, so the outcomes remain uncertain. As a consequence, making statements regarding causation and providing suggestions for actions becomes more difficult. The authors of the paper provide a comprehensive analysis of the results obtained from an experiment that examined the influence of a nature-based environmental education (NBEE) curriculum on the environmental attitudes (EA) and behaviours (EB) of pupils. The control group included the children who participated in the course while continuing their attendance at conventional schools. The venture included seven primary schools in Spain. Classes were randomly allocated to either the NBEE programme or the regular environmental education (EE) curriculum at each school. Our study revealed that the group of youngsters who received NBEE showed a substantial increase in EA growth compared with the control group. The average incidence of EB in both groups of kids remained rather stable throughout time. The results of our research support the notion that including a nature-centered teaching approach within formal educational programmes might be advantageous in cultivating students' awareness and concern for the environment.

The Study of the Development of Educator Profiles for use in Schools, Departments, and Organisations who's Primary Focus is on the Education of Future Teachers

The education system will undergo radical change during the next decade. There will be a lot of people leaving and a lot of new people coming in, mostly because of retirements caused by people becoming older. New professional standards are being established to address the difficulties of the information society, and with that comes stricter criteria and higher expectations for educators. "The challenge is to avoid generational self-renewal," says Mayer. "The challenge is to be unconstrained by old or re-worked notions of what it means to be an Australian teacher." The MCEETYA Teacher Quality and Educational Leadership Taskforce (TQELT) commissioned a study of the teaching workforce in March 2003 to prepare for these changes and to help address the challenge, focusing on teachers in their first ten years of employment in public, Catholic, or independent schools.

Poetry writing can enhance character formation in school students through the application of rational emotive behavior theory

ABSTRACT This study explores the role of poetry writing and the ABC model of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in promoting character development and moral behavior among students. The study used DAS SF1 and SF2 and assessed poetic talent using a poetry attitude and knowledge test. Forty-eight students were selected using the purposive method from five Convent schools, along with five teachers. Following a two-month intervention of 30 sessions, the researcher conducted interviews to evaluate the method’s efficacy. Content analysis of the integrated poetry writing and REBT program was performed using NVivo, while both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using SPSS. The study found significant positive correlations between the integration of REBT and improved behavior, suggesting that incorporating poetry writing into the curriculum can enhance students’ behavior and attitudes.

Singularity and aesthetics of distinction in the discourse of the catholic school

El objetivo principal de este estudio es la comprensión del ethos característico de las escuelas concertadas y privadas de confesión católica en España. A tal fin, se analizan las observaciones registradas por el profesorado en formación que realizó sus prácticas en ellos, en el marco del Máster Universitario en Formación del Profesorado de la Universidad de Sevilla (España). Se emplea un procedimiento analítico basado en la combinación de técnicas lexicométricas con la configuración de un sistema de categorías emergentes. La categoría La singularidad y la estética de la distinción, en la que se centra este trabajo, refleja la existencia de un conjunto de estrategias y tópicos discursivos que definen y articulan las identidades promovidas hoy por las escuelas católicas.