Religious Education Commons^™

Cultivating Talent: Insights From The 2022 National Study Examining Pathways To Increase The Presence Of Hispanic Teachers And Leaders In Catholic Schools, Hosffman Ospino, Melodie Wyttenbach

Journal of Catholic Education

This article draws extensively on data from Cultivating Talent: A National Study Examining Pathways to Increase the Presence of Hispanic Teachers and Leaders in Catholic Schools, conducted by Boston College researchers and released in January 2022. The report looks to understand and appreciate the various ways in which Hispanics educators are transforming the American Catholic school experience. Our findings clearly show that Catholic schools in the United States are and will be further enriched by the presence and contributions of Hispanic teachers and leaders. The report encourages stakeholders of Catholic education and pastoral leaders at all levels, across the nation, …

Practices, Perceptions, And Perspectives Of Hispanic Catholic School Diocesan Leaders, John Reyes, Veronica Alonzo, Melodie Wyttenbach

Journal of Catholic Education

Centering on (a) the pathways and beliefs that characterize the experiences of Hispanic Catholic school diocesan leaders and (b) the impact of ethnic and cultural heritage on their leadership practices and perceptions, this article articulates the key findings of a qualitative descriptive study involving eight Hispanic Catholic school diocesan leaders in the United States. Drawing upon the four frames of understanding used in Ospino and Wyttenbach’s (2022) broad study on the 14,000 Hispanic Catholic school educators in the United States and existing literature on Hispanic superintendent leadership, the authors detail three key thematic findings in the areas of motivation, mentoring …

Fortalecer Raíces Y Formar Alas: Empowerment, Advancement, And Retention Of Latinx Educators And Leaders In Catholic Schools, Kathryn Lichon, Itzxul Moreno, Angela Maria Villamizar, Kenna Arana

Journal of Catholic Education

While Latinx children are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. school population, the majority of Latinx Catholic school children may never be instructed or led by a Latinx teacher, principal, or administrator. This is a lamentable gap given that a shared student and teacher identity (i.e., home language, ethnicity, background knowledge, lived experiences) can lead to improved academic outcomes (Dixon, 2017) and non-academic outcomes (Carver-Thomas, 2018), that Latinx educators have conveyed a more profound sense of dedication and belonging when their identity is recognized and valued (Flores et al., 2018), and that there are persistent challenges in the retention of …

Cultivating The Talent Of Educators For Learning And Belonging, Molly Mcmahon, Theresa Pileggi-Proud

Journal of Catholic Education

As schools endeavor to implement the recommendations of Cultivating Talent: A National Study Examining Pathways to Increase the Presence of Hispanic Teachers and Leaders in Catholic Schools (“Cultivating Talent”), this education in practice article presents research-informed recommendations that can be implemented immediately by Catholic schools in order to strengthen student-teacher relationships and create a positive school climate that increases all students’ learning and sense of belonging.

Dual Language Catholic Schools: Innovation And Equity--Considerations For Making The Transition To Dual Language, Carrie Fuller, Elena Sada

Journal of Catholic Education

The multiple academic and social advantages of a dual language education are well known; yet there is little practical guidance for Catholic school leaders who are taking on this whole school change. This paper explores the necessary steps for Catholic school leaders to develop equitable dual language schools. Guided by the Gospel principles of love and justice and using the Community of Practice theoretical framework, the authors argue that taking thoughtful risks in transforming one’s school can lead to meaningful learning in service to culturally and linguistically diverse students. Seven main implementation areas for developing a dual language Catholic school …

Book Review: Transformative Translanguaging Espacios: Latinx Students And Their Teachers Rompiendo Fronteras Sin Miedo, Katie Ward

Journal of Catholic Education

No abstract for a Book Review

Decolonization Of Education: How Educators Can Aid Transcultural Acculturation To Advance Communities Committed To Social Justice, Aradhana Mudambi, Elena Sada

Journal of Catholic Education

Cultures recreate themselves constantly, sometimes through natural transformations, sometimes through imposition. While colonialism was atrocious, partly because it transformed cultures by imposing disfigured identities and understandings (Fanon, 1963), we cannot reset cultures to how they were before conquest. That would require erasing languages now spoken for generations, dismantling religions and beliefs now practiced for hundreds of years, and purifying food habits now valued by the palettes of those formerly colonized. We can, however, work towards decolonizing our present- day society. Specifically, we can identify how colonialism continues to position some populations and their cultures as inferior (minoritized) and others as …

Immigrant Catholic School Educators: Working Across Cultures, Opportunities And Perspectives, Melodie Wyttenbach, Anne Marie Funk, Marissa Browne

Journal of Catholic Education

While the majority of our Catholic schools in the United States today are far from their roots as schools run by immigrants for immigrants, the stories of immigrant teachers in our Catholic schools remain. With the majority of immigrants coming to the United States today from Mexico and Latin America, the Hispanic educators in our Catholic schools are highly diverse. A striking finding from the “Cultivating Talent” report is that nearly 40% of Hispanic teachers and 27% of Hispanic leaders in Catholic schools are immigrants, proceeding from nearly every Spanish- speaking nation, mirroring the backgrounds of students and families in …

Towards Charism Identity: A Catholic Identity Case Study Through The Lens Of Laudato Si’, Kristofer Ross Koller

Doctoral Dissertations

This case study evaluates the current relevance of how Catholic identity is conceived as an evaluative tool in accreditation processes. Catholic identity, though a concept inconsistently defined among various international contexts, is nevertheless utilized reductively as criteria for K-12 Catholic school accreditation in the United States, primarily through the framework of the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS). Using the example of a secondary school with an explicit Catholic charism-based commitment to environmental sustainability, this dissertation collects qualitative data in an exploratory manner to evidence how schools that may seem insufficiently Catholic according to currently utilized frameworks …

Teaching Catholic Social Thought Online In The Philippines: From A Challenge To An Opportunity, Teofilo Giovan S. Pugeda Iii

Theology Department Faculty Publications

The essay argues that students learn Catholic social thought best by experiencing it pedagogically. Five suggestions are proffered as a contribution from the Philippines to the development of CST pedagogy.

Hispanic Teachers And Leaders In Catholic Schools: Special Issue Introduction, Melodie Wyttenbach, Hosffman Ospino

Journal of Catholic Education

Introduction to the Special Issue

Rethinking The Hispanic Teacher Shortage: Dual Language Schools As Identity-Affirming Organizations, Elena Sada, Katie Ward

Journal of Catholic Education

Research has established the connection between the academic success of culturally and linguistically diverse students, and their schools’ ability to recruit and retain teachers that reflect such diversity (Shirrell et al., 2019). Studies have also highlighted the criticality of the students’ home language use as a way to enhance academic growth and develop their sociocultural competence and well-being (Feinauer & Howard, 2014). There is no research, however, addressing the differences between the experiences of Hispanic teachers in bilingual Catholic education compared to those in monolingual English Catholic education. This article highlights the differences captured by a recent study, and discusses …

Battles Of The Mind: The Reaction Against Progressive Education, 1945-1959, Ben Yturri

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis discerns the relationships between three interrelated movements of the post-war period (circa 1945-1959): the overwhelming concern among leading intellectuals regarding the relationship between the individual and society, the post-war debates over education, and rising religious observance. Following WWII, the nation’s leading scholars and social critics addressed the most important problem facing the country and, for that matter, the world: how to avoid totalitarianism. Almost naturally, such anxieties influenced new debates over education. Broadly speaking, these controversies involved two related disputes over the efficacy of progressive education and the proper relationship between church and state. After World War II, …

《全人領袖》季刊 第一期, Jenny Fang

Whole Leader

The Introduction of Oral Roberts University in the Chinese Language. This is the first publication published by Global Chinese Relations/ORU Press, Oral Roberts University. It introduced the university Leadership team, Chinese Pastor' messages, student transformational testimonies, parents' gratitude letters to the university, and other global collaborations aligning with ORU's vision and mission.

As Catholic Schools Become More Diverse, How Should We Prepare New Catholic School Educators For Inclusive Schools? An Analysis Of Research On University And Diocesan Teacher Training, Rebekka J. Jez, Julie C. Cantillon, Lauren H. Ramers, Melissa M. Burgess

Journal of Catholic Education

Educators can improve academic and socio-emotional wellbeing of their students if they are equipped with strategies and skills to support learners and families from a variety of diverse backgrounds and experiences, such as culturally and linguistically diverse students, students with differing abilities, and those who may experience trauma and/or socio-economic challenges. To learn more about this topic a Catholic university and local diocese examined the literature on the impact of Catholic teachers in under-resourced schools, practices for training Catholic educators with skills to meet the needs of all learners, and the structures needed to ensure that diocesan and university supervisors …

Marianist Educational Associates: Advancing And Promoting The Mission Of Catholic And Marianist Universities, Corinne Brion, Allison Leigh

Journal of Catholic Education

Preparing employees to become stewards of the Marianist values and charisms has become a priority at a Marianist institution because employees impact the institution’s environment and faculty and staff directly impact student learning. To date, there is a lack of research conducted among employees of a Marianist institution on how new understandings of institutional mission get transferred to their jobs. Additionally, there is a lack of empirical studies that examine what enhances and hinders the transfer of such understanding. Using the Multidimensional Model of Learning Transfer as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the …

Mission, Faith, And Values - A Study Of 94 Voices From Rhode Island Catholic Secondary School Graduates, Thomas E. Keefe

Journal of Catholic Education

While the mission statements of Catholic schools include strong language on faith formation, Catholic schools are more often identified with high-quality academics and less for the development of faith. A qualitative descriptive study was designed to understand how Rhode Island Catholic secondary school graduates described the influence of the Catholic educational mission on the formation of faith and personal life values. The results of the study indicate the graduates of Catholic secondary schools in Rhode Island recognized the strength of the academic programs at the four identified Catholic secondary schools. Participants also profusely described the influence of the Catholic educational …

“It Kind Of Shows The Terrible Morality Of This Scene": Using Graphic Novels To Encourage Feminist Readings Of Jewish Hebrew Texts With Religious Significance, Talia Hurwich

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

This study considers whether and in what ways graphic novel adaptations of traditional Jewish Hebrew texts can encourage adolescent Modern Orthodox girls to adopt autonomous critical responses when encountering narratives that present women in unequal roles vis a vis men. According to scholars, Jewish literacy should teach students to read traditional Hebrew texts reverently while forming autonomous interpretations and opinions. Instead, Jewish educators teach normative readings posed by approved rabbinic authorities. This is particularly the case when teaching issues relating to gender among Modern Orthodox Jews, a conservative Jewish denomination, strives to synthesize tradition with the values of modern, secular …

"Read It Again!": Storytelling To Imitate The Great Teacher, Kate Whatley

Senior Honors Theses

The student’s mind is bent on stories, asking mothers around the world to ‘read it again’. These stories preserve information and emotions for centuries. In the classroom, stories enliven motivation and empathy in ways that result in higher academic achievement and social awareness. Learning to use stories as a key instructional strategy will allow for more equitable opportunities in classrooms, encourage mental health and truth telling for the teacher and the student collectively, and allow the academic community to imitate Christ by contributing to the bigger story taking place across time. In application of using stories as teachers, this thesis …

Our Firm Foundation: A Biblical Theological Study Of Hebrews 2:5-18, Jenna King

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Hebrews 2:5-18 highlights the passage's emphasis of the relationship between Christ and man, as well as how this interacts with the ideas of suffering, glory, and atonement also present in the passage. This paper examines the text itself as well as its broader context within Biblical canon, concluding with an application of the content for modern-day Christians.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear: Exploring The Effectiveness Of A Person-Centered Disability Awareness Seminar In A Congregational Setting, Joshua H. Jones

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

People with disabilities and their families frequently experience barriers toward inclusion and belonging in multiple spheres of life. These barriers are also present in Christian congregations. However, many congregations express a godly desire to love people with disabilities and their families without these obstacles.

The Old and New Testaments provide examples of how God’s people sought to love people with disabilities in their midst creatively and intentionally in response to God’s gracious actions, invitation, and command. Recent research in disability studies routinely highlight the necessity of being attentive to the uniqueness of each person with disabilities and his or her …

The Creation Of The Regis Jesuit High School Girls Division: Same Sex Education For Young Women In American Catholic Jesuit Secondary Education, Sajit U. Kabadi Ph.D.

Journal of Catholic Education

Findings from a historiographic case study are reported. Qualitative data was collected from a series of interviews and cultural artifacts exploring the history of the creation of the Regis Jesuit High School, Girls Division- the first American all girls Catholic Jesuit high school. The study traces the process of how Regis Jesuit became a co-divisional campus educating both women and men in same sex classes utilizing Ignatian Strategic Planning conceptual framework that emphasizes the Jesuit concept of Magis while exploring its impact on the historical and contemporary role that women play in the Jesuit mission.

Faith-Based Education And Civic Value Formation, Matthew H. Lee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the founding of the United States, scholars and policymakers have argued that education should not merely train the minds of students, but also prepare them for active participation in a democratic republic. This dissertation, divided into three chapters, studies the leaders, schools, and content that shape students’ character.

While educational leadership in U.S. public schools is widely studied, there is much less scholarly attention to educational leadership in Protestant and other private schools. The first chapter investigates principal leadership and tests for systematic differences in educational priorities and preparation for their responsibilities by educational sector. Using a nationally-representative sample …

Intellectual Access And Spirituality: The Twin Urgencies Of Responsible American Education, Matthew Schmitz

Educational Studies Honors Papers

America is increasingly, and perhaps overwhelmingly, becoming a society characterized by political divisiveness. At its most extreme form, Hannah Arendt argues such a division can make us vulnerable to a loneliness that destroys our confidence and leaves us dependent on ideologies. A renewed sense of spirituality and intellect are prime candidates for helping us develop a healthy relationship with ourselves that can help counteract this loneliness. Not only that, but fully accessing our intellectual and spiritual sides can give us the confidence to tackle democratic republican citizenship the way Thomas Jefferson envisioned it. Here, Jacques Rancière helps us to construct …

Investigating The Prevailing Worldviews Of American Public Education: A Brief Analysis And History, Chester Walker

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis investigates whether the philosophies and worldviews underlying U.S. public education contradict or purposefully undermine Biblical Christianity. It provides readers with an understanding of the Biblical Christian worldview to enable them to analyze and contrast prominent worldviews of public education. Pragmatism and Marxism run rampant in public education today. Both strongly oppose fundamental tenets of the Biblical Christian worldview. To determine any purposeful anti-Christian agenda, the author examines the men behind the worldviews. Christianity maintains that ideas and practices in education originate from deeply-held, personal beliefs, which are passed on to students. Education is a means of discipleship to …

Teaching The Eleusinian Mysteries In An Outdoor Simulation, Paul Robertson

JRCA Pedagogy

I detail an active learning simulation around the Eleusinian Mysteries. I provide a concrete teaching activity with the dual goals of (1) providing experiential learning around ancient Mediterranean religion to engage those with minimal interest in the subject matter, and (2) providing ideas for outdoor instruction which may be advantageous due to health reasons, preference, and/or campus engagement. It is my hope that other instructors are able to freely adapt this lesson in their own classrooms

Old Meets New: Bringing Ancient Studies To Life In The Hybrid Classroom, Shane M. Thompson

JRCA Pedagogy

The 2020-2021 academic year will forever be remembered as the “COVID-year,” which, in academia, forced instructors to rethink the ways we have taught for generations. Personally, the Fall 2020 semester presented an opportunity to teach fully in-person classes (in a Hyflex model as not all students were able to attend), fully online classes, and – the most foreign to us – hybrid classes. As the hybrid model is one with which almost no one had any experience, I will focus my reflection on one particular hybrid course, urging instructors to incorporate Active Learning strategies into their courses – both hybrid …

The Congruence Of Teachers’ And Principals’ Perspectives Of Learning-Centered Leadership Behaviors Of Principals Within International Christian Schools And The Impact On Organizational Commitment Of Teachers, Andrea Dawn Rens Dugan

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the degree of congruence between principals’ self-perception of learning-centered leadership behaviors and teachers’ perceptions of learning-centered leadership behaviors of their principals in international Christian schools accredited with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) located in countries outside of North America. If a difference does exist between teachers’ and principals’ perceptions, will teachers’ organizational commitment be impacted? The perspectives of leadership behaviors were determined using the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (VAL-ED) (Goldring, Porter, Murphy, Elliot, & Cravens, 2009). Both principals and their teachers completed the survey online. Teachers also …

Playing At The Crossroads Of Religion And Law: Historical Milieu, Context And Curriculum Hooks In Lost & Found, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

This chapter presents the use of Lost & Found – a purpose-built tabletop to mobile game series – to teach medieval religious legal systems. The series aims to broaden the discourse around religious legal systems and to counter popular depiction of these systems which often promote prejudice and misnomers. A central element is the importance of contextualizing religion in period and locale. The Lost & Found series uses period accurate depictions of material culture to set the stage for play around relevant topics – specifically how the law promoted collaboration and sustainable governance practices in Fustat (Old Cairo) in twelfth-century …

Understanding Catholic School Attrition: Catholic Elementary School Students’ And Parents’ Perceptions And Matriculation Decisions, Thomas Gasper

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study shed light on the issue of attrition within Catholic education and points to opportunities for leaders to improve the effectiveness of elementary and secondary schools as well as identify barriers impacting access to poor and vulnerable populations. The purpose was to: describe factors eighth-grade Catholic school students and their parents consider in choosing a high school; determine correlations between degree of satisfaction with Catholic elementary schools and perceptions of programs in Catholic high schools; and understand the extent students’ and parents’ identified attributes corresponded to their high school selection.

Quantitative data was generated from surveys of …