THE MODERN CATHOLIC TEACHER: A ROLE ANALYSIS IN THE POST - VATICAN II SCHOOLS
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to define the role of the teacher in the contemporary Catholic school. To facilitate this delineation of role, a conceptual framework utilizing Biddle's role theory and Conciliar/post-Conciliar document analyses was developed. From this conceptual framework, three teacher roles (Traditional, Emergent, and Enduring) were developed and used to identify and analyze teacher expectations held by professional educators and their constituents. The Traditional Teacher Role contains behaviors characteristic of the pre-Vatican II era, while the Emergent Teacher Role is comprised of behaviors indicative of the post-Vatican II era. The Enduring Teacher Role incorporates behaviors appropriate to any era; it complements the other teacher roles. Respondent groups participating in this study include 166 professional educators, 44 parish-based clergy, 65 board members, and 192 parents/guardians--a total of 467 persons, 83% of the sample. Each participant is in some way, associated with Catholic schools located in urban, suburban, and rural areas in a Southeastern archdiocese. Based on the findings of this research, it is evident that the definition of the role of the teacher in the contemporary Catholic school varies depending on which of the various groups serve as a source of information. The educators reflect a strong relationship with the Emergent Teacher Role which embraces concepts of a shared Gospel message, the formation of Christian community, and the service of others--all accomplished within a holistic educational process (integrated ministry and academic instruction) which enhances the development of the whole person. The clergy's definition would not be that clear because they reflect strong relationships with both the pre and the post-Vatican II teacher roles. The data suggest, however, that the clergy are more inclined toward the Traditional Teacher Role than toward the Emergent. Parents/Guardians seem to align themselves with the clergy in their identification with the Traditional Teacher Role reminiscent of a compliant student body functioning in an hierarchical authoritarian structure. The board members (responding as individuals, not as a board) did not commit themselves to either the Traditional or the Emergent Teacher Roles. . . . (Author's abstract exceeds stipulated maximum length. Discontinued here with permission of author.) UMI
Subject Area
Teacher education
Recommended Citation
DAUES, MARGARET ALICE, "THE MODERN CATHOLIC TEACHER: A ROLE ANALYSIS IN THE POST - VATICAN II SCHOOLS" (1983). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8326166.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8326166
