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Abstract
The planned integration of Catholic social teaching (CST) across the curriculum was the primary focus of the ‘Identity and Curriculum in Catholic Education’ (2013–2018) initiative in Catholic schools in the state of Queensland. Initial reconnaissance involved a survey of teachers’ views regarding the identity, purposes and characteristics of Catholic schools. This was followed by action research with some thirty teachers in seven schools where various CST principles were integrated in particular Units across a range of learning areas. Strong evidence emerged for the effectiveness and feasibility of such integration. Participating teachers identified positive student interest and outcomes, while acknowledging the ‘good fit’ between certain aspects of the Australian Curriculum and CST principles such as common good, human dignity, and stewardship of creation. At a time when neo-liberalism and market values are dominant, the potential of such counter-cultural opportunities must be considered by Catholic schools internationally.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Captured so well by the existentialist philosopher Marcel (Citation1950) in Being and Having.
2 This is certainly not a uniquely Australian problem, as noted by Grace Citation2010; Arthur Citation2013.
3 Language that is more indicative of the Didaktik curriculum culture than the Anglo-Saxon/American culture (see Gleeson Citation2021) which is predicated on neo-liberal policies and concentrated on subject discipline content, ends/ means, and multitudinous, pre-determined, learning outcomes. On the other hand, the classical culture of Didaktik, not to be confused with didactic (Nie and Lau Citation2010), derives from Bildung and involves a process of social and cultural development with a strong emphasis on student self-formation.
4 Hornsby-Smith (Citation2006) identifies six particular influences: the teachings of the Second Vatican Council (especially Gaudium et Spes and Dignitatis Humanae); papal encyclicals addressing social, economic, cultural, political and environmental issues; collegial teaching, including bishops’ pastoral letters; liberation theologians; Catholic and other NGOs; and scholarly and academic analysis.
5 For example, Caritas lists six principles: dignity of the human person; common good; preferential option for the poor; stewardship of creation; subsidiarity and participation. US Conference of Bishops (2018) have seven, Massaro (Citation2012) has nine, Centre of Concern (Citation2018) has ten.
6 ‘ … ambitious projects are nearly always politically driven’ (Fullan Citation2016, 72).
7 The fact that the Chair has not been filled since the author’s contract ended would suggest a lack of interest in the idea of integrating Catholic perspectives across the curriculum on the part of senior leadership.
8 They were given a list of possible purposes that included generic and faith-based items.
9 The partners decided to add three new items not included in Convey’s instrument.
10 Pre-service teachers’ beliefs regarding the aims of education, the purposes of schooling, and the identifying characteristics of Catholic schools were tracked over four years.
11 Since from a given list that included generic and faith-based items) initial response rates were slightly lower than desirable due to technical issues associated with the use of a variety of different browsers, the research team administered the survey at school staff meetings in twenty Brisbane diocesan schools.
12 In view of the significant role that student teachers will play in the system, it was also decided to conduct a longitudinal study of the associated attitudes and beliefs of ACU pre-service teachers (Gleeson and O’Neill Citation2020) using a broadly similar instrument.
13 It should be noted that these are self-ratings.
14 Many were prepared to undertake professional development focusing on faith-based identity.
15 Not Catholic schools due to the fact that less than 50% identified as Catholic.
16 Particularly in the case of Catholics and Catholic school attendees.
17 Drake’s (Citation2012) framework was used to establish the feasibility and effectiveness of the planned integration of CST.
19 Subjects included Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), English, science, media studies and digital technologies.
20 e.g. as expressed in school timetables.
21 Whereas performativity is at home in the Anglo-Saxon/American curriculum culture, the focus of the alternative Didaktik culture is on student formation (Gleeson Citation2021).
22 e.g. integration of CST principles with children’s literature.
23 This is what Kierkegaard called the ‘despairing refusal to be oneself ‘what Heidegger called ‘inauthentic existence’, the antithesis of man’s happy and cheerful ‘affirmation of his own being’ (41).
24 As well as reasons for working in Catholic schools.
25 In the context of the Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project (ECSIP) (Pollefeyt and Bouwens Citation2014) using their Melbourne scale.
26 Embedding Values and Attitudes in Curriculum: Shaping a Better Future.
27 Indeed, the possibility of introducing faith-based identity as an additional cross-cutting theme in Tasmanian Catholic schools has been noted by Bailey, Stretton, and Cunningham (Citation2017) and Hindmarsh (Citation2017).
28 It is also noteworthy that, inspired by Pope Francis’ Encyclical, the Carmelite Order (Citationundated) in the United States has developed an interdisciplinary secondary school curriculum for students around the world predicated on Laudato ‘Si. This programme includes modules on Environmental Science (Grades 11 and 12), Theology (Grades 9, 11, 12), Humanities (Grades 10, 11, 12) and Social Studies (Grades 9, 10, 11, 12).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Jim Gleeson
Dr Jim Gleeson was appointed as the first Chair of Identity and Curriculum in Catholic Education at Australian Catholic University (McAuley campus, Brisbane, Queensland) (see Gleeson and Goldburg, Eds, Citation2020, 3–7). He is currently an Adjunct member of the Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University in Ireland. In a series of publications between 2015–2021 he has focused on the faith-based identity of Catholic schools with particular reference to the ways in which Catholic social teaching can and should permeate the curriculum in both primary and secondary schools.