Volume 7, Number 4
June 2004
Table of Contents
Editors' Comments (p. 425)
Thomas C. Hunt, Ronald J. Nuzzi
Articles
The Ideal of a Catholic Education in a Secularized Society
Stefaan E. Cuypers
Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium)
(pp. 426-445)
This paper argues that the progressive, revisionist reaction within Catholic education and schooling, as well as within Catholicism at large, to the challenge of modernity is a mistake. In view of modernity’s malaises, it advocates instead the affirmation or reaffirmation of the ideal of traditional Catholicism as the only authentic response for Catholics to modern progress. In order to justify the distinctiveness of a traditional Catholic identity and educational project, the paper offers an outline of a distinctively Thomistic educational philosophy. Its defense of the (re)affirmation of the ideal of traditional Catholic education and schooling in secularized society is neither ultra-conservative nor romantic.
Focus Section
Reshaping Catholic Secondary School Curriculum Through Culminating Portfolios
Mark P. Ryan
Loyola Marymount University
(pp. 446-461)
This study analyzes qualitative data on student perceptions and curriculum transformation from a schoolwide culminating portfolio program of a small, urban, archdiocesan Catholic high school located on the West Coast. Over 4 years, all graduating students (n=102) developed culminating portfolios, evidencing their accomplishment of specific learning outcomes and presented those portfolios to panels of educators, parents, and community representatives. Students, teachers, and panelists were surveyed to determine their perceptions about the benefits and challenges of this process. The study found that (1) students’ perceptions of the portfolio and panel processes were very positive, including the belief that the portfolios helped students determine for themselves the extent and quality of their learning; (2) panelists and school faculty reported the belief that the portfolio process better prepared students for college and helped students reflect upon and assume personal responsibility for their learning; and (3) significant curricular transformations had taken place in what was being taught at the school, how it was being taught, and how it was being assessed. Teachers, students, and panelists identified the benefits of the process for students as well as suggestions to increase the impact of the process on classroom teaching and learning. Challenges in the process included logistics of portfolio management, the amount of time required to develop and continue the process, and the development of methodologies for continued refinement of the program.
Catholic High School Students’ Attitudes Toward Homosexuality:
A Snapshot of Incoming College Freshmen
Michael J. Maher
Loyola University Chicago
(pp. 462-478)
This study is a survey of incoming freshmen at a Midwestern Catholic university on their agreement with Church teachings on homosexuality. In general, females had more homo-positive attitudes than males, graduates of Catholic high schools had more homo-positive attitudes than graduates from non-Catholic high schools, and graduates from coeducational Catholic high schools had more homo-positive attitudes than graduates from unisex Catholic high schools. Also, if respondents agreed with the Church’s teaching against homosexual activity and that homosexuality is a disorder, they were less likely to agree with the Church’s teachings that gay and lesbian people have rights that the Church should protect.
Cognitive Spirituality and Hope in Catholic High School Students
Bruce B. Frey, Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, Lisa M. Edwards & Diane McDermott
University of Kansas, California Polytechnic Institute, University of Notre Dame,
& University of Kansas
(pp. 479-491)
This study explores the validity of a construct of cognitive spirituality as measured by a recent measure, the Spirituality Index of Well-Being, in a sample of Catholic high school students. Spirituality on this scale is conceptualized as a composite of life scheme (having meaning in one’s life) and generalized self-efficacy. Construct-based validity evidence was produced through factor analysis and examination of correlations between the spirituality scale and subscale scores with scale and subscales on the Children’s Hope Scale, a well-being indicator previously used for this population. In addition, differences between male and female students were found, with females producing higher scores on the life scheme subscale, suggesting a greater sense of meaning in their lives. The Spirituality Index of Well-Being also demonstrated high internal reliability in this sample. It is argued that the goal of Catholic education is education of the whole person and that this conceptualization of spirituality is consistent with that goal. The Spirituality Index of Well-Being appears to be a valid and reliable measure of cognitive spirituality for this population and a useful indicator of student-well-being.
Indices
Author Index (Volumes 1-5; pp. 492-505)
Subject Index (Volumes 1-5; pp. 506-522)
Review of Research
Teacher Retention in Catholic Schools
Walter F. Przygocki
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
(pp. 523-547)
Teacher attrition is a concern in all educational sectors but is of special importance to Catholic schools because of the salary disparity between public and Catholic schools. This review examines the research on teacher retention in general with a view to understanding how this knowledge might inform teacher recruitment and retention strategies in Catholic schools and dioceses. The relationship between salient teacher characteristics—such as job satisfaction and salary—and teacher retention is discussed.
Book Reviews
The Art of Classroom Inquiry: A Handbook for Teacher-Researchers (pp. 548-550)
By Ruth Shagoury-Hubbard & Brenda Miller Power
Reviewed by Anne-Marie Cashmere
The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy (pp. 550-552)
By Colleen Carroll
Reviewed by Kevin P. Kiefer