Teachers' Perception of the Purpose of Classroom Religious Education
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Teachers’ perception of the purpose of classroom religious education in New Zealand Catholic secondary schools Submitted by Kevin Patrick Win Wanden BA, Grad. Dip Ed. (Sec), BSc, M.Ed. (Canterbury), M.Ed. (Boston College) A thesis submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Religious Education Faculty of Education Australian Catholic University Research Services Locked Bag 4115 Fitzroy Victoria 3065 Australia Date of submission: 6 July 2009 ii Statement of Authorship and Sources This thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma. No parts of this thesis have been submitted towards the award of any other degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution. No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgment in the main text of the thesis. All research procedures reported in the thesis received the approval of the relevant Ethics/Safety Committees. Signed: Dated: 6 July 2009 iii Abstract The nature of Religious Education in Catholic secondary schools has generated significant interest since the Second Vatican Council. A number of theoretical approaches to classroom Religious Education have been used in Catholic secondary schools in New Zealand since the mid 1960s (Crawford & Rossiter, 1985; Groome, 1980; van Caster, 1965). The debate regarding the most suitable approach for classroom Religious Education at this level has largely settled on a Subject-Oriented approach (Larkin, 2006). In New Zealand there has been a considerable investment of resources in the development of curricula and textbooks (Finlay, 2000). However there has been little research about teacher beliefs concerning the purpose of the subject. This thesis reports research into teachers’ beliefs about the purpose of classroom Religious Education in Catholic secondary schools in New Zealand. The literature was reviewed to identify the range of purposes in the normative Church documents and in the writings of theorists. In addition it examined a number of issues that could have some bearing on teachers’ understanding of purposes. A survey that collected both quantitative and qualitative data was distributed to 37 of the 49 Catholic secondary schools in New Zealand that agreed to participate and resulted in 173 responses. This study found that teachers worked out of a Subject-Oriented approach to the teaching of Religious Education that was consistent with the Understanding Faith curriculum. Teachers perceived Religious Education as a complex subject with multiple purposes. The primary purpose was to teach knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith tradition. The subject also had subsidiary aspirational purposes of faith formation and personal development. The importance of appropriate qualifications and formation of teachers was identified as a challenge facing Religious Education in Catholic secondary schools in New Zealand. There was a high degree of consensus among respondents related to the purpose of classroom Religious Education. This research contributes to the discourse concerning the purpose of Religious Education. It has implications for theoretical aspects of Religious Education, classroom practice and planning, school based curriculum planning, teacher professional development and curriculum policy. iv Statement of Appreciation Educational research of its very nature is the culmination of the efforts of numerous people who provide advice, encouragement, guidance and on-going support. I wish to express my particular thanks to my supervisors Professor Graham Rossiter and Dr. Sandra Carroll at the Australian Catholic University for their generous time, encouragement, collegial support and critical advice, as well as their passion for Religious Education. My thanks and gratitude to my colleagues at the Catholic Institute of Theology, National Centre of Religious Studies, New Zealand Catholic Education Office, diocesan Religious Education Advisors, Directors of Religious Studies and Religious Education teachers for their advice, encouragement and support. I also wish to thank Nuala Dunne, Bernadette Campbell and Patricia Wanden who provided secretarial assistance and support. Particular thanks to the staff at the Catholic diocese of Auckland library, the Auckland diocesan archives, the Wellington diocesan archives and library and the ACU librarians at Strathfield, Melbourne and Brisbane. Thanks to my family and to my religious community of Marist Brothers for their ongoing interest, support and encouragement. Finally, I am very cognisant of the fact that this research would not have been possible without the generous support and co-operation of Religious Education teachers who work with such dedication to pass on the treasure of the faith. This research is dedicated to all teachers “who hold and teach the Catholic faith that comes to us from the Apostles.” v Table of Contents Statement of Authorship and Sources ................................................................................. ii Abstract ............................................................................................................................ iii Statement of Appreciation ................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... v List of Tables .................................................................................................................. viii List of Figures ................................................................................................................. xiii List of Abbreviations....................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction and Scope of the Research .............................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction: Religious Education: New Zealand Catholic Schools ........................... 1 1.2 Ambiguity about the Purposes of Religious Education .............................................. 4 1.3 The Scope and Focus of this Research ...................................................................... 6 1.4 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................. 8 1.5 Structure of the Remaining Chapters of the Thesis .................................................... 9 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................. 10 Educational Context ......................................................................................................... 10 2.1 The Place of Catholic Schools in New Zealand Education ...................................... 10 2.2 Key Developments Since 1877 ............................................................................... 14 2.3 Catholic Secondary Schools in New Zealand .......................................................... 25 2.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 27 CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................................. 28 Literature Review............................................................................................................. 28 3.1 Section One: Major Theoretical Approaches to Religious Education that have Influenced Classroom Religious Education in Catholic Secondary Schools in New Zealand ........................................................................................................................ 28 3.2 Section Two: Development of Religious Education Curricula for New Zealand Catholic Secondary Schools ......................................................................................... 42 3.3 Section Three: Religious Education in the Ecclesial Documents ............................. 51 3.4 Section Four: Research on Religious Education ...................................................... 65 3.5 Section Five: Research on Teacher Beliefs, Role, Qualifications and Professional Development ................................................................................................................ 89 vi 3.6 Conclusions from the Literature Review Incorporated into the Questionnaire Stem- items .......................................................................................................................... 101 3.7 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 118 CHAPTER FOUR.............................................................................................................. 119 Research Design and Methodology ................................................................................ 119 4.1 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................... 120 4.2 Research Design ................................................................................................... 123 4.3 Analysis of Data ................................................................................................... 126 4.4 Validity of the