The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Doctoral Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects 2015 Catholic Secondary School Principals' Perceptions of the Qualities of Effective Catholic Secondary School Teachers Theresa Greene Henning University of San Francisco, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/diss Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons Recommended Citation Greene Henning, Theresa, "Catholic Secondary School Principals' Perceptions of the Qualities of Effective Catholic Secondary School Teachers" (2015). Doctoral Dissertations. 295. https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/295 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of San Francisco CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS A Dissertation Presented To The Faculty of the School of Education Department of Leadership Studies Catholic Educational Leadership Program In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Theresa Greene Henning San Francisco 2015 THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO Dissertation Abstract Catholic Secondary School Principals’ Perceptions of the Qualities of Effective Catholic Secondary School Teachers Church documents and scholars have affirmed that the success of Catholic schools is largely dependent on the effectiveness of their teachers. Teacher effectiveness in general has also been correlated with various aspects of school life such as student learning and achievement, teacher leadership, and school effectiveness. However, there is little research of what constitutes effective teaching in a Catholic school. The purpose of this study was to explore the degree of importance that Catholic secondary school principals of the Archdioceses of Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York (N=166) attribute to the five qualities comprising Shimabukuro’s (1993, 1998) typology of the ideal Catholic school teacher and to the six qualities of effective teachers identified by Stronge (2002, 2007). This study investigated the qualities of effective teachers through the lens of secondary school administrators because by their role or position, they are responsible for all aspects of a Catholic school’s mission and purpose. Seventy-three Catholic secondary schools principals participated in this study, representing the archdioceses of Boston (n = 31), Chicago (n = 37), Los Angeles (n = 51), and New York (n = 47). This study utilized survey methodology. The researcher created an online survey instrument, which used and adapted, with permission, Shimabukuro’s (1993, 1998) typology of the qualities of the ideal Catholic school teacher and Stronge’s (2002, 2007) qualities of the effective teacher. The researcher combined both frameworks to serve as ii the conceptual framework of this study and categorized their combined qualities into four dimensions of the Catholic secondary school teacher’s vocation: (a) faith, (b) profession, (c) self and others, and (d) student learning. Principals who participated in this study perceived all of the qualities of the ideal Catholic school teacher (Shimabukuro, 1993, 1998) and the qualities of effective teachers (Stronge, 2002, 2007) as “important,” rating the affective qualities of a teacher to show the most relative importance with regard to teacher effectiveness. Principals’ ratings and rankings of the affective qualities the frameworks affirm the teachings of the Church and research within Catholic education regarding the centrality of relationships and community in Catholic education. iii This dissertation, written under the direction of the candidate’s dissertation committee and approved by the members of the committee, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. The content and research methodologies presented in this work represent the work of the candidate alone. Theresa Greene Henning 6 November 2015 Candidate Date Dissertation Committee Doreen Jones 6 November 2015 Chairperson Ralph E. Metts, SJ 6 November 2015 James B. Everitt 6 November 2015 iv DEDICATION With a full and humble heart, I dedicate this dissertation to my mom, Rosemary Patella Greene. Mom, your example as mother, wife, teacher, counselor, administrator, friend— and every other role you’ve filled so well and so deeply— has taught me more about life, love, teaching, and faith than any book or course ever could have. Your passion for life, your capacity for love, and your devotion to teaching (still!!) inspire me beyond words. I stand tall only because I stand on your shoulders. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS After having focused my dissertation journey on studying the qualities of effective teachers in both Catholic and general education, I can’t help but reflect on the many educators who have shaped me into the person and teacher I’ve become. Without them, I would certainly not be who and where I am today. My formative years were spent under the tutelage of both Sisters of Mercy and lay women at St. Peter School in Danbury, Connecticut. To them, I credit finding and fueling my curiosities and igniting my passions for learning, reading, writing, and achieving. The women who taught me were kind and generous, strict and faith-filled. Their tough love and lessons helped shaped each one of us into young women and men who cared not only about ourselves but also about our faith, our peers, and our world. The teachers who shepherded me throughout the next four years also left their indelible marks. To them— and to the entire Immaculate High School community—I am incredibly grateful. I will be forever proud to be a Mustang. Thanks, too, to the many professors and practitioners with whom I studied and worked at the University of New Hampshire. I would not be the English teacher and scholar I am now were it not for the future I dreamed about while studying at UNH and the methods I learned in those HamSmith and Morrill classrooms. I have had the opportunity to work with incredibly talented teachers and professors throughout my teaching career, and I thank them all for being part of this journey. A special thank you to the students I have taught over the years—especially those at Trinity High School, who have accompanied me on this journey these last few years. Their support and excitement often buoyed me when the travel became tiresome, the workload crushing, and the tunnel seemingly never-ending. To them—and the many parents and colleagues whose words of encouragement meant so much—thank you. You have all enriched my life in so many ways. I owe a special thanks to my principal and friend, Denis Mailloux. Thank you for saying “yes” to the applicant you interviewed in May 2005—and for the 11 years since. Your support and friendship has meant the world to me, and I am forever grateful that we both said yes. There are no words. And now, to somehow capture what USF and this city of San Francisco has meant to me. When I applied to this doctoral program, I had never been to California, let alone San Francisco. And yet, in just a few short years, this city has become my second home and this program a life-changing and life-giving force for me. I owe thanks to so many people and places. First, to Southwest Airlines for navigating safe passage from Manchester, NH, to the Bay Area every other weekend for three+ years. I am grateful to the entire staff at the Metro Hotel, which became my home for each of those teaching weekends: to Shana, Matt, Monty, Gigi, Jamo, and Thaddeus—you made me feel welcome and at home with each stay. While my visits may not be so consistent going forward, I will always be proud to call 319 Divisadero home while in the city. vi To the sights and sounds that inspired me during my time here, thank you. Thank you for being a respite from cold, snowy weekends, if but for a few days at a time. And thank you for being foggy and chilly each June and July, forcing me to stay focused on my work rather than thinking about the summer weather I was missing back home. This city kept me in a constant state of wonder and awe, and I will miss its constant presence in my life. While I may be leaving my heart in San Francisco, San Francisco will forever be part of my soul. To USF and to the friends, colleagues, and professors I have met there, words cannot express my gratitude. Thank you to the Jesuit community at USF and its generous support of this program in Catholic Educational Leadership. Pursuing a doctoral degree— let alone doing so 3,000 miles away—is an investment, and this journey would not have been possible without the partial tuition subsidy afforded to Catholic school educators by the USF Jesuit community. Of the many great gifts of this program, one of the greatest has been the gift of friendship—and I am forever grateful for the many friends I have made throughout these last few years. A special thanks to those who came before me and were friend-mentors, especially Dr. Eileen Emerson-Boles and Dr. Jeannie Ray-Timoney. You took me under your wings, showed me the city, and freely offered your advice and guidance. I am so grateful for your friendship, your wisdom, and your support, and I am honored to be joining your ranks. Thanks, too, to those whose doctoral journeys are also nearing their end and with whom I shared many classes and conversations, especially Rick Martin, Alex MacMillan, Scott McClarty, Heidi Harrison, and Ann Middendorf.