Undersøgelse går i dybden med, hvordan katolske skolelærere balancerer indtægtsgenerering af uddannelse og opfylder erhvervsopkald

Mange lærere ville attestere, at de var kaldet til erhvervet for at uddanne elever og forberede dem til livet, ikke kun for at yde en økonomisk service. Men efterhånden som uddannelse i stigende grad politiseres og monetiseres, er mange undervisere trukket mellem at levere et økonomisk gode og gøre det, de elsker. En ny undersøgelse fra University of Kansas viste, at det især gælder katolske skolelærere, som har udviklet strategier til at balancere deres kald og profession.

Uddannelse er blevet påvirket af neoliberalisme og post-industrialisme i de sidste to årtier, som lægger vægt på målbare resultater, standardiserede tests og stabil tilmelding. Debatten om, hvorvidt uddannelse skal betragtes som en vare eller et offentligt gode, er til stede i alle skoler, men Heidi Hallman var interesseret i, hvordan det udspillede sig i katolske skoler, hvis mission er at uddanne elever, men også at guide dem gennem kirkens lære. og at give et offentligt gode for alle studerende, selvom de er afhængige af undervisning.

Under pandemien hørte Hallman, professor i læseplaner og undervisning ved KU, om familier, herunder ikke-katolikker, som sendte deres børn til katolske skoler, der opretholdt personlig undervisning.

"Jeg undrede mig over, hvordan disse lærere opfatter de udfordringer, de står over for i forhold til deres offentlige skolekolleger," sagde Hallman. "Jeg hørte nogle beklagelige tab af fællesskab. Vi har sport eller online-fællesskabet, hvor vi kan nå ud til hele verden, og jeg tror, ​​det har været svært for religiøse skoler at acceptere, især med lukningen af ​​så mange katolske skoler og tabet af nabolag og fællesskab."

Hallman interviewede 35 katolske lærere og administratorer i grundskolen, gymnasiet og gymnasiet til undersøgelsen, offentliggjort i tidsskriftet International Studies in Catholic Education .

Da mange katolske skoler holdt deres døre åbne under pandemien, oplevede skolerne ofte stigninger i tilmeldingen. Mange nye elever var ikke katolikker, men skolerne har erklæret missioner for at uddanne alle og følte, at deres åndelige komponent kunne tilbyde noget for de familier, de ellers ville mangle. Men det føjede også til opfattelsen af ​​uddannelse som en handelsvare, sagde Hallman.

"På grund af, at uddannelse 'er på markedet', har vi en tendens til at have et syn på uddannelse som et produkt. Det sker også på de videregående uddannelser," sagde Hallman. "Vi ønsker ikke at behandle elever som kunder, men der var folk, der var glade for at have elever og familier, der kom til deres skoler, men også en skepsis, som om folk bare handlede efter skoler."

The study participants revealed three themes in their responses to balancing teaching and vocation and how they dealt with the neoliberal and postindustrial influences on American education and policy.

First noted was technocratic professionalism. With a constant focus on professional development and skills, American education has emphasized that this type of training will develop the best educators. However, several of the teachers, especially the younger ones in the study, questioned that approach. Respondents often wondered if allowing them to draw on their faith and love for working with young people would make them more effective educators than continuously taking skills training classes.

Respondents also noted competition from the marketplace. Teachers could feel there were many outside forces pulling students away from the community provided by a Catholic school. Educators noted the pull of athletics outside the school or non-school related activities and options available via the internet and social media that resulted in a "watering down," or de-investment, of activities and teachings of the school and church. Even though schools often continued in-person education, church services were often canceled or reduced in frequency, and educators noted many people, including families of students, have not come back. They also reported fearing that students would leave the schools as public schools returned to in-person learning after the initial stages of the pandemic.

Finally, respondents reported being concerned with optimizing the student experience. In addition to state-mandated curriculum, Catholic school teachers are required to impart the teachings of the church. That part of the job often appealed to those saying faith helped bring them to the job, and that it could be a way to serve everyone, but also could ring hollow.

"If a family didn't have a religious identity, the teachers mentioned how maybe the school could offer them that, but there was also a concern that faith might simply be an add-on, or like going to the grocery store to get something you need," Hallman said.

The educators were not territorial, she added, and often looked for ways to make non-Catholic students and families feel welcome.

The findings provide insight into how Catholic school teachers and administrators view their roles in society, a topic which has been largely overlooked by academic researchers, Hallman said. Their dedication to their work, and especially reluctance to view education as a commodity while drawing on their faith as a way to help better serve students, can provide a model for preparing teachers for all schools. As opposed to simply relying on teaching a set of skills and insisting they meet mandates and measurable results, teachers could be viewed more holistically, in a way that allows them to use what inspires them, whether religious or otherwise, to be better teachers and continue to grow, she added.

"It gave me hope that religious schools can seek their religious mission, but also welcome others and maintain their commitment to the common good, even among pressures to keep enrollment up and seeing neighboring Catholic schools close," Hallman said. "These teachers were very hopeful. They often had lower wages but were very dedicated to their vocation, and I found that refreshing to hear from people in the pandemic era, when there are so many pressures on teachers." + Udforsk yderligere

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