The focus of this research was Year 12 student leadership in three Catholic schools. Pivotal to the thesis were the leadership experiences and self-perceptions of the schools’ Year 12 students. Two theoretical propositions underscored the study: all Year 12 students are called to some form of leadership within their school; and schools should strive to build a leadership culture inclusive of all Year 12 students. The review of the literature drew attention to three themes which formed the conceptual framework underpinning the research, namely organisational leadership, Christian leadership and its meaning for the Catholic School, and student leadership. In the light of the review it seemed appropriate that the conduct of the study should be predominantly qualitative, interpretive, and planned around collective case study. For each of the three case study schools, data collection took the form of a document search, an interview with a key informant staff member, a Year 12 student survey questionnaire utilising both qualitative and quantitative questions, and two Year 12 student focus group interviews. The “general analytic strategy” (Yin, 1994, p. 30) employed in this research was to follow the theoretical propositions underlying this study which, in turn, reflected a set of seven research questions. Findings from the study indicated that there was a strong belief among senior students from the three schools that every Year 12 student should have the opportunity to participate in leadership. Furthermore, students saw leadership as entailing duty, a sense of service, as well as involvement with younger students. Students also highlighted a range of benefits associated with leadership participation, as well as certain pressures, notably the need to balance study commitments with leadership responsibilities, and the demands of having to be a role model “all the time”.

There is widespread interest shown in the education of boys in school as evidenced in research, education initiatives and discussion in the general community. Research undertaken by Connell (1989, 1995, 1996, 2000), Laberge and Albert (1999), Mac an Ghaill (1994), Martino (1998), West (1999, 2002) and others suggests that there is a range of masculinities displayed by teenage boys. Some of the masculinities with which boys identify are in conflict with accepted ideas of educational achievement. This doctoral study investigates the contribution of teachers and school experiences to teenage boys’ understanding of masculinity. There are two components to the study. The first part is a systematic review of the literature to highlight findings about boys’ perceptions of relationships between masculinity and schooling. The second part is a qualitative empirical study of the views of a sample of Year 11 high school boys in two single sex Catholic schools. The interviews focus on their understandings of masculinity and their perceptions of influential aspects of school life. It includes an analysis of the boys' views of the impact of teachers, sport, discipline and classroom experiences. Participants in the study indicated that masculinity is changing and the community is requiring men to be more expressive of emotions. The majority of teenage boys interviewed stated that teachers and school experiences influenced their understanding of masculinity. Pupil - teacher relationships, conversations, exhortations and non-verbal communications are all perceived as means by which teachers influence students. Some teachers were regarded as good role models, making a positive contribution the boys’ masculinity. Interviewees reported that the schools promoted two masculinities, ‘sporting’ and ‘academic’. They spoke of contrasting interpretations of the appropriate expression of emotion. One finding of the study is that some of the teenage boys experienced a ‘spirituality of connected masculinity’ through singing, cheering and participation in school activities including sport, liturgies and retreats. Implications are drawn from the study and recommendations are made for improving the education of boys including how schools can encourage a diversity of ‘reflective’ masculinities rather than reinforcing ‘hegemonic’ understandings of masculinity.

This thesis explores the religious dimension of the role of the principal in the Catholic Secondary Schools of South Australia. The study is set in the context of a complex and changing environment. Society is becoming increasingly secular, and religious values are on the wane. The role of the principal has become progressively more encumbered by government regulation and policy and an increased level of accountability for a wide range of school outcomes, many of these outside the core purposes of the school (Fullan, 2003). In Catholic schools, the numbers of the professed religious men and women, traditionally the backbone of those schools, has declined dramatically in the last two decades and lay persons have taken over from members of religious congregations as principals in most Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia This represents a paradigm shift in leadership in the Catholic schools. It has resulted in an increased focus from within both the Church and the Catholic Education System on the essential Catholic nature of those schools, and the role of the Principal in nurturing and managing this. The study found that principals had a deep sense of the importance of this dimension of their role, but that they felt a real need for more support and formation, especially in the scriptural and theological aspects of leadership. Most felt pressured by the ‘normal’ routine of principalship, and were looking for ways to ‘make time’ for reflection in order to better ground their actions and decisions in the core values of the schools, the System and the Church. As a result of this research, a series of recommendations are offered to Church and System authorities, to principals and to those aspiring to be principals in the Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia. These relate to professional practice in such areas as defining the nature of the Catholic schools, and recognizing their particular charisms; developing leadership succession strategies and preparation courses for aspiring leaders; exploring alternative approaches to the principal selection process, and developing a mentoring program and professional support networks.

Leadership in schools is equated principally with those who hold formal or designated positions of leadership. However, the general leadership literature asserts that leadership in the post-corporate world of the organisation is not solely position-based, nor does it belong to any one person. Rather, leadership is shared and collaborative, is distributive and multi-dimensional, and is open to all members of an organisation. This study explored the perceptions and experiences of leadership by teachers and their opportunities for leadership development, in the context of the study of the Catholic school. A key assumption that underpinned the study was that teachers, by virtue of their professional practice and professional learning, exercise leadership. It was argued in the study that the educational philosophy of a Catholic school provides a suitable context for teachers to exercise leadership. The conceptual framework for the study was derived from an exploration of the research literature which focused on the general field of leadership, educational leadership and the genre of teacher leadership. The empirical study involved qualitative inquiry situated within an interpretative paradigm and oriented to providing in-depth and detailed descriptions and interpretations of the phenomenon of leadership. Data were gathered through four focus group interviews conducted with teachers in two Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia. A fifth focus group interview was conducted with an ‘expert’ group of teachers to verify a first summary of the findings. Data were analysed through an iterative process of data reduction, data display and verification. The data produced rich descriptions of leadership as perceived and experienced by teachers and were displayed in key themes within the framework of the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that teachers in the sample had well-developed understandings of leadership, of the nature of leadership in a Catholic school, and of their personal, interpersonal and professional capacity to exercise leadership in their professional practice and professional learning. However, these conceptual understandings did not always translate into practice. Leadership by teachers and leadership development of teachers were hindered by a number of factors, namely, a perceived lack of identity of teaching as a profession; the association of leadership with formal leadership structures within the school, and limited access to professional learning programs. The recommendations arising from the study have implications for system and school leaders and for policymakers and practitioners alike. In particular, the development of policy and practice that articulates the multi-dimensional perspective of leadership, and the leadership and professional role of teachers within this perspective, are highlighted. In light of the study’s findings, future research relating to the area of teacher leadership is recommended. Although the genre, teacher leadership, is well established in educational literature, there has been limited empirical research undertaken in this field in the Australian education context. This study makes a small but significant contribution to the ongoing development of knowledge in the field.

This study was an investigation of the leadership required for the transmission of the charism of Edmund Rice in a time of transition from religious to lay leadership in Christian Brothers’ Schools. Historically the Christian Brothers have had a significant impact on the development of Catholic education in this country through the development of a large network of Christian Brothers’ schools. However the rapidity and depth of changes over the past two decades have threatened this position of strength and the schools now find themselves at a critical time. There is the possible risk of the gradual dilution of Christian Brothers’ schools losing their special character and their God-given charism. The study investigated the means for the effective formal and informal transmission of the charism of Edmund Rice, and the influence of leadership styles and qualities on this transmission. The two main questions were asked are: What is needed for the effective formal and informal transmission of the charism of Edmund Rice? What leadership styles and leadership qualities are required of lay principals for this transmission? The study was situated in three schools that display one of the following characteristics: A Christian Brothers’ school that had a lay principal for a period of more than five years. A Christian Brothers’ school that currently had a Christian Brother as principal. A Christian Brothers’ school that had recently changed from a religious principal to a lay principal and was in the associated processes of changing from a religious to lay leadership. The methodology used for this research study, was a case study, presented in the context of general qualitative methodology and specifically social research methodology. The major data-gathering approach was a questionnaire. Two questionnaires were used to collect the required data. The construction of the items were informed by key points, drawn from the literature review which, in turn were derived from educational leadership theories. The research undertaken in three Christian Brothers’ schools resulted in: Understanding the leaders’ perceptions of the charism of Edmund Rice; Identification of means for transmission of charism; Identification of styles of leadership and qualities of leadership which assist the transmission of charism; Informed Christian Brother’s schools of possible means for the transmission of the Edmund Rice charism in the future; and Suggested the provision of a formation program for recently appointed principals. The thesis concludes that the understanding of the Edmund Rice charism by future leaders of Christian Brothers’ schools needs to reflect the contemporary context, that takes into account the need to provide access to a Catholic education by all those who seek it rather than preserving it for those who have the capacity to pay for it; and it needs to provide spiritually nourishing environments for students within these schools. Ultimately, a real and genuine attempt to engage all people in a Catholic education that is embedded in the tradition of Edmund Rice is required. Christian Brothers’ schools require leaders who can promote and achieve the vision and mission of Christian Brothers’ schools and live out the charter of Edmund Rice through example. The leaders who are able to achieve this are people who practice elements of servant, transformational and authentic leadership. The Christian Brothers’ need to ensure that they have an appropriate formation program, that addresses these areas, for leaders of their schools.

Enrolment trends in non-Catholic, non-Government schools since 1962 show various interesting features. Overall the percentage of students enrolled in such schools today is about the same as it was in 1962, but this percentage has fluctuated in the intervening period. It contrasts notably with the trend in Catholic schools which is one of a sustained decline. Further analysis reveals that the number of boarders in non- Catholic, non-Government schools as a percentage of total enrolments in such schools has declined markedly, and during this decade has declined in absolute terms. This fall appears to relate to declining rural incomes and to rural-urban migration. The drop occurs despite the fact that increases in boarding fees are less than increases in tuition fees, the former relating closely to trends in the consumer price index, the latter to movements in the gross national product per capita. The masculinity level for All Schools and for non-Catholic, non-Government schools is about 1O5 in each case. However, in All Schools there has been a notable decline to reach this point, whereas in non-Catholic, non-Government schools there has been a steady increase in masculinity over the last fifteen years to arrive at the same point. Since 1962 Undenominational Schools have increased their enrolments at a considerably faster rate than have other religions. Presbyterian schools have lost ground, reflecting, perhaps, their interest in non metropolitan boarding schools, a sector which has been adversely affected in recent years, and also, perhaps, reflecting some inertia resulting from the impending union into the Uniting Church. In non-Catholic, non-Government schools a ratio of about 2:1 between secondary and primary enrolments seems common. Enrolments within these two sections seem to be affected by somewhat different factors, but a balance has been maintained at this level. Trends noted are not the result of particular variables but of a large number of interrelated factors. Relationships can be noted but not causality. Many interesting paths appear, often paths which cannot be followed in this field study. Nevertheless, there are various questions which beg further research. For example, why it is that New South Wales (including the Australian Capital Territory) with the highest per capita income of any state has the lowest percentage of school students attending non-Catholic, non-Government schools?

This research studied the relationship between the levels of Participation in Decision Making and the levels of Organizational Health. In collecting the information, thirty four full-time teachers in a Catholic school in Yogyakarta Indonesia are asked to evaluate the levels of participation they actually have experienced. The gap between the levels of participation they wanted and the levels of participation they actually have experienced express their levels of satisfaction to their levels of participation. Moreover, the teacher respondents are also asked to evaluate the levels of Organizational Health they perceived. The result of the study show that the levels of participation, both teachers' desired participation and actual participation are not always significantly correlated to the levels of Organizational Health they perceive. Such significant relationship between the levels of participation and the levels of Organizational Health only occur in some areas of decision making and some dimensions of Organizational Health. In addition, satisfied teachers and dissatisfied teachers are not always different in their perception of the levels of Organizational Health. Such significant differences only occur in some areas for decision making and some dimensions of Organizational Health.

An aspect of Australian education is the continued presence of the Catholic schools including those in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. They have continued to be a significant part of Australian education after decades of ups and downs. The question today is not whether Catholic schools will survive but rather how effective they will be despite the changes which have taken place over the last few decades. Catholic schools still aim to provide all the elements of a State education, and in addition, to offer them within a Catholic setting. They have tried to create an environment that will continue to reflect the cultural values of its members. The Theses is on Catholic Education in Practice: A Case Study of a Catholic High School in the A.C.T. The Theses is based on historical and analytical approach. The results of a case study involving random sampled students, their parents/guardians and teachers in a Catholic High School in the A.C.T. sets out to investigate what factors still attract them to the Catholic school despite the significant changes that have taken place since Catholic education was introduced into Australia. By examining these three groups of people who are directly involved in Catholic schools, it is hoped that a more balanced assessment of the extent to which ideals and practices of Catholic education have been retained. The results show that students attend Catholic schools for a variety of reasons including academic and religious and because of the traditional approach to areas such as discipline. The religious values continue to be an important part of the school which makes it distinctively Catholic, but the integration is not as pervasive as previous due to the change in the nature of staff and students at the school.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2006. / Includes bibliography.

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