Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Unit rationale, description and aim
It is vital for the effectiveness of the Catholic school community that all members understand its purpose and mission.
This is a foundational unit where the raison d'être of the Catholic school is made explicit and the vocation of the teacher is examined. Whilst open to all students, this unit is also designed to meet diocesan approved programs, for accreditation to teach in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. In doing so, it engages the Catholic intellectual tradition to bring a distinct perspective to Catholic education.
Students will explore the distinctive vision and mission of a Catholic school as a community animated by the spirit of the Gospel and enlivened by the person of Jesus Christ. This unit requires classroom teachers, coordinators and middle leaders to develop a deeper understanding, not only of the nature of the school as part of the Church's mission, but also of their vocation as members of staff. Students are challenged to draw on core religious content to evaluate and strengthen the vision and mission of the Catholic school.
The aim of this unit is to develop religious literacy within the Catholic Christian tradition, so that students may participate critically and authentically in contemporary culture.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Assess a variety of resources to critically evaluate the nature and purpose of the Catholic school and role of the teacher within the context of the mission of the Catholic Church (APST Lead 2.1) | GC1, GC3, GC5, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11 |
| LO2 | Critically evaluate the significance of key principles of Catholic social teaching and Scripture in relation to Catholic school identity (APST Lead 2.1) | GC1, GC3, GC5, GC7, GC9, GC10, GC11 |
| LO3 | Explore faith and spiritual formation approaches for staff members and/or students in a Catholic school (APST Lead 6.1) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC10, GC11 |
| LO4 | Examine approaches to Christian Leadership relevant to a Catholic school including faith leadership, servant leadership and transrelational leadership (APST Lead 7.4) | GC1, GC3, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11 |
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Lead
On successful completion of this unit, students should have gained evidence towards the following standards:
2.1 - Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area Lead initiatives within the school to evaluate and improve knowledge of content and teaching strategies and demonstrate exemplary teaching of subjects using effective, research-based learning and teaching programs. |
6.1 - Identify and plan professional learning needs Use comprehensive knowledge of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to plan and lead the development of professional learning policies and programs that address the professional learning needs of colleagues and pre-service teachers. |
7.4 - Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities Take a leadership role in professional and community networks and support the involvement of colleagues in external learning opportunities. |
Content
Topics will include:
- Contemporary perspectives of the nature and purpose of the Catholic school, the mission of the Church and the role of the teacher in a Catholic school.
- Catholic school identity
- Key principles of Catholic social teaching and/or Scripture as foundation of Catholic school identity.
- Approaches to faith and spiritual formation for staff and/or students in Catholic schools.
- Models of Christian leadership for Catholic schools.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The unit adopts an "innovative, student-focused" approach, in line with ACU Vision 2033, p. 13.
EDRE642 is taught in numerous modes (i.e. face to face, intensive, online, mixed) and may consist of lectures and tutorials in the face-to-face mode, and videoconferencing in the multi-mode offerings. Students have the opportunity to participate in private research and cooperative learning through forums and reflective journals, leading to the completion of the required assessment tasks.
The Catholic school as a space within which Christian living can occur is examined by considering the importance of prayer and liturgy, faith formation of staff and pastoral care. Students are provided with opportunities to reflect upon the way in which leadership is exercised at various levels within a Catholic school by drawing on insights pertaining to the religious foundations of Catholic schools. In considering the mission of the contemporary Catholic school, students have an opportunity to investigate perspectives pertaining to Catholic school identity.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for students to progressively demonstrate their achievement of each learning outcome. For this reason, a range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. Such procedures may include, but are not limited to: essays, reports, examinations, student presentations or case studies. To pass this unit, students are required to submit all assessment tasks and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50/100.
By drawing upon the Church documents and scholarly literature, Task 1 requires students to critically evaluate the role of the teacher in a Catholic school in the light of the mission of the Church (LO1). By doing this, students will have an opportunity to consider the significance of key principles of Catholic social teaching and/or Scripture in relation to Catholic school identity (LO2). Task 2 then requires students to examine models of Christian leadership (LO3) and its potential to fosters the faith and spiritual formation of staff members (LO4).
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Critical Evaluation Essay An essay that critically evaluates the role of a teacher in a Catholic school in enhancing a Catholic school identity. Or another appropriate assessment type to assess the relevant learning outcome. | 50% | LO1, LO2 | GC1, GC2, GC5, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11 |
Assessment Task 2: Critical Report A critical report that evaluates and approach to Christian leadership and its potential to fosters the faith and spiritual formation of staff members. Or another appropriate assessment type to assess the relevant learning outcomes. | 50% | LO3, LO4 | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11 |
Representative texts and references
Buchanan, M. T. & Gellel, A. M. (Eds.). (2019). Global perspectives on Catholic religious education in Schools Volume II: Learning and Leading in a Pluralist World. Netherlands: Springer Press.
Buchanan, M. T. & Gellel, A. M. (Eds.). (2015). Global perspectives on Catholic religious education in Schools. Netherlands: Springer Press.
Boselli, G. (2014). The spiritual meaning of the liturgy school of prayer, source of life. Liturgical Press.
Cloutier, D. (2015). Reading, praying, living Pope Francis's ‘Laudato sì’: A faith formation guide
B
. Liturgical Press.
Congregation for Catholic Education. (2017). Educating to fraternal humanism: Building a “civilization of love” 50 years after Populorum progression. The Holy See.
D'Orsa, J., Neri, T., Neri, C., & Broken Bay Institute. (2013). Leading for mission: Integrating life, culture and faith in Catholic education. Vaughan Publishing.
Grace, G. (2016). Faith, mission and challenge in Catholic education: The selected works of Gerald Grace. Routledge.
Herrick, A., & McCullough, M. (2012). Catholic social teaching: Christian life in society. Teacher guide. St Mary’s Press.
Jones, D., & Barrie, S. (2015). Thinking Christian ethos: The meaning of Catholic education. Catholic Truth Society.
Kasper, W. (2015). The Catholic Church: Nature, reality and mission. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Murphy, F., & Narcisse, G. (2015). What makes a Christology Catholic? In the Oxford Handbook of Christology. Oxford University Press.
Sharkey P. (2015). Educator’s guide to Catholic identity. Vaughan Publishing.
Vatican Documents
Congregation for Catholic Education. (1977). The Catholic school. Society of Saint Paul.
Congregation for Catholic Education. (2007). Educating together in Catholic schools: A shared mission between consecrated persons and the lay faithful. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20070908_educare-insieme_en.html
Congregation for Catholic Education. (2013), Educating to Inter-cultural Dialogue in Catholic Schools. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20131028_dialogo-interculturale_en.html
Congregation for Catholic Education. (2014). Educating today and tomorrow: A renewing passion. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20140407_educare-oggi-e-domani_en.html
Congregation for Catholic Education. (2017). Educating to fraternal humanism: Building a “civilization of love” 50 years after Populorum progression. The Holy See.
Congregation for the Clergy. (2020). Instruction: The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelising mission of the Church. https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2020/07/20/200720a.html
Congregation for Catholic Education. (2022). Instruction: The identity of a Catholic school for a culture of dialogue. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20220125_istruzione-identita-scuola-cattolica_en.html
Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization. (2020). Directory for Catechesis. St Pauls.
Pope Francis. (2013). Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium the joy of the gospel. http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html
Appropriate Journals and Websites
Journals
British Journal of Religious Education
Journal of Religious Education