Cultivating Catholic school ethos based on Ignatian spirituality : a case study

Abstract

Catholic schools have a distinctive mission to promote the formation of the whole person. The ethos of Catholic schools embeds the unique beliefs and shared visions in the school community. In response to the rapid change in today’s world and the declining identity of some Catholic schools, educators in the Catholic Church are more concerned about the strengthening of Catholic school ethos. This research is a case study of a girls’ primary school in Hong Kong whose philosophy of education is based on Ignatian Spirituality. The aims are two-folded, (i) to examine the content of educational change and strategies used to bring about the change in the cultivation of a Catholic school ethos and (ii) to identify the facilitating and hindering factors in the process of change. Data were collected via interview, observation, and document analysis. Results showed that moral values, like Magis (the pursuit of excellence), respect for individual, wisdom, care, love and compassion were promoted in the school. Moreover, the school had created an inviting environment for students to experience, act out, reflect, and internalize the values. Meanwhile, the school had created a learning community and teamwork among teachers for promoting staff development and teacher formation. Most importantly, reflection was the key for continuous improvement of both students and teachers, and thus for strengthening of the school ethos. Furthermore, results showed that support of the School Sponsoring Body, effective leadership of the Principal, and committed and caring teachers are the main facilitating factors in the process of change, whereas different perception on moral purpose, diverse pace and ability that teachers could cope with change were the hindering factors. Practical implications on the cultivation of value education in schools and implications for future research were discussed.