Leading a Lay Faculty into the Twenty-First Century: Understanding Teachers' Perceptions of Why They Teach in Catholic Secondary Schools

This study explored teachers' reasons for teaching in Catholic secondary schools and examined why they stayed in Catholic secondary schools. Data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with four teachers representing different ethnicities, religions, and genders indicated that respondents considered the environment in Catholic schools to be positive and family-like. They felt this environment was an important reason for staying in Catholic schools. They perceived that students who attended Catholic schools differed significantly from students who attended public schools. They considered themselves surrogate parents to their students and believed the teacher-student relationship was part of why they wanted to remain in Catholic schools. Peer support and rapport were important influences on their decisions to work in and remain in Catholic schools. All of the respondents had opportunities to leave for other jobs in teaching or in other professions. They cited lack of administrative support and not being treated like professionals as reasons why they would leave the Catholic secondary schools. (Contains 25 references.) (SM)