Date of Award
2025-05-18
Degree Name
PhD Leadership Studies
Dissertation Committee
Robert Donmoyer, PhD, Chair Leslie Boozer, EdD, JD, Member Maureen Day, PhD, Member
Keywords
Catholic, Religious Education, High School
Abstract
This qualitative dissertation examined the challenges faced by high school religion teachers in Catholic education through interviews with 16 teachers from nine U.S. dioceses. The dissertation explored four key tensions the literature indicates have emerged in Catholic education since the Second Vatican Council: (1) balancing catechetical and academic approaches, (2) navigating the dual role of educator and minister, (3) reconciling prescribed curricula with diverse student needs, and (4) addressing training disparities and their impact on teacher morale.
Beyond these tensions, teachers identified additional challenges absent from the literature. First, they noted that nurturing authentic faith is difficult when students fear judgment, display apathy, or adopt a transactional view of education. Some of these factors particularly hinder faith development among non-Catholic and non-religious students, participants noted. Second, expectations for religion classes are not always consistent among teachers, students, parents, and school and Church leaders. Third, teachers stressed that the classroom environment is as crucial as the course content, and they noted that they often strive to foster open discussions of faith in classes. Finally, teachers prioritize personal development over indoctrination, aiming to form good people rather than simply produce more Catholics.
Participants indicated they employed various strategies to navigate the challenges they faced, from adapting instructional approaches to delivering engaging instructional content and supplementing training through independent study, mentorship, or concrete experiences. The findings underscore the adaptability of the 16 religion teachers who participated in the study and suggest areas for further research, including school leadership’s perceptions of religious education, a teacher-informed review of The United States Council of Catholic Bishop’s (USCCB’s) Doctrinal Elements of Curriculum Framework, and student perspectives on religion courses. Strengthening collaboration among educators, administrators, and students could enhance the role of religious education in Catholic schools.
Document Type
Dissertation: Open Access
Department
Leadership Studies
Digital USD Citation
Hurt, Nicholas, "Walking the Tightropes: Tensions in High School Religious Education" (2025). Dissertations. 1068.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/1068
Copyright
Copyright held by the author
