Investigating the impact of a Church school ethos and leadership on student character development

Abstract

The study investigates how the ethos, leadership and structure in a particular Catholic school affect character development. A well-balanced character is important as it will direct one in life. This direction is driven by values that are culturally normed and represent the ‘ideal’ way of acting. Literature on the apparent effects of church schools on pupils is sparse, except in the field of student performance outcomes. The study goes on to describe a small scale investigation that was carried out with a number of students from different year groups within the same school. Methodologically, the study adopted the phenomenological approach. Focus group discussions elicited the pupil’s experiences on how relationships within school and with staff effect their character development. One question also focused on how the school and the family complement each other. The study indicates that the interactions happening in school influence individual ethos and values which ultimately aid in character development. A critical analysis of the findings attempts to highlight similarities and differences to what is reported in the relevant literature. It was evident that literature which focuses on other aspects such as psychological development, achievement, community and leadership, complements the findings of this research; that rather than formal teaching, community life and individual care enhance pupils’ self-esteem and support their personal and social development further. Indeed, contrary to the perception of authors who are opposed to the concept of faith schools, this study argued that values are not internalized through indoctrination, but rather through healthy community living.