From values to action: mission statements of Catholic elementary schools
Abstract
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of this text is to call attention to the Catholic school mission statements. The interest in Catholic schools has been growing for several years now. During the past few decades, the interest in the issue of mission statements has also strongly increased. However, in Poland, empirical studies investigating the mission of the school (Christian or non‑Christian) are very rare.
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The main purpose of the study is to document the content of the mission statement of Catholic elementary schools to better understand how they define their goals and prioritize the values which should guide their action. The particular objectives of this study are to investigate: 1) the format of mission statements; 2) the words used at the microlevel in order to determine schools’ core values. In order to achieve these objectives, the method of document analysis was used.
THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The text consists of two main parts: the first provides a theoretical background. On the basis of literature review, a conceptual framework for the study is defined. In the second part, the methodology and the results of the study are presented.
RESEARCH RESULTS: School mission statements highlight the broad range of values and goals that the Catholic schools pursue. The goals take a form of institutional goals, goals for instructors, and goals for students and parents as well. The analysis also revealed the predominance of interpersonal values in school mission statements. Interestingly, two types of school mission statements are observed: one more exclusive and the other type of mission statement that indicates the openness for students with diverse philosophical backgrounds.
CONCLUSION, INNOVATION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: School mission statements could be a source of data for comparing Catholic schools both nationwide and abroad.
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