Are Christian Schools Really Christian? Perceptions of Final Year Pre-service Teachers in Australia

Abstract

Final year pre-service teachers at a private provider of Christian higher education were surveyed to discover their perceptions of the special character of a wide spectrum of Australian Christian faith-based schools. They each completed an eight week placement, spread over two sessions, in a Christian school. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through open-ended written responses and a questionnaire. The results indicated that a special Christian character was visible to the preservice teachers, with evidence that Christian worldview alignments in the areas of school culture, relationships, service and discipleship in Christian schools is easier to identify than in the learning and teaching aspects of schools’ operations. Introduction, aim and purpose Stephen Covey (1989, p. 28) reminds us that, ‘We see the world not as it is, but as we are...’ This study sought to investigate the visibility of the special Christian character of schools from the perspective of final year pre-service teachers who are about to enter the workforce. In particular, the study looked at the alignment of the practices of the school with a Christian worldview and uses the phrase ‘Christian worldview alignment’ to describe aspects of a school’s operation that reflect beliefs rising out of a Christian worldview and hence give it a special character that reflects Christian characteristics. The study aimed to identify those areas in the sampled schools where Christian Worldview was overtly visible, and those areas where it was less noticeable to pre-service teachers. In doing so, this investigation is relevant to key stakeholders in Christian education; firstly to Christian teachers and administrators as it identifies how special character through a Christian worldview alignment is perceived from the perspective of preservice teachers who may bring a fresh set of eyes and new perspective; secondly, to providers of Christian higher education as they develop frameworks to discuss and explain the concept of Christian worldview alignment and its implications for teachers, and thirdly; to pre-service teachers as they prepare for employment in Christian schools. Background and context The number of students in independent schools in Australia has grown from 4.1% of total enrolments in Australian schools in 1970 to a market share of 20.3% in 2016, with 85% of independent schools having religious affiliation (Independent Schools Council in Australia, 2017). This growth has been accompanied by robust discussion pertaining to the philosophy, purpose and practice of Christian education (Cairney, Cowling & Jensen, 2011; Edlin, 2014; Ellis & Ireland, 2006; Fennema, 2006; Goodlet and Collier, 2014; Knight, 2016; Murison, 2018; Roy, 2008). These conversations are crucial given the increasingly diverse belief systems from which students are attracted as more parents seek a valuesbased and academically strong education, rather than a specifically ‘Christian’ education for their children (Beamish & Morey, 2014, p.32). Even in those schools that draw from a predominantly Christian base, ongoing examination of how a Christian worldview is enacted within a school remains important in order for schools to fulfil their mission, preserve their special character and the operational distinctiveness of Christian education. TEACHR TEACH Journal 12-2.indd 23 26/3/19 10:08 pm 24 | TEACH | v12 n2 v12 n2 | TEACH | 25 Research & Scholarship Worldview and Christian education Worldview can be defined as the assumptions that guide our understanding of the big questions in life. These big questions (in everyday language) include: Where did I come from? Why am I here? What is wrong with the world? Is there a solution? (Fisher, 2010; Olthuis, 1985; Sire, 2015). The answers to these and related questions provide a worldview structure through which we understand the world and our purpose for existence (Fisher, 2010; Goheen & Bartholomew, 2008; Henderson, Henderson & Thompson, 2006; Nash, 2013; Naugle, 2002; Sire, 2004). Christian educators agree that Christian education needs to have underlying beliefs and philosophical assumptions that are Christian (Cairney, et al., 2011; Dowson, 2014; Edlin, 2014; Knight, 2016; Roy, 2008). In fact, most Christian schools and school systems have been set up to foster a Christian worldview. These schools, and the associated expense of operating them, can only be justified if they are faithful to the philosophical foundation upon which they were established (Knight, 2016). The formation of the Christian worldview is a priority because Christian education seeks to help ‘students to live life before God as God designed it to be’ (Fennema, 2006, p.30). A worldview construct becomes the framework through which students view the world and gives them a way to structure, interpret and implement the various components of their life in a way that gives their life meaning. Developing a robust Christian worldview equips students with an important tool to negotiate and make sense of life using a Christian lens and is central to the purpose of Christian education. Despite this belief, Murison (2018, p. 90) posits that Christian worldview alignment in schools “has been undertaken as a largely intellectual and theoretical task”. This can be attributed, at least in part, to the understanding that an individual’s worldview exists partially in the sub-conscious rather than the conscious (Olthuis, 1985; Sire, 2004). As Walsh and Middleton (1984) posit, worldview needs to become visible if it is to provide a paradigm to guide and fashion the thoughts and actions of its adherents. Without this visibility, there may be a disconnect between the actuality of belief and the reality of life (Thompson, 2004). This calls for Christian teachers to be overt in living their worldview, and poses a challenge because an institutional worldview enactment relies on individuals whose personal worldviews may be at various stages of development. While it is anticipated that teachers in Christian schools will adopt and model a Christian worldview, Rasmussen and Rasmussen (2006, p.3) have identified seven distinct teaching levels that range from ‘non-use’ of Christian worldview through ‘superficial’ and ‘routine’ to ‘dynamic integration’ of Christian worldview. These labels reflect the anomalies found in Christian classrooms and suggest that Christian scholarship needs to further investigate how faith shapes pedagogical practice, an idea supported by Smith and Smith (2011). Alignment of school practices with a Christian worldview models the way that Christian principles are actioned and integrates faith, learning and life. This process is important and should underlie all the educational activity in a Christian school. It is a mixture of corporate and individual influence that is the result of intentional activity that aims to holistically develop students. Christian education A review of relevant literature reveals that schools’ alignment with Christian worldview, that is this aspect of their Christian special character, is often evidenced in the areas of: school culture, relationships, belief enactment, and transformation. School culture includes the daily program of the school and the impact of the physical environment (Roy, 2008). The relationships within the school are important and Christian worldview alignment is often exemplified by relationships within the school community (Francis, Casson, & McKenna, 2018; Scouller, 2012). Based in the belief that a triune God is a God of community (Cairney et al., 2011), Christian schools operate as communities of faith and learning where committed teachers foster safe and authentic relationships as part of their ethos. Wilhoit and Rozema (2005, p. 248) make a strong case for teachers whose words and actions transform the school “into a loving, just, compassionate, and worshipping community that invites openness and dialogue”. This results in an environment where “committed partnerships, mutually supportive relationships and a relationally supportive environment are reflected in every aspect of the school” (Burggraaf, 2014, p. 79). The special character of the school is also influenced by the beliefs adhered to within the school. This involves more than intellectually subscribing to the theological beliefs on which the school philosophy is based. Rather, school special character focuses on how those beliefs are evidenced in every aspect of school life (Edlin, 2006, Jackson, 2009). It goes beyond knowing what one believes, or transmitting these beliefs to students in religious education classes. While Wilhoit and Rozema’s (2005) position on the relational role of Christian teachers is salient, one must also assert the foundational premise that the curriculum should also be aligned with a Christian worldview, so ” “for Christian teachers to be overt in living their worldview ... poses a challenge because an institutional worldview enactment relies on individuals whose ... worldviews may be at various stages of development. TEACH Journal 12-2.indd 24 26/3/19 10:08 pm 24 | TEACH | v12 n2 v12 n2 | TEACH | 25 Research & Scholarship that the school’s learning and teaching programs support Christian faith and biblical beliefs rather than contradicting them (Anderson, 2013; Edlin, 2014; Thompson, 2004). Even more challenging for Christian teachers is the act of aligning pedagogical practice with Christian frameworks, so both what is taught and how it is taught aligns with a Christian worldview, an area where reality often falls short of expectations (Cairney et al., 2011; Edlin, 2014; Scouller, 2012; Smith & Smith, 2014). Murison (2018) offers a cautionary note on this issue, positing that attempts to integrate faith and learning may actually result in dualism unless teachers are teaching from a strong faith basis. The final area where Christian worldview alignment is often evident is in the transforming process at work in the lives of