Perspectives of primary school principals regarding systemwide strategy to strengthen Catholic school identity : An Australian case study

This thesis explores and reports on how primary school principals were influenced by the Strengthening Catholic Identity (SCI) strategy within one bounded system of schools between 2016 and 2020. The SCI strategy was developed, resourced, and embedded by one Catholic Education Office (CEO) in response to the challenge of strengthening the Catholic identity of schools within an increasingly secular, detraditionalised, and pluralised society. The research question which shaped this study was: In what ways have Catholic primary school principals been influenced by the Strengthening Catholic Identity (SCI) strategy within one bounded system of schools?

A review of literature highlighted the construct of identity as the interaction of professional, organisational, and communal influences within a faith-based educational context, with each identity construct relating to and informing the other. The preparation and formation of Catholic school principals was another prevailing theme, assisting school principals in the carriage of their responsibilities. What was not evident in literature were the exact experiences and opportunities that assisted principals to advocate for and enact authentic Catholic school identity.

The research framework incorporated a relativist ontology and constructivist epistemology. Data were collected from three key sources: systemwide SCI strategy document analysis, principal questionnaires (n = 30), and principal semi-structured interviews (n = 8).

The SCI strategy documentation of the CEO provided stakeholders with a blueprint to assist in understanding the context, vision, and expectations of the organisation regarding the strengthening of Catholic school identity.

The findings of questionnaire data affirmed a collective understanding of the urgency of strategy implementation. Participants stated that while adequate progress had been made, the strengthening of Catholic school identity remained an ongoing focus requiring strategic leadership, systemic goal setting, and adequate resourcing. The pivotal themes included the need for increased clarity regarding the mission of Catholic education; the need for enhanced leadership capability of principals to navigate the widening gap between the religious literacy and experiences of current and previous generations; the need for a systemwide strategic response; and that engagement in SCI activities directly impacted principals in their capacity and willingness to strengthen the Catholic identity within their school.

The findings from semi-structured interview data reinforced the essential need for and urgency of an SCI strategy. The three highest ranked themes of identity, people, and focus aptly reflected the imperative for principals to be engaged in planning future strategies for strengthening Catholic school identity.

The collective data analysis demonstrated that to embed the SCI strategy, a clear understanding of Catholic school mission was essential, as well as an appreciation of societal context, and enacting of leadership agency of the principal. These three key constructs were used to develop the identity alignment model to assist school leaders and systems to engage in ongoing, purposeful dialogue regarding the strengthening of Catholic school identity. The model is summarised and discussed in relation to factors of friction and favour that accompanied the SCI implementation process.

Recommendations from this research include continued empirical engagement for the CEO to establish external partnerships to develop and implement a formation strategy to support deeper understanding of Catholic school mission and identity for all stakeholders; development of a systemwide tool to measure, improve, and enhance Catholic school identity; use of the identity alignment model to support ongoing professional dialogue regarding the mission, context, and agency for strengthening Catholic school identity; and expanding opportunities for the education authority and principals to co-create strategic directions for strengthening Catholic school identity.

This work is © 2025 by Kirsten Karey is licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).