Leading in Liminality: Implications on Individual and Collective Identity and Knowledge Creation for Catholic Schools

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Catholic Education: From Policy to Practice

Abstract

In the spring of 2020, schools of all sectors across all nations were forced to close their doors as COVID-19 rippled through communities. Drawing upon the concept of liminality, which refers to a stage, state, or period of transition (Soderlund & Borg, 2017), this study investigated the intersections of the experience of liminality during the pandemic and Catholic school functioning for school leaders and teachers. Using qualitative methods, this paper presents the key characteristics of liminality as experienced within organizations, and provides an opportunity to interpret the impact of the pandemic on Catholic schools. Findings relating to individual and collective identity, purpose, and professional practice have significant potential in illuminating a path forward for this sector of K-12 education.

Authors

• Melodie M. Wyttenbach, Boston College

• John Reyes, Boston College

• David Sorkin, Boston College