This article provides a comparative examination of teachers’ experiences of both participating in Catholic teacher education programmes and teaching within Catholic schools in the Republic of Ireland and the United States. This mixed-methods study consisted of surveys and interviews with 22 teachers who are graduates of both Irish and US teacher education programmes and have taught in Catholic schools in both countries. This distinct cohort of Irish Catholic educators reveals how faith and Catholic identity are experienced in two distinct education systems that share a common mission. The research underscores how context powerfully shapes the lived experience of teachers in both Catholic teacher education programmes and in Catholic schools, and it highlights implications for those responsible for Catholic teacher education programmes and also for the leaders of Catholic schools. The extent to which members of a school community explicitly identify and choose to embody the Catholic identity greatly shapes outcomes.

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爱尔兰和美国的天主教教育：教师的比较观点

本文对爱尔兰共和国和美国天主教教师参加天主教教师教育计划和在天主教学校进行教学的经验进行了比较研究。这项混合方法的研究包括对22位教师的调查和访谈，他们都是爱尔兰和美国教师教育计划的毕业生，并且在这两个国家的天主教学校任教。爱尔兰天主教教育者的这一独特群体揭示了在具有共同使命的两种不同教育体系中，信仰和天主教身份的经历。这项研究强调了背景如何在天主教教师教育计划和天主教学校中极大地影响着教师的生活体验，它突显了对负责天主教教师教育计划的人以及天主教学校负责人的影响。一个学校社区成员明确识别并选择体现天主教身份的程度在很大程度上决定了结局。