Understanding the Practice of Catholic Social Teaching: Towards an Integration to College Religious Education of Sta. Teresa College
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63931/pasrj.v6i1.80Keywords:
Catholic Church, Catholic Schools, Catholic Social Teaching, Religious EducationAbstract
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) constitutes one of the fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church that guides the faithful in living according to Gospel values. This study seeks to examine the extent to which college students at Sta. Teresa College, Bauan, Batangas practice Catholic Social Teaching as articulated in the ten principles identified by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace. Using a quantitative descriptive research design, the study assessed the frequency of students’ practice of CST through the Alay Kapwa Spirituality Scale, a 100-item six-point Likert instrument. Stratified random sampling was employed to select 323 respondents across year levels who were enrolled in Religious Education courses. Data were analyzed using weighted mean to determine the level of practice of each principle. Findings revealed that students generally demonstrate a “frequent” level of practice of Catholic Social Teaching. However, several dimensions reflected comparatively lower levels of practice, indicating areas that require greater emphasis and formation. These results suggest the need for more focused educational and pastoral interventions to strengthen students’ understanding and lived application of CST within the context of Catholic higher education.
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