The impact of cultural religious values upon pre-service teachers' perceptions of their role as educators in Catholic religious schools

The particular history, politics, social milieu and size of the islands of Malta contributed to the formation of specific cultural values and identity. Central to this identity is a unique language and a very strong Catholic community. These factors remain integral (but not exclusive) aspects of the Maltese national identity. This identity has been expressed well beyond the Maltese islands as a result of mass emigration in the mid to latter part of the last century. This article reports on the findings of a comparative study between pre-service teachers of Maltese descent from Malta and Australia who aspire to be teachers in Catholic schools. The study sought to identify the similarities and differences between their perceptions of the role of a teacher in a Catholic school and to investigate the likely influence that shared cultural religious values might have upon their perceptions.