How do religious education teachers in Maltese secondary schools perceive their own role?

Abstract

The aim of this research is to analyse the teachers of Religious Education point of view about their own role in schools. The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education insists that the Religious Educator is a 'key and vital component' for the transmission of authentic Christian values in Religious Education. Regan (2000) and Lines (1992) discuss several roles attributed to the Religious Educator, such as the role of a friend and a parent. Since the Religious Educator works in a school community and belongs to the local Christian community, the researcher wanted to explore the role of the Religious Educator in these two different settings. The researcher carried out interviews with Religious Educators from different secondary school sectors i.e. Junior Lyceums, Area Secondaries, Church Schools and Independent schools. Questionnaires were also distributed to all Religious Educators in Malta and Gozo. The researcher wanted to find out whether differences exist in the roles of Religious Educators in different secondary school sectors, or whether there is a general agreement of what their role in schools is and should be. Results revealed a general agreement among Religious Educators that people expect more out of their roles than they expect of other teachers.