Education In Malta Research Articles

Environmental Education Development in Malta: A Contextual Study of the Events That Have Shaped the Development of Environmental Education in Malta

Environmental Education Development in Malta: A Contextual Study of the Events That Have Shaped the Development of Environmental Education in MaltaThis paper discusses the historic development of environmental education in Malta and identifies environmental non-governmental organisations as the main promoters of environmental education in Malta. Environmental awareness started to increase as a response to major environmental issues on the island, but was a long affair, hindered in its development by a number of factors, including the governments' non-committal policy, the colonial mentality and the highly competitive educational system. European Union accession had a positive impact on the development mainly due to the imposed requirements. Subsequent governments have realised the importance of environmental education as an effective solution to ensure environmental sustainability. Nonetheless, as environmental education goals take a long time to be achieved, the lack of short-term achievements may be somewhat hindering its development. A context-based environmental education development model was designed to illustrate the complex relations identified in the study. The study suggests a commitment towards locally produced materials, genuine environmental non-governmental organisations and funding up of a co-ordinating centre for the promotion of environmental education at all academic levels.

Adult education in small states: the case of Malta

A small state faces several challenges with regard to adult continuing education and training. The paper discusses some of these challenges with specific reference to the Mediterranean small island state of Malta. It starts with a general discussion of some of the issues affecting adult education in a small state such as Malta that paves the way for the more focused analyses in the second and third sections. These sections focus on a selection of just two topics from among the many that affect adult education in Malta, namely those of adult education and work and adult education for sustainable development. These analyses are tackled from the perspective of the small state condition.

A comparative study of information and communications technology policy in primary education in two small islands

Research into small island states emerged during the period of decolonisation with comparative case studies making a valuable contribution. This study was undertaken to evaluate information and communications technology (ICT) policies in primary education in Malta and Jamaica and to consider the influence of small island status on policy and its implications for pedagogy. The two islands were chosen for comparison as both are members of the Commonwealth and linked through the Small Island Developing States Network. Malta and Jamaica have embraced the ICT revolution and developed strategies for national development in their respective education systems. A case‐study approach was used, involving the collection of policy documents and semi‐structured interviews with key policy‐makers in each island. An independent study of each island was undertaken and the two cases were compared to establish similarities and differences. The Malta case study reveals a classroom‐based computer implementation model across the system, complemented by laptop computers for teachers, and funded by the public sector. A variety of computer implementation models are evident in the Jamaica case study. These have been funded by the private and public sectors, with the assistance of international agencies.

A study of continuing nurse education in Malta: the importance of national context

The literature recommends that in the light of the constant changes in the contexts in which nurses perform [Buerhaus, P., 1997. The future of the nurse labour market. Image 29(4), 313-318], nurse education systems should incorporate specialised and continuing education [Lenera, V., 1987. The Nurse and the Future: Role and Function. In: Health Care and Nurse Education in the 21st Century. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels; Castledine, G., McGee, P., 1998. Advanced and Specialist Nursing Practice, Blackwell Science Ltd., Oxford; Chiarella, M., 1998. Developing the credibility of continuing education. Nurse Education Today 10, 70-73 ]. Using a qualitative approach, the research study reported in this article explored views of student and qualified nurses in Malta about such educational opportunities. Data were collected using questionnaires administered by post to student and qualified nurses in Malta (n=172) [Fenech Adami, M., 2002. An exploratory study of the adequacy of the nurse education system in Malta. PhD Thesis. University of Aberdeen.]. In congruence with the literature, the findings revealed widespread support for and interest in specialised and continuing education in general [Nolan, M., 1994. Continuing professional education: identifying the characteristics an effective system. Journal of Advanced Nursing 22, 551-560; Wilson-Barnett, J., 1994. Evaluating the clinical nurse specialist - a review. International Journal of Nursing Studies 31(6), 561-571]. However, some of the findings challenge that which is recommended in the literature. The findings should contribute to the effective development of specialised and continuing education opportunities in Malta. Moreover, by their divergence from the literature, these findings illustrate that nurse education should always be planned against a backdrop of the context in which it is to be delivered. In turn, the findings point out the importance of researching education within specific contexts rather than simply extrapolating research evidence and subsequent recommendations on nurse education from one national context to another.

The International Program Perspective: The Education of Gifted Children in Malta

Education is all about making provisions for individual differences and specific needs. All students, including the gifted, need their fair share of care. However, very often, gifted students are neglected because many believe that they can manage on their own. Brain power alone is not enough for the realization of giftedness. Perseverance, creativity, motivation, self-esteem, and the potential for high ability are ingredients that only when blended together lead to high achievement. This article looks at the important events in the history of education in Malta that could have had effects on the education of its gifted students. Malta’s educational structure is also outlined. Some major policies and practices within the educational system are examined to assess how effectively Malta provides for the educational needs of gifted students. Although it is evident that Malta hardly acknowledges the gifted, there have been encouraging recent educational developments in the country that promise a brighter future for all students, including the gifted.

Perceptions of fieldwork education in Malta: Challenges and opportunities.

Academic upgrading of the occupational therapy programme in Malta has necessitated exploration of current fieldwork practices through a qualitative study. Data were collected through one-to-one interviews with 18 recently qualified occupational therapists. The findings showed the multi-faceted and complex nature of the fieldwork process, confirming the strong influence and relationships between the fieldwork context, the fieldwork supervisor and the different values and attitudes each learner brings to the fieldwork situation. The various practices as voiced by the participants affected the quality of their fieldwork experiences in different ways. Awareness of these key influences will pave the way forward for fieldwork education planners to provide meaningful experiences.

Nursing, radiography and primary health care within healthcare education in Malta

Purpose: The definition of primary health care at the Alma-Ata (USSR) conference lead to the development of new roles for the members of the multidisciplinary healthcare teams. These changes formed the basis for the presentation of a module in primary health care to a group of nursing and radiography students in Malta.Methods: A descriptive survey research design, coupled with a phenomenological approach, was chosen as the research method.Results: Respondents thought that the presented material was applicable in their clinical fields of practice, and that they could implement the elements of primary health care.Conclusions: The study was a useful exercise which enabled the researchers to recommend that primary health care will in future be taught on a multidisciplinary basis. It enabled the Department of Radiography Studies to offer primary health care as an elective in their ERASMUS programme.

Fieldwork education in malta: future challenges for OT

This qualitative study was carried out to gain an understanding of fieldwork practices within the occupational therapy educational programme. Data was collected through participant observation and one-to-one interviews with 18 qualified occupational therapists from the University of Malta. The findings demonstrated the multi-faceted and complex nature of the fieldwork process.

The conservation of Malta's megalithic temple sites: A technical experts' meeting convened by the Ministry of Education, Malta

In May 1999, an international experts' meeting on the conservation of Malta's megalithic World Heritage Sites was convened by the Ministry of Education in Malta. Anthony Pace, the Director of the Museums Department, and Reuben Grima, the curator of the country's principal archaeological sites, give an outline of the objectives, issues and proceedings of the meeting.

Environmental Education in Malta: trends and challenges

Summary The development of environmental education in Malta followed three major evolutionary stages: the Awareness Stage, the Fragmentary Stage and the Co‐ordinated Stage. This paper analyses the main events that have characterised this evolutionary process. Besides highlighting the problems environmental education initiatives characteristically face in similar small island states, the historical analysis identifies emerging trends in the development of environmental education in Malta. Among these trends is the move to educate the general public on environmental issues and the preference for a more participatory process of policy making regarding environmental matters. However, the most significant shift has been that from a fragmentary approach to a coordinated nationwide approach to environmental education planning.

State sponsored adult literacy programmes in Malta: A critical review

Abstract 1 This paper focuses on state sponsored adult literacy programmes in Malta. Such a focus is appropriate for two reasons. In the first place, state sponsored adult literacy education has a long history in Malta and, therefore, is vast enough as an area of enquiry to warrant a study on its own. Secondly, this is the area wherein I have carried out a substantial part of my adult education work within the Education Department. This area of adult education is examined in relation to a variety of issues. One of these, which is of central importance in the history of education in Malta, is the Language Question. This question remains a recurring one in this microstate in which the Maltese language is seen as the hallmark of a small population's identity.2 At the same time, this is a country which requires a language of international currency for a variety of reasons, not least of which being the consolidation of its status as rentier state.3 Reference in this paper will be made to other issues related t...

The evolution of education in Malta. A philosophy in the making

L'A. presente les differentes evolutions suivies par le systeme educatif maltais depuis le IX e siecle en les rapprochant des mouvances ideologiques et politiques

Palliative Care Education in Malta

Palliative Care Education in Malta

Improving the Quality of Schooling in Malta

Restructuring schools as a means to quality improvement in education is one of the major challenges facing education in Malta. This article calls for a critique of school policy‐making and planning processes. Attention is directed towards school‐based development with focus on the school as the unit of change. School development is described as a process by which a school develops the capacity for reflective action. It is a planned, continuing effort, with personnel committed to a search for increasing school effectiveness and expresses a commitment towards professional growth. The article stresses the need for policy and decision makers to fundamentally rethink the way schools function at present by shifting attention towards establishing a professionally oriented structure which gives educators at school level more responsibility, accountability and professionalism.

Teacher Education in Malta

Teacher Education in Malta

Malta: Recent Developments in the Field of Secondary Education in Malta

Abstract When, in 1970, the government introduced secondary education for all on a selective basis by keeping the traditional grammar and secondary technical schools and introducing new general secondary schools, the main current of enlightened opinion, including that of the Malta Union of Teachers, was against selectivity. Dr. John Cameron of the University of London Institute of Education, who, as a Unesco expert, planned the reform, himself had stated that the introduction of a selective system of secondary education for all was a temporary measure which should lead to the introduction of non-selective comprehensive secondary education for all. This system was introduced in 1972.

Recent Government Involvement in Education in Malta

Recent Government Involvement in Education in Malta

MEDICAL EDUCATION IN MALTA

MEDICAL EDUCATION IN MALTA

Science Education in Malta

Science Education in Malta

Education in Malta

Education in Malta