Vol. 13 no. 1 / June 2019 / Emerging Researchers' Enquiries into Educational Trajectories in Malta

Integrated Science is taught in the initial two years of secondary school in Malta and includes topics from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Most Science teachers are likely to have a degree level qualification in one Science subject, therefore when teaching Integrated Science they would need to teach topics that they might not have studied beforehand. When teaching outside science specialism teachers will be teaching a subject/s that they did not study at Degree or even at Advanced Level. This can offer considerable challenges. The research study was carried out to explore the main challenges that Science teachers, who are non- Chemistry specialists, encounter when teaching Chemistry topics from the Integrated Science syllabus. Following a qualitative methodological approach, data were gathered mainly through interviews and classroom observations. This paper presents three case studies of participant teachers who narrate their experiences when planning and teaching Chemistry topics and how this affects their self–efficacy and identity as Science teachers. Teachers also describe how they deal with these challenges to improve their practices. Based upon the outcomes of this research recommendations are provided to support teachers in teaching outside an area of their science specialism.

While local policy documents have high aspirations for further education, this is in reality often embedded in a utilitarian culture of standardization, instruction and coaching for high stake examinations. This is also the case for the teaching and learning of biology at post-secondary level, where the successful student needs to absorb and memorise information at the same pace that it is being dished out. This utilitarian notion of education makes it difficult for many to succeed. This paper seeks to explore a German inspired notion of education, which though alien to many in the Anglo-Saxon world, has a long and influential tradition. Bildung, an educational concept embedded in German philosophical history and culture. This concept is especially relevant for further education, and its intended outcomes are personal and societal transformation rather than simply memorising facts and training for a career. In the current scenario, where the race for grades dominates, the skills for continuous self- formation and growth, both as an individual and as a member of society, are rarely acquired. Discourses surrounding improvement of local further education systems thus need to take into consideration a diversity of ideas, especially ones that have been largely ignored. Notions of Bildung can be used to envisage an alternative perspective for the teaching and learning of biology at post-secondary level.

Despite increased interest in learning Maltese as a foreign language (MFL), there is a lack of research and large-scale studies on the acquisition of MFL. The research question of this study is: Can a pattern be observed over time in the acquisition of verbal tense/aspect by adult learners of Maltese as a foreign language?

The aim of my research is to understand what is going on in a learner’s mind when acquiring Maltese verbal tense and aspect as a foreign language (FL). The study is guided by Chaos/Complexity theory (C/CT), which focuses on the non-linear learning curve, the initial conditions of the butterfly effect and fractal patterns in language learning, and considers learning to be unpredictable, chaotic and complex (Larsen-Freeman, 1987; 2011). My research is based on the epistemological approach of pragmatism and includes both cognitive and sociocultural perspectives of second language acquisition (SLA). A longitudinal research design and a mixed method approach focusing on methodological triangulation are adopted, as they are the most suitable for answering my research question.

From a target population of 39, with a 95% confidence interval and a margin of error of 4%, a convenience sample of thirty-five adult participants attending three Lifelong Learning Centres to learn Maltese as a foreign language participated in this study from March 2016 until May 2017. Structured Timed Grammaticality Judgment Tests (TGJTs) and verb conjugation tasks were used to investigate the learning curve of the students, and hence to explore any learning patterns over time. The results indicated that all participants exhibited a non-linear learning pattern, except for three learners who exhibited an ogive learning curve. The main learning pattern was an increase in learning (vertical axis) over time (horizontal axis). The findings are consistent with Chaos/Complexity theory, which postulates that learning is complex, chaotic and unpredictable and, as in nature, it is impossible to find a true, logical pattern in the foreign language learning process.

This paper discusses the notion of readability, and it introduces a readability formula that has been tested for its applicability on texts in Maltese. The LIX formula can be applied to both Maltese and English texts and it can therefore be used to compare the reading scores of the same group of learners sitting for the same assessment in the two languages. In this paper, the LIX formula is used to examine possible reasons for the contrasting results in reading comprehension in Maltese and English in the PIRLS international assessments carried out in Malta. The levels of readability resulting from the application of the LIX formula to the texts in the two languages clearly show that the levels of difficulty are not equivalent, and therefore no conclusions can be reached about the reading abilities of these cohorts tested in Maltese, when compared to those tested in English.

Within the global context of concern about ‘boys’ underachievement’, this article highlights sections of my doctoral study where I investigated the reading and writing experiences of five- to six-year-old boys in three Maltese state schools. The purpose of this enquiry was not to solve the widely discussed phenomenon of ‘boys’ underachievement’ but rather to create new understandings related to the concepts of ‘boys’ underachievement’, ‘early literacy learning’ and ‘school readiness’ in a Maltese context through a mixed methods phenomenological research investigation. Young boys’ voices, several stakeholders’ perspectives and the lived experience of three groups of five- to six-year-old boys during schooled reading and writing practices were investigated through an online questionnaire, classroom observations, individual interviews, and focus groups. This article presents the core findings which suggest that the three main concepts explored were inclined to biased and constricted worldviews that resulted in the majority of the young boys experiencing undesirable reading and writing practices. Subsequently, the overall conclusion implies the risk of a ‘paradigm paralysis’ in the fields of gender, literacy, and early years education in the local context, and offers new conceptualisations towards an educational response.

The impact of postcolonialism on primary, secondary and tertiary education in small island states (SIS), is well documented. This study explores the origins and character of colonial lingering in the pedagogy and practice of early childhood education (ECE) in SIS, with special reference to Malta and Grenada, both former British colonies. Interviews, observations and focus groups have been conducted in both countries. An online questionnaire was completed by 64 individuals residing in the world’s 27 small island states, (and of which 20 secured independence from Britain).

The research findings suggest a colonial lingering in ECE in small island states. Manifestations of this include: the preference for school uniforms; the widespread use of standard English as the language of instruction; top-down pedagogy that obliges an early start to schooling; a strong focus on literacy and numeracy in the early years; restrictions in play-based learning; and story books, weather and alphabet charts that are not necessarily relevant to the country’s culture and tradition and written in the English language, even though both countries have their own vernacular.

The findings encourage a sober and critical reflection of the policies and
practices governing ECE in SIS.

Accessible Early Years learning environments are a critical component of education providers’ commitment to enhancing equity for all young children within Early Years provision. This paper explores some of the broader cultural aspects of Early Years and architecture in creating an enabling environment that shapes universal design practices in Early Years inclusive settings. It examines how the transforming effects of the Early Years can be designed in relation to what we know about learning, more specifically about Universal Design for Learning (UDL), from the little voices and great ideas of our young learners, and from experts in architecture. with the flexibility to respond also to what we do not know about the future.

The article deals with accessibility in its broadest sense: physical, educational, psychological and social accessibility for a truly inclusive environment with buildings that create a language pattern of harmony, a sense of belonging and inclusivity.

There is no abstract for this book review.

There is no abstract for this book review.