/library/oar/handle/123456789/19767 2025-12-25T12:01:53Z 2025-12-25T12:01:53Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/20055 2018-04-12T16:42:11Z 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Culturally responsive education in Malta Abstract: Over the past few years Maltese society has been challenged by the increasing presence of persons from different cultural groups in the community. People of diverse cultures have always been present in Malta and the response to these cultures varied from their wholesale rejection to an uninformed and uneducated “welcoming” of these people. In local schools the situation is similar. It is common to encounter discriminatory attitudes by students, parents, educators and the general public where the education of diverse others is concerned. On the other hand those who acknowledge the right of culturally different people to a quality education, do not realize that an add-and-mix approach to educational provision is neither effective nor just “for all children to succeed”. Furthermore at post secondary and tertiary levels, the number of foreign students of a wider spectrum of cultures has also increased. Although these students have usually been welcome because of the financial contribution they make to the institutions, the way they influence our higher education as culturally different students has not been analysed to ascertain how this can ensure a better quality of education for themselves as well as Maltese students. It is clear that a successful future of our university includes the educational provision for culturally different others. These socio-educational challenges call for a thorough understanding of the issues involved in educating the culturally different and a deeper study of the knowledge, attitudes and skills that are needed to develop enriching and just educational environments.

2008-01-01T00:00:00Z Klein, Gabriella Brigitte Caruana, Sandro /library/oar/handle/123456789/19839 2018-02-26T10:34:31Z 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Intercultural communication in institutional-bureaucratic settings : case studies from the SPICES Project Authors: Klein, Gabriella Brigitte; Caruana, Sandro Abstract: The very fact that Europe is becoming increasingly multicultural, and consequently also multilingual, leads to communication problems. ‘Foreigners’ are considered to be so because they have a different cultural background and because they behave differently, if not strangely, when compared to natives or locals. They are often excluded from the general urban network, forming their own network through associations and neighbourhoods. Language, as well as communication habits and practices, are one of the main resources through which people are included or excluded from a community. In this paper we focus our attention on conversations between individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds in urban institutions and how certain conversation techniques and procedures become conversation strategies through which a person is constructed as being-a-foreigner. These conversations, recorded in Malta and in Italy, were collected during the SPICES (Social Promotion of Intercultural Communication Expertise and Skills) project 224945-CP-1- 2005-1-IT-GRUNDTVIG-G11. The data presented is useful to reveal aspects which are taken for granted during conversations and in order to discuss the relevance of intercultural education in today’s multicultural society.

2008-01-01T00:00:00Z Vassallo, Brian /library/oar/handle/123456789/19838 2017-07-26T09:15:15Z 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Classroom climate as perceived by Maltese and non-Maltese pupils in Malta Authors: Vassallo, Brian Abstract: An increasing challenge in providing a quality education for all is the new reality of a mixture of ethnicities in Maltese classrooms. This study focuses on perceived differences in classroom climate between Maltese and non- Maltese pupils. A multi-method approach, using both quantitative and qualitative paradigms was used to investigate differences in classroom climate perception by Year 6 primary (10-year-old) pupils in a stratified sample of schools from State, Church and Independent sectors. Classroom climate was measured along the nine factors of Clarity, Environment, Fairness, Interest, Order, Participation, Safety, Standards and Support. Results showed that, overall and in the State and Church sectors, Maltese pupils had a higher perception of positive classroom climate, most strongly in the dimension of Fairness, Clarity, and Safety dimensions. However, in Independent schools non-Maltese students perceived a slightly better climate on 5 dimensions, namely Participation, Environment, Interest, Standards and Support. It is recommended that teachers and school managers be offered opportunities to develop higher multicultural competences.

2008-01-01T00:00:00Z Azzopardi-Alexander, Marie /library/oar/handle/123456789/19824 2018-03-07T14:41:48Z 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Maltese sign language in deaf children’s education and assessment Authors: Azzopardi-Alexander, Marie Abstract: The view of the Deaf as a cultural-linguistic minority is considered as the desired basis for all educational arrangements including those for assessment. It is argued that Deaf children need to achieve good fluency in at least one language before starting their formal education. Children who are not in possession of a first language – spoken or signed - are greatly disadvantaged when they are included in literacy programmes for hearing children. In fact, some may never reach a satisfactory level of literacy and, therefore, will not learn to engage in literate thought. The need to promote access to bilingual (bimodal) education is emphasised. This implies facilitating competence in a sign language as well as a spoken language - preferably the two languages spoken in the Maltese educational system. It is argued that full access to the curriculum for Deaf children can only be achieved through Maltese Sign Language which, it is proposed, is the alternative route that will enable Maltese Deaf children to develop reflective and creative thinking resulting from full literacy.

2008-01-01T00:00:00Z