/library/oar/handle/123456789/2684 2025-12-28T06:24:03Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/119901 Title: Exploring the provision of Olympic education programmes in small states Abstract: Olympic Education was initiated over sixty years ago with international literature revealing a persisting objective to propagate the Olympic values among youth. Yet, it is misconceived to be a mere historical review of the Olympic Games whilst critical reviews have also questioned whose interest is served through such programmes that are endorsed by the International Olympic Committee and run by most of the top sporting nations. By contrast, this dissertation investigates the current provision of Olympic Education programmes in 48 Small States around the world, all having a population of less than one million inhabitants, where local research to date is scarce. Hence, this mixed methodology study aims at addressing current gaps and should serve as an ideal guide for National Olympic Committees. Quantitative data was collected from all 48 National Olympic Committees through an online questionnaire covering various areas related to Olympic Education including administrative structure, human resources, financing, external stakeholders and programme delivery. Qualitative data was also sought through five continental interviews carried out with national key persons responsible for Olympic Education. The main results reflect a gender imbalance in leadership and participation, low priority in comparison to other areas, severely limited budgets leading to heavy reliance on volunteers as well as dormant National Olympic Academies. Findings are contrasted with the main theories of Paolo Freire through which Olympic Education programmes should be viewed as a way of life within and beyond schools where the local context must be given greater prominence. A higher priority through better financial resources and the establishment of a network among Small States are also required to ensure higher quality Olympic Education programmes in Small States. Description: M.A. CEMES (Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/118228 Title: The educational challenges of Italian migrant learners in their transition to secondary schools in Gozo : a comparative study Abstract: This dissertation explores the transition of Italian migrant learners into state schools in Gozo in order to understand whether these learners experience any educational challenges when moving from Italian to Maltese schools, given the similarities and/or differences between the two education systems. Shedding more light on this topic is particularly important in the local context because the presence of migrants in Malta and Gozo has increased significantly over the last few years, and schools are becoming more multicultural and multilingual. Besides this, Italians constitute the largest group of migrants on our islands and the largest community of students in Maltese schools. This study investigates language barriers related to the use of Maltese and English, participation in class, work completion, socialisation, and inclusion issues of Italian migrant learners in middle and secondary state schools in Gozo by taking into account the experiences of these learners themselves, their parents, and teachers. The results of this study confirm that Italian migrant learners are generally well included in local schools, more so if they started their schooling in Malta at a young age. However, some parents claim that their children have experienced exclusion, especially at the beginning of their transition into Maltese schools. Although Italian parents generally feel included too, some feel excluded at school and in the community, in some cases even when they have competence in Maltese. The teachers who participated in this research study do their best to support these learners as they sometimes act as linguistic mediators by switching to Italian when necessary. However, they have limited time and leeway to make further adaptations because of the vast syllabi they have to cover in a short time, also in view of an exam-oriented pedagogy which they feel constrained to adopt. They claim that more support is required to cater for the needs of migrant learners both inside or outside the school, and advocate for more induction hubs in Gozo, despite the controversial nature of this provision. Findings from a comparative perspective indicate that Italian migrant learners face a difficult transition into Maltese schools since differences between the Italian and Maltese education systems can affect their performance and general well-being in local schools. Although Italian migrant learners and their parents find local schooling easier than in Italy, this can imply that Maltese schools are not challenging Italian migrant learners to perform to their full potential. The tracking system based on the students’ overall achievement may be limiting rather than supporting these learners. Some learners have been placed in low-track classes even though there are indications that some of them performed well in their country prior to arrival. Differences in assessment practices between systems may influence these learners’ transition, for the reason that examinations based on written rather than oral testing may be a disadvantage to Italian migrant learners who are not proficient in Maltese and English and unfamiliar with teaching methods and syllabi covered in Maltese schools. Finally, this study also reflects on the maintenance of Italian, more in-class support through multilingual practices such as language mediation and translanguaging, and effective home-school links to foster a climate of acceptance towards cultural and linguistic diversity in local schools. This would entail further developments in local policies and professional training for teachers to create an ambience where all languages are celebrated and where all students, irrespective of their nationality and background, can learn in a positive and healthy learning environment which empowers them to reach their educational goals. Description: M.A. CEMES(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/117752 Title: Exploring the participation of national and non-national students in foreign language classrooms : a comparative study Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate classroom participation in Malta’s multicultural context. Through a comparative analysis approach, this study identified the differences and similarities between the forms and levels of participation between Maltese nationals and non-nationals. It also sought to understand the factors which lead to more participation in a foreign language (FL) classroom and uncovered factors which hinder it.The research was carried out within a specific social context, the foreign language classroom. Three data collection methods were used to gather information. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires revealed the teachers’ views about factors which influence learners’ participation. Classroom observations constituted the third data collection instrument and were conducted in French and Italian classrooms in three government Middle Schools. Data from the observations led to an investigation about the effects of pedagogical strategies on learners’ participation. Analysis of this data also showed which kind of interactions are more conducive to dynamic language learning experiences. Findings from the study indicated that classroom participation in a multicultural class is largely influenced by teaching strategies, the languages of instruction, learners’ personality traits and even parental support. Teachers often make use of cooperative teaching strategies and classroom technologies to motivate learners to express themselves in the target language. The use of English and Maltese is pivotal in foreign language teaching since most teachers do not make exclusive use of the target language during instruction. Code-switching from the target language to English and Maltese serves as a mediating tool to ensure that learners who are competent in one or both these languages understand grammatical concepts and task instructions. However, the study also revealed that the use of code-switching from the target language to English could be ineffective to promote participation among non-English speaking students. The results of the study indicated that the growing presence of non-nationals presents new challenges to foreign language teachers in their attempts to increase the level of participation among all their learners. Embracing innovative plurilingual pedagogies may be the key to address a linguistically diverse classroom and promote a supportive classroom environment. Description: M.A. CEMES (Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/107279 Title: Introducing curricular changes in Maltese kindergarten settings : a comparison of stakeholders’ perspectives Abstract: Following the implementation of an outcome-based education in Malta (DQSE, 2015) this study aimed to explore and compare how Early Childhood Education Officers, members of the school leadership team and thirteen kindergarten educators working with 3- to 4-yearolds interpreted the Learning Outcomes Framework (LOF) (2015) at a time when it was being introduced in local state kindergartens. The study reviewed how the LOF was promoted and how practitioners were prepared to adopt and put into practice their knowledge and understanding of this framework. Qualitative data were collected through a semi-structured interview. Key stakeholders who participated in this study held different views and insights about the LOF and did not appear to have been adequately prepared to adopt or translate it into an appropriate pedagogy. A gap between the intended and the enacted curriculum was identified. Concerns, challenges and frustrations associated with the implementation of the LOF were identified by the stakeholders. Rather than being informed about the curricular changes and implementing decisions taken by external sources, practitioners at the coalface need to be involved at the development stage of any policy in order to own the process and implement it effectively. Description: M.A. CEMES(Melit.) 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z