/library/oar/handle/123456789/64809 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:59:28 GMT 2025-11-05T18:59:28Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/140606 Title: A study of employees’ perception of the need for a stress management programme at the place of work in Malta Abstract: This study explores how employees perceive the necessity of structured stress management programmes across diverse workplace sectors in Malta. Amid rising concerns over work-related stress and its adverse impact on employee well-being and organisational productivity, the research investigates how government, catering, and health workers experience stress and evaluate existing support systems. Guided by three research questions, the study examines perceptions of stress management, organisational readiness for intervention, and factors influencing long-term sustainability. A qualitative case study approach was adopted, with data gathered through three sector-specific focus groups comprising 6-8 participants each. Thematic analysis revealed common issues, including a lack of managerial support, role ambiguity, emotional exhaustion, and limited formal interventions. Findings indicate a broad demand for culturally sensitive, accessible, and sustained stress management measures. Barriers such as stigma, insufficient organisational commitment, and constrained resources were also identified. The study recommends integrating participatory approaches, leadership-driven mental health policies, and context-specific strategies aligned with Maltese workplace dynamics. This dissertation contributes to the growing literature advocating for comprehensive and culturally relevant stress management programmes that balance individual care with organisational accountability. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/140606 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/140605 Title: Higher education teachers' perceptions of online teaching at MCAST : affordances and challenges Abstract: Considering the rise of online courses worldwide in the past two decades in addition to the Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic years, this study explores online teaching (OT) through educators’ perceptions. By prioritising Higher Education (HE) lecturers’ voices this inductive study aimed to uncover their broader outlook on OT including its place in the future HE landscape, their viewpoints on the affordances and challenges encountered and how these impact the students’ learning and teacher’s teaching. Participants constituted educators teaching at Level 5 or higher at a local Further and Higher Education Institution (FHEI), the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST). The study addresses a knowledge gap in the local HE scene, concurrently empowering educators by valuing their outlook, enhancing their expertise and consequently that of students. In doing this the researcher implemented a qualitative study involving 12 participants who selfenrolled to participate in the research. Data collection took the form of individual, semistructured interviews, the strength of which lies in the rich data they yield. Interview transcriptions were later analysed using a thematic analysis (TA) technique. The research uncovered three overarching themes, mainly Technology-, Pedagogy- and Human-related aspects of OT, with multiple sub-themes in answer to the three research questions (RQs). The results illustrate a complex web of both positive and negative perceptions of OT, concurrently an acknowledgment of OT’s growing place in HE, the possible move to blended learning as the mainstream teaching modality and a need for upskilling. The need for institutional support is key, not least in the provision of Continuous Professional Development (CPD), which comes through the research participants’ own recommendations for training in technological and pedagogical aspects of OT. The study also conveys possibilities for future research about OT, which apart from extending this narrative, can further explore novel aspects such as the vocational element and learning difficulties in OT. Description: M.A.(Melit.) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/140605 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/126761 Title: Gender issues and barriers hindering participation in lifelong learning among women : a qualitative study with female students of state lifelong learning centres in Malta and Gozo Abstract: This qualitative study explores the gender-related issues and barriers impeding the participation of women in lifelong learning within state lifelong learning centres in Malta and Gozo. The research aims to delve into the perspectives, experiences, and opinions of female students attending these centres to understand the multifaceted factors hindering their engagement in lifelong learning activities. Employing a qualitative research approach in the light of a feminist standpoint perspective, this study made use of and evaluated participants’ in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was utilised to extract key themes and narratives. Participants consisted of a diverse group of female learners from different age groups, educational backgrounds, and socio-economic statuses as well as centre coordinators and educators. The findings revealed a spectrum of challenges faced by women in accessing and engaging with lifelong learning opportunities. Employing Cross’s (1981) conceptual framework of barriers, challenges encompassed institutional barriers such as limited access to education, societal expectations, and a lack of supportive policies and initiatives. Dispositional barriers including self-confidence issues, internalised stereotypes, family and societal expectations, and a perceived lack of support were also evident in participants' narratives. Moreover, the study uncovered nuanced insights into the intersectionality of these barriers, highlighting the influence of cultural norms, family dynamics, and economic circumstances on women's educational pursuits. The research conducted for this study highlights the importance of addressing these barriers to foster an inclusive and enabling environment that empowers women to actively participate in lifelong learning. The implications of this study suggest the need for policy reforms, institutional changes, and targeted interventions aimed at promoting gender equality, creating supportive learning environments, and providing resources and opportunities conducive to women's lifelong learning aspirations in Malta and Gozo. This research contributes to the existing literature by shedding light on the lived experiences of female students and provides valuable insights for educational policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders to facilitate greater gender inclusivity in lifelong learning initiatives. Description: M.A. AE(Melit.) Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/126761 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/120571 Title: Walking uncharted territory : a collective exploration of public space Abstract: The ability to move freely and safely is undoubtedly a vital function and fundamental right, that opens up opportunities, connections and explorations with our situatedness, widening our physical and cognitive horizons and capabilities. However, whether one moves or stays stationary intersects with the personal and the political, a realm of multiscalar, multitemporal and multispatial transformations and tensions. Between July and October 2023, a group of parents and children met me regularly at and around The Mill - Art, Culture and Crafts Centre, Birkirkara, Malta. We walked, reflected and created. Walking with clay, we explored safety and playfulness, and how the participants perceived, conceived and lived public space as pedestrians. Exploring spaces through our senses reframed some of the participants' perspectives about walking itself, injecting a newfound sense of discovery. The addition of clay as a documentary and affective material gave the group a tool for capturing ephemeral moments and situations into objects for reflection. Fun, boredom, heat, time, power fueled our reflections and imaginations. How do we experience public space? Is it a physical space we use to move from one place to the next, or does it hold deeper connections? Why is relational infrastructure important as much as physical pedestrian infrastructure? This exploration of public space resonated with Lefebvre’s concept of the production of space and right to the city and emerging theories of mobility justice. Walking Uncharted Territory opened up our understanding of different relationalities, and how these fluctuate in everyday life. The research process revealed how dis/connections between the self, the group, the surroundings, and power structures, exposed how mobility is entangled and a deeper understanding is necessary, not only of individual needs but also of relational assemblages, such as the parent-child assemblage. The group's reflections pointed towards the concept that pedestrian networks consist of relational infrastructure that contain tensions, power relations and urban care, which offers a more nuanced understanding of the pedestrian experience. Description: M.A.(Melit.) Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/120571 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z