The 'Let Me Learn' professional learning process experience : a new culture for professional learning

The generation of professional capital, viewed in terms of social capacity building, has an important learning dimension. Teachers’ staff development is one area which can contribute towards social capacity building and socially committed teachers have an important part to play in generating capital for their profession. This paper provides a critical review of current professional development processes in Malta with a focus on how different provisions are successful, or limited, in generating further knowledge and professional learning. It also discusses the need for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) which capitalizes on practitioners’ experiences, realities and the knowledge of the social context of learning. Research data, in the form of teacher narratives and one longitudinal case study, reveals the importance of the social dimension in CPD. The involvement of teachers in the Let Me Learn Professional Learning Process marks a proactive stance in teacher professional development and transformation through its emphasis on teacher networks, partnerships and externalizing teachers’ knowledge base. It also demonstrates that teachers’ professional capital can be fostered when teachers learn together and collaborate.peer-reviewe

A reflection on the learning outcomes framework project

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) document, launched in 2012, claims to be ‘a response to the changing demands of individuals and society, rapid changes in our education system driven by globalisation, ICT development, competition, shift of traditional values and new paradigms’ (Ministry of Education and Employment 2012, iii). A paradigm shift away from a prescriptive curriculum towards a framework based on learning outcomes which allows for internal flexibility and attractiveness to lifelong learning, is promised (Ministry of Education and Employment 2012, xiii). There is also reference to a reform in national assessment which will complement the change in pedagogy being advised.peer-reviewe

La experiencia del “Let Me Learn Professional Learning Process”: Una nueva cultura para el aprendizaje profesional

The generation of professional capital, viewed in terms of social capacity building, has an important learning dimension. Teachers’ staff development is one area which can contribute towards social capacity building and socially committed teachers have an important part to play in generating capital for their profession. This paper provides a critical review of current professional development processes in Malta with a focus on how different provisions are successful, or limited, in generating further knowledge and professional learning. It also discusses the need for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) which capitalizes on practitioners’ experiences, realities and the knowledge of the social context of learning. Research data, in the form of teacher narratives and one longitudinal case study, reveals the importance of the social dimension in CPD. The involvement of teachers in the Let Me Learn Professional Learning Process marks a proactive stance in teacher professional development and transformation through its emphasis on teacher networks, partnerships and externalizing teachers’ knowledge base. It also demonstrates that teachers’ professional capital can be fostered when teachers learn together and collaborate.La generación de capital profesional, vista en términos de construcción de capacidad social, tiene una dimensión de estudio importante. La formación del profesorado es un área que puede contribuir a dicha capacidad además de promover profesores socialmente comprometidos. Este artículo proporciona una revisión crítica de los procesos de desarrollo de diferentes corrientes profesionales en Malta, con especial atención sobre cómo diferentes acciones son acertadas o tienen un alcance limitado en la generación de conocimiento y de aprendizaje profesional. También se pone de manifiesto la necesidad de un Desarrollo Profesional Continuado (CPD) centrado en la experiencia, la realidad y el conocimiento del contexto social. Los datos de la investigación, en forma de narraciones del profesorado y mediante un estudio de caso longitudinal, revelan la importancia de la dimensión social en el CPD. La participación de profesores en el Let Me Learn Professional Learning Process evidencia una postura proactiva en el desarrollo y transformación profesional del docente a través de redes de colaboración, lo cual pone de manifiesto que el capital profesional de los docentes puede ser promovido cuando éstos aprenden juntos y colaboran

School-based mentoring in initial teacher education : the exploratory phase

The Faculty of Education at the University of Malta has long set its eyes on introducing some form of school-based mentoring as part of initial teacher education (ITE). Over the years, faculty staff members have become increasingly more convinced of the professional benefits that can be derived when carefully selected and trained practitioners in schools mentor ITE students during field placements. Important developments outside the Faculty have also paved the way for the eventual introduction of school-based mentoring. Suffice it to mention the declared support, at least in principle, by a number of key stakeholders outside the Faculty who operate in the field of education. This support appears to extend across the Ministry for Education and Employment, policy makers, the Directorates for Education, high ranking administrators from the state, Church and independent school sectors, school leaders and teachers, and the teachers’ union. Put differently, the indications are that the local context, in the widest sense of the word, is now ready for the development and implementation of a sustainable school-based mentoring system that is tailored to address the professional learning needs of faculty students enrolled in ITE studies.peer-reviewe

Improving Financial Capability Among University Students Using a Mobile App: Wallet$mart Project Evaluation

This report details the findings of a research evaluation conducted for UniBank (Teachers Mutual Bank Ltd) exploring the effectiveness of the Wallet$mart mobile app in improving university students' financial capability. Students undertook to trial the Wallet$mart app during 2020 at Western Sydney University, in partnership with UniBank and supported by App developer, Tangible. This report evaluates the effectiveness of the trial and makes recommendations for further development of the app prior to the app being rolled out to university students more broadly

Cyclist safety in Malta : a review

The promotion of safe cycling is a way to address physical inactivity, one of the risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In the report Road safety in the European Union: Trends, statistics and main challenges (March 2015), 8% of all fatalities are cyclists. Bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of head and brain injuries and death. Most EU Member states have no requirement in legislation for bicycle helmets. Consequences of mandatory helmet legislation include decreases in head injuries and death, decreases cycling as a mode of transport, and increases helmet use. Other considerations, which influence bicycle accidents, need to be considered. In Malta there were three deaths due to cycling between 2006 and 2015. The number of Accident & Emergency (A&E) attendances with cycling related injuries increased between 2009 and 2015. The number of A&E attendances in the 0-19 age group decreased whereas the 20-39 and 40-59 year age groups increased. In 2013, there were 173 registered injuries in cyclists, with head, upper extremity and lower extremity involvement in 28%, 40% and 21% respectively. Recommendations include improving data collection, education campaigns, strong recommendation for helmet use in adults, to consider the introduction of mandatory helmet legislation in children and implementation of infrastructure measures to make roads more cycling friendly.peer-reviewe

Le chiusure scolastiche per Covid-19 mettono sotto i riflettori le disparità di trattamento e altre carenze: Le voci di chi rischia di scivolare tra le maglie del sistema

This study presents five themes which were highlighted by Maltese educators and parents when reflecting on their experience of sustaining the education of their students and children during the COVID-19 pandemic. By capturing these voices, the study seeks to gain insight into how these educators and parents reflected on their practice and daily experiences and how this has impinged on the educational experience of the students.Questo studio presenta cinque argomenti evidenziati dagli educatori e dai genitori maltesi nel riflettere sulla loro esperienza di sostegno all’educazione di studenti e figli durante la pandemia da COVID-19. Nel cogliere queste voci, lo studio mira a raggiungere una migliore prospettiva su come questi educatori e genitori riflettano sulle loro pratiche ed esperienze quotidiane e su come ciò abbia influito sull’esperienza educativa degli studenti stessi

The Comparative Effects of Multi-modality and Constraint-induced Aphasia Therapy-Plus Treatments for Severe Chronic Aphasia

Anomia is a characteristic symptom of aphasia. Impairments in functional communication associated with aphasia have been found to negatively impact upon an individual‟s quality of life (QoL) in a number of areas, including independence and the ability to participate in social and leisure activities (Cruice, Worrall, & Hickson, 2006). Our review of the literature suggests that measurement of treatment effects has been influenced by treatment type and intensity, the measurement phases applied, the outcome measures used, aphasia severity and type, and the presence of concomitant impairments. It is clear that both constraint-induced and alternative/multi-modality treatments can be effective for reducing anomia. However, the question of which treatments, particularly constraint-induced and alternative/multi-modality treatments, are most efficacious for certain types, severities, and chronicities of aphasia remains unanswered. Only three known studies (Barthel, Meinzer, Djundja, & Rockstroh, 2008; Kurland, Baldwin, & Tauer, 2010; Maher et al., 2006) have involved direct comparisons between constraint-induced and multi-modality interventions. This is a particularly interesting comparison, given the great distinction between the two forms of therapy, and the interpretation that the research underpinning the principle of constraint in aphasia rehabilitation is inconclusive. Further, a number of methodological flaws in the reviewed studies weaken the research findings. Thus, we identified a need for continued study in this area

The effects of Anabasine and the alkaloid extract of Nicotiana glauca on Lepidopterous Larvae

For several decades, Nicotiana glauca has been known for its content of the pyridine alkaloid, anabasine. The toxicological effects of this metabolite have been extensively studied, as opposed to its potential insecticidal activity. The anabasine content of leaves of N. glauca, collected from Malta, was 0.258 ± 0.0042% as determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. In the Pieris rapae larval bioassay, the median effective concentrations of anabasine and the alkaloid extract were 0.572 and 1.202 mg per larva, respectively. The presence of other interfering metabolites may have resulted in this elevated EC50 for the crude extract. Anabasine is quoted to be a very toxic alkaloid not solely to insects, but also to other animals, and its use in minute concentrations in insect traps may well prove it to be an effective natural insecticide.peer-reviewe

They Forget That I’m There: Migrant Students Traversing Language Barriers at School

The positioning of migrant students within schools of the host country is considerably determined by issues related to the language of instruction adopted in these schools. This article presents a qualitative study conducted in two Maltese girls’ secondary schools and examines how teachers and migrant students dealt with language issues. Data were collected through focus groups to find out power dynamics that emerged as a result of the negotiations surrounding issues related to language. The authors draw on Foucault’s works on power relations to demonstrate that learning experiences of migrant girls are situated in language and shaped by joint construction of meanings, which students and teachers create. The findings indicate that migrant students’ use of language functioned as a source of power, which seemed instrumental in developing a sense of belonging at school. Although the study is located within a specific Maltese context, it may be considered relevant to debates about the experiences of English language learners in other geographical and socio-cultural settings involving migrant students