Early educators' awareness and knowledge of structured multisensory literary instruction

Literacy is a 21st Century fundamental human right and children who struggle to break the code to literacy continue to be challenged in learning and to experience a poorer quality of life. In spite of a whole body of literature concluding that structured multisensory literacy instruction (SMSLI), which embraces basic linguistic knowledge, is effective in improving reading skills, early educators are either unaware or misinformed about explicit language knowledge they need to know in order to address early literacy in the classroom. When compared to studies on reading, little research on teachers’ knowledge and early literacy instruction has been done. Such research has never been addressed on a national scale. The author decided to undertake this research path following years of immersion in education in Malta and perceived lacunae in early educators’ knowledge. The purpose of this research is to explore early educators’ awareness and knowledge of SMSLI. A mixed methodology approach was employed in order to explore this issue on a national level (questionnaires), as well as investigate professionals’ experiences of the effect of SMSLI training on their professional development (focus groups). Descriptive statistics indicate an incomplete and incorrect body of knowledge. Results highlight marked deficits in basic language constructs knowledge and awareness of SMSLI, and indicate that exposure to training increases the required language constructs to address SMSLI. In theory, the conclusion from this research is that awareness of SMSLI leads to students’ increased reading success. Professionals indicating knowledge in SMSLI evidenced more confidence in knowledge and abilities to teach early reading skills than they actually have. Relevant recommendations for formal training, continued professional development and further research with professionals, parents and pupils’ literacy scores are suggested

Comparing Maltese School-based Counselling with Nine other Countries

This research identifies activities that Maltese School-based Counsellors (MSC) engage in and perceived as appropriate for their role. The article also compared Maltese schoolbased counselling with counselling in other countries. The results reflect both (a) the influence of the American and British models of counselling and (b) the unique cultural context. MSCs evidenced congruence with regard to perceptions of appropriateness and actual activities carried out. However some activities, which they considered as appropriate, were not being carrying out. This may mean either that counsellors’ workloads were untenable, or that the job descriptions, remits and boundaries of the psychosocial team in the Maltese model may be limiting practice. Recommendations include reflecting on the Maltese psychosocial system so that students can best benefit from all the teams’ professionals, at the same time, allow for flexibility and trans-disciplinary teamwork to reduce fragmentation (e.g., Klein, 2008; Liao, 2016; Vyt, 2015)

Dyslexia and Academic Life

This chapter intends to discuss the experiences of university students with dyslexia and academic learning and assessment. It intends to challenge the traditional access to and production of examinations and to separate the ability to retrieve and produce verbal visual print from academic learning and performance in order to propose a model where educational systems join the fourth revolution. The intention is to address the brain drain that communities experience when students with Dyslexia are not able to show what they really know, due to possibly archaic access to and production of academic learning and assessment. The use of technology and independent access to printed material will also be discussed. The framework of this chapter is the Kannangara model of dyslexia: from Languishing to Thriving with Dyslexia. When reading this chapter, one also needs to remember that, whilst I refer to dyslexia, this profile more often than not co-occurs with other learning challenges and is often grouped with populations of Specific Learning Difficulties or Learning Disabilities in research and national data

Interview with Professor Sherrie Tucker : Pauline Oliveros’ adaptive use musical instrument

This interview focuses on the influence of Pauline Oliveros’ (1932-2016) work and an academic’s wellbeing. Oliveros is considered one of electronic music's most important early figures. She was an original member and the first director of the pioneering San Francisco Tape Music Center. Also, the founder of the Deep Listening Institute, she conveyed the message that sound and its effects are powerful equalisers. Dr Sherrie Tucker, Professor, American Studies, University of Kansas, shares with Professor Ruth Falzon how Oliveros’s work changed her philosophical perspective, professional and personal life.peer-reviewe

Paving the Way for Counselling? The Link between Maltese PSD Model and Counselling

This study explored whether Personal and Social Development (PSD) teachers, school-based counsellors, and students in Maltese secondary schools perceived processing experiences as empowering to seek counselling, if and when needed. The study investigated if processing techniques within PSD methodology helped develop self-awareness. The research builds on the concept of ethical advertising - opportunity to inform and help clients arrive at courses of actions beneficial for themselves. The literature review discusses processing in the PSD Maltese model, comparing processing with overall counselling experiences. Data were collected through two questionnaires, one for professionals and one for 15 and 16-year-olds completing secondary school education. Results revealed that participants acknowledged the effectiveness of processing with regard to empowerment, information to seek counselling, and increased self-awareness. The results also indicate a need for more students’ awareness with regard to PSD teachers’ specific role, disclosure, and boundaries. Based on the findings, the authors recommend that such a methodology be encouraged in educational systems and that more training and awareness be carried out to clarify teachers’ roles with students so that small-group set-ups yield more effective results

Teacher education matters : transforming lives…Transforming schools

This study narrates the views of six students with a profile of dyslexia regarding examinations. Following current trends in educational research, the study tried to give voice to the students themselves. In-depth interviews were carried out to find out what the students thought about examinations, the challenges they faced and how they thought examinations could be made Jairer.' Results reported in this chapter suggest that dyslexic students experience real challenges when sitting for examinations due to their dyslexic profile; the time constraints of examinations and the stress and anxiety caused by their perceived inability to achieve at par with their peers. The students believed that these challenges hindered their performance in examinations. At the same time they hoped for a 'fairer' examinations system based on their involvement in the decision-making process that took into consideration their individual needs and we/I-being.peer-reviewe

“They labeled me ignorant” : narratives of Maltese youth with dyslexia on national examinations

Examinations have a significant impact on well-being as they provide qualifications for entry into further education and employment. Research suggests that students with dyslexia experience greater challenges than their counterparts. This article explored the views of eight students with dyslexia, the challenges they face, and what they believe could make national examinations “fairer.” The Maltese educational system has a Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) at the end of compulsory education (16 years) and Matriculation (MATSEC) for postsecondary schooling (18 years). Narrative interviews and a thematic approach using discourse analysis presented participants’ voices in prose and strophes. Narratives evidence difficulties and abilities. Students criticized the unnecessary examination stress and anxiety caused by misunderstanding and lack of knowledge about dyslexia. Youth referred to “fairness” of examinations, which they equated with “sameness.” They believe that examinations could be fairer by being given compensatory measures without compromising the examinations’ objectives.peer-reviewe

The geographic distribution of big five personality traits - patterns and profiles of human self-description across 56 nations

The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is a self-report measure designed to assess the high-order personality traits of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness. As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, the BFI was translated from English into 28 languages and administered to 17,837 individuals from 56 nations. The resulting cross-cultural data set was used to address three main questions: Does the factor structure of the English BFI fully replicate across cultures? How valid are the BFI trait profiles of individual nations? And how are personality traits distributed throughout the world? The five-dimensional structure was robust across major regions of the world. Trait levels were related in predictable ways to self-esteem, sociosexuality, and national personality profiles. And people from the geographic regions of South America and East Asia were significantly different in openness from those inhabiting other world regions. The discussion focuses on limitations of the current data set and important directions for future research.peer-reviewe

Structured multisensory techniques in reading and learning patterns - some considerations

This study investigates whether a structured multisensory programme of early literacy’ (’M-POW’R - Multisensory Programme of Writing and Reading (Muscat, unpublished early literacy programme) implemented in a Maltese private school is perceived by teachers using it as an inclusive strategy, as respectful of the learning modalities molding and shaping each learner’s path through learning. This study makes use of the interactive learning model proposed by Johnston (1994, 1996, 2006, 2007 and 2009) and explores the extent this multisensory early literacy programme compliments the four learning patterns proposed in Johnston’s theory. This research embraces and is underpinned by a number of philosophies and frameworks, namely the social model approach to disability and beyond (Barnes & Mercer, 1997; Barton & Oliver; 1997; Oliver, 1992; 1996), the Adams’ Model of Reading (1990), Piagetian genetic epistemology (Schwebel & Raph, 1973) , Vygotskian concept of scaffolding, (Steffe & Gale, 1995; Ormrod, 2007) and the concept of Universal Design Learning and Inclusive strategies (Falzon, 2010; Hegarty, 1993; Mengon & Hart, 1991; Pugach 1995; Tod, 1999; Rose & Meyer 2002; Turnbull, Turnbull & Wehmeyer, 2010). The data were collected through a questionnaire given to all nine teachers working with the Early Years of the school. Teachers unanimously perceived the multisensory programme as respectful of the four learning patterns to each of the 16 themes in the questionnaire. In line with the aims and ethos of the ’M-POW’R programme, the more predominant learning patterns were Technical and Sequential, followed by Confluence and Precision respectively. Statistical differences were only found in four themes. The confidence interval in this study is very high and therefore inference to the actual mean can be made. This study confirms that the structured multisensory techniques developed and designed by Muscat are inclusive strategies and respectful of the learners’ individual learning preference.peer-reviewe

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London