Infusing Sustainability in Secondary School Economics Education

This research article discusses the theme relating to the infusion of sustainability in school economics. It stems from the researcher’s study that explores teaching and learning in secondary school economics in Malta. The underlying conceptual framework for this study is critical realism, which offers an understanding of the world that is real but which may be differently experienced and interpreted by different observers (Alderson, 2021; Bhaskar, 1979; Fletcher, 2017). This paper draws upon observation sessions and interviews with fourteen economics teachers. Data was analyzed by employing thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006), with the help of Nvivo software. Education for sustainable development was regarded by the participants as a prominent theme. They educated their students into reflecting how their choices affected not only themselves but also others, and cultivated in them an awareness related to aspects of social justice. The considerations raised by this paper can assist teachers, teacher educators and researchers in their reflections and efforts relating to the enhancement of the sustainability dimension in school economics education and in other subjects

Cultivating financial literacy through secondary school economics education: Access to powerful knowledge

‘Powerful knowledge’ is disciplinary knowledge that when learned, empowers students to make decisions in a way that will influence their lives in a positive way (Young, 2008). In this paper, the researcher employs this construct to explore the financial literacy education arising from studying secondary school economics. It emerges from the author’s research aimed at exploring teaching and learning in secondary school Maltese economics classrooms. The underlying conceptual framework for this study is critical realism. The study design consisted of interviewing and observing 14 economics teachers, together with four focus groups interviews with students. Data were analyzed by employing thematic analysis. Financial literacy emerged as a theme in the teachers’ and students’ voices and in the lesson observations. Economics education enabled students to grow financially literate. This resonates with the literature that economics education assists students into developing financial and economic literacies (e.g., Brant, 2018; Chang, 2014). The consideration of the relationship between powerful knowledge and financial literacy assists the reflection, policy development and practice relating to the teaching and learning of financial literacy through secondary school economics and what constitutes powerful knowledge in this area

Conceptualizing powerful knowledge in economics

This paper extends the theory of powerful knowledge to school economics by articulating the nature of powerful disciplinary knowledge in the subject. In order to develop a framework for conceptualizing powerful knowledge in economics, the literature that identifies powerful knowledge in other school subjects is first explored. Then, follows an examination of the implications to the specific case of school economics regarding economic concepts and forms of economics knowledge that might be regarded as powerful according to Young’s definition of powerful knowledge. I then proceed to develop a conceptual framework that identifies powerful disciplinary knowledge in the subject. This paper instigates the discussion about what constitutes powerful knowledge in school economics that enables epistemic access for young people that fosters their human development and flourishing.peer-reviewe

International President´s message : enhancing our international collaboration

In this first communication as President, it is fitting that I introduce myself. This is in line with the commendable initiative of inviting members to write a brief profile about themselves in the newsletter in an attempt to enhance networking and collaboration. An invitation to do so has been first sent to the international members. I am a lecturer and tutor in business education, retail and entrepreneurship, and the coordinator of the Masters in Teaching and Learning course in Business Education at the Faculty of Education, University of Malta. This course educates student teachers in the pedagogy of teaching accounting, business studies and economics. As of October 2023, I have been appointed as the head of one of our Faculty’s departments, that of Technology and Entrepereneurship Education. [Excerpt]peer-reviewe

Infusing sustainability in secondary school economics education

This research article discusses the theme of the infusion of sustainability in school economics. It stems from the researcher's study that explores teaching and learning in secondary school economics in Malta. The underlying conceptual framework for this study is critical realism, which offers an understanding of the world that is real, but which may be differently experienced and interpreted by different observers (Alderson, 2021; Bhaskar, 1979; Fletcher, 2017). This paper draws upon observation sessions and interviews with fourteen economics teachers. The researcher used thematic analysis to analyze data (Braun & Clarke, 2006) with the help of Nvivo software. The participants regarded education for sustainable development as a prominent theme. Furthermore, they educated their students to reflect on how their choices affected not only themselves but also others and cultivated an awareness of social justice in them. The considerations raised by this paper can assist teachers, teacher educators, and researchers in their reflections and efforts relating to enhancing the sustainability dimension in school economics education and other subjects.peer-reviewe

Using digital technology in business education : enlivening the teaching and learning process

A business education teacher needs to cultivate a classroom atmosphere conducive to learning. S/he needs to ‘catch’ the students’ interest. Such interest needs to be sustained. It is the ‘hold’ factors of meaningfulness and relevance that sustain the students’ motivation (Dewey, 2008). The expert teacher’s skill is in finding materials or activities that can do both (Stobart, 2014). The following are ideas relating to the use of digital technology that can help to catch and hold the students’ attention.peer-reviewe

Progress in entrepreneurship education and training

In view of the continuing growth and importance of entrepreneurship education within the educational landscape, there remains a significant demand for theoretical as well as practical approaches. In particular, there is a demand for approaches that shed light on the interplay between course design and individual learning. This chapter draws on the threshold concept approach, which is becoming an increasingly important perspective in educational research. Whilst the threshold concept approach has been applied usefully to develop the pedagogy of various academic disciplines, for example, economics, healthcare and information literacy, they have so far received little attention in the context of entrepreneurship education. The threshold concept approach addresses the question of how learners can practise an exploratory, reflexive approach to discipline and subject-area-specific ways of thinking and practising. The contribution of our chapter is twofold: firstly, we want to show that the threshold concept approach offers a new perspective for theory and practice in entrepreneurship education through its focus on bridging a disciplinary way of thinking and practising, on the one hand, and a subjective view of entrepreneurial phenomena, on the other hand. Secondly, in order to enrich entrepreneurial teaching and learning conceptualizations, this chapter presents a review of the candidate entrepreneurial threshold concepts which have appeared in the literature to date, in order to characterize them as a potential starting point for a promising field of research.peer-reviewe

Fil-lejl li kiber miegħi

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Flus lura ta’ Charles Clews – Afrika ta’ Oliver Friggieri – 5 ta’ Ottubru 1798: Ir-rewwixta taż-Żabbarin kontra l-Franċiżi ta’ Achille Mizzi – Durham ta’ Joe Friggieri – Tifkiriet: Għand Majsi l-parrukkier ta’ Maurice Mifsud Bonnici – Jacqueline ta’ Carmel Azzopardi – Is-Sibt 29 ta’ Marzu 1986 ta’ Alfred Massa – Lill-għasfur ta’ Nikol Vella Apap – Nixtieq nibki ta’ John Caruana – Imbierka s-sapjenza ta’ Charles Clews – Par għajnejn fid-dlam ta’ Val. V. Barbara – Iż-żmien u l-bniedem ta’ Paul J. Debono – Dixx ta’ l-istejnles stil ta’ Paul P. Borg – Nota bene ta’ Sergio Grech – Ħitan ta’ Alfred Degabriele – Data base ta’ Philip Sciberras – Freddie Mercury – Ġieħ ta’ Charles Briffa – Ħolma ta’ Joe Bugeja – L-imsiebaħ firxu d-dwal ta’ Emanuel F. Attard – Żamma ta’ Manwel Cassar – Awtur tal-baħar ta’ Charles Bezzina – Nixxiegħa tal-kuxjent minn Triq Ħas-Sajjied Birkirkara ta’ Tarcisio Zarb – Ċfuf u żigarelli ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Taħt is-saffi tqal ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Fil-lejl li kiber miegħi ta’ Ġorġ Borg.peer-reviewe

Responding to learners’ diversity at an informal learning environment : differentiated instruction at the Society of Christian Doctrine in Malta

Differentiated instruction for diverse learners has been generally applied to compulsory education. However, the challenge of learner diversity is faced by other educational institutions. In Malta, most children attend evening classes twice a week in Christian formation at the centres of the Society of Christian Doctrine. The aim of this study was to explore how catechists at these centres tried to facilitate the learning and participation of all. A qualitative research approach was adopted within the context of an interpretivist framework. Six catechists and eighteen children from classes in six different centres responded to semi-structured interviews, following observations of each catechist in three lessons. Data analysis yielded seven key themes. One of these themes was the planning and organising of differentiated instruction. These catechists were willing to experiment and innovate in an attempt to include all the children under their care in the learning process. As such they prepared interesting lessons, and, within a supportive learning environment, organised the differentiation of content, process and learning product. This research extends the knowledge on differentiated instruction to the informal, non- school, voluntary context. Nourishing insights are provided through reflection on the inclusive policies and practices existing in this sector.peer-reviewe

Powerful Knowledge and Pedagogy in the Maltese Secondary School Economics Classroom

This thesis explores how economics education offers secondary school students access to ‘powerful knowledge’; knowledge which they might not have access to at home or in the communities in which they live. The ‘powerful pedagogy’ that enables this epistemic access is also researched. The study is undertaken in the context of repeated explanatory and predictive failures and anomalies of mainstream economics, the school of economic thought which dominates school economics. The notions of powerful knowledge, knowledge bases for teaching and threshold concepts assist in developing a framework conceptualising powerful knowledge and pedagogy in a Future 3 economics curriculum. A qualitative research approach underpinned by a critical realist framework draws upon teachers’ and students’ perspectives and lesson observations for a deeper understanding of the economics teaching and learning process. Supported by the findings, the thesis conceives powerful knowledge as the blending of two components or types. The first type is discipline based knowledge arising when students grasp the threshold concepts of scarcity, choice, opportunity cost, marginality, demand and supply analysis, and market structures. The second type of powerful knowledge derives from the first type and enables the students to understand better the economic world around them, equips them with new ways of thinking about the economic world, and enhances their criticality of thought in economic issues and their participation in economic debates. The findings indicate that powerful pedagogical practices that promoted the students’ engagement with disciplinary knowledge in economics consisted of emphasising the process of reasoning, connecting economics knowledge to real life, employing the teachers’ specialist knowledge to develop PCK representations, and adopting a variety of teaching strategies. The findings of this study call for the introduction of economics education in the Maltese State secondary schools (as is available to the students in the Independent and Church schools)