Internationalisation and Multiculturalism in Maltese Education and Society
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Internationalisation and multiculturalism in Maltese education and society Institute for Education 1st Annual Online Symposium 16th – 17th September 2020 The Symposium is an opportunity for Master and Doctoral graduates, Doctoral candidates and researchers to present their recent work on the theme of Internationalisation and Multiculturalism in Education and Society and create synergies between educators and policy makers. It is directed at Maltese and foreign researchers to present their recent research findings that can contribute to the further development of the Maltese education sector. In view of the current circumstances of the corona virus the 1st Annual symposium will be held online and will be hosted on the collaborate platform of the Institute. Draft agenda – 16th September 2020 09:45 Registration 10:00-10:45 Migration and Education – Facing new challenges Prof. Khalid Arar, Texas State University 10:45-11:00 Break 11:00-12:00 Parallel sessions Internationalisation and multiculturalism in Maltese society Internationalisation of Maltese society and education - Ms Christine Fenech and Dr Anita Seguna Educators’ constructions of Maltese society - Dr Louise Chircop Internationalisation and multiculturalism in schools How is the Learning Outcomes Framework responding to an internationalised school culture in primary schools in Malta? – Mr Heathcliff Schembri The Experience of Multiculturalism in Schools in Malta: a qualitative exploration - Ms Mariella Debono Working in international and multicultural schools How can intercultural diversity be understood? The lecturers' response - Dr. Damian Spiteri and Dr. Anita Seguna Tracking Conceptual Development in Multicultural Education: A mixed- methods approach - Mr Brian Vassallo Effective international and multicultural practices in schools and society Addressing Societal Polarisation in Maltese Schools through Experimental Laboratories - Dr. Aitana Radu and Ms. Giulia De Vita Expanding Borders - A study on Cultural Intelligence and Leadership Styles in a Maltese Primary School - Ms Janice Darmanin 1 Draft agenda – 17th September 2020 09:45 Registration 10:00-10:45 Migration and international mobility as challenges to school. Is intercultural education the answer? Prof. Dr. Yasemin Karakaşoğlu, Director of the Unit for Intercultural Education, University of Bremen 10:45-11:00 Break 11:00-12:00 Parallel sessions Internationalisation and multiculturalism in schools Keeping the student at the focus – character education in a multicultural and internationalised context - Fr Mark Ellul The language of the future: The motivation of adults in Malta to study Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language - Ms Christiana Gauci Sciberras Working in international and multicultural schools I Preventing Radicalisation in Maltese schools: Learning from the UK’s Prevent duty experience - Ms Daniela Scerri Migrant Learners' Unit: Scaffolding a learning culture without silos – Ms Jane Farrugia Buhagiar and Ms Lara Sammut Working in international and multicultural schools II Social and Academic Preferences of Migrant Students in a Secondary School: The View from Within - Ms Antoinette Schembri Effective international and multicultural practices in schools and society Facing the Challenge of Preparing Maltese Schools and Students for a Multicultural Society: An Opportunity to Redefine Identity in the Light of “Otherness” - Mr Edward Wright 2 Internationalisation and multiculturalism in Maltese society Educators’ constructions of Maltese society Dr Louise Chircop In the span of a few decades, Maltese society witnessed rapid social, cultural and political changes transforming itself from a primarily monocultural society into a multicultural one. The introduction of progressive civil rights legislation brought forth new understandings of gender, gender identity and family constructs. The Catholic Church is slowly losing its potential to influence its followers. These changes might be seen as a threat to the moral fiber of Maltese society, or an opportunity to see beyond the insularity of an island state. The aim of this paper is to explore the yet largely uncharted waters of how Maltese educators construct Maltese society and social diversity, which ultimately influence their practices in school. The study draws on social constructionism as a theoretical framework. I argue that teachers’ constructions of, and attitudes towards social diversity in Maltese society cannot be taken out of the context in which these have been socialised, nurtured, and perhaps sustained or otherwise challenged. In-depth semi-structured interviews were held with 19 participants hailing from State, Church and Independent schools. Critical Discourse Analysis was applied to analyse the data gathered. Educators’ constructions of Maltese society and the social diversity within it reflected their location as citizens of an island nation, with some of the participants seeking to preserve their visions and traditions of an imagined community while others looking outward and embracing change as something positive. They provided multiple constructions of Maltese society and social diversity, reflecting the geopolitics, history, religion and size of the island. Keywords: educators, Maltese society, social diversity, constructions Dr. Louise Chircop was a primary class teacher for 20 years. She is currently an Ethics support teacher and a teacher educator at the University of Malta, where she teaches at undergraduate and Master’s Level. Her main research areas include, social diversity, teacher identity, the experiences of Muslim students in schools and teachers' practices in a socially diverse setting. 3 Internationalisation of Maltese society and education Ms Christine Fenech and Dr Anita Seguna Malta has witnessed a stark increase in immigration in recent years. The European Commission’s Country Report for Malta 2019 (European Commission 2019) suggests that labour and skills shortages may be a pull-factor for international labour to Malta. However, push and pull-factors for migration have become more complex in the 20th century including aspects such as safety from wars, and political or economic crises (Arar et al 2019, 2020a, 2020b; IOM 2020). Moreover, the profile of migrants has changed from targeted recruitment of guest workers in the post-war period to substantial diversity of countries of origin, languages, religions or migration channels (Massey 1990; Vertovec 2007, 2018). This diversification can also be witnessed in Maltese society and education and is posing challenges for schools to provide inclusive education suited to the learning needs of a diversifying student population (Bezzina & Vassallo 2019). However, while some qualitative research, through isolated snapshots of the numbers of international students in compulsory education exist, detailed data and analysis of its development over time are lacking. This research, therefore, investigates data collected in recent years, in Maltese society and compulsory education. By studying the change in figures, of international residents and students in compulsory education (public, church and private schools), the article provides evidence of the rate at which diversification has been witnessed. It focuses upon diversification by sector and evaluates geographical differences witnessed within this diversification. Moreover, it investigates differences in the profile of international students enrolled in different educational institutions to demonstrate the extent to which ‘super-diversity’ is encountered within Maltese schools. Keywords: immigration, internationalisation, Malta, education, perception, policy Christine Fenech is the Senior Manager Research and Development at the Institute for Education, which aims at supporting teachers, parents and students to address challenges they face through evidence-based guidelines. Previously she worked as Manager Research and Policy at the National Commission for Further and Higher Education. She holds an MA in History of Art, Political Science and Philosophy from the Free University of Berlin and a Master in Comparative Euro-Mediterranean Education Studies from the University of Malta. Anita Seguna has worked in the educational field since 1993 performing various roles: teacher, Head of School, Head of Curriculum Design and Professional Learning, mentor, tutor and lecturer. She is a part-time lecturer at the Institute for Education, Malta and the Friedrich- Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. She believes in the importance of andragogy and a hands-on approach in the professional development of teachers. She is also the author of several books in Maltese for children and teenagers. Anita Seguna holds a Ph.D. from Friedrich- Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. In her thesis, she investigated internationalisation in secondary schools in Malta. She ascertains that internationalisation is a process that integrates a global perspective into the schools’ development. 4 Internationalisation and multiculturalism in schools The Experience of Multiculturalism in Schools in Malta: A qualitative exploration Ms Mariella Debono This paper focuses on the experience of multiculturalism in schools in Malta from a sociological perspective. The various connotations of the term ‘multiculturalism’ are discussed, also within the Maltese context. Drawing on a number of scholarly works such as those of Kymlicka (2010) and Parekh (2006) multiculturalism is seen as a political endeavour engaged first and foremost in developing new models of