https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/1054 2026-08-13T02:26:16Z 2026-08-13T02:26:16Z Farrugia, Marie Therese https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148463 2026-08-11T09:42:34Z 2025-02-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Using Maltese meaning-related vocabulary for the topic 'equivalent fractions' in a bilingual Grade 6 classroom in Malta Authors: Farrugia, Marie Therese Abstract: Mathematics education in Malta is frequently conducted through translanguaging with English and Maltese. In this paper I describe a design-based research study carried out in collaboration with a Grade 6 elementary teacher. The topic in question was Equivalent Fractions and the main thrust of the lessons was to heighten the teacher’s awareness of useful Maltese vocabulary for meaningmaking, to maximise student verbal participation, and to introduce the innovative idea of using Maltese for written mathematics texts. I provide excerpts of English / Maltese classroom interactions, using the illustrations to reflect on language-responsive pedagogy.

2025-02-01T00:00:00Z Farrugia, Marie Therese https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148462 2026-08-11T09:36:38Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Bilingual materials for mathematics in Malta Authors: Farrugia, Marie Therese Abstract: In Malta, mathematics is frequently accessed through translanguaging with English and Maltese. This is certainly the case when the teacher’s and students’ home language is Maltese, because textbooks and other written materials – including examinations – are in English, a legacy of British colonisation that ended in 1964. However, although much translanguaging occurs in verbal interaction, Maltese is not used for written mathematics. In this paper, I describe classroom materials that I designed, which included Maltese text, as part of a design-based research project carried out in an elementary school. The inclusion of Maltese text was viewed positively by both teacher and students, and I suggest that this approach might be taken on board as an integral part of a translanguaging pedagogy.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Gatt, Isabelle https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148453 2026-08-10T08:16:36Z 2027-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Drama education in Malta : from theatre practice to pedagogical ecology in the Mediterranean Authors: Gatt, Isabelle Abstract: This chapter traces the development of drama education in Malta as an evolving, hybrid field shaped by the interplay of theatre practice, educational reform, and higher education. It begins with the establishment of formal theatre training through the Manoel Theatre Academy of Dramatic Art (MADC) in the late 1970s and examines the pioneering work of Adrian Rendle and Peter Cox. Their initiatives contributed to the emergence of drama-in-education practices and the formation of the Drama Unit. The chapter then follows the shift from theatre-based training towards the academic and pedagogical development of drama, marked by the introduction of Theatre Studies at the University of Malta in 1988 and subsequent developments in teacher education. These include the Postgraduate Certificate in Drama Education and, later, the MTL in Drama Education, which became the professional route to qualifying as a drama teacher in Malta. Particular attention is given to the distinctive character of Maltese drama education, which developed through an interaction between British drama-in-education traditions, Italian pedagogical influences, notably the work of Loredana Perissinotto and the AGITA network, and local educational and cultural conditions. Drawing on documentary sources, practitioner interviews, and a reflexive practitioner perspective grounded in the author’s professional involvement, the chapter examines how drama education expanded beyond theatre training and developed across schools, teacher education, community settings, and educational policy. It foregrounds the role of collaboration, practitioner networks, and practice-led innovation in shaping a specifically Maltese approach. Situated within the wider cultural and educational context of the Mediterranean, Malta is presented as a case study of how international traditions can be adapted through local practice to produce a responsive and evolving pedagogy with implications for creativity, cultural participation, and educational policy.

2027-01-01T00:00:00Z Farrugia, Marie Therese https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148449 2026-08-07T10:46:11Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Frequency, significance and clarity : factors supporting the learning of mathematical vocabulary in bilingual classrooms Authors: Farrugia, Marie Therese Abstract: A crucial part of mathematics education is the teaching and learning of mathematical language, which includes subject-specific vocabulary. In a study carried out in two Maltese primary classrooms wherein mathematics was taught through the students’ L2 (English), and a teacher-directed ‘whole-class’ approach was used, it was noted that three conditions for vocabulary use – frequency, significance and clarity - appeared to be necessary for teaching new topic-related vocabulary. In this paper, I explain these conditions as they emerged from my empirical data and then conjecture on their relevance to other classrooms wherein both Maltese and English might be used, since code-switching is the most common approach used in Malta for teaching mathematics. I suggest that while frequency of use of words is likely to depend on the teaching methods employed, codeswitching might further promote the significance of mathematical words; furthermore, I suggest that using both languages might actually support clarity of the meaning of the topic-related words. Finally, if we wish to make a shift away from traditional whole-class teaching, we will need to equip students with the language equip students with the language necessary to engage differently with mathematics, irrespective of the medium of instruction used.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z