https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/1054 2026-07-18T04:50:41Z 2026-07-18T04:50:41Z Tutar, Peri Mayo, Peter Brown, Maria https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148113 2026-07-17T07:48:52Z 2025-11-01T00:00:00Z

Title: UNESCO Chair in global adult education : second international conference on critical adult education and learning : the book of abstracts Authors: Tutar, Peri; Mayo, Peter; Brown, Maria Abstract: The University of Malta Valletta Campus hosted, once again following 2023, an international conference organised by the UNESCO Chair in Global Adult Education on 6–7 November 2025. The conference brought together over 70 participants from South and North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia, reflecting the global reach and relevance of Critical Adult Learning and Education (CALE). Building on the earlier conference held in May 2023 in the context of the International Critical Education Conference (ICCE), CALE 2025 focused exclusively on critical adult education and learning. The conference took place at a historical moment marked by rampant populism, the erosion of distinctions between fact and fiction, intensifying militarisation, corporate encroachment into public spaces, and the growing reduction of education to a narrow technical activity. Against this backdrop, CALE 2025 sought to reaffirm the urgency of critical adult education research and practice. In the spirit of its predecessor, the conference aimed to move beyond critique as denunciation, embracing critique as a generative practice—one that combines critical analysis with the exploration of emancipatory possibilities. The guiding imperative was clear: liberating praxis or sheer barbarism. The strong engagement and enthusiasm of participants reaffirmed CALE as a significant space for international dialogue in adult and continuing education. [Foreword by Prof. Peter Mayo]

2025-11-01T00:00:00Z Żammit, Jacqueline https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148112 2026-07-17T07:12:32Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Learning Maltese for work and professional integration in Malta Authors: Żammit, Jacqueline Abstract: Adult language education plays a central role in enabling migrants to participate in society and access employment, as language proficiency often functions as a prerequisite for further training, professional integration and social inclusion. This study explores the acquisition of Maltese by adult migrants in Malta, a context marked by high labour demand and a multilingual sociolinguistic environment. This study draws on qualitative data from 28 adult migrant learners enrolled in Maltese language courses and 4 language teachers, exploring how adult learners develop Maltese language competence within a setting where Maltese and English coexist alongside learners’ diverse linguistic repertoires. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and practitioner reflections, allowing for an in-depth exploration of classroom practices, learner strategies and institutional conditions that shape adult Maltese language learning concerning professional integration. Particular attention is paid to pedagogical practices that link language learning to workplace communication and everyday professional interactions. The findings suggest that multilingual and translanguaging-based approaches can enhance learner engagement, confidence, and participation. At the same time, persistent challenges emerge, including limited exposure to Maltese in work environments dominated by English, uneven expectations regarding language use in employment, and a lack of targeted resources for adult migrant learners. By focusing on Maltese, a minority language within a multilingual labour market, the study contributes to broader debates on how adult language education can support migrants’ professional integration. It highlights the need for context-sensitive, multilingual pedagogies that recognise learners’ existing linguistic resources while responding to labour market demands and integration goals.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148093 2026-07-16T09:30:44Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Fuq fomm kulħadd : ir-raba’ serje (programmi 76 – 100) Abstract: Theoretical Framework: The Fuq Fomm Kulħadd project is grounded in multimodal discourse analysis (Kress, 2010; Jewitt, 2016) and critical thinking frameworks (Paul & Elder, 2020). These frameworks support the examination of how issues are explored and discussed through various modes of communication, particularly focusing on radio as a medium that facilitates audience interaction and engagement. By integrating these theoretical approaches, the project fosters reflective thinking and encourages listeners and guests to critically engage with contemporary social and cultural issues. This research explores two key aims: 1. To facilitate non-judgmental critical thinking about contemporary issues discussed on air; 2. Creating interactions based on meaningful inquiry and reflection between radio listeners, in-studio guests, and experts about the topic discussed. Description: Min jixtieq jirċievi programm partikolari għandu jikkuntattja lil Prof. George Cremona fuq l-email: george.cremona@um.edu.mt L-awtur jirriserva d-dritt li japprova jew jirrifjuta t-talba.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Borg, Jonathan A. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148048 2026-07-16T10:31:08Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Leading for inclusion : the role of the head of department for inclusion in Maltese middle and secondary state schools Authors: Borg, Jonathan A. Abstract: This chapter examines the significance of the role of Head of Department for Inclusion (HoD - Inclusion) in Maltese middle and secondary state schools as it identifies the opportunities and challenges that these HoDs - Inclusion encounter as they coordinate inclusive education provision. A thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews that were conducted with five HoDs Inclusion working in either a middle or a secondary local state school demonstrates the competence of the HoD - Inclusion to promote a shared vision for inclusive school cultures and to guide change in the Maltese educational context. This analysis additionally identifies a number of organisational and operationalisation barriers which undermine the effectiveness of this role. The chapter suggests that an enriched understanding of the role of the HoD - Inclusion can potential(v serve as an opportunity to inform policy and practice to support and implement a truly inclusive education philosophy.

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z