https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/328 2026-10-17T14:08:02Z 2026-10-17T14:08:02Z Ozerova, Evita Martinsone, Baiba Cefai, Carmel Conte, Elisabetta https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150057 2026-10-15T08:43:56Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Social-emotional skills, behavioural problems and learning outcomes of elementary school children Authors: Ozerova, Evita; Martinsone, Baiba; Cefai, Carmel; Conte, Elisabetta Abstract: A topical question for teachers and parents is how to improve students’ well-being and success at school, starting from the early stages of their education. Research shows that social-emotional competence is one of the key variables significantly impacting children’s learning outcomes and that social-emotional learning contributes to higher learning outcomes and fewer behavioural problems, even in preschool. It is of great importance to obtain more evidence on the role of social-emotional skills in school adjustment, addressing this issue as early as possible to develop a deeper understanding of how to support children after their transition to elementary school. The current research aims to analyze relationships between social-emotional skills, behaviour problems and learning outcomes in a sample of elementary school students while also addressing gender differences in these relationships.; The sample consisted of 590 elementary school students aged 7–11 years (mean age 9.14, SD 1.38), 53.2% (314) of whom were boys and 46.8% (276) were girls. The teachers completed the Social Skills Improvement System Social-Emotional Learning brief scales, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and a three-item questionnaire on their students’ learning outcomes. Higher social-emotional skills in elementary school students had significant associations with lower levels of behavioural problems and higher levels of learning outcomes. Moreover, the results indicated that teachers reported significantly higher levels of social-emotional skills and learning outcomes and fewer behavioural problems amongst girls in contrast to boys. These findings highlight the necessity to develop social-emotional skills in facilitating learning outcomes and behaviour adjustment in elementary school children. Teachers’ role as facilitators of social-emotional development must also be emphasized.

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z Papadopoulou, Lambrini Trifonova Price, Lada Maniou, Theodora A. Clark, Marilyn https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150003 2026-10-14T09:11:42Z 2027-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Threats to press freedom and journalistic resistance in Southern European countries during COVID-19 : the cases of Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta Authors: Papadopoulou, Lambrini; Trifonova Price, Lada; Maniou, Theodora A.; Clark, Marilyn Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed newsrooms globally to economic hardship and new challenges to press freedom and journalism that undermined the duty to serve the public interest. This chapter is based on findings from a cross-national qualitative study, conducted in 2022, which examined the relationship between media, journalism, and politics in four Southern European countries with existing democratic deficits throughout the pandemic and beyond. The discussion is based on semi-structured interviews with journalists from Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta. It provides an overview of the challenges to media markets and journalistic practice as well as journalists’ strategies for maintaining their professional autonomy. Findings indicate that participants preserved to some extent their professional autonomy by adapting strategically, committing to public service, and developing new journalistic practices. The analysis in the chapter is relevant to a range of political contexts where journalism and media face similar threats.

2027-01-01T00:00:00Z Xiberras, Sarah Clark, Marilyn https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147482 2026-06-17T05:54:32Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Navigating absence : a grounded theory of adults’ retrospective accounts of childhood parental incarceration in Malta Authors: Xiberras, Sarah; Clark, Marilyn Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to develop an explanatory framework for understanding how children of incarcerated parents negotiate the experience of having a parent in prison, including both the risks they face and the strengths they build. The research examines this retrospectively, by investigating how individuals who are now adults navigated parental incarceration in Malta, a small-state context where stigma and social exclusion are intensified.; Design/methodology/approach – Using grounded theory methodology and a constructivist epistemology, the study developed a substantive level theory rooted in participants’ interpretations and grounded in meanings constructed through social interactions. Framed by a risk and resilience approach, eight Maltese adults (aged 18–40) who experienced parental incarceration between ages 6–18 participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using the constant comparative method, producing four interlinked conceptual categories.; Findings – The emergent explanatory framework highlights that children of incarcerated parents face multiple risks and repercussions, including the initial loss of the parent, navigating between home and prison worlds, experiencing courtesy stigma and enduring long-term emotional and relational impacts. These findings reveal parental incarceration as dynamic and enduring. Yet, protective mechanisms such as open communication, supportive caregiving and maintaining positive contact with the incarcerated parent, mitigated adverse effects and fostered adaptation, adjustment and resilience.; Practical implications – The study emphasises the need for interventions that prioritise children’s voices, strengthen family support systems and promote resilience-building through school and community networks.; Originality/value – By centring on children’s lived experiences of parental incarceration in Malta, this study fills a critical gap in the local literature. It complements and extends international quantitative research by offering a culturally grounded, qualitative perspective that captures nuanced socioemotional processes often overlooked.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Gellel, Manuel Clark, Marilyn Bell, Albert https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147141 2026-06-05T12:27:12Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Standing at the crossroads : a grounded theory of early-stage desistance from heroin careers in Malta Authors: Gellel, Manuel; Clark, Marilyn; Bell, Albert Abstract: Evidence suggests that individuals affected by problematic heroin use can desist at various points in their drug-using career. Drawing on a doctoral study that developed a non-linear four-stage model of desistance from heroin careers within the Maltese context, this paper focuses on exploring the contingencies that are in place during the initial pre-desistance stage. The study adopted an evolved grounded theory methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-two participants, fourteen identifying as male and eight as female, who had desisted from heroin careers for a minimum of five years. Findings show that a series of setbacks encountered after committing to a heroin career can create profound ambivalence, leading to pivotal reckoning moments that prompt individuals to consider change. Importantly, the emergence of hope that desistance is possible appears to play an instrumental role in initiating the desistance process.

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