https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11624 2026-09-02T20:14:05Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148635 Title: Teaching students with disabilities in post-secondary institutions : educators’ perceptions Abstract: The right of students with disabilities to pursue higher education is being increasingly recognised while simultaneously being regarded as a new challenge. This study explored the perceptions of educators teaching students with disabilities in post-secondary institutions in Malta, using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. In the first phase, a quantitative survey (n= 150) was conducted to obtain a general understanding of educators’ perceptions, strategies used, and training and support needs. In the second phase, ten educators participated in semi-structured interviews: six from academic institutions, and four from vocational institutions. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS, while qualitative data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and NVivo software. The results from both phases were integrated with the aim of answering the research question. Survey data indicated significant positive correlations between the three generated educator perception scales: positive attitude towards teaching students with disabilities; sufficient training and support; and extensive and effective use of different strategies. Interview data confirmed and supplemented the survey data. Four main qualitative themes were identified: educators embraced a generally positive attitude towards students with disabilities; navigating practical challenges; educators used various strategies to enable student participation; and calls for improvement of a more inclusive system. Educators in academic institutions reported more challenges and less support compared to those in vocational institutions. The findings call for several systemic changes, including improved communication and more seamless transitions to post-secondary education; more accessible institutional support and resources; and practical and tailor-made training for educators. Description: M.Sc.(Melit.) 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147099 Title: Exploring the impact of activism on the psychological wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ activists Abstract: This study explores how queer activists in Malta perceive the impact of their activism within LGBTIQ+ social movement organisations (SMOs) on their psychological wellbeing, and how these experiences influence their motivation to sustain engagement in activism. Employing a qualitative research design, seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with self-identifying queer activists involved in Maltese LGBTIQ+ SMOs. Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) revealed complex psychosocial dynamics encompassing both positive and negative effects of queer activism. Activists in this study described cyclical processes through which they developed activist identities alongside queer and other identities, as well as becoming wounded healers. Other key themes included learning as an ongoing process, and confronting stigma, systemic oppression, and burnout. The findings underscore the dual nature of activism, in that it promotes psychological wellbeing through various dimensions, while causing psychological strain. Thus, this research highlights the importance of resilience, social support, and self-care practices in sustaining activists’ wellbeing and motivation within a context of hyper-personalised politics and strong communal ties. By addressing gaps in the literature, this dissertation advances understanding of the interplay between activism, psychological wellbeing, and motivation in queer communities, offering valuable insights for supporting activist health in small, interconnected social settings. Description: H.Dip.(Melit.) 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147065 Title: The role of perceived social support on recovery progress in an addiction therapeutic community Abstract: This study explores the lived experience of relational support in addiction recovery, challenging individualistic models by adopting a systemic and social constructionist perspective. Utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research investigated how two former residents of a Maltese Therapeutic Community (TC) made sense of their significant other's (SO) support during their therapeutic journey, and how these relational dynamics influenced their recovery progress. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and an innovative video-recall method, offering a dialogical and multi-layered perspective on meaning-making. Four superordinate themes emerged: Family as Anchor: Motivation, Containment, and Shared Purpose; From Shame to Dignity: Rebuilding a Moral and Relational Self; Communication and Trust: Rupture, Mediation, and Behavioural Proof; and Power, Trauma, and Autonomy: Negotiation in the Couple. The findings demonstrate that recovery is fundamentally a relational and co-constructed process, measured by the client’s perceived success in achieving relational repair, moral reconstruction, and secure attachment with their partner, rather than solely individual abstinence. The Maltese sociocultural context, characterised by high family interdependence and social visibility, amplified the emotional burden and centrality of relational dynamics. The study concludes that the therapeutic effectiveness of the TC is intrinsically linked to its ability to facilitate relational transformation. It strongly recommends the integration of trauma-informed and family-inclusive practices into TC models, particularly within culturally tight-knit communities. Description: M. FTSP(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147062 Title: Exploring the therapy experience as an intervention for fathers suffering from perinatal depression and anxiety Abstract: This study explores the therapy experience as an intervention for fathers suffering from perinatal depression and anxiety. Men experiencing fatherhood while suffering from perinatal distress can tend to suppress their vulnerability, rejecting help-seeking which may challenge their perception of self as competent fathers and males. Although paternal perinatal depression and anxiety has long-reach systemic effects, satisfactory interventions for distressed fathers are limited and primarily psychoeducational. No research to date has explored the effectiveness of individual therapy as an intervention. Seven fathers recruited via the Perinatal Pilot Project, Malta, participated in this qualitative study. They had received individual therapy, including a few couple sessions, for their perinatal distress. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis methodology, six Group Experiential Themes emerged from their therapeutic experiences and the contexts within which these were embedded: (A) “When life becomes topsy-turvy, you need to go to therapy”; (B) Accepting the invitation; (C) The importance of the relationship with the therapist; (D) Therapy alleviates anxiety by enhancing attunement with self and family; (E) The therapists worked effectively; (F) The impact of couple therapy. The fathers shared how their therapeutic experience unfolded in the context of a safe and attuned therapeutic relationship, allowing them to delve deeper into what they were experiencing, enhancing their self-awareness and authenticity, helping them reflect on their relationships with significant others. Recommendations for policy and practice are put forward, underscoring the necessity to offer fathers opportunities to have similar safe and empathically attuned therapeutic experiences for their wellbeing and that of the family system. Description: M. FTSP(Melit.) 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z