https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/18577 2026-07-23T05:26:37Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148048 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 https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148046 Title: The narratives of gay male teachers in contemporary Catholic Malta Abstract: This thesis seeks to raise awareness of the pervasive heteronormativity of Maltese culture and on the effects that exclusionary practices may have on gay students and teachers. The culturally-saturating influence of the Roman Catholic faith in Malta, and the effects of a vigorously heterosexist society are chief elements which discourage Maltese homosexual educators from presenting their true sexuality to students, their parents, and teacher colleagues; in this and other related socio-cultural ways, Maltese gay teachers have thus been rendered an invisible presence in their schools. The study investigates the significance of being a gay teacher in contemporary Maltese culture through a set of narratives which reveal how five teachers construct and negotiate their personal and professional identities. The thematically-driven narratives themselves are made ‘transgressively’ (St Pierre, 1997) from an artistic re-casting of interview data as composite fictional accounts; in this way, the identities of the actual participants are invisible, whilst the issues that characterise their lives can be dramatically foregrounded. Each of the fictionalised narratives is followed by a critical deconstruction which both locates the story in the context of the literature and features the reflections of the interviewees themselves on the re-working and re-presentation of their life accounts. The accounts themselves tell of suffering and exclusion, of ambiguity but also of success; of experiences which are heavily conditioned by the sexuality of these teachers and by the context in which they are situated. The study concludes with an anticipation of the further research and of the developments in education policy which are needed if Maltese institutions are to realise the national commitment to inclusive cultures of schooling. Description: PhD 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148044 Title: [Book Review] Il rispetto violato : docenti maltrattati, studenti maltrattati by Giombattista Amenta Authors: Borg, Jonathan A. Abstract: Giombattista Amenta’s Il rispetto violato emerges as a significant contributor to contemporary educational discourse, tackling the under-discussed challenging reality of student mistreatment and educator abuse. This book arrives at a crucial moment when educator burnout and student misconduct have escalated to emergency levels. Amenta approaches this sensitive subject with both academic rigour and practical in sights. [extract] 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148042 Title: The narratives of gay male teachers in contemporary Catholic Malta Authors: Borg, Jonathan A. Abstract: The hegemonic privileging of absolute masculinity promotes “values such as courage… certain forms of aggression… and considerable amounts of toughness in mind and body” (Carrigan, Connell and Lee, 1987 p.148). Men who fail to fulfil such criteria are not only at an increased risk of social alienation but they endure an intricate process in defining their masculinity vis-à-vis ‘mainstream’ norms. Consequently, pressures to conform to gender stereotypes from parents, media and peers are pervasive and the perpetration of homophobic violence becomes tolerable.; The resulting societal discrimination, internalised heterosexism (Hetzel, 2011) and disruption in social support networks can precipitate mental distress, impacting one’s psychological well-being (Meyer, 1995; 2003). Consequently, ‘coming-out’ and therefore disclosing one’s sexuality may be an anguishing process (Armstrong and Moore, 2004) and incidence of suicide and self-harm in LGBT populations has been documented (Scott, Pringle, Lumsdaine, 2004).; Interestingly, Borg (2006) refers to the ‘Catholic hegemony’ in Malta as “one dominant culture” (p.61) which “works through education to reproduce its position within society” (p.62). Research by Conti (2011) with therapists who deal with Maltese LGB clients confirms that the predominance of the Catholic Church results in “religious fundamentalism, guilt, parents fearing for their children’s spiritual well-being, individuals fearing that they will end up in hell, lack of acceptance by society and family, and lack of self-acceptance” (p.58). 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z