https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/136725 Tue, 14 Jul 2026 18:23:52 GMT 2026-07-14T18:23:52Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/136750 Title: Postcolonial Directions in Education : volume 14 : issue 1 Authors: Borg, Carmel; Bonello, Charmaine; Thapliyal, Nisha Abstract: - Postcolonialism, persisting colonial mentalities and perceptions in higher education institutions in Kenya and Malta: Josephine Oranga and Matthew Muscat-Inglott; - The impact of comparative postcolonial instruction on EFL learners’ perception of self and other : the case study of master's students, English Department, University of Khenchela: Sanaa Fatma Zohra Zair and Farida Labbel; - ‘De-learning, to learn again’ : towards a critical environmental pedagogy in Malta: Saige Lawson; - [Book review] Culture, power and education : representation, interpretation, contestation: Raphael Vella Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/136750 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/136748 Title: Postcolonialism, persisting colonial mentalities and perceptions in higher education institutions in Kenya and Malta Authors: Oranga, Josephine; Muscat-Inglott, Matthew Abstract: This paper examines the persistence of colonial mentalities and their influence on higher education (HE) perceptions in the two distinctive postcolonial contexts of Kenya and Malta. Adopting a quantitative approach in the spirit of epistemic disobedience and emancipation, the research employs a modified version of the pre-validated Colonial Mentality Scale to assess four dimensions, namely, Within-Group Discrimination, Physical Characteristics, Colonial Debt, and Internalised Cultural Shame and Inferiority. Attitudes toward international study and perceptions of foreign HE were also included in the study. Drawing on data from 161 participants across two institutions, the analysis revealed that colonial indebtedness tends to remain the most pronounced psychosocial legacy of British colonialism, particularly among Kenyan students. Regression analyses further showed that Colonial Debt significantly predicts greater willingness to study or work abroad and more favourable perceptions of foreign HE institutions. Meanwhile, Internalised Cultural Shame and Inferiority were low, suggesting complex, non-binary relationships with colonial pasts. Nevertheless, these findings underscore the ongoing influence of colonial legacies in shaping educational aspirations and perceptions in former colonies across African and Mediterranean contexts. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/136748 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/136747 Title: The impact of comparative postcolonial instruction on EFL learners’ perception of self and other : the case study of master's students, English Department, University of Khenchela Authors: Zohra Zair, Sanaa Fatma; Lebbal, Farida Abstract: This study investigates the pedagogical challenges of teaching postcolonial literature, highlighting the need to address cultural variables that may alter learners' identities, interactions with the Other, and perceptions of postcolonial texts. A mixed-methods approach was adopted to investigate the influence of intellectual imperialism on course dynamics using an experimental quantitative strategy. An observational qualitative strategy was used to assess the effectiveness of comparison in achieving intercultural understanding. A random sampling method was used to select fifty-nine students enrolled in the postcolonial theory/literature class of the Master’s program (2022/2023), Department of English, University of Khenchela, Algeria. The collected data was examined through qualitative discourse analysis, and a systematic process of Python programming language coding was utilized to yield numerical results. The findings validate intellectual imperialism, marked by media homogenization and misinformation, Eurocentrism, dominant Orientalist ideologies and portrayals, and limited self- and Other-awareness. This study aims to facilitate the teaching of culturally dense literature, resolve cultural entanglements, and enhance intercultural communicative competence among EFL learners. This approach seeks to foster critical thinking, identity-consciousness and the capacity to engage with others thoughtfully and empathetically via postcolonial narratives. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/136747 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/136800 Title: ‘De-learning, to learn again’ : towards a critical environmental pedagogy in Malta Authors: Lawson, Saige Abstract: This research is a qualitative inquiry into the history and current characteristics of environmental education in Malta. As a former British colony, Malta’s curriculum, including environmental education, was heavily influenced by the British standardized curriculum until the 1990s. Existing literature suggests that this may have functioned to de-center generational place-based knowledge and highlight the environmental knowledge and ideologies of a colonizing group. However, there is a gap in the literature that recognizes environmental education as a contested field in Malta and other post-colonial regions. In this research, I use semi-structured interviews to explore educators’ experience with environmental teaching in the formal education system in Malta. As indicated in the results, participants identified several challenges to environmental education in Malta, including limitations of the formal education system, structural factors influencing teacher agency and environmental attitudes, and perceived nature disconnectedness. I interpret these results through a lens of critical pedagogy and post-colonial theory, suggesting that influences of colonialism might still be reflected in present-day environmental education, through a lasting impact of colonial curricula and a sense of disconnection with natural spaces. I suggest that there is reason to reconsider environmental education as a ‘neutral’ field in Malta, and that a critically-informed environmental pedagogy has the potential to become a site of critique, resistance, and action. I conclude with ideas for what this pedagogy might look like, built on insights from critical pedagogy, post-colonial theory, and the experiences of educators who participated in this research. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/136800 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z