Reflection about technology teaching and learning in Malta : achievements, challenges, lessons learnt by the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta

Abstract

Initial teacher education within the domain of technology education was offered for the first time at the University of Malta in 1981. From 1981 to date courses have adopted different philosophies and changed considerably both in content and structure to reflect developments in the domain itself and to adapt to political exigencies. The inception and evolution of initial technology teacher education programmes at the University of Malta did not occur without challenges. This paper presents and reflects on variables that might have been influential to the developmental progress of initial technology teacher education programmes organised by the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta. The variables were identified through an analysis of literature for the international scenario of technology education since, in some other countries, the introduction of technology education in the curriculum preceded that of Malta by a considerable number of years. The reflections are based on the authors’ own experiences and observations. Having lived through technology education themselves, as students, teachers and teacher educators for more than twenty years, these reflections manifest what the authors perceived through the years and what messages they tried to convey as advice to faculty regarding technology education. Reflection on the Maltese scenario reveals that the latter mirrors many of the variables and issues experienced by the international scenario in technology education. This paper also presents the current challenges which the initial teacher training programmes at University are now facing in the light of past endeavours.