Exploring the boundaries : understanding the limits of inclusion in Maltese independent schools and their implications for diverse learning environments

Abstract

This study explores how educators in Malta’s independent schools experience, interpret, and enact inclusive education within their daily classroom practice. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 14 educators across the independent sector, the research examines the emotional, pedagogical and systemic dimensions of inclusion, as well as the socio-economic and curricular contexts that shape its implementation. Framed by the critical pedagogies of Freire, hooks and Noddings, the study approaches inclusion not merely as a technical goal, but as a relational, ethical, and often contested process. Particular attention is given to the challenges posed by rigid curriculum structures, unequal access to support, and the reliance on “pull-out” or “push-in” models of provision, which may unintentionally reinforce exclusion. The thesis is grounded in the researcher’s own experience as an early childhood educator in an independent school, offering a practitioner-based perspective that foregrounds the emotional labour and professional agency involved in inclusive teaching. It also critically situates independent schools within Malta’s historical and socio-political educational landscape, highlighting how class and access influence who gets included — and on what terms. By addressing a significant gap in Maltese educational research, this study contributes new insight into the lived realities of inclusion within a sector often overlooked in policy and literature. Its findings offer implications for curriculum reform, teacher development, and the advancement of more socially just and context-sensitive models of inclusion.