Issues affecting human resources development in Maltese primary schools

Abstract

This study aims at exploring issues regarding teacher training and the purposes of staff development in Maltese Primary schools. Shedding light upon the professional growth of educators within the national framework, the authors aim to clarify concerns and constraints regarding continued professional development. The research ascertains whether the local educational set-up supports a system of 'needs analysis' and whether it endorses a practice of objective setting. The study intends to analyse the nature of INSETs and SDPs, whilst investigating their effectiveness upon Human Resource Development. From our research, conducted through fourteen interviews with three Education Officers and eleven Heads of Schools, working within both the Church and the State sector, the researchers concluded that the educational authorities support appraisal. Believing in the efficacy of school-based INSETs, the interviewees felt that diminishing bureaucracy will eventually enhance the opportunity for more successful continued professional development. From the questionnaires with the Senior Management Teams and the teachers in the respective schools (24 and 120 out of 206 questionnaires were collected respectively) the introduction of more consultation, better induction and mentoring programmes and INSETs which target the needs of the educators, the pupils and the school community, was prevalent. These results will provide a bearing as to how the educational authorities and the individual schools can improve their developmental tools to fine-tune the valuable human asset.