Vocational education within the lifelong learning discourse : the Maltese context

Abstract

The research question, Vocational Education within the Lifelong Learning Discourse: The Maltese Context, tackles the issues concerning vocational education in the Maltese Islands with the main focus being on the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST). Research was carried out by means of questionnaires which were answered by the students and interviews completed by the lecturers. These two methods of research, quantitative and qualitative, were compared by means of the triangulation technique. The main outcomes of this research were that students at post-secondary level choose to continue their studies at MCAST mainly out of their own will and not because of their SEC qualifications. Although some lecturers acknowledge this fact, there are still quite a few who perceive such students as being of a low-ability hence choosing MCAST as a second option in education. Therefore this study shows that in reality, this is not the case since in the research carried out with the students, it is clear that students go to MCAST because of the type of education that is offered, that is practice through vocational education, and the various types of courses offered. Finally, a discussion of the results is developed, and suggestions for improvement are made.