Teaching and learning human rights : Maltese teachers' and students' perspectives

Abstract

This research project is concerned with the teaching and learning of human rights. It provides an insight into the official and formal efforts that support human rights education in Malta and critically reflects and discusses students' and teachers' own understandings of human rights education. The first stages of this study trace back human rights education as it has developed within the local Maltese context bringing to light formal attempts at introducing human rights awareness in schools. An exploration of the important texts and documents such as syllabi, locally published school text books and official letter circulars as well as international documents about human rights education provide an account of historical socio-cultural settings through which teachers and students' perspectives of human rights education can be understood. The research also focuses on the development of human rights education in the West through an overview of important literature related to the area of study. It discusses notions of human rights education as well as the particular teaching methods proposed in a critical manner so as to highlight their particular constructions within prevalently westernized norms and values. This discussion underlines the complexities of human rights teaching and learning that seek to educate students into human rights through the very same right of children to have quality education; one that does not simply inform students of their rights. The outcomes of the conversations with teachers and questionnaires for students are presented to further the debate about human rights education through teachers and students own voices. In general, participants' responses are a reflection of human rights education which focuses more on creating awareness and imparting knowledge of human rights· rather than encouraging questioning, problematization and critical engagement of human rights., This study argues for an enhanced critical approach to human rights through an education that provides engaging teaching and learning experiences.