Professor Joseph Giordmaina describes himself as a 'pracademic' whose work brings together academic research, professional practice, and public service in education, ethics, criminology, and rehabilitation. He studied education at the University of Malta and began his career as a teacher with the Ministry for Education. Over the years, he has taught across all levels of education, from the early years to post-graduate studies.
As a lifelong learner, he has pursued formal studies in education, philosophy, psychology, and criminology. His principal area of interest in philosophy is ethics, particularly the teaching of ethics in schools. Within criminology, his main areas of interest are penology, rehabilitation, reintegration, and radicalisation.
Professor Giordmaina founded two University of Malta platforms. The Prison Education and Re-Entry Platform, of which he is currently the Chairperson, promotes research, advocacy, and professional engagement in support of the successful rehabilitation and reintegration of persons in prison back into society. The Platform for the Teaching of Ethics in Schools focuses on research and advocacy related to Ethics as a subject within Maltese schools.
His academic work is closely informed by practice. He serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the Correctional Services Agency and is directly engaged with daily practices within the prison context. He also teaches at the Correctional Services Agency, working with both persons in prison and prison correctional officers. This sustained engagement allows him to connect theory, policy, institutional practice, and lived educational experience.
Professor Giordmaina has also participated in several EU-supported projects, through which he has developed further expertise in education, justice, rehabilitation, and social inclusion. His role as an academic at the University of Malta is to share this knowledge with students, support them in advancing their studies, and work with colleagues within and beyond the Faculty to generate knowledge through research, collaboration, and public engagement.
Prison education, rehabilitation
Penology
Juvenile Justice systems
Youth violence, radicalisation
Ethics, moral education
Trauma-informed education
Adolescent challenging behaviour
GIORDMAINA, J., 2021. For better and for worse: Universitisation, the Bologna Process and Initial Teacher Education in Malta. In: D. WOREK and C. KRALER, eds, New York: Waxmann, pp. 39-47.
GIORDMAINA, J., 2019. A Prison Brief. Malta: Ministry for Home Affairs and Security.
GIORDMAINA, J. and ZAMMIT, L., 2019. Shaping the identity of the new Maltese through ethics education in Maltese schools. Education Sciences, 9(4), pp. 253.
GIORDMAINA, J. and SCHEMBRI, A., 2018. Physical and Emotional Considerations in Conducting Research in Prisons. Hungarian Educational Research Association (HERA), 8(4), pp. 80-93.
CAMILLERI, M., GIORDMAINA, J. and SAMMUT HENWOOD, K., 2017. The Incentives and Earned Privilege System. Malta: Department of Correctional Services.
LOEWENTHAL, D., AVDI, E., CHAUHAN, G., SAITA, E., NATRI, T., RIGHI, R., TOMPEA, A., GIORDMAINA, J. and ISSARI, P., 2017. Evaluating the therapeutic use of photocards in European prisons. Counselling psychology quarterly, 30(1), pp. 67-85.
BORG, M., GIORDMAINA, J. and ZAMMIT, L., 2016. A Study of Parental/Guardian Preference For Ethics Lessons In State Primary And Secondary Schools.
GIORDMAINA, J., 2016. An exploration into the use of dialogue within a prison setting. Theoretical and Applied in Psychology, , pp. 81-85.
GIORDMAINA, J., 2014. Juvenile Justice in Malta. OutinOut EU Directorate General Justice Project JUST/2012/JPEN/AG/2936.
GIORDMAINA, J., 2013. The European Agenda for Education in Prison. In: P. MAYO, ed, Brill Sense, pp. 251-264.
BORG, M. and GIORDMAINA, J., 2012. Towards a quality education for all: Every teacher counts. Malta: Malta Union of Teachers.
GIORDMAINA, J., 2007. Communities of Conversation. In: J. GIORDMAINA, ed, Comenius 2.1 project, pp. 210.
GIORDMAINA, J., 2007. Dialogue on Dialogue: a resource book for the developing dialogue through philosophical enquiry course for teachers. Comenius 2.1 project.
GIORDMAINA, J., 2007. Postmodern Insights into Dialogue. In: J. GIORDMAINA, ed, Comenius 2.1 project, pp. 192-211.
GIORDMAINA, J., HOGAN, P. and WAIN, K., 2006. Philosophical Perspectives on Education in the 21st Century, , 03-06 August 2006 2006, Allied Newspapers Ltd, pp. 320.
GIORDMAINA, J., 2000. eEurope and e-Education. University of Malta. Faculty of Education.
GIORDMAINA, J., 2000. National Curriculum on its way : a conference on the implementation of the National Curriculum, University of Malta, 9-11 June, 2000 : Proceedings. Floriana: Floriana : Ministry of Education.
GIORDMAINA, J., 2000. Projected aims and costs of education in Malta in the year 2001. University of Malta. Faculty of Education.
GIORDMAINA, J., 1999. Systems of Knowledge: A Case Study of Curriculum Innovation in Malta. Switzerland;: International Bureau of Education, UNESCO.
GIORDMAINA, J. and SCERRI, L., J., 1996. Systems of Knowledge : A Guide. Book 2. Malta: Gutenberg Press Ltd.
GIORDMAINA, J., 1995. Systems of Knowledge: A Guide Book 1. Malta: Msida : Malta U.P.
GIORDMAINA, J. and FRANK, V., 1988. A survey of computers in Maltese schools. In: B. D M., ed, Bari: Bari : Laterza, pp. 33-43.
CRI5005 - Socio-Psychological Issues in the Criminal Justice System
EDE3001 - Moral Reasoning in Decision Making: Ethics in the Primary Classroom
EDE5011 - Beyond the Standard Curriculum: Discussing Critical Incidents in the Ethics Classroom
EDE5018 - Teaching Ethics through Philosophy for Children
EDE5021 - Critical, Creative and Caring Thinking for Ethics Education
EDE5024 - Philosophy for Children and Ethical Living: Comprehensive Tools for Teaching and Learning Ethics in Schools
EDE5025 - Navigating Ethical Dilemmas: Teaching Controversial Issues in the Ethics Classroom
EDV5014 - Becoming a Creative and Critical Thinker and Problem Solver
EPE5012 - Teaching Humanities, Democracy and Ethics in the Primary School
I welcome dissertation proposals in areas that connect education, ethics, rehabilitation, youth justice, and social inclusion. My supervision interests include prison education, rehabilitation, and reintegration, with particular reference to desistance, learning in custodial environments, education for persons in prison, post-custodial reintegration, prison culture, and rehabilitative leadership.
I also supervise work on youth violence, radicalisation, and educational prevention. This includes violence-fascinated youth, pathways to violent extremism, online radicalisation, misogynistic influence, safeguarding, early intervention, and school-based prevention. A related area is the study of structural and institutional drivers of youth criminalisation, including the school-to-prison pipeline, exclusion, marginalisation, social class, disability, early justice contact, and institutional labelling.
Within education, I am particularly interested in ethics, moral education, and justice- orientated schooling. This includes ethics education, moral reasoning, civic responsibility, democratic education, moral disagreement, and the school as an ethical community. I also welcome proposals on restorative justice, school discipline, and relational practice, including restorative approaches, alternatives to exclusion, relational pedagogy, behaviour policy, accountability, and the ethics of discipline.
Other areas of interest include trauma-informed and inclusive education, especially adverse childhood experiences, attachment-aware practice, emotional regulation, inclusive schooling, and support for young people at risk of exclusion. I also supervise research on education, masculinity, identity, and violence, including shame, belonging, peer status, misogyny, online influence, and educational responses to harmful masculinities.
Students may also propose research on comparative policy, youth justice, and institutional reform, including education policy, youth justice systems, prison education models, prevention frameworks, and reintegration policy. I am also interested in adolescent distress, challenging behaviour, and educational intervention, including disruptive, aggressive, withdrawn, resistant, or risk-taking behaviours; adolescent development; trauma; peer influence; family context; school discipline; exclusion; and support systems.
