Rosienne Camilleri

This chapter summarizes the findings from my PhD thesis with the aim to examine, document and narrate young able children’s constructions of
learning, ability and schooling as a means through which a teacher’s professional identity, pedagogy and practice are unveiled. The focus is on understanding the impact that a teacher and a group of young able learners (who have the potential to reach high levels of performance in one or more areas of endeavour) have on each other’s identities, learning and experiences together with an examination of the kind of inclusive practices that are effective in stimulating the minds of young able children and ultimately meeting their diverse learning needs.

One of the purposes of this research is to contribute to the discussion on how best to acknowledge and provide for the very able learners in mixed-ability classrooms in the Early Years. It also attempts to challenge and extend the educational debate around teachers’ and learners’ identities and how these impinge on one another as well as how such identities impact the learning process. Furthermore, this study strives to understand and expose the implications of listening to children’s voices and using their constructions and interpretations to inform and assist teachers as professional practitioners who constantly reflect critically upon their own pedagogical choices and professional.

This thesis aims to examine, document and narrate young able children’s constructions of learning, ability and schooling as a means through which a teacher’s professional identity, pedagogy and practice are unveiled. The focus is on understanding the impact that a teacher and a group of young able learners (who have the potential to reach high levels of performance in one or more areas of endeavour) have on each other’s identities, learning and experiences together with an examination of the kind of inclusive practices that are effective in stimulating the minds of young able children and ultimately meeting their diverse learning needs. The research study, located within an interpretative, social constructivist paradigm in its attempt to construct meaning and knowledge inductively, adopted a qualitative approach through narrative inquiry as teacher and learners were given a voice through the construction of intertwined narratives that were later analysed and interpreted. Data was co...

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a rapid transition from onsite to online learning spaces for initial teacher education (ITE); with Universities even adopting new modes of pedagogy and assessment. This study explores: (1) how Maltese ITE undergraduate early years and postgraduate primary education students dealt with more remote forms of learning during the pandemic in Malta, and (2) the teaching/lecturing modes used, by lecturers, for remote learning, assessment and concerns that tie-in with broader student wellbeing. The data were gathered through an online quantitative survey designed to collect information about ITE students’ views. Student responses strongly suggest that in the eventuality of an ongoing vaccination ‘post-COVID’ era, ITE within HE programmes should consider revisiting the course content and delivery, supporting and fostering, blended and online approaches. A ‘blind spot’ reflecting the struggle for independence, autonomy, and control during COVID-19 in a postcolonia...

Various studies outline the ‘digital disconnect’ that exists between the digital experiences that children have with technologies at home and at school. It is however important to document the increasingly multimodal technological world that young children are inhabiting. Framed by socio-cultural and ecological theoretical perspectives, this case study of a 4-year old girl investigates how the contexts surrounding the child impact the use of digital technologies and the differences, if any, between the two contexts. Participatory methods are used to gather data from the child participant in relation to her experiences, preferences and interactions with technology, which was triangulated with the views of one parent and her current educator. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged as follows: technological uses and competences, child agency and participation, individual and collective funds of knowledge and bridging of children's lifeworlds. Fi...

This paper examines the kind of pedagogical approaches used in Higher Vocational Education, more specifically initial training programmes for early-years practitioners, from the perspectives of both VET lecturers and students currently involved or enrolled in these programmes. The focus is on understanding the ways in which the pedagogical models and tools adopted carefully match the requirements for the successful formation of early-years professionals. More specifically, this paper seeks to explore and understand the factors that influence the vocational pedagogical strategies used, the extent to which these pedagogies are learner-centred, the opportunities and challenges that Higher VET lecturers experience in their classrooms when embracing pedagogical innovation, the benefits for learners, as well as the impact on the quality of the training provided. Adopting a grounded theory methodology, with the aim of building theoretical ideas grounded in the data, two main data collection methods were used: one-to-one semi-structured interviews with a group of VET lecturers and a focus group with a group of Level 5 early-years learners who at the time of the study were in the process of completing the two-year higher diploma. Through a process involving inductive-abductive logic and the constant comparison, coding, and analysis of the data, a theoretical model of vocational pedagogies for the training and formation of early childhood educators emerged. The findings indicate the need for clear pedagogical direction and informed choices to be made individually and collectively by the team of lecturers teaching the programme; this requires the presence of an ethos and climate of critical reflective practice and lifelong learning through the creation or seeking of opportunities for continuous professional development. Its relevance becomes more pronounced in the context of a training programme that prepares future educators as there is a greater application of the pedagogy used at higher vocational training level for its transfer to early-years classrooms and settings. The role of the VET lecturer as a role model is highlighted as being significant in the formation and training of early childhood educators by both sets of participants. The current pedagogical picture portrays a situation where different lecturers adopt different pedagogical approaches that range from the traditional, teacher-focused ones to more innovative, participatory, and practice-based strategies. There is a consensus about the validity of adopting more learner-centred, hands-on pedagogical approaches though this is usually influenced by contextual, cultural-historical, and philosophical factors. The topical debate on professionalizing the Early Years sector is also reflected in the data and seems to influence expectations that both lecturers and learners have on the quality of the programme and the need for more focused exploration of effective vocational pedagogies. The importance of a strategic plan on the relevance and advancement of the teaching and learning practices within the vocational training programmes is highlighted.