Karen Mugliett

Home Economics (HE) education is increasingly recognised as a vehicle for promoting wellbeing, sustainability, responsible citizenship and the practical competencies required for everyday life. This study explored Maltese HE educators’ perspectives on the relevance, employability preparation, status, curriculum content, pedagogical approaches and future direction of HE education within the context of contemporary societal challenges and the OECD’s Education for Human Flourishing framework. An online survey was conducted with 34 HE educators, including practising teachers and student teachers. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative responses underwent thematic analysis. Findings revealed strong consensus regarding the relevance of HE education to both the current and future needs of learners, particularly in relation to health, nutrition, financial literacy, consumer education, sustainability and family wellbeing. Educators favoured active, experiential and inquiry-based pedagogies, but identified curriculum overload, limited resources and persistent misconceptions about the subject as significant challenges. Although respondents viewed HE as highly valuable, they perceived its status within schools and Maltese society as relatively low. They advocated for curriculum renewal through updated content addressing food literacy, mental wellbeing, digital literacy, sustainability and adult life skills, alongside increased opportunities for practical learning. The study proposes a teacher-informed roadmap for renewing HE education in Malta through curriculum innovation, structural support, policy advocacy, enhanced marketing and alignment with broader educational goals centred on human and planetary flourishing.