Vol. 19 no. 2 / December 2025

This article explores the philosophy of technology and the nature of
technological knowledge, emphasising its relevance for educators. It examines perspectives on knowledge and human nature, highlighting the epistemological underpinnings that shape our understanding of technology. The nature of technological knowledge is analysed in relation to its conceptual and procedural dimensions among others. Given its inherently multidisciplinary nature, technological knowledge draws from science, engineering, and social sciences, necessitating an integrative approach in educational contexts.

The discussion extends to epistemological frameworks for structuring technology programmes within education, addressing key theoretical considerations. Challenges associated with technological knowledge, such as its evolving nature and contextual dependency, are identified. This work suggests that defining a technological base structure and content to standardise curricular approaches is important for educators. The role of students and teachers in shaping technological understanding is acknowledged.

The article also explores how technological contexts, codification of knowledge and curriculum implementation can pose several challenges to educators. The science-technology debate continues to pose challenges when considering differences in scope, representation, and rank. This work advocates a pedagogy for technological knowledge that includes experiential learning, problem-solving approaches, and interdisciplinary integration to enhance technological literacy among students and educators.

This study explores what hospitality and tourism students in Malta perceive as the biggest challenges in writing their dissertations. Balancing academic research with industry-focused skills presents difficulties. Students struggle to manage workload, meet academic writing standards, and secure effective supervision. Restricted access to academic resources, rigid institutional policies, and time constraints can present additional challenges. This study adopts a qualitative approach, gathering insights through focus groups with students from various backgrounds, academic levels, and levels of dissertation progress. The discussions focus upon concerns
about inconsistent supervision, the lack of structured academic writing support, and difficulties in obtaining research participants. Many students also express anxiety over dissertation expectations, leading to procrastination and uncertainty about their research direction. The findings offer recommendations for improving dissertation support systems, helping to enhance student confidence, engagement, and motivation in hospitality and tourism education in Malta.

Migration experiences, integration into the host society, and the desire to maintain the heritage language and culture significantly shape the family language policies of migrant families. While some prioritise their heritage language at home, motivated by the belief that it is essential for maintaining family ties and cultural identity, other families adopt a more balanced or mixed language policy, using both the heritage language and the host society’s dominant language in different contexts. This study explores the language practices of migrant families in Malta, a bilingual country with Maltese and English as its co-official languages, which is becoming increasingly multilingual as newcomer families settle on the island. Thirty-two migrant parents with children attending various state schools participated in this research by responding to an online survey about their home language practices and their attitudes towards learning the languages of schooling, Maltese and English. Findings reveal a multilingual approach in all respondents’ home environments. Parents believe that learning the host country’s language, particularly English, is crucial for better integration and to secure academic success for their children. The study highlights the complex dynamics of language policy in migrant families, balancing the need for integration with the desire to sustain cultural identity.

This article discusses the work of Joseph Burló in building Malta’s special educational system from the 1950s onwards. It is based on information obtained from interviews with his daughter, Dr Marian Muscat Azzopardi, and one of the teachers who worked with him, Ms Mary Rose Zahra, as well as from the documents in the Burló Collection donated by Dr Muscat Azzopardi and other sources. The article provides brief information about Burló’s career and the sociocultural context in which he worked, showing how his work contributed to removing the stigma associated with disability and improving the quality of life of children with disabilities. The article then discusses how Burló built connections with various persons to help him in his work and the outlook which informed his work, especially his emphasis on a holistic approach to child development and to catering for the various needs of children with disabilities. In the conclusion, the article reflects on the situation of the education of children with disabilities today and whether, and to what extent, the forward-looking spirit of Burló has been retained.

Mainstream schools are experiencing a surge in the enrollment of students with diverse needs. This increase places additional demands and responsibilities on teachers, who are required to respond to these needs and ensure these students’ successful inclusion in all aspects of school life. This article draws on findings
from a larger explanatory sequential mixed-methods study to critically examine how Maltese primary school teachers perceive inclusive education, with a particular focus on including students with autism in mainstream classrooms.

The broader study involved one hundred ninety-eight Maltese primary teachers, who completed semi-structured questionnaires, followed by in-depth interviews with ten volunteer participants. While most participants expressed generally favourable perceptions towards inclusion, the implementation of inclusive practices remains
inconsistent. Reservations regarding inclusion became more pronounced when involving students with low-functioning autism. Many teachers reported feeling inadequately supported, unprepared, and overwhelmed when teaching these students, underscoring the need to reconceptualise inclusion not merely as a question of physical placement but as a commitment to inclusive practice.

The study concludes that while positive perceptions are vital, support from Senior Leadership Teams, adequate resources, a reconsideration of current practices, and flexible curricula are fundamental to turning genuine inclusive education into a lived reality for all students, including those with autism.

This paper presents the findings of one of the themes explored in a study which aimed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOTs) related to three key themes within support for autistic learners in Maltese primary schools: teaching and learning, collaboration with parents, and educator training. Using the Ecology of Inclusive Education Framework proposed by Anderson, Boyle, and Deppeler (2014), which reconceptualises Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Framework for the field of inclusion, this paper presents the SWOT analysis of the theme ‘teaching and learning. Data was collected through a sequential explanatory research design that combined quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sample included educators working in primary schools across Malta. Findings highlight instructional adaptations, including visual supports, digital tools, and peer preparation programs, as strengths of the provision. However, weaknesses include a lack of resources, overcrowded and sensory-overstimulating classrooms, and limited teacher involvement in developing adaptations due to inadequate training. Opportunities
are framed around creating quiet spaces and fostering collaboration with external specialists. Threats involve uncertainty regarding the implementation of inclusion policies and inconsistent practices. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of ecologically informed strategies that prioritise training, resources, and physical
interventions to enhance inclusive teaching practices and foster meaningful participation for autistic learners.

Equitable literacy for learners with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) who are bilingual is often hindered by monolingual frameworks. This paper presents bilingual literacy as a right and a practical means to participation, rather than an optional addition. Using the Maltese context alongside international research, the paper compiles evidence on effective literacy practices for bilingual learners with ID. It reframes them through an intersectional perspective that acknowledges how disability, language, culture, and schooling systems should jointly create opportunities. The author translates this perspective into design principles for classroom practice and system leadership, highlighting common contextual difficulties, limited protected planning time, unclear language-of-instruction policies, and inconsistent preparation for bilingual, disability-responsive teaching. The author proposes solutions grounded in intersectional competence. In conclusion, a research agenda is proposed to test and expand intersectionally positioned biliteracy approaches.

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This report documents a lesson study conducted with Year 6 students at Għarb Primary School, Gozo, as part of the INSOLVU project focused on teaching mathematics through problem solving. The lesson explored the concepts of angles, time, and turns by embedding them in a real-life problem involving a cooking timer.
Through an engaging outdoor activity using a large protractor and clock-face simulation, students visualised angles as physical rotations, measured them, and linked degrees with time. The lesson aimed to bridge abstract and concrete understandings, improve spatial awareness, and foster collaborative learning. Observations revealed that hands-on, contextualised experiences significantly enhanced student engagement and reasoning, although some struggled to articulate the lesson’s mathematical focus. Post-lesson reflections identified the importance of scaffolding and inclusive strategies to support all learners. The report concludes with recommendations for refining group dynamics, encouraging individual accountability, and building a classroom culture that embraces challenge and exploration.

This report presents a lesson study conducted with a Year 4 class at J. Hookham Frere Primary School, Pietà, focusing on developing conceptual understanding of fractions through equitable sharing. Prompted by diagnostic assessments revealing widespread misconceptions, the teaching team designed a hands-on lesson in
which students used paper models to represent halves, quarters, and eighths of a chocolate bar. The lesson was structured around the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach, promoting collaborative problem-solving, reasoning, and mathematical language development. Observations highlighted the effectiveness of tactile
tasks in making fractions meaningful, while also identifying challenges related to group dynamics, language use, and spatial reasoning. Student feedback indicated high engagement, though some struggled with confidence. Post-lesson reflections underscored the importance of teacher collaboration, responsive teaching, and student agency. The report demonstrates how lesson study can transform teaching practice and support deeper understanding of foundational mathematical concepts.

This report presents a lesson study conducted with Year 3 students at St Francis of Assisi Primary School (Qawra) focusing on mathematical problem-solving and budgeting skills. The lesson study provided hands-on learning experiences using real money to bridge the gap between abstract mathematical concepts and real-world
applications. Teachers collaboratively designed and trialled a lesson in which students engaged in budgeting within a fixed amount, integrating digital tools and cooperative learning strategies. Observations yielded valuable insights into student engagement, the influence of external observers, and the role of technology in
mathematics learning. Reflections from both educators and students underscore the importance of collaboration, differentiated instruction, and building students’ confidence in problem-solving. The report concludes with recommendations to improve future lesson studies and enhance student participation.

This report presents a lesson study conducted with Year 4 primary students to strengthen their mathematical reasoning and justification skills within a budgeting context. The lesson centred on a realistic scenario in which Mrs. Green aims to create a healthy breakfast hamper with a €25 budget. Students worked in groups, each
adopting a character from a concept cartoon – Sally, Maze, Tina, or Finn – who presented different suggestions or challenges related to the hamper’s contents. Using a justification fan and a familiar problem- solving mat, students critically evaluated and justified their assigned character’s choices, with one group tasked to independently design a suitable hamper. The activity was carefully structured to engage students at varying levels of mathematical ability and encourage the use of precise mathematical language. Observations and group presentations revealed how the structure of the task supported deeper reasoning and reflection. The lesson was purposefully selected due to previously identified students’ difficulties in articulating mathematical justifications. This report outlines the lesson study process and discusses how the approach helped foster critical thinking, collaborative learning, and clearer mathematical communication.

This report presents a lesson study conducted with Year 4 and 5 students at Gozo College Ġużé Aquilina Primary and Special Unit Sannat, focusing on exploring the relationship between mass and capacity through problem-solving. The open-ended investigation is centred around a real-world scenario, which challenges students to
investigate the common misconception that 1 litre always equals 1 kilogram. Through a hands-on approach involving different liquids and measuring tools, students collaborated in mixed-ability groups to compare, calculate and reason mathematically. The lesson integrated Universal Design for Learning (UDL), formative assessment and inclusive pedagogies to ensure all learners could participate meaningfully. Reflections from the teaching team highlighted key student misconceptions, strengths in collaboration and the value of structured inquiry for deepening conceptual understanding. The study illustrates how lesson study fosters professional collaboration, inclusive teaching strategies and responsive lesson design in support of the 21st century skills.

This report describes a lesson study conducted with a Year 6 class at St Augustine College, Primary School, focused on teaching division through collaborative problem-solving. The lesson aimed to shift passive learners into active participants by engaging them in authentic tasks that required reasoning, group collaboration, and application of division concepts without relying on rote algorithms. Students worked in groups to complete two tasks: reconstructing a partially worked-out division problem and solving a riddle involving division. Observations highlighted increased student engagement, effective peer dialogue, and emerging use of mathematical language. Feedback from students and educators indicated that real-world contexts and open-ended tasks enhanced motivation and conceptual
understanding. The experience also deepened teacher collaboration, improved lesson planning, and underscored the value of student feedback. This study demonstrates how lesson study can transform both teaching and learning by promoting reflective practice, instructional innovation, and meaningful student participation in mathematics.