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Perceptions

Volume 8-Issue 1: June 2014

Through their eyes and with their words: An exploration of the immigrant students in Malta and their perceptions of Malta’s two official languages

In various countries in Europe, immigrant students settle into a new school – a process fraught with difficulties and challenges as they struggle to make sense of their new surroundings and new ways of being, mediated through what is often a foreign language. For such students in Malta the task is doubled as they need to cope with two languages – Maltese and English – both present in the educational setup and essential for the transition into Maltese school life. This article reports on part of a multiple case study that explored immigrant students’ experiences and perceptions of the two languages in Maltese state secondary education. Through a process of trust building and interviews, the immigrant students were invited to express their feelings verbally and through drawings to better communicate what they were going through. The result is a touching wakeup call to the particular hardships faced by these students as they attempt to cope with two linguistic codes in a context that is not always supportive.
Volume 15-Issue 1: June 2021

Being in the presence of a person with an Autism Spectrum Condition does not guarantee acceptance

The purpose of this study was to examine Maltese young adults’ knowledge and perceptions of individuals with an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). Social Representation Theory was utilized to inform the study on the possible ways participant’s perceptions were shaped. Particular focus was given to the way participants interpreted the behaviour, abilities and potential of people with ASC and whether the information acquired aided the acceptance of their peers with ASC. The study applied a qualitative approach: a sample of eight participants, aged between 18 and 24 years, responded to a semi-structured interview. Thematic analysis of data uncovered six main themes. These included three levels of respondents’ perceptions of ASC stemming from participants’ experience and knowledge of ASC, that were in turn associated with three levels of acceptance of people on the spectrum. The findings suggest that being in contact with persons on the autism spectrum does not necessarily translate into acceptance, highlighting the importance of providing peers and society with explanations of behavioural differences manifested by individuals with ASC in order to reduce uncertainty and facilitate inclusion
Volume 17-Issue 2: December 2023

Attitudes Towards New Vocational and Traditional Academic Further and Higher Education Institutions in Malta: A Study of the Effects of Social Class

By differentiating public perceptions of relatively new vocational institutions from those of more traditional forms of academic further and higher education, the study aimed to explore how attitudes vary as a function of social class in Malta. A survey of 573 adults was carried out to measure variations in attitude towards three specific Maltese state-sponsored further and higher education institutions, two vocational, and one traditionally academic. Framed conceptually according to a critical interpretation of the parity of esteem debate, the main dependent variable was defined in terms of difference in attitudes toward the new vocational, as opposed to traditional academic institutions. One-way analysis of variance was carried out to explore these differences according to self-identified social class, as well as socioeconomic markers including income, education level and occupation. The findings revealed small but statistically significant effects of self-identified social class, income and level of education. As social class and other socioeconomic values increase, positive perceptions of vocational as opposed to academic tracks, tend to decrease. No significant effect emerged with respect to occupation type. In this article, we discuss some of the implications of these findings for Maltese further and higher education providers from a critical theoretical perspective. Furthermore, we argue that arbitrary prestige-attribution to specific institutions reduces qualifications to mere referents of otherwise fixed social status, and more broadly undermines the prospect of a truly meritocratic society.