Towards powerful Geography education : a curriculum case study analysis of Irish and Maltese secondary schools

Abstract

1.1: The purpose and vision of the research study: The purpose of this research study is to examine the curriculum arguments of Michael Young and John White and to examine to what extent are their recommendations found within the national curricula put in place within secondary schools in Malta and the Republic of Ireland. This study will provide a window into the current status of geography education not only within the context of Ireland and Malta but will also include a global perspective, it will take into consideration existing curricula frameworks in place as well as teaching techniques commonly practised in classrooms in both countries. This dissertation will also discuss why Young and White sought to establish arguments for alternative curriculum models within the educational system. The fundamental theories that will underpin this thesis will be Michael Young’s theory of “powerful knowledge” and the theories of John White and his argument for an aims-based curriculum model. In conclusion, an examination of national secondary school curricula in both Ireland and Malta will then be conducted to determine the extent to which White and Young's recommendations are reflected within the policy documents in both countries. 1.2: The inspiration behind the study: The primary motivation for creating this study finds its grounding in a society where the value of our educational system is becoming increasingly analysed under the microscope. Newspaper articles from sources such as the Irish Times have questioned whether the educational system in Ireland is failing their students (O’ Brien, 2017), and Maltese politicians such as the Hon. Minister Evarist Bartolo, former Minister for Education and Employment, have spoken out against the “unjust” educational system in Malta, in a critique where Bartolo (2016) highlights that Malta registers one of the highest rates of early school leavers in the European Union. Baumann (1998, 2006, 2005 in Sultana, 2011) further argues that in developed countries, governments have reneged on their responsibilities and have instead implemented educational changes to fit the needs of the market economy (p. 182). Idris et al. (2011) further note the importance of education to our society, as “Education is generally seen as the foundation of society which brings economic wealth, social prosperity and political stability” (p. 434). Modern times have shown demographic changes in the age ranges to which people are attending university and a greater emphasis on learning as not only accessible in youth but also as a lifelong experience. O’Brien (2020) states that business employers in recent times have lamented the lack of skills required by graduates to navigate the future workplace, with only 13% of Irish employers believing graduates are well equipped in this regard. Their frustrations have been laid at the feet of the Irish educational system, where it is noted that students coming through the system lack essential soft skills such as communication and problem-solving. In Ireland and Malta, there is evidence within policy documents, that governments are seeking to change and innovate the national secondary curricula within their schools (see National Minimum Curriculum (1989, 2000), A National Curriculum Framework for all (2012), Framework for Junior Cycle, (2015)). Furthermore, both states have sought to modernize and improve teaching quality with teachers now requiring a two-year Master’s degree in teaching, instead of previous qualification criteria only requiring a single year postgraduate certificate. In Malta however, some teachers are currently teaching without a master’s degree, and the obligatory requirements for possessing a master’s degree is currently not ratified into law. Since 2014, Irish universities have offered the Professional Masters in Education (PME) for postgraduate teacher training (Rickard & Walsh, 2019, p. 313), whereas in Malta, the Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL), has been offered by the University of Malta since 2016 (Caruana, 2016). As governments in both countries have reflected and are actively attempting to modernize their curriculum models in secondary schools, with this in mind, this study seeks to provide a detailed analysis of the theoretical arguments found within the writings of Michael Young and John White, as well as their various debates. 1.3: Research aims: With context given to the purpose, vision and inspiration behind the construction of this study, the focus of this dissertation will be reflected in the structure of two key research questions. 1. To what extent are the writings of John White and Michael Young reflected within contemporary curricula in Malta and Ireland 2. Do the programmes of work in Ireland and Malta allow for the national curriculum to be reflected clearly within the classrooms of secondary schools, with specific reference to school geography. […]