Improving the status of Fashion and Textiles in Maltese secondary schools

Abstract

The study explores why few students are opting to study vocational and education training Fashion and Textiles, abbreviated as F&T in secondary schools. Vocational and education training, abbreviated as VET, refers to the development of skills and knowledge related to a specific profession, career, or vocation in which the student wishes to engage. Students can choose their subjects in year 8 (formerly known as form 2). The scholastic year of 2020-2021 saw 79 students from all State and Church secondary schools in Malta and Gozo that chose to study Fashion & Textiles SEC (Secondary Education Certificate) and SEAC (Secondary Education Applied Certificate), which is considered low compared to other VET subjects. The subject has been recently changed from Textiles Studies to VET F&T, at the same time all the fashion studios in secondary schools have been built and equipped with the latest technology and resources. As a school subject, Textile Studies was also chosen by only a few students and is presently being phased out of secondary schools. The modernization of fashion studios and the syllabus change did not increase the number of students studying F&T as was expected. Up until now, no research focuses on ways to promote the new VET F&T course. With this study, two main queries were explored, which helped the researcher understand what the perception of parents on the newly introduced VET F&T subject was, and what strategies could be implemented to encourage more students to choose to study VET F&T in year 9 (form 3). This dissertation aimed to have a deeper insight into the subject's status in schools and the motives of the diminishing number of students opting for the subject from a parent's point of view as according to several studies, parents are believed to be the principal influencers in student’s choices. The researcher analyzed strategies that could be implemented to encourage more students to choose VET Fashion and Textiles. Potential F&T students were not analysed mainly because the researcher had to radically change the whole dissertation thought as this research was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic which was a time that brought about many limitations. Quantitative data was collected randomly through online surveys targeting parents through social media, whilst qualitative data was collected through an online interview with the F&T Education Officer (EO). The F&T EO is responsible for ensuring that the Directorate for Educational Services (DES) fulfils its mandate as outlined by the Education Act. Three other individual interviews were held with current F&T teachers to collect their observations of the new subject and optimistically determine whether they are using or have any ideas that could be implemented to attract more students to choose to study the subject. A mixed-method approach was applied that combined qualitative and quantitative data, which could attain both validity and reliability. The research determined that many aspects impact the low number of students studying F&T. The main aspects include the lack of career opportunities and possibilities for further studies, lack of awareness that F&T is being offered in secondary schools, ineffective subject promotion, gender stereotypes and stigma that F&T is for girls, and the vocational and education training versus academic subjects split. The researcher believes that all these aspects impact on the low number of students choosing to study F&T. This study aimed to give former, current, and future aspiring F&T students a voice by identifying ideas that may be used in a variety of ways to raise public knowledge and appreciation of VET F&T.