The COVID-19 and education in Malta (Cov-EM) study : perspectives of primary school educators - research report 3

Abstract

Perspectives of Primary School Educators in Malta: The COVID-19 and Education Malta (Cov-EM) research project has been carried out by the Early Childhood and Primary Education (ECPE) Research Group within the Faculty of Education, University of Malta. A group of female academics sought to document and explore what can be learned from the insights of different stakeholders in Early and Primary Education during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta. The study was conducted over two phases. During each phase (Phase 1 – September 2020; and Phase 2 – September 2021), an online questionnaire examining three main concepts over time – teaching and learning, learning spaces, and relationships and well-being - was sent to five stakeholders, namely Initial Teacher Education (ITE) university students, early childhood educators, primary school educators, school leaders, and parents via social media. The third phase of the project (May-June 2022) focused on children’s participation in Early and Primary Education during post-COVID times. Framed within a triad conceptual framework, the study presented in this report sought to obtain a clearer understanding of the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the pedagogies and practices, learning spaces, well-being and relationships from the perspectives of educators teaching and working in primary schools across Malta and Gozo. The main research question that guided this study was: What lessons can we learn from the perspectives of primary school educators during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta? The following sub-questions were also developed to guide the research: i. How did primary school educators perceive and facilitate teaching and learning during the pandemic? ii. What learning spaces did primary school educators in Malta create and use during the pandemic? iii. In what ways, if any, did the pandemic impact the relationships and overall well-being of primary school educators in Malta? [Excerpt from Executive Summary]