Reaching and teaching students from ethnic minorities in a Maltese state school

Abstract

One of the objectives of educational institutions is to transmit positive values and skills to all students, irrespective of their background. As often outlined by research, students from ethnic minorities tend to experience marginalisation, an issue that can potentially be removed by schools and educators through multicultural education. This qualitative research sought to understand the perspectives of educators working in a particular Maltese secondary state school about the inclusion of students from ethnic minorities. It delved into the educators’ positionality, knowledge and skills, and into the provisions available to them to holistically reach students from ethnic minorities in their classrooms. Following semi-structured interviews with seven educators (teachers, Learning Support Educators and members of the School Leadership Team), a thematic analysis was employed to identify the factors that affect the holistic inclusion of students from ethnic minorities. This research brought forward the educators’ positive outlook toward the inclusion of these students. It also highlighted their will to become more culturally competent in addressing the students’ holistic needs. Distinct barriers were also pointed out, such as language, behaviour and the provision of basic needs. Finally, the researchers sought to derive potential solutions that could advance and sustain the holistic inclusion of these students in this particular school, and which could be used as potential reflections for the holistic inclusion of students from migrant backgrounds in Maltese schools. Considering the evidence of the pivotal role of educators in kick-starting the process for a genuine education that includes all students, the right support and mechanisms need to be set up to complete the beautiful kaleidoscope of multicultural education.