The implementation of the physical education syllabus in Malta and Northern Ireland : a comparative study

Abstract

This study focuses on comparing the ways in which the Physical Education syllabi of Malta and Northern Ireland are constructed and subsequently implemented in secondary state schools. Structured interviews were utilised to investigate the methods that teachers use for the planning, execution and evaluation phases of the syllabus. Teachers were found to be on a similar wavelength with regards selecting content from the syllabus according to students' needs. In addition to this, the teachers also mentioned the importance of constantly evaluating their lessons as this will help them improve their teaching skills. The planning and construction phases of the curriculum brought about contrasting aspects between the two countries. Results showed that Northern Irish teachers made use of a scheme of work which aids the teachers in creating links between the different topics. Noteworthy is the fact that Maltese teachers were found to underestimate the long-term aims of Physical Education which involve developing the students' cognitive, social and motor skills through a wide range of learning experiences. The majority of the Maltese teachers commented about the lack of time available for implementing the syllabus making it impossible to cover all content and benchmark all students during the course of the Physical Education programme. However for the Northern Irish participants this was not an issue. These, together with other findings of the study, indicate that differences do exist with regards to the implementation of Physical Education in Northern Ireland and Malta.