How do hopeful teachers try to ensure an inclusive quality education for all? : a comparative case study of teachers in state, church, and independent secondary schools in Malta

Abstract

Paulo Freire is the hopeful educator that inspired this study which focuses on the phenomenon of hopeful teachers. There is an increasing understanding that educators are enabled to address the challenges of heterogeneous classrooms when they sustain hope for their students’ future. This comparative study is an attempt to describe the nature of hope in teachers and how it influences their provision of an inclusive and quality education. So the study adopts a relativist and constructionist approach in the collection and analysis of data through interviews and classroom observations of eighteen secondary school teachers in state, church, and independent schools in Malta. The qualitative thematic analysis identified three main themes: teacher hopefulness varies in level and source, hopeful teachers have complex personas and views, and a practical student-centred approach is adopted to the teaching and learning process. This insight is valuable for further research and the development of teacher-training courses.