Widening access to Maltese adult vocational education in the digital age

Abstract

The role of information and communications technology (ICT) in widening participation in lifelong learning has been long established in various developed countries, including Malta. Though Maltese politicians and educationalists hail the importance of ICT, such initiatives are not fully integrated in all educational sectors. Particularly, ICT deployment is lacking in adult training during Evening Classes. JCT is being seen as a dynamic means of propagating education to people, irrespective of age. New styles of teaching are somewhat challenging, but educationalists have to consider society's prevailing approach to learning. In extending learning opportunities to 'anyone' at an 'anytime', from 'anywhere', there has been no empirical analysis on how ICT may actually assist educationalists and evening classes candidates alike in lifelong learning in Malta. With this in mind this investigation presents a converging analysis, through a comprehensive approach that integrates both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Different methodologies in obtaining primary data were deployed. These were F2F interviews with ex-evening classes students, two surveys were conducted one being with evening classes students enrolled for 2009 and the other with evening classes teachers. Lesson observations and focus groups were conducted with evening classes students who experienced some enhanced online teaching. Overall, the study considered, through sampling, whether Maltese evening classes students preferred a mix of traditional and non-traditional (technology-enhanced) teaching methodologies to a more technology-oriented scenario. Subsequent analyses dealt with reasons underlying this choice. Of particular notice is the fact that, had courses been available online, more than half of those (sampled) who had dropped stated they would have continued the course they had been pursuing.