Charmaine Bonello is a Resident Academic Lecturer in Early Childhood and Primary education at the University of Malta. Since 1997, she has worked in and studied early and primary education. She finished her doctoral and master's degrees in early childhood education at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Her current research interest in Early Childhood Education and Care is Early Literacy, Children’s Rights, Postcolonialism, Quality Interactions, and the Emergent Curriculum. She is also the co-founder and Vice President of the Early Childhood Development Association of Malta (ECDAM), a member of the Board of Administrators of the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, and the Early Childhood and Primary Education (ECPE) Research Group, University of Malta. In addition to being the author of the Routledge book "Boys, Early Literacy, and Children's Rights in a Postcolonial Context" (Bonello, 2022), she has been appointed co-editor of the international refereed journal Postcolonial Directions in Education.
RSE5011 - Children's Voices, Participation and Agency
Research work in progress:
An Emergent Curriculum for the Early Years (0-7 years): Seven Case Studies in Maltese Settings (2022-2024). (Principal Investigator). Book to be published in 2024 - Authors Charmaine Bonello, Anna Baldacchino, and Carmen Dalli.
Quality Interactions (early years) - A Mother's Intentional use of Serve and Return interactions with her daughter (10 months - 2 years).
The Emergent Curriculum and project-based learning in Kindergarten: An Educator's and Parent's perspective on the experience of a four-year-old.
Edited Books (works in progress):
MRER Special Collection: Editors Carmel Borg and Charmaine Bonello Leadership in Malta's Contemporary Educational Sector: Editors Mario Cutajar and Charmaine Bonello
Involvement in projects: Collaborative research UM; ERASMUS projects; Horizon Projects
As a member of the ECPE Research Group, Faculty of Education, University of Malta - The Cov-EM study. This study explored the impact of COVID-19 on six stakeholders in Maltese Education:
University Students in Initial Teacher Education Primary Educators Early Childhood Educators Leaders in Early and Primary Education Parents in Early and Primary Education Children in Early and Primary Education (works in progress)
Reports are published and available online
SELFIE PROJECT: STEAM Educational approach The main objective of SELFIE is to improve the bilingual Primary teachers´ competencies and their trainers; moreover, to improve the science teaching and foreign language competence of Primary children. The integration of the CLIL, IBSE and EDP in Primary Education will be analysed in order to define a bilingual teacher profile, training and supporting in-service and pre-service teachers in the new methodologies and models developed for learning a second language through STEAM topics.
Horizon 2020: SCIREARLY The main objective of SCIREARLY is to determine successful policy approaches and practices based on scientific research to reduce underachievement in basic skills, including digital skills, while fostering psycho-emotional aspects and well-being, thus contributing to reducing early school leaving in Europe.
