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Malta

Instruction for Mathematics and Science in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades

Grade at Which Specialist Teachers for Mathematics and Science are Introduced

Students are taught by specialist teachers as soon as they begin secondary education. Secondary level science teachers specialize in the teaching of one or two science subjects during their initial teacher education. Similarly, secondary level mathematics teachers specialize in the teaching of mathematics and another related subject. At the primary level, science teaching is carried out mainly by primary science peripatetic teachers who work in multiple schools. Peripatetic teachers are assigned to a group of schools within a college and operate from the Science Centre (which is a resource center for science education at both the primary and secondary levels).

Peripatetic teachers visit their primary school classes at least once every other week, and between visits science lessons are delivered by the respective classroom teachers. The work of the specialist peripatetic teachers is to help children develop and strengthen their scientific skills by acquiring scientific language, observing and making scientific predictions based on these observations, carrying out investigations, gathering and interpreting data, and working in a team. The peripatetic teachers’ main duties include the following:

  • Deliver science lessons
  • Use and promote science and technology through the use of resource boxes
  • Support primary classroom teachers in science-related teaching and learning
  • Assist schools in developing science and technology policies in their School Development Plans (SDP)
  • Produce and deliver hands-on science activities outside the classroom
  • Organize and conduct fieldwork excursions
  • Conduct an inquiry-based practical session assessment of students in Years 4–6

Instructional Materials, Equipment, and Laboratories

Mathematics textbooks for state schools are selected by education officers within the DQSE, in consultation with heads of department and teachers of mathematics. Nonstate schools choose their own textbooks, although some opt for the same textbooks and programs adopted in state schools.

The mathematics program that is in place at the primary level aims to promote the notion that children need to develop a good sense of numbers and the ability to do mental calculations, not just learn facts and procedures by rote. To accomplish this, children need to build a good inventory of number facts and mathematical relationships, as well as good mental mathematics strategies. The program, based on the Abacus Programme, utilizes specific instructional materials, including a mental warm-up activities book, teacher cards, textbooks, photocopy masters, a numeracy support book, and an assessment book. In addition, teachers on the Mathematics Support Team create, upload, and share numerous other resources on a regular basis to ensure that the teaching and learning of mathematics goes beyond a single textbook or a set of textbooks.

At the secondary level, mathematics instruction emphasizes the utilitarian and aesthetic aspects of mathematics (described above). Instructional materials include the following: a student textbook, detailing the main activity for each lesson; a practice book, with examples for further practice; and a teacher resource pack, with a set of notes and discussion points for each lesson.

At the primary level, there are no official science textbooks in state schools; teachers provide their own learning resources to students, supplemented by resources produced by the science peripatetic teachers. To make students’ science learning experience interesting and enjoyable, various materials, apparatus, and other resources are provided by primary schools and the Science Centre. Since there are no laboratories in primary schools, practical lessons are carried out in the classroom, in a science and technology room, or in a multipurpose room.

For Years 7 and 8, textbooks cover integrated science, while for the final three years (Years 9 to 11), they cover physics, which is the compulsory science subject. Students opting to take chemistry and/or biology are provided with textbooks for these subjects. Teachers produce their own teaching and learning resources often in collaboration with their colleagues in the same school.

Every secondary school has a number of science laboratories where students carry out relevant science experiments. A hands-on practical approach to teaching science is highly encouraged. Laboratories recently were re-equipped with new science apparatus, including data loggers and interactive boards. The number of students per practical session in a laboratory does not exceed 16. Laboratory technicians are present to prepare the apparatus and to assist teachers during practical sessions. Sessions are held over two consecutive lessons so that students will have enough time to complete their experiments.

Use of Technology

In 2015, digital Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) were created and uploaded onto a virtual learning platform. The RLOs target learning outcomes in various subjects including mathematics (primary and secondary), and include online practice and assessment tasks. As of September 2016, all Year 4 students will be provided with a tablet to use as a learning tool during all lessons. Appropriate software for mathematics and for science will be available on the tablet, and teachers are being provided with the necessary training in the use of this software as a pedagogical tool in the classroom.

Accommodation Policies for Instruction and Testing

It is one of the key educational policies of the Ministry for Education and Employment to include children with special education needs within mainstream education. These students are assessed and assigned a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) on a one to one basis or on a shared basis depending on the student’s needs. The role of the LSA is to assist students with special educational requirements in the classroom and provide additional support to enhance their learning experience. LSAs are expected to encourage their students and be able to maintain their interest and motivation in class. They must work in close collaboration with the class or subject teacher, and must assist the teacher in offering information and educational advice for student achievement and records.

Students with special education needs follow the same curriculum as their peers with the necessary adaptations to facilitate access to the curriculum. Each student has an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) designed specifically for his or her needs. All IEPs are based on and follow the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

Group activities are encouraged to promote the student’s personal and social development. However, special teaching methods and materials may, with the help of the LSA, be incorporated for such students by the class/subject teacher. Moreover, it is common for the curriculum and syllabi of various subjects (such as mathematics, Maltese, and English) to be adapted for such students with the level and presentation of examination papers being adapted accordingly. For example, while students in a class typically follow the Track 3 syllabus (the most difficult) for mathematics, students with special education needs may follow Track 2, Track 1, or the Core Curriculum, which are increasingly modified and simplified versions of the syllabus.

Students can be granted access arrangements during testing only if stipulated in the professional report presented to schools by the parents and/or after being assessed by a professional appointed by the Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) Service, School Psychological Service, and/or any other professional body. Schools then ensure that all measures are taken to ensure the provision of these arrangements. However, access arrangements can only be granted if the school has the resources available. The most common access arrangements offered in the various school examinations and assessments are the following:

  • Amanuensis
  • Communicator
  • Enlarged print
  • Extra time
  • Multiplication tables
  • Prompter
  • Reader
  • Reader with assistance
  • Reader when requested
  • Rest periods (supervised)
  • Separate/distraction-free room
  • Scribe/transcription of illegible words