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Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

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The Role of the <strong>Geography</strong> Teachers’ Association (Malta)<strong>in</strong> the Professional Development of TeachersMoira ButtiġieġMediterranean Institute, University of Malta, Msidae-mail: moira.buttigieg@educ.gov.mtAbstractThe <strong>Geography</strong> Teachers’ Association (Malta) was set up <strong>in</strong> 2000 with the aim of promot<strong>in</strong>ggeography as an academic discipl<strong>in</strong>e and keep<strong>in</strong>g teachers of geography up to date withdevelopments <strong>in</strong> the subject. The Association has been try<strong>in</strong>g to achieve these aims throughthe organisation of lectures and fieldworks and the publication of papers on geography andgeography education. This paper will <strong>in</strong>vestigate teachers’ perceptions on the role that the<strong>Geography</strong> Teachers’ Association (Malta) plays <strong>in</strong> their professional development.Key words: <strong>Geography</strong> education, <strong>Geography</strong> Teachers’ Associations, professional developmentIntroductionIn Malta, the provision of educational and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g courses for practis<strong>in</strong>g teachers hastraditionally been regarded as be<strong>in</strong>g the responsibility of the employers of teachers,whether these are schools or local educational authorities. As the concept of professionaldevelopment evolved to <strong>in</strong>clude a wider range of learn<strong>in</strong>g experiences, thespectrum of potential providers of cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g professional development experiencesfor teachers should have also widened. Despite this evolution, the potential contributionof teachers’ associations to this aspect is often underestimated or even unrecognised.The aim of this paper is to <strong>in</strong>vestigate teachers’ perceptions of the role ofteachers’ associations <strong>in</strong> their professional development focus<strong>in</strong>g on the <strong>Geography</strong>Teachers’ Association of Malta.The <strong>Geography</strong> Teachers’ Association (Malta)The <strong>Geography</strong> Teachers’ Association of Malta (hereafter GTA) was set up <strong>in</strong> theyear 2000 with the aim of foster<strong>in</strong>g the teach<strong>in</strong>g of geography amongst all sectorsof the population (GTA, 2000). Today the GTA has 72 members. It is perhaps notaccidental that the GTA was set up <strong>in</strong> the year follow<strong>in</strong>g the publication of a newNational M<strong>in</strong>imum Curriculum <strong>in</strong> 1999 which directs that the number of geographylessons <strong>in</strong> secondary schools be reduced to one lesson per week throughout thefive-year secondary course (M<strong>in</strong>istry of <strong>Education</strong>, 1999) and that the subjects ofgeography, social studies and history should be <strong>in</strong>tegrated <strong>in</strong>to one curriculum subjectunder the name of environmental studies. The sett<strong>in</strong>g up of the GTA also followed along period of shortage of geography teachers and decreas<strong>in</strong>g numbers of students117

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