National Mathematics Study

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The Centre for Literacy
University of Malta
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• The Centre for Literacy
• Introduction
• Main Aims
• Research and Development Projects
• Publications

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Introduction

• Literacy is fundamental to all forms of personal
  learning and intellectual growth.
• In todays global society, a literate population
  is essential for a nations social and economic
  development.

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• The Centre for Literacy is a research and
  development Centre that focuses on the area of
  literacy and other basic skills.
• Its mission is to respond productively to the
  increased need for literacy and other basic
  skills issues to be addressed in both
  professional development and research.

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• The Centre is involved in
• policy advice,
• programme management,
• consultancies and
• training
• for different educational and professional
  bodies, ministries, national agencies and
  institutions.

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The Centres Users

• These include
• The Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment
• The Ministry of Social Policy and the Family
• The Employment and Training Corporation (ETC)
• Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology
  (MCAST)
• The Foundation for Educational Services (FES)
• Primary and Secondary Schools in Malta and Gozo
• A number of non-governmental organisations

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Aims of the Centre

• The Centre aims to
• undertake practical and theoretical research
  which is of interest to policy makers,
  practitioners and academics in local, national,
  regional, and international contexts
• maintain strong partnerships with schools and
  other educational agencies
• provide consultancy services to the educational
  commCentrey
• give high priority to the dissemination of
  research outcomes

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Research and Development Projects
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First National Literacy Survey

• In 1999 the Centre for Literacy was asked by the
  Minister of Education to conduct the very first
  Literacy assessment on the Island at a National
  Level.
• The First National Literacy Survey assessed the
  literacy level of all Year 2 pupils attending
  state, private church and private independent
  schools in Malta and Gozo.
• For this purpose, two suitable tests were
  created, one in English and another in Maltese.
• Using the multilevel modelling technique the
  Centre assessed the performance of all pupils in
  both languages, together with the National
  Foundation for Educational Research for England
  and Wales (NFER) and the Education Division of
  Malta.
• This is reported in Mifsud et al. (2000).

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Second National Literacy Survey

• As a follow-up study to the 1999 National
  Literacy Survey a similar study was conducted in
  2002, which assessed the literacy skills of the
  same cohort of pupils, who were in Year 5 in
  March 2002.
• Once again standardised tests were created for
  both Maltese and English at Year 5 level.
• Using the multilevel modelling technique the
  pupils performance was assessed at this level
  and the results were fed back to schools in the
  form of detailed reports, which were explained to
  the heads of school during a day seminar
  organised by the Centre.
• The results of the 2002 National Literacy Survey
  are reported in Mifsud et al. (2004).

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Value Added Study

• In addition to the two National Literacy Surveys,
  the Centre for Literacy carried out a value added
  study.
• The data of each individual pupil from 2002 was
  matched with the data of this same pupil from the
  1999 survey.
• An analysis of this comparison is of utmost
  importance to be able to assess every pupils
  progress over the three years.
• Through this study, the Centre was able to target
  pupils and schools with difficulties and those
  that were doing exceptionally well.
• Furthermore, the Centre provided schools with
  ample feedback through seminars and individual
  school reports.
• This value added study is an important analytical
  tool to help schools assess and improve their
  performance.
• The results of the value added study are reported
  in Mifsud et al. (2004).

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Literacy Provision Project

• Following the National Literacy Surveys, a
  detailed questionnaire was sent to all heads of
  primary schools in Malta and Gozo, asking how
  their particular school was planning to improve
  the quality of the education in the school, with
  particular reference to literacy.
• The schools were asked about the actual books
  they were using at the time when the study was
  carried out, school facilities, such as
  libraries, facilitators, small reading groups,
  workshops for teachers to share ideas on making
  reading seem more pleasant to the pupils, and the
  schools future plans on this issue.
• A report was published in the form of a monograph
  (Mifsud et al., 2003) and sent to all primary
  schools in Malta and Gozo.

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Effective Literacy Practices in Primary Schools
(1)

• The two National Literacy Surveys and the value
  added study were important in gauging the
  literacy attainment of all Maltese pupils at Year
  2 and Year 5 levels.
• Maltese tests were adapted from standardised
  British tests (Vincent et al. 1996) on both
  occasions and may be used for future assessment.
  In addition, a national mean at both Year 2 and
  Year 5 levels was established from this analysis.
  
• The data collected in 1999 and 2002 on the same
  cohort of pupils was then matched for a value
  added study.
• The purpose of this was to investigate the
  schools role in adding value to the pupils
  literacy attainment from Year 2 to Year 5.

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Effective Literacy Practices in Primary Schools
(2)

• Once this quantitative analysis was finalised, it
  was thought important to carry out a qualitative
  study to investigate the significance of the
  schools and teachers role on the pupils
  performance.
• Through these case studies we hope to delve
  deeper into the factors that make some schools
  more successful than others as reflected in their
  pupils performance in both the Maltese and
  English Literacy Tests.
• Through this qualitative study we hope to
  identify those features of schools practices and
  characteristics which appear to make a
  significant difference in terms of student
  performance gains.
• In this sense qualitative work is therefore
  necessary to get beyond the quantitative
  profiles.

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National Mathematics Survey

• As a result of the success of the two National
  Literacy Studies and the value added study in
  literacy, it was decided to conduct a national
  baseline assessment of all Year 1 pupils
  mathematical skills.
• This study was conducted by the Education
  Division in conjunction with the Centre for
  Literacy of the University of Malta.
• Following a pilot study, the main study was
  carried out in April 2004.
• Once again the multilevel model was used for the
  analysis.
• The results are reported in Mifsud et al. 2005.

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Modern Foreign Languages Project

• The Centre for Literacy recognises the importance
  of developing proficiency in modern languages,
  like French, Italian, German, Spanish, other than
  Maltese and English.
• In a world which is moving towards unification,
  the Centre for Literacy is working towards
  improving and developing the methods of foreign
  language learning in schools, through the use of
  new technologies and other visual-aided material.
  
• It is involved in a number of European Union and
  Euro-Mediterranean funded projects aimed to
  improve the teaching and learning of modern
  foreign languages through emerging pedagogies and
  innovative media.
• Projects include the creation of databases
  hosting language resources, bringing together
  foreign language specialists from across Europe.
  These projects, most of which involve e-learning,
  are Linguanet eEuroInclusion ODISEAME TNP 3
  ENLU FEEL CentreE EU 6th framework project
  (FP6) Primalang.

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School Improvement and Bookflood Programme

• Following the two National Literacy Surveys and
  the value added study, the Centre together with
  the Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment
  (MEYE) was able to target specific state schools
  that were under performing.
• A number of tutors were assigned by the Ministry
  of Education to the Literacy Programme,
  co-ordinated by the Centre for Literacy.
• The schools that were targeted were provided with
  a substantial amount of attractive, modern,
  reading material both for teachers and for
  pupils.
• The Centre has to ensure that this material is
  utilised to its full potential, and teachers are
  guided on how to use these books in class.
• In addition some schools were assisted in the
  setting up of school and class libraries.
• In this way the Centre tries to ensure that
  illiteracy is combated at both primary and
  secondary levels.

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Adult Literacy

• The Literacy for Employment Programme was set up
  by the Centre for Literacy in collaboration with
  the Paulo Freire Institute in Zejtun and the
  Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) for
  unemployed adults wishing to acquire basic
  literacy skills in both Maltese and English in
  order to be better equipped when seeking
  employment. The Centre for Literacy was
  responsible for helping the main tutors to assess
  and target the learning needs and difficulties of
  the individual participants.
• The Centre for Literacy was involved in the
  setting up of and acts as an Advisory Body to the
  Basic Skills Centre of The Malta College for
  Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), which
  tutors hundreds of young people who are following
  vocational courses.
• The Centre for Literacy is also involved in the
  European Structural Fund Project. The role of the
  Centre is the
• Training and supervision of Adult Literacy Tutors
• Production of a series of Adult Literacy Manuals

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Centres Research used for National Action Plans

• Data and research produced by the Centre for
  Literacy has been used as a primary source for
  the drawing up of national reports like
• the National Action Plan for Poverty and Social
  Exclusion produced by the Ministry for Family and
  Social Solidarity and
• the National Action Plan for Employment produced
  by the Ministry for Education, Youth and
  Employment and the Employment and Training
  Corporation (ETC).

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Publications

• GRECH, R. (2005) "Don't Teach your Child Manglish
  - Raising Children to be Bilingual" in Child
  Magazine , The Times, Malta.
• MIFSUD, C.L., RICHARD, S., HUTCHISON, D. and
  GRECH, R. (2005) Mathematics in Malta The
  National Mathematics Survey of Year 1 Pupils.
  Department of Planning and Development, Education
  Division, Malta.
• MIFSUD, C.L., GRECH, R., HUTCHISON, D. and
  MORRISON, J. (2005) The Malta Primary Literacy
  Value-Added Project A Template for Value Added
  in Small Island States, Research Papers in
  Education. Routledge, UK.
• MIFSUD, C.L., GRECH, R., HUTCHISON, D. and
  MORRISON, J. (2005) The Malta National Literacy
  Survey of Year 5 pupils (aged 9-10), Research in
  Education. Manchester University Press, UK.

• MIFSUD, C.L. and ZAMMIT, M. (2005) A Framework
  for Autonomous Language Learning via the
  Internet, Best Practices in e-learning. Kluwer
  Academic Publishers, New York.
• ZAMMIT, M. and SARLO, D. (eds.) (2005) Linking
  Literacies Sustaining Literacy Skills through
  Information and Communication Technologies.
  Education Division, Malta, Furtu Selvatico Boys
  Secondary School, Naxxar and the Centre for
  Literacy, University of Malta.
• MIFSUD, C.L., GRECH, R., HUTCHISON, D., MORRISON,
  J., RUDD, P., and HANSON, J. (2004) Literacy for
  School Improvement Value Added for Malta.
  Agenda Publishers, Malta.
• MIFSUD, C.L., RICHARD, S. and HUTCHISON, D..
  (2004) The Mathematics Attainment of Year 1
  Pupils in Malta Interim Report and Consultation
  Document on the Pilot Study. Department of
  Planning and Development, Education Division,
  Malta.

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Publications

• MIFSUD, C.L., GRECH, R., and DIMECH LLANAJ, E.
  (2003) Provision for Literacy in Maltese Primary
  Schools. Centre for Literacy Monograph Series No.
  3, University of Malta, Malta.
• Centre for Literacy (2001) Niktbu u Naqraw
  Ktejjeb ta Tahrig. Centre for Literacy,
  University of Malta, Malta.
• MIFSUD, C. and MALLIA, G. (eds.) (2000). Ways and
  Measures Teaching and Assessing Young Learners
  of English as a Foreign Language. Msida, Malta
  World Academic.
• MIFSUD, C., MILTON, J., BROOKS, G. and HUTCHISON,
  D. (2000). Literacy in Malta The 1999 National
  Survey of the Attainment of Year 2 Pupils.
  Slough National Foundation for Educational
  Research for the University of Malta.

• MIFSUD, C., MILTON, J., HUTCHISON, D. and BROOKS,
  G. (2000). Do Schools Make a Difference? A
  Report on using the Malta National Literacy
  Survey as a Basis for a School Effectiveness or
  Value Added Study. Centre for Literacy
  Monograph Series No. 2 University of Malta,
  Malta.
• MIFSUD, C., MILTON, J., and BROOKS, G. (1998).
  The Reading Attainment of Year 2 Pupils in Malta
  Interim Report and Consultation Document on the
  Pilot Study. Centre for Literacy Monograph Series
  No. 1 University of Malta, Malta.
• MIFSUD, C., MILTON, J., and FABRI, F. (1998).
  Reading Progress Tests Literacy Baseline
  Maltese Version. Centre for Literacy University
  of Malta, Malta.
• MIFSUD, C., MILTON, J., and FABRI, F. (1998).
  Instructions Booklet for Literacy Baseline
  Maltese Version. Centre for Literacy University
  of Malta, Malta.