Cross-Curricular Teaching Within the Learning Outcomes Framework: The Experiences of Primary Teachers in Two State Schools in Malta

Abstract

This study looks at the potential use, as well as the benefits and challenges, of a cross-curricular teaching approach embedded within the Learning Outcomes Framework in Malta. Since the inception of the National Curriculum Framework and its advocacy for student-centred approaches, the authors believe that teachers in Malta have been given more flexibility to tailor-make lessons around their students’ needs. Then it follows that the use of the Learning Outcomes Framework should also facilitate the implementation of a cross-curricular approach and aid teachers in moving away from segregated teaching (and learning). Despite such claims, teaching in primary state schools in Malta is predominantly segregated by subject, with rare occasions of cross-curricular teaching. This qualitative study explores the experiences of six teachers who teach in Year 3 or Year 4 in two state primary schools. The aim is to understand what teachers perceive as barriers and enablers to the use of cross-curricular teaching as a connection-making device that integrates much needed skills anticipated for the 21st century alongside content. Findings reveal that there is a pronounced need for more guidelines and policies that are clear and practical to implement a cross-curricular approach. Teachers also remarked that there is too much prescribed material, including textbooks and timetables, which compromises their autonomy and flexibility.