My Ph.D studies

This year we had five days of mid term holidays, including Saturday and Sunday. In Malta,  up till a few years ago, on the 1st and 2nd November, we celebrated All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Now, these feasts have been superseded by Halloween.

These days have helped me to unwind from the school and also to concentrate on my Ph.D. Currently, I am in the fourth year of my studies, which I am doing on a part-time basis with the University of Warwick.  I am studying the perceptions of students who are involved in an alternative education programme. This means that these students follow a different curriculum than their peers, even though they attend a mainstream school.

Thus, my main research question is: How do students who are on the verge of early school leaving, and who have a track record of absenteeism perceive the alternative education provided to them?

I gathered the data last scholastic year between October 2017 and June 2018. The methodology used was of a qualitative nature.Twenty students were interviewed out of their free will. These were chosen at random and asked about their perceptions on the education that they were receiving. The interviews were conducted one to one at a time which was convenient to both of us. Each interview lasted between 15 and 20 minutes. The interviews were held in Maltese, the students' native language. 

During the interview, the students were asked a series of semi-structured questions, which the students expanded upon. All interviews were digitally recorded. Currently, I am translating these interviews into English and transcribing them. I hope to write a blog soon about my findings.