Use and Impact of PIRLS
Following PIRLS 2011, the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education disseminated the results and discussed the findings with stakeholders including directors, education officers, subject coordinators, and heads of primary schools. Literacy specialists reviewed students’ performance on reading comprehension tasks, and most schools held professional development sessions in which issues such as the school environment, teaching methodologies, parental involvement, and school libraries were discussed. Recommendations for improvement were proactively discussed at these meetings. Members of the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta also met to analyze the results and make recommendations as to how to ensure that student teachers have sufficient awareness of the implications of PIRLS for Malta and are able to extend their knowledge of reading comprehension techniques in the classroom. Continuing professional development courses for teachers—including a three day course on reading comprehension techniques for Grade 4 teachers—were organized, and all teachers of kindergarten through Grade 3 participated in an awareness session on the implications of PIRLS. This was followed by a seminar on using more challenging texts and questions during lessons.
Following the publication of the PIRLS 2011 results, a number of professional development sessions for teachers were held in all state primary schools. Literacy teachers met with class teachers in hands-on sessions during which they illustrated strategies that enable learners to become more critical and insightful when reading and responding to questions.
As a consequence of the PIRLS 2011 results, the Ministry for Education and Employment felt the need to continue to enhance and strengthen reading development in Malta and Gozo. The National Literacy Strategy for All was launched in 2014 to improve literacy outcomes and ensure that “everyone in Malta and Gozo is provided with the best opportunities to acquire the required literacy skills.”19