Antoniella Bonello Meli and Clelia Abela Borg, two educators from St Ignatius College secondary school, who are also part-time students at the University of Malta reading for a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Management, recently undertook a one-week study visit at Liceo Scientifico Guglielmo Marconi in Pesaro, Italy.

The visit, which is an essential component of the university’s academic programme, gave the educators a rare chance to get fully immersed in the Italian educational system. During the visit, they had the opportunity to job-shadow the school management team, conduct observations during lessons on various subjects, and discover more about the Italian school system through discussions with students and interviews with staff.

Reflecting on the visit, the educators said it was a priceless learning opportunity. “The study visit helped us to understand the Italian educational system and gave us the chance to learn and to share ideas and experiences on the different ways our schools deal with similar issues, focusing on what we excel in order to share expertise.”

During the visit, the educators also conducted research on the type of communication used in the school, the importance of maintaining good relationships between all stakeholders and how professional development is perceived.

Besides benefiting educators who seek professional development abroad, such study visits promote international collaboration in education, thus enabling diverse educational systems to develop the education industry as a whole.

The educators thanked the people who made the study visit possible, particularly Prof. Mario Pace, associate professor and head of the Department of Languages and Humanities at the University of Malta’s Faculty of Education, Emanuela Marianecci, CEO at Europlanners Alliance, and European Projects Consultant and Coordinator in Rome, Italy, and Prof. Luca Maria Antonio Testa, school principal at the Liceo Scientifico Guglielmo Marconi.