This research explores the question: are parents partners? Far from being an evaluative study of the degree to which partnership is realised in practice, it is the very concept of partnership which has become the problematic I have examined. The focus of this study is a view of partnership which emerged in the mid nineteen eighties - the participatory model. This view of partnership is based on the principles of equality and reciprocity between parents and teachers. I contrast this rhetoric with how the reality of parental involvement is experienced. This is based on ethnographic research of parental participation in two schools. I have looked at the process, perspectives, adaptations and strategies which develop in day-to-day contact between parents, teaching staff and children. This is an aspect of parental involvement which has received little attention in previous academic research. My research highlights the assumptions which underlie both the principles of participatory partnership and existing accounts of the reality of parental involvement. Furthermore, I reveal the hidden reality of women and children as forgotten partners.

The thesis looks at the Government Bursary Scheme for Higher Education Students in Nigeria and examines two questions relating to the supply of graduate teachers in Nigeria. First, how effective has the Scheme been in augmenting the supply of graduate teachers. Secondly, what is the likelihood that, once trained, the new graduate teachers will leave the profession in favour of better paid alternative employment, thereby defeating the object of the Scheme. To answer these questions, we have used published time-series data and have also conducted a survey of our own among some 600 education undergraduate students in three representative Nigerian universities. Our findings are that, contrary to the prediction of human capital theory, which stresses the importance of prospective relative pay in the choice of courses at university, the Bursary Scheme, which, on the contrary, assumes that it is the relative cost of different courses which principally determines this choice, has been very effective, though not so much in persuading 18-year olds to take a B.Ed. instead of a B.A. or B.Sc., as in inducing experienced primary school teachers to upgrade their qualifications so as to augment the supply of (graduate) secondary school teachers. We also show why the fear that B.Ed. graduates will drift into other professions, which would defeat the object of the Scheme, may be unwarranted.

This study is about the features of educational experience in early childhood linked to animals, with a particular emphasis on the role and perspectives of early education practitioners (EEPs) in England. It includes a consideration of the influences of the earlier scholars and philosophers and a shift in pedagogy and methods for young children’s education; about animals, with animals and ‘as nature’. The study ‘maps’ the status of animal-related education in early childhood and it notes a decline in animal-assisted learning which has occurred as an outcome of particular political activities, legislation, and other factors. The research is both exploratory and confirmatory and utilised a mixed methods bricolage as a methodology, method and philosophy. There are three phases of research; an evaluation of the status of animal-assisted and animal-related learning in early childhood education, an inquiry into the attitudes and perspectives of early education practitioners and the development and piloting of a framework to support early education practitioners for animal-related education. The action-oriented final phase includes the piloting of an ‘Animal Aware School’ scheme and a number of dissemination activities and these are evaluated. An outcome of the research is the identification of the association between animal-related education and the global agenda for a Sustainable Future (SF) and the emergence of the notion of ‘noticing animals’. The findings of this thesis make an original contribution to knowledge in the field in three ways; 1) There has been a collection of new data – predominantly the perspectives of early education practitioners about animal-related education in early childhood – and a first systematic review of relevant texts and discourse, 2) This is a first inquiry at the intersection of the anthrozoology, early childhood education and psychology fields of study about animal-related education in early childhood, and 3) There has been the creation of a new term ‘Early Childhood Educational Anthrozoology’ which has not been in usage before and will help with future discourse.

No description available.

Young children’s writing activity in English Reception classrooms is framed by a rigid developmental model whereby children are conceived of as ‘becoming’ writers. However, recent postSstructuralist research suggests that writing activity, as an assemblage of objects, bodies, expressions and territories, involves constant change rather than being fixed to particular frameworks. This ethnographic enquiry focussed on six children in one Reception class during one school year. Deleuzoguattarian ideas were ‘plugged into’ a sociocultural, multimodal understanding of young children’s writing and the children were reSconceptualised as ‘becoming’: creating and disrupting multiple connections and relations through their actions as writers and research participants. Narrative observations, field notes, photographs, video and artefacts were analysed rhizomatically and vignettes of data were formed into discursive assemblages. The findings indicate that children’s writing within openSended play in the classroom was a moving, overlapping and connective ensemble, utilising many different modes of expression (drawing, text making, map making, copying, etc.). The writing materials used in these encounters ‘mattered’ to children: their sensorial qualities, the histories associated with them, and the potential they had to be adapted. Writing activity, however, was often organised by adults into regular discreet phonics sessions where the children’s opportunities for material intraSaction, social interaction and links to other writing experiences, were limited. Alongside this, discourses surrounding writing in the classroom were reflective of the curriculum ‘ideal’, and certain modes of expression were privileged. The conclusions suggest that containing young children’s writing within representative acts driven by external outcomes limits the potential of writing to be a sensory, embodied, material, and connected activity. Adults in schools should foster children’s playful writing encounters where these elements exist. Effective practices are needed to encourage young children’s multiple modes of expression, enabling them to build the language associations needed for their writing to be meaningful and desirous.

The perceptions held of the fundamental differences in the nature of boys and girls is an issue which has dominated educational discourse over recent years and thus, has shaped pedagogical approaches and policy. However, despite some calls to focus on how the social construction of masculinity affects boys’ responses to school based literacy there is still a pervasive discourse which focuses on neurological and hormonal differences. Furthermore, the waters seem muddied by a narrative of the disempowerment of boys as a consequence of the success of the feminist movement, the answer to which has often been a call to return to more traditional roles and social practices. The extent to which this popular discourse impacts on policy decisions made by educational leaders cannot be underestimated and is reflected in the many proposals for improving boys’ literacy results which are still often grounded in generalisations and stereotypes which place boys in one homogenous group who experience their identity in a single way. The current climate appears, therefore, to be one of mixed messages so that whilst scholars have pointed out the potential damage caused by solutions which reinforce socially constructed gender binaries, such approaches are still thriving. This study employs qualitative methods to explore, through interviews, the ways in which boys talk about how they construct their masculinity within the school environment and draws conclusions as to how this gendered identity impacts upon their perception of practices which shape the literate individual such as reading, creative writing and personal expressive response to texts. The findings contradict some commonly held beliefs that hegemonic constructions of masculinity often reject the academic practices associated with literacy. In particular, the data challenges the idea that many boys are reluctant to be seen as succeeding academically in favour of an anti-school culture. The results offer instead, a nuanced picture of how boys perceive the study of literacy and how some boys actively resist forms of masculinity which might prevent them from achieving at school and are able to balance the need to succeed in literacy with their status as ‘hegemonic’ boys socially.

Background: Diabetes remains an incurable disease and as the search for a cure continues, the need to minimise complications and enhance the quality of life of patients is essential. A key UK policy initiative in the management of diabetes is empowerment through education. However, implementation of policy in the context of healthcare delivery in general may be challenging at times and the provision and uptake of diabetes education is not an exception. Aims: This thesis aims to examine the barriers and enhancing factors that are associated with the uptake of structured patient education for patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Methods: The study used a sequential mixed methods approach. The data were collected using a focus group and face-to-face individual interviews of multiprofessionals delivering the education, a questionnaire/survey of patients and individual face-to-face interviews of referring practitioners working in GP surgeries within a PCT. Findings: Factors influencing non-attendance at diabetes education centres relate to barriers associated with the patients, practitioners and government regulations. The patients were affected by their healthcare beliefs and personal circumstances such as work patterns, childcare problems, forgetfulness, bad weather and ill health. The practitioners’ barriers were mainly around patient versus practitioner communication, inter-professional collaboration and administrative protocols. The barriers associated with the government directives relate to government regulations and funding issues. In contrast to barriers, the predictors of attendance are personal motivation, individual perceptions and beliefs coupled with the guidance given by the practitioners. Whilst it may be difficult to avoid non-attendance completely, positive steps to reduce nonattendance include enhanced communication, a positive pay-for-performance system and adequate support to develop a positive attitude towards diabetes education. Conclusion: The results indicate that barriers to attendance are multifactorial and complex; therefore, response to improve uptake requires diverse interventions.

September 2015 marked the start of a system-wide change to the SEND system. The Children and Families Act 2014 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years (CoP) (2015) have given greater emphasis to parental involvement in the decisions that involve their children and on the expectations of schools. Government research has predominately focussed on the experiences of parents, but the experiences of Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) in the new process has not yet been greatly explored. Therefore my research has aimed to explore the experiences of primary school SENCOs working with parents/carers through the new Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) process. The purpose of this research was to provide knowledge of the SENCO experience to a relatively new research area in order to increase the awareness and understanding of those who work with and support SENCOs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five, purposefully selected, primary SENCOs. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the data. Superordinate themes for each of the five SENCOs emerged from the interpretative analysis which led to four overarching themes across the whole sample. Three overarching themes were shared by all five SENCOs: ‘Inner turmoil of the SENCO’, ‘Feeling adrift, in need for an anchor’, and ‘Differing roles, intimacy and professionalism’, and the fourth over-arching theme was shared by three of the SENCOs: ‘Varying expectations of the SENCO role’. Potential implications of these findings for professionals working with SENCOs, such as Educational Psychologists (EPs) could be: offering supervision for SENCOs: personal and/or peer to provide support and guidance for SENCOs, psychological training to provide SENCOs with greater understanding of the reasons behind parents actions/behaviours and their own emotional responses, and EPs approach towards working with SENCOs on a day-to-day basis to reduce SENCOs’ feelings of isolation.

Abstract Dental caries is a common infectious disease affecting young children living in low-income families in the United States. Efficacious, safe, feasible and cost-effective caries prevention methods for these children are essential. Several studies have shown the efficacy of fluoride varnish and xylitol to improve the oral health of children. The efficiency of caries prevention programs including the use of fluoride varnish or xylitol chewing gum in early childhood has not been well documented in communities with private dental services. The purpose of this study was to determine the caries prevalence and distribution in the primary dentition, and to evaluate the effectiveness of two prevention programs, including applications of fluoride varnish and the use of xylitol chewing gum in randomized groups of preschool children attending Head Start school programs in Northern Florida. The caries preventive effect of fluoride varnish in the primary dentition was evaluated in a sample of 4–6 year-old Head Start schoolchildren in Alachua, Florida (n = 142). Caries progression after nine months was analyzed using dmf(s/t) and ds values. A modified caries scoring system, which differentiates between active and inactive carious lesions, was used to evaluate the effect of fluoride on early noncavitated enamel lesions. The effect of xylitol gum was evaluated by measuring the levels of salivary mutans streptococci before and after a three week chewing period in 3–5 year-old children attending the Head Start school in Starke, Florida (n = 61). This study is in line with earlier reports that caries prevalence is high in Head Start preschool children. This study showed that active noncavitated enamel lesions were common in the primary dentition and that applications of fluoride varnish may offer an effective means of arresting these early enamel lesions. Chewing the xylitol gum reduced the levels of salivary mutans streptococci, thereby possibly reducing the risk for dental caries in these children. While the detection and monitoring of early enamel lesions is critical in determining effectiveness of prevention therapy, this study suggests that fluoride varnish applications may offer an efficient, non-surgical treatment for decay in children. Also, the prevention program with xylitol may provide an additional method to be used in situations where other prevention methods are difficult to implement.

This case study carried out during 2007 – 2009 investigates how a Junior School has been able to give primary school children a voice through the provision of decision and democratic power-sharing opportunities in its inherent culture. An inclusive philosophical vision has been created within an educational and broad socio-cultural context where children’s contributions are deemed valid and important. A pedagogy has developed which provides experiences that enable children to practice and experiment with critical elements of consultation, participation, responsibility, emotional intelligence and transformational learning. It is proposed that pupils are able to develop confidence in preparing for their next phase of education and a world ‘not yet known’ (Lodge, 2000: 97). Data is drawn from three school based initiatives: School Council Initiative; Guardian Angel Initiative and the Master Class Mentor Initiative involving 16 children (15 aged 10 – 11 years and 1 aged 12 years), and 12 adults, and takes the form of individual and group interviews. The data analysis identified 4 emergent themes: confidence, trust, autonomous agency and transformation of self, and showed that there was a positive impact on the pupils through decision-making opportunities both on the school culture and the school community itself characterised by trust and the development of autonomy. The findings show that there is an ongoing dichotomy that exists between ‘giving children a say’ and empowering them through taking notice of their viewpoints and insights. If children obtain the trust from adults around them, they frequently rise to the challenge and will accept the responsibility offered to them, and in many cases surpass expectations. It is proposed that the findings of this study will be of relevance to a variety of professionals looking to refocus 21st century education and improve the contribution of children. A model and toolkit has been devised to support this approach.