This study is an attempt to explore the ways in which six year olds succeed or fail in forming groups. The two hundred and fifty-two children were observed for five one-hour periods, and were asked on two occasions with whom they most liked to play and why. Of these 35.7% remained steady in their choice with boys more constant than girls. Eighty-nine per cent of the boys and ninety-two per cent of the girls chose a child of the same sex. Seventy-three of the children were unchosen. Of the sample 68.5% could formulate no reason for their choice; only twelve per cent showed any appreciation of character. These children have as yet little understanding of personality constructs. Leaders were few---seventeen---and their emergence depended upon the quality of the teacher, and the provision of imaginative material or the recognition of a desired skill. Most leaders were temporary but four led for half an hour and four for the whole hour; they were representative in every way except for the absence of eldest, and high proportion of teachers', children. The teacher played a considerable part in the formation and maintenance of groups. Eight children spent a whole hour alone; in addition to unoccupied and onlooker behaviour children sometimes wandered when they were isolated but intensely aware of other children. The ability to be alone, from choice, can be a sign of rare maturity. Naturally the children could only enjoy what was provided, but painting was firm favourite, followed by drama, bricks and house-play. These children favour the creative rather than the manipulative, the three-dimensional rather than the two, and movement rather than seatwork. These groups of six-year-olds at play are transient and kaleidoscopic, fitting between the solitary play of the young child and the gangs of the Junior (now Middle) School.

The central government in this country, when establishing successively the Committee of the Privy Council on Education, the Education Department and the ad hoc School Boards, had no thought of becoming involved in the development of educational policy except in the "broadest sense. Indeed, throughout the lifetime of the Board of Education and Ministry of Education and even now under the Department of Education and Science, this has remained largely true despite the considerable powers of the Minister since 1944. Central government in education is concerned with overall matters of minimal provision, national co-ordination and financing, and the local government agencies are in most matters the policy making bodies. A great deal, therefore, depended upon the initiative of the School Boards, and later the local education authorities. At the outset, it was the School Board for London which was the largest and perhaps the most influential amongst the new education authorities. One of the many problems facing the School Board for London in 1870 was the development of an appropriate curriculum for its schools. In the event this was done in three phases, building the various subjects it seemed sensible to support, reacting to problems which arose which suggested too much pressure was being put on pupils, and the development of a balanced, co-ordinated curriculum. Within this we can detect the development of physical education. Accepted, in theory if not too often in practice by both the nation at large and the School Board for London, the subject that we would today classify as physical education usually took the form of military drill. National objectives in the matter were more concerned with national defence than education, but this was by no means generally true of educationists. Exercises, particularly of the Swedish variety, were added to drill largely upon the initiative of the School Board for London. In fact the programme of Swedish Gymnastics for girls and a choice of Swedish Gymnastics or English Combined Gymnastics for boys, which was decided upon by the London Board, became the basis of physical education in state schools throughout England and Wales for over a quarter of a century after the dissolution of the School Boards. Developments in Swimming, Gymnastics with apparatus and Games also took place during this period, and the School Board for London played a leading role. In the training of teachers in and of physical education and the establishing of an embryo inspectorate, publishing syllabuses and developing facilities the School Board for London was also significantly active. The School Board for London claimed that it established a firm foundation for a whole educational system which went far beyond its original brief to provide a sound and cheap system of elementary education, and that where it went, on the whole, others followed. It claimed that in the absence of a strong policy making central authority, it established many key traditions in education in this country. It suggested that this was true of the development of the curriculum of elementary schools. A consideration of the information available would seem to establish that this was in fact true where physical education was concerned.

No description available.

This research focuses on the digital practice among Chinese international students during the transition from undergraduate study to postgraduate, and how they refine their skills to adapt to digital practice in the UK at the level of master’s study. The research questions are: What are digital practices among Chinese international students during the transition from undergraduate study to master’s study? How have Chinese international postgraduate students’ digital skills developed during master’s study? How can Chinese international students be supported in enhancing their digital skills to adapt to learning in a UK university? The research was conducted in a UK university, using mixed convergent design. The study took place during 2014-2016 academic year. Data sources include: survey with 409 postgraduate students; photographic journaling with 4 participants; mind map activities with 14 participants; semi-structured interviews with 30 participants; and observation with 4 participants. The study found that participants had challenges in digital practice upon arrival; however, they are able to refine their skills to make adjustment. Students’ agency and reflective practice with social support are important factors for development of digital skills. However, there seems to be a disconnect between students’ use of digital technologies in their own time and those determined by institutions. With students bringing their own cultural scripts (e.g., their existing patterns of using technologies) to postgraduate study and appropriating digital technologies for their own use and students’ digital practice tends to be constrained by the context in which each student in situated. Students’ digital skills and issues ought to be better understood within a context. It is hoped that more research attention can be directed towards ‘bottom up’ research, to hear the student voice and to study students’ digital practices in day-to-day situations.

As the numbers of people who are forcibly displaced continues to grow, education for refugee children is in crisis. More than one third of refugee children globally are missing out on primary education and the safety and education of girls are disproportionately affected. Teachers are crucial to providing quality education for these children. By focusing on teachers in the refugee camp and their perception of technology-based learning, this study aims to contribute to the global body of practitioner and academic knowledge which will be required to meet the needs of the refugee crisis globally. Teacher perception of technology-based interventions aimed at improving the quality of learning and teaching for refugee populations were explored through a case study on Dadaab, a refugee camp on the Kenya-Somalia border. This study considers teacher engagement with the Instant Network Schools (INS) programme, an initiative between UNHCR and the Vodafone Foundation that aims to embed technology into formal schools in Dadaab. Using the framework of Activity Theory, the research comprised bimonthly visits to Dadaab over 18 months and centred on 21 semi-structured interviews with teachers in INS schools supported by my own observation in schools and discussions with teachers and other stakeholders. This application of Activity Theory outside its historical domain is a potentially valuable contribution to knowledge and methodological innovation, responding to literature which questions the ability of Activity Theorists to engage outside of their own context, or with activity systems which are less linear. This study found that in-depth engagement with structural issues from the outset means that Activity Theory can be a valuable methodological tool in researching systems which include complex hierarchies of power. Analysis of the data revealed the following broad themes: 1) teachers perceived significant benefits of the INS programme, in spite of challenges which slowed the set-up of hardware and connectivity; 2) the ability to bring the outside world to refugee children who are isolated within the camp was seen as the greatest benefit, allowing the children to ‘travel without visas’; 3) there are many opportunities to develop the INS programme which centre on co-designing the training, curriculum and programme management with the teachers and schools involved; 4) many of the challenges to optimal use of the programme including impact on student learning outcomes relate to structural and macro-political issues which should also be considered in the programme design. Of these, the first was counter-intuitive and constitutes a novel finding, as teachers who had little or no access to the technology itself still reported the same levels of satisfaction with the intervention. This suggests that the technology has a symbolic value which is of significant importance to the teachers involved, and further understanding this value could improve our understanding of teacher priorities and how to better design meaningful interventions.

The broad objective of the current study is to contribute to the understanding of teacher professional learning by focusing attention on practices and policies in the local context of Abu Dhabi New School Model. The study adopted a situated and social-cultural theoretical approach to teacher professional learning which maintains that teachers learn in their social context as they interact with other teachers, school leaders and students. The three learning theories, which build the conceptual framework of the present study, are (a) socio-cultural learning (Vygotsky, 1978), situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), and organizational learning (Argyris & Schön, 1978; Senge, 1990). For the purposes of the study, a mixed-method design was used for collecting and analyzing the study data. The major aim of using both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools is to illuminate the way teachers construct both their individual and collaborative learning realities in their context, and how they use and understand these learning opportunities in relation to student learning and school improvement. Data were collected sequentially according to the explanatory sequential design. In the first phase of the study, a questionnaire was used to survey the whole teacher population. This was followed by a focus group interview to feedback the questionnaire results to the teachers and school leaders. In the second phase, two semi-structured interviews were conducted (i.e., teachers' interview and school leaders' interview). Findings of this study revealed that teacher professional learning inside the school lacked coherence, focus and strategy. The qualitative data also suggested that teachers lack agency regarding their professional learning, as many constraints seemed to hold them back from engaging in further professional learning opportunities. These constraints included lack of administrative support, lack of time as well as lack of choice in the school's professional development programmes. Finally, recommendations and implications for policy and practice were drawn based on the findings of the study.

Although more women than men are entering higher education worldwide, their representation in senior educational administrative positions is paltry (Oram-Stering, 2015). This is also true in the Gulf state of Oman. Despite the enormous advancement made by women in the field of higher education, their ability to leverage their educational success to obtain senior faculty positions and progress their careers, while navigating the challenges posed by socio-cultural and religious practices and discourses in Oman, appears limited. Building on previous research in this area, this study explores the barriers faced by women academics as they progress to leadership positions, and exposes the experiences of Omani female leaders who have successfully accessed leadership opportunities in higher education. The study aims to understand and highlight the reasons for women’s uneven advancement to high-ranking positions in Oman’s higher education institutions. In addition, it investigates contiguous factors that qualify some women for consideration for senior management positions, aiming to capture the views of current executives, their backgrounds and other characteristics pertinent to leadership roles. A qualitative approach was deemed appropriate for this study, covering educational policy and administration by examining organisational and structural changes in addition to individual growth and development. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 female faculty members to attain the necessary data, providing a unique opportunity to examine the experiences of women as both faculty members and administrators, and to understand the ongoing gender imbalance within the study context. The results of the study highlight key themes including sociocultural practices, motherhood, religious interpretations, personal attributes, institutional policies and conceptualisations of gender and leadership in the workplace. Furthermore, the study offers important insights to assist female academics seeking access to leadership positions in higher education. Moreover, it could benefit policy makers seeking to formulate plans to encourage women to pursue leadership roles in higher education.

This study explores the practices of preparing students for reading and writing about unseen literary texts at a post-16 school in Malta. The types of feedback students receive on their essays about unseen literary texts are also examined. This study discusses whether students apply their teachers’ feedback to future writing. Data collection occurred through semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, and classroom observation. The study adopts an interpretivist paradigm, and data were analyzed according to a grounded theory methodology. The reported findings are presented according to four elements of grounded theory: Processes, Actions, Perceptions, and Challenges. The study’s main contribution is to present interconnected research on three categories: reading, writing, and feedback. Primarily, how reading and writing about unseen texts take place, how they are perceived, and the challenges students face. This leads to a consideration of teacher feedback on writing, how it is provided and perceived, feedback application and challenges in the latter. Students’ and teachers’ perceptions in shaping practices emerged as a recurring issue in all three categories. The perceptions also highlight a number of challenges pertaining to writing essays and using teacher feedback. The study concludes that the differing perceptions held by teachers might be influencing the students’ attitudes towards unseen literary texts, leading to a fear of literary criticism and writing. Hence, holding more dialogues between teachers and students on the nature of reading and writing about unseen texts is suggested. Another conclusion heightens the need for more work on feedback provision and application. Timing and the language of feedback emerged as pressing issues over which there was doubt and uncertainty. These conclusions prompt further research and training on the multifaceted nature of reading and writing about unseen texts, and feedback application.

The description and discussion of the work of this Preamble would be incomplete without my expression of thanks to all those who have helped both in a practical way and by kindly and sympathetic interest to the final result. To Professor J.W. Tibble, of the Department of Education, the University of Leicester, I express my deepest gratitude for kindly assistance, friendly criticism, and constant encouragement, during the years I have been working under him. Engaged as I am building an Industrial Training Department in a large and busy undertaking, I have benefitted greatly from the discussions with Professor Tibble, both in 'standing back' from the problem and thereby viewing it on a more fundamental basis, and from the new heart that I received from such discussions to push a step farther along the road. Further, I am indebted to my company, Stewarts and Lloyds, Limited, and their Director of Education and Training, for the opportunity since 1946 to plan and build a modern industrial Education and Training Department at Corby Works. The experience I have gained has been of material assistance to me in all my work in the field covered both by this Preamble and the main work which follows. Finally, my thanks are due to members of my staff for the laborious work of transcribing my almost indecipherable notes and ultimately typing the final work. Ernest A. Taylor, January, 1961.

This study was designed to investigate the media use of thirteen to fourteen year old adolescents and, in particular, to demonstrate the extent to which the peer group is an important intervening factor. It is argued that the 'pop media' include a broad spectrum of cultural artefacts, and that peer groups, whose members both occupy different positions within and display different attitudes towards the social structure, will use the media to different degrees and in different ways. Fifty pupils were selected who represented peer groups differentiated by sex, social class and attitude to schooling. They came from five secondary schools (two Grammar, two Secondary Modem and one Comprehensive) situated in contrasting areas of four cities located all over the country. Each child completed a questionnaire and was individually interviewed, as well as responding to a number of more experimental techniques. Two systems of cultural alternatives were found to dominate the leisure pursuits of these adolescents. These were the culture of the 'pop media' as represented by listening to records, keeping up with fashion, going to dances etc., and the culture of the local neighbourhood, the continuing traditions of working class street culture. A complex series of relationships is demonstrated between these and the middle class ethos of the school. The popular argument that the 'pop media' are primarily a refuge for anti-school educational rejects is shown to be a fallacy and a high degree of involvement with certain forms of pop material is exposed among both failures and successes in the school system. Clear distinctions are made, however, between the uses to which these media are put by the various groups and the importance of these differing functions is underlined.