In recent years, the importance of assessing students’ orthographic and phonological processing skills has been acknowledged, especially in L1 reading. Moreover, the development of an item bank for an in-house English placement test would enable faculty to assign students to appropriate English-language classes, which in turn would likely lead to students’ successful completion of English-language programs in the tertiary-level institution. Little has been reported, however, on the L2/FL reading contexts. This study thus investigated the process of developing an item bank with orthographic and phonological processing skills for the Faculty of Nursing. The study involved identification of the orthographic and phonological features of the faculty’s English curriculum and materials. It also explored the orthographic and phonological features of two commercially produced English proficiency tests, the TOEFL and the TOEIC, and determined whether these tests correspond to the Faculty of Nursing curriculum requirements. The study also used Rasch analysis to validate the development of test items to assess orthographic and phonological skills, and explored whether these test items correspond to the requirements of the faculty’s English curriculum. Analysis of the faculty’s curriculum and the commercially produced English proficiency tests revealed that the two tests may not be appropriate tools to measure students’ orthographic and phonological processing skills. The Rasch analysis— including separation, reliability, test targeting, and unidimensionality for a total of 147 items—yielded 90 equated test items. Moreover, the test items showed sufficient spreads: 9 (10%) were grouped at the beginner level, 74 (82%) at the intermediate level, and 7 (8%) at the advanced level.

This thesis presents the findings from an empirical research that explored the impact of curriculum prescription on the development of English Language (L2) teachers‘ professional identity (TPI) in the Sultanate of Oman. This research examined the intertwined concept of TPI from a multifaceted theoretical perspective in order to reach deep insights into the factors that contribute to its development in a prescriptive curriculum context. Through a qualitative and interpretive research, this study explored the perceptions of L2 teachers on their professional identity through a triangulation of data collection methods. The focus groups with the teachers represented the real sample of state schools in the Omani educational system. The sample was representative in relation to gender (male and female), years of teaching experience and schools (primary, intermediate and secondary or as addressed locally: Cycle-One, Cycle-Two and Post-Basic Education schools). This study also interviewed authorities from the Ministry of Education who worked in Curriculum, Supervision and Training. Additionally, national policy and curriculum documents were analysed qualitatively as part of this research process. Through the adoption of a qualitative content analysis approach, the findings from this research supported previous research and clearly demonstrated that TPI is not static or rigid- rather it proved to be evolving, dynamic and influenced by the teachers lived experiences. The findings highlighted that not only faith, culture, personality traits and the moral values teachers hold for teaching and learning appear to underpin their professional identity, but their emotions and gender influence this identity as well. This research makes a significant contribution towards understanding the academic field of EFL/TESOL teacher identity by providing new knowledge regarding what impacts on and contributes to the development of EFL non-native TPI and the extent of this impact on a local and global scale.

With reach of the mobile phone in the developing world unsurpassed by any other form of information communication technology, and its potential as a means to support learning widely recognised and the subject of a range of exploratory interventions, researchers, policy makers and practitioners have turned to the challenges of making mobile learning initiatives more scalable, more sustainable and more sensitive to the needs and circumstances of learners. At the same time, there is a call for a critical approach to the use of technology that serves to expose immanent knowledge and to challenge unequal power relations within educational settings, in order to identify ways in which educational technologies can be used in fairer and more equitable ways. This study employs action research, a methodological approach that I argue is appropriate for to address such an agenda. This thesis sets out the study of collaborative attempts to design and implement a mobile English language learning resource in partnership with a Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Dharavi, Mumbai. Through three iterative action research cycles, conducted in a participatory manner with NGO leaders, teachers and students, this study investigates how the use of a mobile learning resource can provide a sustainable means of enhancing the learning of disadvantaged young adult participants enrolled on the NGO's Youth Empowerment Program. The design and use of a mobile learning resource is framed against a complex picture of young people's access, ownership and engagement with mobile technology, closely linked to gender, life stage and economic circumstance; as well as the NGO's shifting English language curriculum priorities and strategic change. The study reflects upon the nature of student learning experiences, through the use of the activities within the mobile learning resource itself, through broader strategies of digital engagement and through the participatory research process. Finally, the study identifies issues that constrain the sustained use of the mobile learning resource, including lack of flexibility and control over pedagogical content and the absence of continuing technical support.

This thesis is born out of concern that large numbers of teachers have left the profession. The work involved in teaching has become more time-consuming, and a trend of working longer hours, both at school and at home, has become an expectation. Excessive workload has, therefore, become an important issue within the profession. With so many teachers leaving the profession, particularly women - who make up over 75% of the profession- it was noted that some women teachers were not only staying in the profession but were also giving up their time and energy to take on the work of trade union activism as a form of resistance against the raft of policy changes which they believed to be the root cause for the exodus. This thesis attempts to discover why they are motivated to do so. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) was chosen as a locus for recruitment of participants, primarily because it is the only trade union which permits exclusive membership to those who have achieved, or are working towards, Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Narrative analysis was employed as the methodology for this study, because it can be particularly efficient when dealing with disruption or change in a person's life, or group of people's lives, whilst promoting empathy. Narrative analysis, in conjunction with a life history interview approach (Smith, 2012), was used, as these can enable a transformative experience in which the narrator can feel empowered as a result of their awareness of their situation. In total, 11 women from five different NUT demarcated regions across England were interviewed, ranging from the Northern, North West, Yorkshire/Midland, South East and London Regions. The thesis was steered and driven by the voices of the women teacher activists who describe and explain why they became activists, what they do and how they do it, in order to protect their profession and their colleagues. Their thoughts, feelings and behaviour were explored throughout. A substantial theoretical framework was provided through the work of Michalinos Zembylas, focusing on emotion and affect in education, and political and social justice issues. Zembylas's work highlights issues of teacher identity, teachers' self-formation, the emotional labour of teaching, resistance and power, and also elucidates the concepts of 'emotional ecology' and 'knowledge ecology' (Zembylas, 2007). Rooted in the social theory of post-structuralism, which explores the construction of meaning, Zembylas cites the work of Michel Foucault as a significant exponent of this thinking, examining the deconstruction of discourses which concern power relationships. iv The key findings show that the relationship between teachers and the government is strained. Teacher professionalism is perceived by government as an act of resistance in itself. The rapid changes caused by the government's neo-liberal education reform agenda have created a negative effect on teachers. The emotional investment that teachers make in their work causes them to be overworked and stressed, often damaging their mental health. Some implications from the findings show that the resistance of teachers to the current reforms is what drives their activism. Trade unionism is a vehicle for transformational change. Not only is transformational change possible through discourses, it is also possible to achieve within one's own self. The deprofessionalisation of teaching is not so much about the partnership with unqualified people at classroom level, but more about the attempts made by government to professionalise other areas of the education workforce which have led to the deprofessionalisation of teaching. Blame, therefore, should be directed towards the government.

Teacher Education in Libya has been struggling for decades now. Teacher Education institutions in particular, teachers, have been criticized for the way student teachers are prepared for teaching (Swuaed, 2014; Batilmal, 2012) and some have been blamed for pupils' underachievement. As a teacher educator at Azzawia University in Libya, the researcher had always been intrigued to learn how teacher education courses were being organised and taught since she herself graduated from Azzawia University without any type of practical teacher training. After the daunting experience of having to teach herself how to teach, the researcher wondered how other university students felt and thought about their teacher education courses. Thus, the researcher decided to speak informally with a number of students and university colleagues in the Department of English at the School of Education in Azzawia University about the nature of the teacher education course. Colleagues expressed concerns about the current ways in which the teacher education course was organized (in particular during Year 4) and had doubts about whether the sequence of the programme was arranged appropriately. They argued that what the School of Education lacked was an effective teacher education programme, which would equip student teachers with sufficient pedagogical knowledge and practice experience in order to teach effectively, and thus achieve positive outcomes for pupils. During the interactions, student teachers also expressed their frustration about what they saw as too much emphasis by university tutors on the 'theory' of becoming teachers and insufficient if any persisting emphasis on more practical elements and school-based teaching opportunities in the programme. This concern heightened the researcher's interest in investigating the development of greater school-based experiences for pre-service teachers. By this, the researcher found it necessary to first, examine student teachers' concerns, perceptions & experiences during a teaching practice placement opportunity. Second, to reflect on the implications of the findings of this research study, to determine the extent to which these can improve the teacher education provision at the target university in addition to other universities around Libya by reviewing the programme aims, scope and sequence. By conducting such research, student teachers might possibly have a smoother transition into the classroom, find their coursework more relevant and beneficial, and may be able to transfer more of their university-based learning into the classroom. There is no doubt that research that provides data on Libyan student teachers' concerns, perceptions and experiences of their ITE and examines their levels of preparedness and confidence to undertake the task of teaching in schools in Libya, will hopefully make a major contribution to the underdeveloped area of research related to teacher education in Initial Teacher Education programmes in Libya and provide new ideas and perspectives to restructure and reform initial teacher education programmes in Libya. In this research study, a mixed methods approach was adopted, using interviews, a questionnaire and observations as means of collecting data from the research participants. Quantitative data was gathered from one cohort of 40 (originally 150) student teachers from the English department using a 'Teacher Concerns Questionnaire' and then tracked in-depth, four student teachers' development journey through some school-based teaching opportunities across a period of 7 weeks (originally 12 weeks), encompassing their experiences within the school environment, their feelings about teaching practice (TP) and teaching and overall their feelings of preparedness to become teachers. Qualitative data was gathered from four target student teacher participants, who were considered as mini-case studies in this research, through interviews conducted prior, during and after observations and student teaching lessons during the teaching practice placement. Findings showed despite the positive experiences encountered during the teaching practice experience, classroom management and pupil behaviour were consistent challenges and impacted upon student teachers' lessons and development. Results showed that student teachers had idealistic views and expectations of what they expected to find prior to entering schools. A major conclusion was how student teachers were made to feel so unwelcomed and isolated in school by staff and school teachers in addition to occasionally being undermined by school teachers who refused to view them as real teachers. Another major conclusion from this study was amidst all the challenges (internal posed by the school and external through the conflict), student teachers were genuinely upset that teaching practice had to come to an end and felt the need to spend more time in schools. This is a clear indication of their determination and resilience towards learning to become teachers. Another conclusion from this was that the Teacher Concerns Questionnaire could be applied within an Arabic context, in this case Libya. A brief example, for instance, the results from the TCQ conducted on the Libyan research participants showed that the strength of concerns for classroom management and pupil behaviour increased across survey results and persisted on even after securing teaching posts in private sectors. This might suggest that more applied attention to strategies to manage classroom management in the ITE programme in Libya are needed. The use of the TCQ and the results from the questionnaire could help in restructuring the Teacher Education Programme in Libya as it will assist in revealing what student teachers might be concerned with before and during their teacher education programme. Findings also showed that through student teacher's development during their ITE, student teachers learning occurred and changed over the period of teaching practice through trial and error (repetition of lessons), observation and modelling of the researcher in this case, problem solving (pupil behaviour) and making sense of theory learned at university once they started teaching practice.

This thesis is situated within a pragmatic view of abductive explanation (Peirce, 1998; Mantere & Ketovki, 2013; Martela, 2015). It draws on a qualitative case study that investigates the use of student-generated digital video (SGDV) in higher education pedagogy, where SGDV is designed to enhance student engagement in learning activities. The study focuses on lecturers’ and students’ views on integrating SGDV into teaching at the College of Basic Education, which forms part of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) in Kuwait; a higher education institution dedicated to teacher training and education. The resulting research is both significant and distinct in its approach to gaining an understanding of how students engage in learning tasks when creating digital videos (SGDVs). The study findings indicate that student engagement can be enhanced if lecturers, as facilitators of learning, use active learning strategies and motivate students through authentic scenarios, tasks and projects. The findings also confirm that student engagement is a multi-dimensional concept. This current work revealed that student engagement involves collaboration and group dynamics, which are presented as an integrated theme associated with active learning. The findings consequently led to the development of an SGDV model of student engagement, portraying the most universal approaches to engagement emerging within the research context. In brief, this study is aimed at informing the design of pedagogical models for the enhancement of student engagement.

Prompted by concerns about the reputation of Indian higher education’s quality assurance system, this study compares the espoused theory of quality assurance for teaching and learning with its perceived practice by staff and students in four Indian universities. The data for this study was generated from policy documents, via interviews and online surveys; and analysed using a mixed method approach. A key finding was that there are disparities between policy and practice. Stakeholders comprehend quality in terms of transformation, fitness-for-purpose, and value for money. The policy appears aligned with transformation whereas both lecturers and students want fitness for purpose. Additionally, only lecturers seem focused on transformation whereas students expect value for money. The concepts of quality as exceptional and quality as perfection did not apply to the current state of participating universities as currently the curriculum design is not sufficiently robust, staff are seen as lacking teaching skills, and the student-staff ratio is perceived as too high. The conclusions of this research are that the current quality assurance mechanism is ineffective; lecturers lack communication skills; curriculum design is insufficient in fostering change to promote more autonomy for lecturers and, independent and critical thinking for students. This research proposes definitions of quality, specific to Indian higher education sector and suggestions to address the identified disparities.

This thesis proposes and exemplifies a philosophical method for untangling moral confusions faced by teachers, specifically of students with social, emotional and mental health difficulties [SEMHD]. D.Z. Phillips (1979), following the philosophical approach of Ludwig Wittgenstein, believed that teachers generally command a clear view of moral value in education; that is, in any given situation, it is normally clear, or obvious to us what we ought to do. He, again following the lead of Wittgenstein, suggests that what we consider to be ethical or philosophical problems are just confusions caused by our inability to see the situation clearly. This thesis contends that such confusions arise because moral value has become hidden by a misplaced desire for foundational facts, or certainty. This desire is misplaced because moral value is absolute value, and this can only be shown and not said. Any belief that there are moral facts (in an absolute sense) is based on a philosophical illusion and results in various forms of dogmatism. Therefore, the recognition, or unhiding of moral value is a methodological issue, in that it requires us to develop a way of looking at problems that necessarily involves the virtues of being tentative, of recognising the incompleteness of our utterances, of humility. This methodological approach is best described by Simone Weil’s (1951, 2005) notion of paying attention, and it is work that needs to be undergone on one’s self. To respond to a situation correctly is to recognise (and accept) its contingency, and thus ascribe absolute (i.e. moral) value to all aspects of it. However, when we hide this contingency behind a veil of one’s own expectations, of one’s own dogma, we can only ascribe relative value to it. Thus, ethical confusions are like visual illusions that are solved by looking at them from different aspects. In the first half of the thesis, this philosophical method is developed referencing relevant literature. In the second half, that method is demonstrated in an ethnographic study of one teacher-researcher’s experiences teaching students with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

Since the First World War, there has been a concern about the dwindling number of physicists and engineers in the United Kingdom and the resultant negative implications for the economy. A’ level physics courses attract fewer students than biology or chemistry courses do. Since the Second World War, it has been noted that the recruitment of women into physics has been particularly poor. Whilst women have entered many occupations previously considered to be in the male domain such as medicine or law, very few are entering physics-oriented professions. Numerous initiatives from both the government and other interested institutions appear to have failed in this regard; despite these organisations’ investment, boys consistently outnumber girls on A’ level physics courses by approximately four to one. This scarcity of female A’ level students results in less women having the necessary qualifications to study physics and engineering at a higher level. Those women who do attain higher qualifications in physics are far more likely than their male colleagues to leave physics-oriented professions, are less likely to attain senior positions in physics or engineering, and are more likely to move from physics research positions to physics support occupations such as administration or teaching (Dainty et al., 2010). This narrative study has explored how six women, belonging to two generations of three different families, developed a ‘physics literacy’ and ‘identified’ with physics. It has considered how the women’s experiences of physics have changed across the two generations studied. This research was conducted within a radical orthodox paradigm applied to a sociological context. Five of the participants took part in a semi-structured interview. These interviews were then transcribed, interpreted, and analysed using a hermeneutical-phenomenological approach. The women’s stories were then presented using a Bronfenbrennerian ‘Ecology of Human Development' (Bronfenbrenner, 2006) style framework, which was achieved by placing each of their stories in a micro, meso, exo, macro, and chronosystem. Using this framework enabled the study of interactions between the different influences on the participants’ lives. What this study has revealed, contrary to the findings of many other statistical studies, is that the physics literacy of women is increasing as is their ability to identify with physics. However, there remain many cultural boundaries that continue to discourage women from pursuing a career in physics. Although it could be argued that the United Kingdom is a physics-based culture in that it assumes that the laws of physics underpin its existence, the study of physics is seen as a mysterious remote activity carried out by an elite minority of wealthy, white men. It recommends an approach to physics that will make it more exciting and accessible to a wider range of students, that physics be made less mysterious, and that families, especially those with young children, be encouraged to engage in physics-oriented leisure activities, in similar ways to which families currently engage in literature, music, and sports, to raise the overall physics identity and physics literacy of the population.

The importance of understanding international students' perceptions of the quality of their academic and intercultural experience has been increasingly recognised in higher education context. Previous studies have largely focused on a single perspective. This research presents a more comprehensive picture of service quality of UK higher education and international students' intercultural adjustment in the United Kingdom through investigating and comparing both students' and academics' perspective. A mixed-methods convergent parallel deign was implemented in a Russell Group university, with quantitative survey data collected from a convenient sample of 139 Chinese students and 27 academics, and qualitative interview data from a group of Chinese students (N=5) and academics (N=6). Both the quantitative and qualitative findings show that the perceptions of academics and Chinese students may be very different, even at the same university. There is also evidence for dynamics in these perceptions: 1) the perceptions are changeable over time; and 2) the service quality regarding the academic factor has a positive relationship to sociocultural adjustment. These findings have important implications for various higher education stakeholders across the university: it is critical to promote mutual and regular dialogue between academics and international students to make sure that they have a shared understanding and that the dynamics in their perceptions is captured. The findings also suggest caution when assuming, as is prevalent currently, that service quality of higher education and international students' intercultural adjustment can be comprehensively understood and efficiently improved from just one side's point of view.