How are adults affected by studying maths and English as part of a workplace-learning programme? Is confidence enhanced by the way they learn? This thesis attempts to understand the roles of confidence and motivation in learning. I have tried to explore how adult learners feel when it comes to studying maths and English in a formal environment. Specifically, my research explores the microlevel interaction between eleven adults who study in a classroom for one day a week over five months. They all work in the care industry. Using a diary and reflective methods, I also explore my role and relationship with them as their tutor of maths and English, and my personal attitude towards aspects of my learning - both past and present. I interview the participants on two occasions. From these dialogues, several one-to-one conversations emerge, which I describe as cameos. I also use reviews with participants that are completed by the training manager. These examine the impact of my role as their tutor. Analysing my data thematically, my findings show that confidence in learning occurs, in part, due to personal relationships. Whilst the use of scaffolding and situated learning are seen to develop confidence, participants also acquire it from their group peers. When adult learners work together and share an interest in caring for one another, their perception of their own development is affected. I have found that encouragement and building trust are vital for their learning. The development of the tutor/learner relationship has tended to increase learners’ motivation because they want to please the tutor as well as themselves. For both participants and myself, the confidence to continue to learn and to use the knowledge gained took place when encouragement, trust and motivation were present in the process.

Understanding of autism has changed dramatically during the last 70 years. One change which is beginning to occur relates to the emotionality of young children with autism although it is an aspect of their lives which can still be overlooked and sometimes completely disregarded. The DSM-V, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, 2013, continues to significantly underestimate the emotional lives of individuals with autism (Wu, 2013). This study sets out to question the conceptualisation of emotionality in children with autism, and focuses on the emotional lives of non-verbal young children with autism, in the hope of making an improvement to the efficacy of service responses. However, given the centrality of parents in the lives of those children with autism and who are without language, it is the views of the parents about the emotional lives of their children during their early years which are examined through a thematic analysis of narrative accounts from two families in the UK and two families in Taiwan. What emerges from these parental accounts is their understanding of a fundamental complexity of individuals with autism. There is little evidence to suggest that children with autism experience emotions differently and indeed the parental narratives in this study suggest that children with autism experience a range of emotions and can enjoy a sense of humour, develop relationships and have preferences. Recommendations are made that children with autism must be considered by professionals and those who offer ‘treatment’, as human beings with emotionality.

Early childhood education in Jamaica has been given more importance due to the impact of changes in the global context. One such change is the adaptation of revised developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) into the Jamaica’s early childhood curriculum and classroom pedagogy. How DAP is adapted and implemented depends not only on the teachers’ knowledge and skills, but also on Jamaican traditional culture. This collision of post-colonial global knowledge of child development and pedagogy and the cultural and historical development of early childhood education in Jamaica, has created some tension in how early childhood education is delivered locally. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the beliefs and self-perceptions of five early childhood teachers in Jamaica and how their beliefs were reflected in their classroom practices. Through classroom observations, interviews, and focus groups, this research gave the five teachers the opportunity to voice their beliefs about DAP’s child-centered pedagogy. The teachers strongly believed in the importance of child-centered learning, no matter the type of institution in which they teach. However, their teaching styles showed varying differences based on DAP’s principles. Classroom practices demonstrated both developmentally appropriate and inappropriate practices, but there were practices which were not readily identified as either developmentally appropriate or inappropriate. Several personal, professional and cultural factors influenced the extent to which the teachers’ were able to implement DAP. These factors include the teachers’ personal and professional experiences and culture-based practices appropriate to the various school settings and present in the Jamaican culture. Results from the data also confirm existing research on the influences of teacher’s belief systems on their classroom practices, and problematise the legacy of post-colonial influences. The study concludes with recommendations for reform plans for Jamaican early childhood institutions, and for professional development, in order to improve the quality of early childhood education and care.

This thesis was guided by the research question ‘what is the perceived value of a taught postgraduate qualification in hospitality and tourism?’ The topic was justified, given the dearth of previous research in this area, and the researcher’s positionality as an educator on two taught MSc programmes, in the field of tourism and hospitality, in an institute of technology in the Republic of Ireland. In order to address this question, various stakeholder voices, comprising 15 current students on the two MSc programmes, 122 graduates, 11 educators and 2 employers were included in the primary research. This thesis included a review of secondary literature on education in the field of tourism and hospitality, an investigation into why graduates completed a taught MSc programme, and an assessment of their experiences during their programme of study and subsequent to graduation. The views and experiences of educators on the MSc programmes were explored, as were those of employers. A pragmatist theoretical lens and mixed research methods were employed to fulfil the objectives. Generally, student and graduate satisfaction with the programmes was high, though aspects of module delivery attracted suggestions for improvement. Graduates questioned the value attributed to formal education compared to industry experience. However, educators believed that whilst the MSc contributed to the overall professionalism of the tourism and hospitality industries, academic / industry dialogue was limited. Employers were positive about the role of formal education yet, also, emphasised the importance of attitude and interpersonal skills in the people centred industry that is tourism and hospitality. Educators, students and industry can benefit from the findings of this study.

The purpose of this study was to empower a mixed group of eleven year old students with the skills to program digital games and then research the stages of development they go through whilst designing and authoring a game. This study also strived to identify the benefits children gained from a gaming literacy perspective. This research used a qualitative case study approach. The analysis of this study was based on multiple data sources: statistics collected from the web portal used during the workshop; informal conversations with the children and teachers helping out with the workshop; participant observation and analysis of the games created. Through the participation in this workshop the children were introduced to the Scratch programming language. The structure of the gaming workshop was influenced by pedagogic approaches to teach creatively for creativity and to introduce programming through a full system approach (Selby 2011). The stages that children go through whilst creating a digital game are similar to a number of phases discussed in previous research (Robertson 2011, Resnick, Maloney et al. 2009). However the stages of development outlined in this research highlight the importance of the social aspect in game development. Group testing not only has an effect on the game being tested but also acts as a source of cross fertilisation of ideas between the students testing the game and the students developing the game. The game making experience provided the students with a possibility to enact their systematic thinking when designing their games as a system made up of interrelated subsystems. Prior gaming experience contributed to the way the games were designed and allowed the students to engage with game making using a playful attitude. The students were competitive yet cooperative whilst making their games. All the games were complete and demonstrated that the children were savvy about multimodality. They created games that were well balanced from the difficulty point of view and that provided the game players with instructions on how to play as well as implemented appropriate feedback mechanisms.

This study explored the opinions and perceptions of first year mathematical sciences students towards problem-based learning as a teaching method for part of a foundation mathematics module. A piece of action research was undertaken and a mixed-method approach to data generation was used. Students’ opinions were obtained through a group interview carried out at the end of the module together with diary entries submitted by students over the duration of the module. Attitudes developed by students included the important role played by being an effective member of the group and constructive participation in group meetings. Students reported an improvement and enhanced awareness of skills such as independent learning skills, interaction within the group and communication skills. The value of being able to quickly and effectively resolve tensions within the group was also highlighted by many students. Whilst some students initially struggled with problem–based learning, they often developed strategies to help them to cope with their individual issues. Some students discussed how problem-based learning was not their preferred learning style and for some this opinion was not swayed during their experience of PBL. The different attitudes and indeed participation levels of students towards problem-based learning were highlighted in this study. Further research is now required to find out the reasons for these differences with the desire that all students be given the opportunities to develop knowledge and skills through problem-based learning that will help them throughout their studies and into their future careers. The findings of this study indicate that problem-based learning is an effective method to help students develop the skills and attitudes necessary to help them manage their future learning and working lives.

The focus of this collaborative research is on seeking what enables or constrains participation in reading and writing as a social practice. Eight individuals with a label of dyslexia discuss and reflect, over a period of a year, on past and present experiences around reading and writing, and develop a personal narrative. The study uses a phenomenological approach, and ethnographic and narrative methods within a New Literacy Studies framework, situating experiences, and perceptions of them, within social and cultural contexts. The participants discuss, and reflect on, past and present experiences to design and develop their narrative. In the process, the relationship between experiences and perceptions and its effect on identity and agency, is explored. As participants each construct a narrative, with themselves as the protagonist, they ‘sediment’ their literate identities into the text, to be further reflected on. Initially, this collaborative study sets out to find what support, intervention, and community concessions persons labelled with dyslexia require, but this changes when the participants, through discussion and reflection on emotions, discourses and artifacts within the narrative, uncover covert sociocultural factors which hinder their reading and writing. The study moves away from a tacit acceptance of personal deficit or difference, leading to a label of dyslexia. It finds that the shift in the perception of literacy, from a definable and measurable goal to be reached, to one of participation in a social practice, enabled or hindered by embodied experiences, redefines the label of dyslexia, as reflecting restricted participation, and therefore social exclusion.

How many times do children learning to read need to see printed words for the words to be reliably recognised? Reitsma (1983) demonstrated that Dutch children who had made average reading progress for six months could read words they had seen as few as four times significantly faster than similar unfamiliar words. This research has been quoted widely as suggesting that children learning to read English need similar level of exposures to learn unfamiliar vocabulary. To investigate this claim, a small group of English Year 1 children were assessed on words they had encountered varying numbers of times in books used to teach them to read. In addition to investigating whether four repetitions were sufficient for a variety of words, the vocabulary was analysed to evaluate the relative level of repetitions required for children to reliably recognise words varying in decodability, word class and morphemic complexity. The overall sample of words needed to appear in books more than 15 times for reliable recognition. Words children could decode required significantly fewer repetitions than those beyond their decoding ability. No significant differences were found for repetitions needed by words varying in word class or morphemic complexity. Decodable words, out of all the categories analysed, were those requiring the fewest repetitions, reliable recognition being attained within the band from 4 to 15 occurrences, and might therefore be considered as candidates for ‘spongelike acquisition’. Non-decodable words, however, did not attain reliable recognition until repetitions exceeded 40, confirming in an indirect manner the critical importance of decoding skills for children’s reading development. Repetition of vocabulary, though, a neglected factor in research, appears to be equally essential, and the results of this small pilot study seem to warrant a larger-scale investigation. Above all, what this study has shown is that, for at least some children and some types of word, acquisition is not ‘spongelike’.

The primary aim of the research was to identify those factors that drive change and mergers in higher education. It reflected on how changes and mergers affect cultures and professional academic identities. Therefore, this study presents an account and analysis of which significant changes and mergers in higher education can affect cultures and professional academic identities by applying a micro-case study viewing changes in an Institute undergoing transition. The case study reviews a number of government policies and institutional strategy documents and determines if and how they are affecting the current situation in the Institution. Academic staff interviews also helped analyse how the changes planned through these documents influenced the discourse, culture and identity within the College. Document analysis carried out via CDA, together with narratives from the interviews provided some interesting findings. Some questions asked of the interviewees were what they considered to be important in realizing change within their institutions. The interviewees were also asked about their views on which factors bring about strategic change from both external and internal drivers and how these drivers influences their own culture and professional academic identities. They also discussed possible future mergers in higher education. The results were interpreted using a theoretical framework acquired from both the literature and arising from the interviewee responses. The findings provided were via both a narrative and discourse analysis based on the following: policy influences; economic limitations and impacts; technology in education; and academic workload. Findings also significantly highlighted internal influences via leadership, decision-making procedures, communication and history of the Institute. The findings also revealed that although the changes are constant, if the same people are working in the disciplines and communities within the Institute, it might retain the status quo. It became evident that some academics were beginning to distance themselves from the Institute because the changes have led to disrespect of their identity. The study views higher education developments on strategic change within the higher education landscape and provides insights into mergers and their imminent impact on culture and professional academic identity.

Research suggests that those with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have increased levels of mental health difficulties (e.g. Simonoff et al, 2008), though there is a poor evidence base around how professionals might be able to support these needs (e.g. National Autistic Society, 2010).There is some suggestion that Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) might have some utility in addressing these issues (e.g. Attwood, 2007), though this lacks thorough investigation. In line with a pragmatic approach to research, I chose an action research methodology to investigate how I could use PCP to extend the self-awareness skills of pupils with a diagnosis of ASD, an area often linked to positive wellbeing. I used various PCP activities with secondary aged pupils, adapting and modifying the methods according to their responses, skills and areas of need. The data included my own reflections and observations from the sessions, transcripts and notes of session content, as well as evaluations from the pupils relating to the activities they completed. Template analysis, a matrix framework and thematic analysis were used to analyse the two cycles of data. Findings related to processes of application (practitioner skills), and use of PCP (how activities helped the pupils to make extensions to their self-awareness when made accessible). Compared to the range of comments pupils made during the first session, all pupils showed extensions to their self-awareness following PCP, though with a wide variation in the extent of complexity shown. This study therefore yields practical implications, both for my own practice as well as for the EP profession. There is a continuing need for pupils with ASD to access support towards enhancing their emotional wellbeing; this study serves as the basis for practitioners to trial PCP approaches in order to support the development of pupil self-awareness.