This research study investigates the predictive validity of IELTS test scores as a graduation requirement for a Teacher Education Program in the UAE. The argument is that the use of the IELTS cut-off score (band 6) as a predictor of post-graduation performance in schools may not be justifiable based on differences in context-related interaction and their impact on language proficiency. Subjects in the present study were given a mock IELTS speaking test, and were recorded while giving classes on teaching practicum to examine the correspondence between the two performances and the impact of each context on their lexical diversity scores. A comparison between lexical diversity scores in each context using index D, revealed that there was no correlation between the two sets of scores as lexical diversity scores in the classroom were clearly lower than IELTS scores. Moreover, a comparison between the subjects’ band-scores on the IELTS speaking test and their mentors’ grades on teaching practicum revealed that there was no correlation. Corpus linguistic tools were also used in this study to compare content-word frequency lists produced in the IELTS speaking test with those produced in the classroom. Results showed that there were clear discrepancies, which indicated that context was a determining factor for the subjects’ lexical choices. A further qualitative analysis took an emic perspective following a Conversation Analysis approach in analysing the subjects’ talk in the classroom. Seedhouse’s (2004) framework for the analysis of the architecture of classroom interaction and Walsh’s (2011) combined Corpus Linguistics and Conversation Analysis (CLCA) approach were used as frames of reference. The analysis revealed that teacher repeats of lexical items in the classroom played a major role in reducing the subjects’ lexical diversity scores due to their frequency and variety. A total of 16 types of teacher repeats was identified. Those types were classified into 6 main categories related to different features of classroom discourse such as control of interaction, asking questions, giving feedback, and so on. Consequently, the predictive validity of IELTS scores was found to be weak for the context of a teacher education program. A two-step argument-based validation process is suggested at the end of this research study such that IELTS scores can be included as part of the requirement for the graduation of the Bachelor of Education program students. The first step is to adopt a complementary assessment based on a rubric created for the purpose of assessing classroom-based English language proficiency (CBELP). It is suggested that this assessment is administered by a trained mentor during classroom-based observations conducted on teaching practicum. The second step is to formulate a composite score based on the minimum required band-scores for both the IELTS and the CBELP assessments. The interpretation of that score should be supported by a validating argument leading from score interpretation to related decisions regarding the graduation of Bachelor of Education students. The thesis makes a contribution to theory in the fields of testing, lexical diversity and language proficiency, and furthers our understanding of classroom discourse.

Between 1989 -1997 I was head of the Religious Education department in a comprehensive school and mentored trainee teachers throughout that period. This meant that I was involved in the initial implementation of the first set of Teaching Standards set out in Circular 9/92 (DFE, 1992). As I progressed in the mentoring role I became increasingly aware of the challenge of meeting trainee’s training needs through a standards-based approach. In particular, I was aware of the importance of the role of the mentor in helping trainees to realise their personal values and motivations through their developing classroom practice. In researching my role for a research paper (Mead 1996) I reached the conclusion that the mentor’s self-understanding and their dialogic skills seemed to me to be crucial in developing the relationship between trainees’ personal moral and political values within their classroom practice, thereby contributing to a fusion of the moral and the instrumental within a standards-based framework. From 1997 until the present I have held a number of positions in the Department of Education at Oxford Brookes University, including Religious Education course leader, PGCE secondary course leader and head of the department of professional and leadership education. I am currently an associate School Direct university tutor. In these roles I have been fully immersed in the implementation of the 2002, 2007 and 2012 Teaching Standards for qualified teacher status, working closely with secondary and primary trainee teachers. The 2002 set of standards (Teacher Training Agency 2002) represented a landmark in that they introduced explicit professional values and this provided me with the impetus to continue to address those concerns which had emerged in my school mentor experience. It was through accumulated detailed knowledge and first-hand experience that I was increasingly able to interpret and make judgements about the impact of successive sets of prescribed teaching standards on the development of the relationship between trainees’ personal moral and political values. What I found emerging, then, is a sense of something of worth being at stake which has historical, political and professional implications and which is felt strongly enough by trainees and teacher educators to constitute an issue worthy of exploration. For me, as for many others who responded to my findings, the relationship between trainees’ personal moral and political values lies at the heart of professional fulfilment and consequently, the development of effective professional knowledge and expertise. The strength of the cohesiveness of the overall argument developed across the papers lies in my lived experience as the researcher who is also a practising teacher educator throughout the research period. Of particular importance here is both the immediacy and evolving nature of the research, as I respond personally and professionally to successive external measures affecting trainee teacher development. My overall aim has been to make sense of these experiences over more than thirteen years of professional experience. The outcome of this project is a set of claims which challenge key instrumentalist and positivistic features within expanding school-based teacher education, particularly in relation to trainee autonomy and identity and which, as I argue, have implications for re-defining process, pedagogy and provision.

This research study aims to explore tertiary TESOL teachers’ perspectives on their attitudes towards and engagement with professional development (PD) in an English language institute (ELI) at a university in Saudi Arabia. While there is a global recognition of PD as a vehicle for executing reforms and an increasing interest into how to better support the PD of in-service school teachers, there is also a need to further understanding about the influences on teachers’ engagement/disengagement in institutional PD initiatives. Informed by the basic qualitative approach, this study argues that it is important and indeed necessary to inquire into teachers’ views and experiences with workplace PD in order to deepen understanding about what influences TESOL teachers’ engagement/disengagement in workplace PD. This thesis therefore addresses an under researched topic about the influences on teachers’ engagement in institutional PD initiatives. To bridge this gap and contribute more broadly to an enriched understanding of the complexity of PD and teacher engagement in this, a three-dimension understanding of factors influencing teacher orientation to and engagement with workplace PD is employed; comprising micro (or individual teacher) factors, meso (or workplace/ institutional) factors, and macro factors such as sociocultural setting and wider discursive constructions of PD. The study employed individual semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers’ about their experiences of the professional development. Findings showed that teachers expressed negative perceptions about PD at the ELI. Unpacking this reveals a complex dynamic of conflictive discourses at the micro, meso and macro-levels. A number of themes emerged which describe teachers’ overwhelmingly negative views on PD in their workplace which are seen as completely the opposite of what they feel PD should comprise. Teachers experienced PD as policed and top-down within a wider culture of compliance at the ELI which leads them to feel professionally compromised and lacking in voice and autonomy. This culture of compliance is also seen to generate a culture of mistrust with consequences for the development of the teacher community and collaborative forms of PD. The study offers a richer and deepened understanding of teachers’ experiences with PD influenced by complex web of factors which impinge on their attitudes towards PD. It is argued that revealing this complexity is an important first step to transform institutional PD provision. The study also highlights how an examination of teacher learning as socially constructed requires that due attention must be paid to the understanding of the context in which it takes place, and the impact of this on how teachers engage with PD. Finally the study highlights the importance of understanding teacher and institution perspectives on PD as being informed by and taking place within certain discursive realities which highlight the significance of wider discourses of professionalism to the enactment and engagement with PD in the workplace. A number of recommendations for future research into PD in general and within the Saudi setting are proposed along with a number of practical steps to be taken at the ELI to help raise institutional awareness of effective PD and to encourage teachers to better engage with this.

For those training to teach in England, numeracy is required to fulfil the remit of a complete teacher education qualification. Trainee teachers in the post-compulsory sector must address their own level and depth of numerical comprehension whilst also examining the factors that surround the acquisition of this knowledge for their own learners in the classroom. For those training to teach in the compulsory sectors of primary or secondary education, a GCSE graded C or above and the completion of an additional numeracy professional skills test is required. Anecdotal evidence suggested prior to the initiation of research that numeracy within teacher education programs was not favourably received or welcomed by either trainee teachers or more established teachers. This research investigates in the first phase teachers’ and trainee teachers’ opinion and perception of numeracy using data collected from educational forums, prospectuses from teacher education providers, a critical review of resources available to support learning of numeracy for trainee teachers. In the second phase research utilises the observation of the delivery of a functional skills mathematics programme for teachers in the post-compulsory sector, recording information from participant observation, an online bulletin board and focus groups. Each successive method, through two distinct phases of research, focusses on comments and conversation, examining what teachers’ say to better understand their perceptions and opinions about the subject of numeracy. The findings indicate that teachers in the post-compulsory sector are reluctant to undertake any form of numeracy learning and those taking the training for the compulsory sector experience a lot of anxiety about the numeracy professional skills test in particular. The depth of negativity found to be present is extremely high with teachers’ words being collected and examined for their positive or negative direction and being overwhelming in their negative attitudes and opinions. Negative past experiences of teachers’ inform the development of negative perceptions of their own abilities and add to the anxiety they experience in relation to numeracy learning. Those teaching or training to teach are likely to be qualified to a university level but still demonstrate very high levels of negativity towards numeracy learning. The second research finding of conflict was present within the data not only from teachers’ words but also in the wording of prospectuses aimed at providing information for prospective trainees. The conflict was clear where prospectuses demonstrated avoidance of the mention of 3 numeracy as a course requirement for teaching, appearing to prefer not to stir up feelings of anxiety and negativity that are related to numeracy and mathematics. Teachers experienced conflicts between the need to maintain levels of professionalism, the traits expected of a teacher and their own feelings surrounding the subject. The findings of the research have been distilled down into the two main areas of negativity and conflict in relation to the perceptions and opinions of numeracy learning for teachers’. A naturalistic method has been used throughout to capture information that is not solicited and is not volunteered specifically for the purposes of research. The methods throughout analyse comments and conversation, however many of these take the form of online conversation or postings leading to a development in the innovative methodology which utilises the internet and electronic forms of communication. All of the research data is brought together for analysis to inform and support future practice in teachers’ numeracy through the development of a more positive attitude towards learning in numeracy for teachers. The development of a model for delivery is proposed which incorporates the findings and uses an acknowledgement of the inherent negativity surrounding the subject as a starting point for teachers’ numeracy learning to be more effective.

This intervention study explores the feasibility and possible benefits of using reflective practice as a suggested model of supervision to improve the teaching of trainees during their field placement (practicum) in one girls’ educational college in Saudi Arabia (KSA). An intervention study was thought to be of use because, although the literature indicates “the strong connection between teachers’ culture and their conceptualisation of pedagogical practice” (Adam, 2015, p. 204; Almazrawi, 2014), the potential for using reflection to improve the teaching of Saudi trainees during their practicum cannot be guaranteed by other research findings around the world. This study also aims to use teachers’ pedagogical knowledge to help trainees improve their teaching as suggested by prior research. Accordingly, the main questions regarding the application of reflection with trainees in the Saudi context are: 1. What are the participants’ views about the current system of supervision? 2. How do trainees, their supervisor and teachers in the school perceive a reflective practicum course? 3. What advantages and disadvantages might a reflective practicum course offer? 4. What are the primary challenges involved in implementing a reflective practicum course as a model of supervision? My research used an action research methodology. Data were gathered from six trainees in the final year of the school of Arabic literature at KSM University, together with their college supervisors and two co-operating teachers using interviews, focus groups, reflective journals, and diaries. Key findings demonstrated that trainees gain some advantages through the reflective journey in which they engage in their practicum. During this journey, trainees engage in the ‘instructional rounds’ that include teaching, observation, reflection, discussion, and interaction. Inside this cycle, the trainees gained opportunities to test their preconceptions about teaching. The data also indicated the potential of reflective discussions for building ‘decisional capital’ in trainees as an important skill for teaching. Findings suggest that another advantage of applying reflection is tangible—it makes the classroom a place where professional conversations about teaching and learning can occur. However, the data analysis also shows that many challenges limit the trainees’ benefits from this course. With regard to the strong relationship between education and culture, Saudi culture seems less supportive of ideas involving reflection, such as critical thinking and individual autonomy. Thus, most of the challenges to applying reflection are actually based on the teachers’ lack of necessary knowledge to implement it effectively. Also, gender ideologies that can be attributed to traditional and socio-religious values make the situation worse for women in education in terms of their ability to take responsibility and develop decision-making skills. This study has contributed to the field of research by recognising the effectiveness of using reflection in the trainees’ programme at KSM University in KSA. The main contribution to knowledge of the current study is that it is the first local study which provides research findings on trainees’ practicum designed to enhance trainees’ reflection. The study findings can be used to inform present and future educational policy. In addition, this study uses the action research method for conducting this research in the Saudi context, making a contribution through the ability of action research to incorporate change in live action. Through analysing data, this study has revealed the impact of Saudi culture on the educational system in general and practically on teacher education.

Around the world, there is an unprecedented opportunity for improving educational outcomes by aligning the practice of teaching with the emerging science of learning. However, a research-to-practice gap persists, and many students, particularly low-income and minority children and youth, are failing to reach their academic potential. The texts submitted with this document (Conyers & Wilson, 2015a, 2016; Wilson & Conyers, 2013b, 2013c) were written as a means of bridging this gap by applying two original frameworks developed through transdisciplinary, practice-based research over 15 years. The first translates implications of education, mind, and selected brain research on how people learn into a conceptual framework and strategies for enhancing teaching and learning. The second focuses on a process for supporting changes in teaching practice and aligns with research and theory from implementation science. These frameworks have been incorporated into professional development programmes for some 100,000 educators and 2,500 teachers from 47 U.S. states, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia through one of the first two graduate degrees in this field. Studies suggest a positive impact on teaching practice and student learning. The four texts extend the impact of this body of work to a broader audience of teachers, researchers, faculty, and other educational stakeholders and uniquely incorporate research, theory, and examples of practical strategies being applied in real-world settings.

This study is based on the impact of a five-week teaching practicum on the selves of nine cooperating teachers who voluntarily handed over their classrooms to student teachers. Cooperating teachers in Ireland do not have an official role in either mentoring or assessing their student teachers. Because the study focused on aspects of the self that included identity, role, perspectives, relationships and emotions, I used symbolic intercationism as a theoretical framework. I decided that semi-structured interviewing was the most effective method of accessing the selves of the teachers in allowing them to articulate their experience of the practicum. The teachers were interviewed prior to, during and after the practicum. The process of literature review and data analysis was iterative in that each of these two components informed the other. Four main themes emerged: defining the situation, negotiation, perspectives and emotions. A meta-analysis of the data in relation to the theoretical framework revealed how cooperating and student teacher held competing definitions of the same situation and how cooperating teachers used a range of strategies to negotiate the meaning of the practicum. It also showed that the practicum impacted strongly on the self-identities of the teachers. A strong sense of self was evident prior to the practicum. This was followed by a period of mortification arising from an erosion of their self-identities as their role became peripheral in the classroom. In response they had to re-define the situation by assuming other roles, leading to a re-affirmation of self, gaining a better knowledge of their pupils and realising their own competence as teachers. While the focus of this study is at the micro-interactionist level, there are broader implications. Because of the emotional impact of the practicum, there is an urgent need for the teacher education institution to engage with cooperating teachers and to recognise and support them for the emotional journeys that engagement in the teaching practice involves. There are also structural implications insofar as the design and conducting of any mentoring programme should take cognisance of the self of the cooperating teacher.

‘Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else’. This famous line from Charles Dickens’s Hard Times reflects an attitude that, it seems, still appears in some education programmes in Saudi Arabia. This thesis reports on a critical investigation into a teacher-training programme; the research broadening from solely investigating the programme at Department of Curriculum and Instruction at King Saud University, to a two strand examination, also considering the low status of art and art education in Saudi schools and society. The study particularly examined the effect of academic recognition on the programme by the Centre for Quality Assurance in International Education granted according to the standards of the American National Council of Teacher Education. Much of my research adopted participatory arts based methods, inviting participants’ expression of ideas through sets of activities during six months of fieldwork, using semistructured interviews, focus groups, and observation of some of the participants. The research is responsive to multiple stakeholder perspectives: students, student-teachers, faculty members, NCATE committees, Deanship of Quality and myself as researcher. Arts based participatory activities were used to examine the current situation of the teachertraining programme post-CQAIE recognition; connecting art education to individual development, changing perceptions, and general attitudes to art and art education, working towards improving society through art. It appears that the programme remains a conventional vocational course; objectives driven and operating largely along a 'banking concept of education' as described by Freire, with little consideration given to developing skill and students’ voices in the context of the teacher-training programme. Finally, this thesis posits a more progressive, holistic approach within the teacher-training programme, developing students’ skills and abilities and perhaps improving the perception of art and art education in the broader world beyond the institution.

In Bahrain, two previous studies have been undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of specific programs offered by the Training Directorate, Ministry of Education, but neither of them tracked the impact of such training programs on the trainees' practices or performances in their workplaces. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the 'Professional Development Program' provided by the Directorate of Training in the Ministry of Education in Bahrain on the skills of the Arabic, English, Maths and Science senior teachers and acting senior teachers in the government secondary schools of Bahrain. The investigation was done from the different points of view of the key training partners: trainers, trainees, school administrators and teachers in their schools. It analyses the effect of the training program on the personal and functional skills of the trainees and its impact on their skills and practices. This study clarifies the most and least effective components of the training program, their characteristics and their relation to the changes. It reveals which factors encourage and discourage senior teachers to transfer learning to their workplaces. Furthermore, this study focuses on the importance of the teachers' professional development, its significance for educational development and reform, and also its effect on the students' performance. As a contribution to the field, the researcher has designed a new program evaluation model that may be used as guidance in the Directorate of Training to facilitate best practice in the field of professional development, to achieve the expected results and also ensure the transfer of learning to the workplace, with a good return on investment.