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Various reports from the European Union and UNESCO consider teacher professional development (TPD) as the first priority in educational reform plans. The same reports emphasise the inadequacies of current teacher professional development programmes to meet the immediate demands of the lifelong learning policies and educational reforms. The case of Cyprus reflects the European and global situation in that matter. This study explores an alternative way for ongoing teacher professional development through the power and flexibility of the Internet. It situates teacher professional development within a constructivist framework underpinned by adult learning theories and aided by the literature on teacher professional development. It applies this framework to the development and delivery of an online learning environment to primary school teachers in Cyprus. The general aim of this study is to delineate the factors that contribute to effective professional development and develop a more democratic teacher professional development programme by giving greater control to the teachers. Thirteen of my colleagues - in-service primary school teachers from Cyprus - voluntarily participated in an online learning environment for a period of two months. Results show that teachers are more responsive to voluntary participation in professional development programmes than compulsory participation. Teachers may assume an intrinsic motivational orientation to learning and their professional development when they have control and ownership of the process and context of learning as well as time and place flexibility. Problem solVing enhances teachers' participation, interaction and collaboration and helps to promote a sense of community. Socialisation between learners nourishes the learning process and enhances intimacy and social presence and strengthens the sense of community. Subsequently, learners are more responsive to cognitive engagement. Asynchronous CMC seems to be an effective medium in supporting both the cognitive and the social aspects of learning. Scaffolding, at least during the initial stages of the learning process, is essential for learners in order to assume self-direction in learning. Control over the content and the learning environment increases learners' engagement with the content. This study suggests that the power and fleXibility of the Internet, under certain conditions, can afford teachers an alternative learning experience in which they can assume control of their professional development in collaboration with their peers in online learning communities.

The school subject of Art and the profession of the primary school teacher are gendered female and both are considered low status within the field of Education and other professional areas of society. A number of sociological studies have examined the impact of gendered socialisation and habitus on females’ career choices and various educational initiatives have been put in place over the years to encourage females to select subjects and/or pursue career paths normally associated with males. Yet Art and primary school teaching continue to be a popular choice with middle class girls. Based on a critical ethnographic study of female BAED Art students, who are training to be primary school teachers, this study is an examination of the many factors, historically and contemporaneously that have shaped and continue to shape the subjectivities of females and frame their aspirations and ambitions. Within this discourse significant aspects of the history of Art and Art Education that have contributed to and influenced the construction of the female artist, and their consequent impact on artistically talented females’ personal identity as artists, are also examined.

This thesis explores professionalism in FE teaching in Wales. It also considers government policies for professionalising teaching in the sector and, in particular, if the Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) Professional Standards have been material in shaping teacher professionalism. The research was based on interviews and focus groups with teacher-trainers and trainee teachers in two universities and four FE colleges in South Wales, and the documentation of their training programmes. The research also includes an analysis of policy documents and interviews with officials responsible for policy in Wales. The research draws on current sociological interest in professionalism and the way that can be defined by employers in the interests of the firm. The theoretical basis of the analysis is Bernstein's concept of pedagogic discourse and it is argued that professionalism has been re-contextualised by government and LLUK as an official discourse, represented in the Professional Standards as a set of generic competences, underpinned by trauoability and linked to the attainment of qualifications. This generic discourse defines professionalism in ways that privilege corporatism and flexibility its generic nature promotes the idea of trainability for teachers, in much the same way as learners in FE are expected to 'learn how to learn' to adapt to the changes brought about by globalisation. Welsh Assembly Government policy commits to achieving equivalent standards of professionalism in FE and schools but, unlike England, apart from its endorsement of the Standards, no progress has been made. The Standards' role in teacher training was explored The influence of the official discourse in the Standards was mediated by teacher-trainers in ways that were oriented to practice and to the enactment of professionalism, rejecting any notion of competencies. The Standards accordingly had little influence on trainees' constructs of professionalism. Trainees were focussed instead on gaining basic survival skills, but they had a clear personal sense of professional standards, centred on their responsibilities and commitment to their students. Theirs was a discourse of professionalism in formation, recognising the importance of tacit knowledge, acquired by experience. The study concludes by identifying a possible distinctively Welsh approach to professionalising FE teaching, and the need for improved mentoring and support for trainee and newly qualified teachers. A copy of the LLUK's Professional Standards: *New Overarching Professional Standards for Teachers, Teachers and Trainers in Lifelong Learning in Wales* can be accessed from the LLUK at: http://www.lluk.org/documents/02_Bilingual_rri_Standards.pdf

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In considering the challenges faced by educators as a result of the rapid acceleration of globalization, the need for professional development programs to assist educators’ awareness of how to respond to these challenges is now more critical than ever. Since the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), in December of 1999, when the Portuguese Government handed administration of the territory back to China, there has been an increased focus on how to attract and sustain international investment in the region. Within the last ten years Macao has seen unusually rapid growth, especially in the Gaming, Hotel and Events industries, with a significant proportion due to the entry of American Corporations such as MGM, Wynn, and Galaxy. Now more than ever the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government would like to see an enhancement of the English Language acquisition process in schools throughout the territory. The purpose of this research investigation is to explore the effectiveness of a professional development program on the professional efficacy of local Macao English language teachers to affect student motivation in English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms throughout the territory. The constructs which frame this study will be defined in the literature as areas of collaborative action research, reflective teacher education, teacher professional development, social constructivism, teacher efficacy and student motivation. This qualitative study, which employs a collaborative action research methodology in its design, comprised two levels of examination: I. What are the effects of an intensive professional development program on; a. an EFL teacher’s practice? b. an EFL teacher’s feelings of professional efficacy? II.a. Can changes in a teacher’s practice affect student motivation? b. Can changes in a teacher’s professional efficacy affect student motivation? The following six sub-questions assist in focusing the examination: 1. Do teachers consider the professional development training beneficial? 2. Are participating teachers’ willing to or capable of applying what they’ve learned in the training to their respective classrooms? 3. As a result of the training what changes do teachers report / facilitator observe as having occurred in EFL classrooms? 4. Have teachers perceived an increase in their students’ motivation to learn English as a result of change efforts implemented? 5. Do teachers feel they can influence their students’ motivation to learn English? 6. Do teachers feel adequately supported throughout the program? Data sources comprising; the facilitator’s notes and classroom observations, survey responses, professional teaching journals, students’ pre & post responses to the motivational survey and documents including student work provided by the teacher participants were collected over an eight month period from October 2003 – June 2004. Triangulation using both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools was incorporated into the design to ensure reliability of the interpretation. The professional development program focused on in this study aimed for teachers to: • Collectively set and work towards achieving common goals related to the facilitation of a communicative learning environment in the classroom. • Reflect upon factors in their respective classrooms that could be impeding students’ success with learning English. • Understand how to select appropriate curricular materials to enhance the communicative learning environment in the classroom. • Become equipped with tools and knowledge to design, initiate and assess a change program within their respective classrooms Student motivation to learn English became the problem focused on throughout the training due to the fact that teachers unanimously identified it as a difficulty faced, in both primary and secondary EFL classrooms. Though there is no intention to universally generalize the results of this study; within the limited context of the case studied here in the Macao SAR, teacher participants in the program perceived changes in their students’ behavior which suggested an increase in motivation in their respective classrooms as a result of change efforts they initiated via this program. The experiences documented herewith warrant justification for further research.

EFL teachers from the Brazilian public sector have often experienced difficulties in efficiently accessing the relevant information from articles published in 'English Teaching Forum'. This study attempts to investigate these difficulties from both 'text-analytical' and 'reader-based' perspectives and begins with a brief profile of the teachers concerned. An analytical framework incorporating elements from several approaches, specifically those of Hoey (1973) and Swales (1990) is used to highlight the organisational features from a selection of 'Forum' articles. It is then hypothesised that certain clause-relational macropatterns will facilitate access and be focused upon by 'successful' readers; in contrast, writer 'justification' moves are seen as potential barriers to efficient comprehension. A sample of FL methods articles written by Brazilians and published in Portuguese is then analysed and the same set of analytical parameters are found to be valid for describing their organisational features. A review of processing models of text comprehension and related FL reading research is made following the second 'reader-based' perspective. A set of criteria regarding the processing strategies of 'successful' and 'less-skilled' FL readers is established. Verbal report methodologies are argued as a suitable means of testing both the text-analytical hypotheses and the reader processing criteria. Various types of field work carried out in the collection of verbal report data from Brazilian EFL teachers reading 'Forum' articles are then described. Groups of 'successful' and 'problematic' readers are defined according to the processing strategies revealed in the verbal reports. Although there are substantial variations in the individual strategies of individual readers, and evidence of the influence of text informativity, the 'successful' processing consistently included focusing on the clause-relational macro signals; in contrast, there was little evidence of activation of the same text features by the 'problematic' readers. Finally suggestions are made for including FL methods articles, text-analytical elements, and verbal reporting on INSED-TEFL courses in Brazil.

Interaction during the early opening phases of in-service teacher training courses in Malaysia between native speaker teacher trainers and rural Malaysian teachers involved potential cultural issues. This qualitative study of four rural sites addresses possible tensions from differences in learning cultures as native speaker teacher trainers introduced courses. There were issues of whether primary and secondary teachers accept training techniques. If teachers were to see the courses as useful there was a need for early acceptance of discourse strategies, techniques and the experiential approach. Analysis of this with teacher trainer talk, non-verbals and perceptions of early phase interaction was derived from lesson transcripts, field notes, semi-structured interviews and reflection. Interviews explored teacher acceptance of training techniques. 12 out of 16 Malaysian teachers were positive about the usefulness of training techniques. Most teachers were positive about the early phases of the learning culture when teacher trainers introduced themselves, facilitated transferable tasks, encouraged success and included bilingual approaches. Unexpectedly, humour was important in reducing reliance on the ‘native speaker’ teacher trainer and in creating convergence. While some secondary teachers valued the teacher educator as a knowledge source, for most, the pedagogic approach was pivotal to accepting techniques which were less hierarchical than teachers’ earlier training. Teacher educators stated that teacher interest at both primary and secondary levels focused not on cultural difference as expected but on transferable techniques. Teacher educator stereotypes were abated by cultural adaptation as training techniques reduced the expert knowledge dispenser role. Teacher educators reflected on this and the role of reflection as transcripts and field notes were discussed to develop practitioner knowledge. The teacher educators spoke positively of this reflection. This study provides data for teacher education practice where meeting everyday classroom needs were perceived as central to fostering interactive rural classrooms.

Developments in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and its applications in teaching and learning science are calling for teachers to integrate ICT into science curriculum and instruction. This requires a strategic ICT training for prospective teachers. The literature suggests that integrating ICT into Initial Teacher Education (ITE) is the only option to accomplish the intended change in developing prospective teachers. This thesis focuses on exploring the process of integrating ICT into pre-service secondary science teacher education programmes (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) and its emerging challenges in a Faculty of Education (FE) in Turkey. In this thesis, qualitative dominant case study design was adopted as a result of a pragmatic reasoning. The analysis of data revealed that integrating ICT into ITE science programmes is yet to be accomplished. The data revealed that the participants, both the lecturers and student teachers, have positive attitudes towards ICT and considerable knowledge and positive understanding of ICT and its potential in teaching and learning science. However, the Faculty fails to provide appropriate ICT-training courses for student teachers to develop their technical ICT skills. Having said this, there are crucial examples of horizontal integration; that is, the lecturers provide opportunities for the student teachers to use ICT in meaningful contexts. The data suggest that there is a relationship between the practitioners‘ stages of concern and stages of adoption, which can be described as follows: the personal level of concern moves from the 'self-concerns' to 'task and impact-concerns', the personal adoption level is also likely to move from entry to invention. Although the participants and the researcher identified some crucial factors that has prevented the lecturers and student teachers from using ICT in teaching and learning, among these the institutional ones such as lack of proper access to ICT resources, overcrowded-classrooms, lack of technical and pedagogical support are more influential on the integration process.