The setting up of practical schools in Hong Kong aimed to cater for students identified as 'unmotivated'. However, there were no reliable tools in assessing the motivational behaviour of the students being placed in practical schools. This study was the first type of research conducted in Hong Kong intended to examine target students' motivation for learning. The subjects included 86 students from two practical schools, together with a sample of 121 academically low achievers from two low-band mainstream schools for comparison purpose, 108 of whom were secondary one while 99 were secondary two students. This study consisted of cross-sectional and longitudinal research methods. 50 teachers from two practical schools, as well as 52 teachers from two low-band schools were requested to respond to a questionnaire regarding their perceptions of students' motivational and disruptive behaviour. The motivational questionnaire involved multifaceted constructs such as attribution of success and failure, task-oriented motivation, learned helplessness, learned hopelessness, work avoidance, self-worth, value and purpose of education, parental support, and positive and negative attitudes towards schooling. Research techniques such as t-test, analysis of variance, effect size, and factor analysis were employed in the data analysis. The study provided evidence that students in practical schools and low-band schools showed different maladaptive motivation: the former tended to adopt a learned helpless motivation, accompanied with negative emotion whilst the latter were more likely to exhibit self-worth motive and work avoidance attitude. Students in practical schools showed deterioration in their motivation for learning between secondary one and secondary two. However, there was a positive change in students' motivation for students in low-band mainstream schools. Thus it was found that students' motivation for learning was less likely to be enhanced in a segregated setting. It is recommended that we should focus on aspects of school policy, the whole school environment and effective teaching strategies so as to enhance students' motivation for learning. Future research should involve quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data direct from classrooms.

In this dissertation it is argued that the concept of ―literary intelligence‖ as used and developed by Frank Raymond Leavis and other members of his Scrutiny circle is a viable theoretical and educational notion and is long due a reappraisal. Their thesis that reading quality texts intelligently assists our personal and moral development is taken up and subjected to philosophical analysis. It is also argued that a theory of intellectual virtue is best suited for such a reappraisal. Literary intelligence is then found to be best interpreted as a form of Aristotelian practical intelligence. This interpretation allows us to theorize the moral salience of literary experiences. This theorization is achieved through an in-depth analysis of relevant articles written by Leavis, Harding and Bantock, assorted writings on the relationship between life and art as envisaged by a number of thinkers, as well as a sustained analysis of the theory of intellectual virtue. In particular, recourse is taken to the theory of intellectual virtue as drafted by American philosopher Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski. Consequently, a number of educational implications of the above theories are identified and commented upon. Also, it is shown that the above-mentioned theoretical insights fit in well with the consistent findings of research into reading. Finally it is argued that if the capacity to read well is best approached as a moral trait, then reading education cannot be legitimately conceptualized as one ‗competence‘ among others. On the contrary: reading education ought to form the moral kernel of the curriculum. A sustained and socially sanctioned emphasis on the fostering of reading and the creation of a culture of literacy will widely expand the social, cultural and moral horizons of children and adults alikeInevitably, this is a multi-disciplinary thesis since David Stow’s contribution to education must be set within an historical period and a framework of religious and ethical beliefs. After an opening chapter (2) which draws on previously unknown information about his family background, upbringing and business, the following four chapters (3 to 6) examine the religious, social, national and educational context of his work. Chapters 7 and 8 describe the achievements of the Glasgow Infant School Society (GISS) and the Glasgow Educational Society (GES) in both of which Stow was the driving force. Chapters 9 to 12 outline the pedagogical and organisational ‘system’ which he evolved for the training of children and their teachers, while the remaining chapters argue that his influence on British education was much greater than previously thought. David Stow was a family man – two wives, five children, unnumbered relatives all living under the shadow of continual bereavement. He may be regarded as a pillar of the church community – Sabbath School teacher, deacon, elder, his persistent presence on endless committees rendering them both quorate and even constructive. We can judge him as a man of commerce – successful, wealthy, safely ensconced in a fine house in Sauchiehall Street and developing his business from the Trongate to a spacious, purpose-built factory in Port Eglinton. We can come to know him as a person – witty, kindly, delighted by the company of children, generous, moralistic, pedantic, inflexible. As with any personal story all of these, and more, are important facets of the unfolding character of the man over his three-score years and ten. For the purpose of this thesis, however, what makes Stow different is his contribution to the growing demand for a national, universal and eventually compulsory system of education during the course of the nineteenth century. Stow’s tangible contribution survives in his writings, in the institutions he created, in the buildings he left behind. His lasting achievement, as Insh remarked, was ‘a life devoted consistently and strenuously to

Cette thèse visait à analyser les pratiques et les conceptions des enseignants burundais accueillant des élèves en situation de handicap (ESH). Le questionnement empirique qui a orienté ce travail s’inscrit au coeur des débats institutionnels et scientifiques relatifs à la question de l’éducation pour tous et des pratiques d’enseignement associées. Deux études complémentaire s ont été menées. La première étude visait à identifier les ressources et les obstacles à la mise en œuvre des dispositifs inclusifs au Burundi du point de vue des acteurs impliqués ainsi que les pratiques déclarées par les enseignants accueillant des ESH en classe. Le recueil des données a été réalisé à l’aide d’entretiens semi directifs (avec sept acteurs) et d’une enquête par questionnaire (avec 205 enseignants). Les résultats de cette enquête montrent que les pratiques déclarées se caractérisent par une forte valence « inclusive ». En revanche, les conceptions révélées par l’enquête demeurent essentiellement « non inclusives ». La deuxième étude a été réalisée afin de décrire et mieux comprendre les pratiques effectives des enseignants. Elle a été conduite dans le programme de recherche du Cours d’action (Theureau, 2006), avec l’ambition de caractériser les pratiques réelles des enseignants in situ. Le recueil de données a été effectué avec quatre enseignants, deux étaient enseignants d’EPS et deux autres de Sciences sociales et humaines (géographie et psychologie). Les résultats montrent des pratiques d’enseignement emblématiques de modes contrastés de prise en charge des ESH en classe. Ces deux études permettent d’ouvrir sur des implications pratiques dans le domaine de l’éducation des ESH et d’envisager des pistes concrètes pour enrichir la formation des enseignants burundais dans la perspective de la mise en place effective d’une éducation inclusive au Burundi. / This thesis aimed to analyze the practices and conceptions of Burundian teachers welcoming students with disabilities (SWD). The empirical questioning that has guided this work is at the heart of institutional and scientific debates on the issue of education for all and associated teaching practices. Two studies were conducted additional. The first study aimed to identify the resources and obstacles to the implementation of inclusive systems in Burundi from the perspective of the actors involved as well as the practices reported by teachers hosting SWD in the classroom. Data collection was carried out using semi-directive interviews (with seven participants) and a questionnaire survey (with 205 teachers). The results show that the practices declared are characterized by a strong "inclusive" valence. On the other hand, the concepts revealed by the survey remain essentially "non-inclusive". The second study was carried out in order to describe and better understand the actual practices of teachers. It was conducted as part of the research programme of the ‘’Course of action’’ (Theureau, 2006), with the aim of characterizing the real practices of in situ teachers. The data collection was carried out with four teachers, two were Physical education teachers and two others in Social Sciences and Humanities (geography and psychology). The results show teaching practices that are emblematic of contrasting ways of managing SWD in the classroom. These two studies make it possible to open up on practical implications in the field of SWD education and to consider concrete ways to enrich the training of Burundian teachers with a view to an effective implementation of inclusive education in Burundi.

While the European Union is ongoing towards a production system based on the knowledge economy, and in a historical moment when universities are facing the challenges associated with the achievement of the postulates of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), it is necessary to rethink the competitive patterns established until now. It seems appropriate to clarify the expectations in relation to some of the main higher education needs of the information and communication technology (ICT) engineers in Spain, to reflect and evaluate the performance of the university and to consider how to develop curricula for this purpose. Thus, the thesis presents different objectives, which have divided the research into three phases. First, an in-depth study on the state of the art of both the specific literature on the concept of generic competences or transversal skills was conducted, specifying for the ICT sector and engineering studies. Yet, stress has also been put on the analysis of the general and specific literature on learning methods, focusing on the so-called active methodologies and contextualizing in the EHEA. Given the broad range of skills and general know-how required by the Spanish ICT sector (mainly focusing on graduates in computer and telecommunications engineering), a selection limited to 20 ICT skills has been ensured, following a rigorous procedure. In the second phase, and from a comprehensive statistical study using a representative sample that comprises more than 60% of all employees working in the Spanish ICT sector, it has been possible to shed some light on the graduate profile that responds to the market demands. The required pattern is as follows: the graduated is able to find the information he/she needs, has an analytical thinking, is able to planning, is team working and flexible, as well. The research conducted also reveals the most valued skills applying for both graduate and master level, being in both cases: teamwork, commitment to learning, problem solving and customer oriented. The field study has reflected Spanish university fulfills their role of training competences, attending to the needs and expectations of the sector, although highlighting certain gaps. This is a key element for reflection, which provides training proposing improvements for further investigations. Also research results have suggested a gap between generic skills demanded by the sector in Spain and those recommended by the scientific literature, in terms of business strategy and the ways of maintaining competitive advantage in the ICT sector. Finally, in the third stage analysis, and thanks to the use of an expert panel, it has been developed the most efficient way to ensure the acquisition of the 10 generic hey skills for graduates in ICT engineering. This original proposal has emphasized the use of student centered learning techniques, also known as active learning methodologies. The findings suggest that the use of project based learning (PBL) as well as the learning contract technique, are the teaching methods that best help in the acquisition of the skills required by the ICT sector. We must emphasize the relevance of this research, which assumes the methodological change, where the student becomes the central element of the new educational paradigm promoted by the European educational integration. / Mientras la Unión Europea sigue caminando hacia un sistema productivo basado en la economía del conocimiento, y en un momento histórico, en el que, desde la universidad, se encaran los retos asociados a la consecución del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior, es necesario replantearnos los patrones de competitividad hasta hoy establecidos. Parece oportuno, aclarar cuáles son las expectativas, des del ámbito de la empresa y los empleadores, en relación a algunos de los principales parámetros educativos que dan respuesta a las necesidades laborales de los/las ingenieros/as que trabajan en el mercado de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en España, poder reflejar y evaluar, el desempeño de la universidad y considerar cómo desarrollar los programas de estudio a tal fin. Así, la tesis presenta diferentes objetivos, que han dividido la investigación en tres fases, en primer lugar, a partir de un profundo estudio del estado del arte, tanto de la bibliografía específica sobre el concepto competencia, y todo lo directamente relacionado con las competencias genéricas o transversales, concretando en el sector TIC y los estudios de ingeniería. Y, a su vez, el análisis de la bibliografía general y específica sobre metodologías docentes y métodos de evaluación del aprendizaje, centrado en las denominadas metodologías activas y contextualizando en el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior. Se ha asegurado la idoneidad de acotar a un total de 20 competencias, el amplio abanico de habilidades y destrezas generales que demanda el sector TIC en España, básicamente a los/las tituladas en ingeniería informática y de telecomunicación. En la segunda fase, y a partir de un amplio estudio estadístico, gracias a una muestra representativa de más del 60% del total de los empleados del conjunto del sector TIC en España, se ha desgranado el perfil del egresado, que responde al siguiente patrón: es capaz de encontrar la información que necesita, tiene un pensamiento analítico, sabe planificar, trabajar en equipo y es, a su vez flexible. También se han determinado las competencias más valoradas, que tanto a nivel de grado como de máster son coincidentes, siendo en ambos casos: el trabajo en equipo, la capacidad de aprender, el ser resolutivo y la orientación al cliente. El estudio de campo ha reflejado el papel discreto de la universidad española en la formación de competencias transversales, atendiendo a las necesidades y expectativas del sector, poniendo de manifiesto ciertas lagunas. Siendo éste un elemento de reflexión, que brinda la proposición de mejoras formativas a implementar. Juntamente, a otro hecho que sugiere la investigación, atendiendo a la literatura analizada, la brecha existente entre las competencias genéricas que el sector demanda, y aquellas que la literatura científica recomienda, en cuanto a estrategia empresarial y formas de mantener la ventaja competitiva, en el sector TIC. Finalmente, en la tercera fase del trabajo que completa las aportaciones de esta tesis, y gracias a la utilización del panel de expertos, se presenta la forma más eficiente de asegurar la adquisición de las 10 competencias genéricas clave para los graduados en ingenierías TIC, recién egresados, a través de técnicas de aprendizaje centradas en el estudiante, también conocidas como metodologías activas de aprendizaje. La investigación concluye que la utilización del método del aprendizaje basado en proyectos o project based learning (PBL) junto al contrato de aprendizaje, técnicas de carácter grupal por un lado y de carácter individual por otro, nos propician la consecución de su totalidad. Debemos resaltar la oportunidad del trabajo, asumiendo el cambio metodológico que supone el establecer, al estudiante como elemento central del nuevo paradigma pedagógico impulsado por la integración europea.

The aim of this study is to examine the phenomenon of low-income Kuwaiti parents changing their orientation from government schools to private Pakistani low-cost schools. In order to arrive at a logical explanation for the phenomenon, the motivational factors affecting parents and their level of satisfaction, as well as the quality of the schools, were investigated through a comparative case study conducted in the Kindergarten and primary levels of schools in each sector. The quality of the schools was measured with regard to their policies, teacher absenteeism and attendance, curriculum, and school buildings and facilities. A mixed methods approach using qualitative and quantitative instruments was adopted to elicit data from 18 government schools (from the six local authorities) and 13 private Pakistani schools in Kuwait. The quantitative instrument was structured questionnaires administered to parents (384 from the government schools and 489 from the private Pakistani schools), while the qualitative data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with the school managers (13 private Pakistani schools and 18 government schools) and the manager of the inspectorate of private schools; the schools’ observation (checklist), and archive records and documents (obtained from the Ministry of Education and the schools). The findings of the case study revealed that the low-cost private Pakistani schools were out–performing the government schools in various aspects related to these schools’ educational services, which were making them a more satisfactory option for some lowincome Kuwaiti parents and motivating them to travel longer distances daily to reach the private Pakistani schools, even though government schools were available within the zones where they lived. The study found that the Kuwaiti parents were motivated to turn to the private Pakistani schools mainly because they provided English as the schools’ medium of instruction, in addition to having Islam as the schools’ main religion. At the same time, all these facilities were being provided for low-cost affordable tuition fees.

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