In this dissertation the findings of a survey on 100 inner-city independent school educators, concerning the factors that affect the level of job satisfaction are presented. It was found that educators derive most of their job satisfaction from interpersonal relationships. Dissatisfaction was mainly the result of low salaries, low status in the community, poor facilities and lack of security. Most of the educators were looking for alternative employment and regarded employment in public schools as a much better option. Recommendations were made to principals on how to improve the factors that affect the level of job satisfaction for educators. / Educational Studies / MED (EDUC MANAGEMENT)

The 1980s saw an increase in learning support assistants (LSAs’) in colleges for further education to support post-sixteen learners with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD). LSAs’ were appointed on an ad hoc basis with little or no experience, or relevant qualifications to deliver support in ‘inclusive’ vocational classrooms. The Workforce Development Plan in 2004 acknowledged this phenomenon and advocated that occupational standards be developed. Two years later, in October 2006, the first National Occupational Standards (NOS) for college LSAs was launched but it did not include an official training framework for their professional learning and although there are some training structures in place, this still remains the case today. Learners with LDD are, therefore, still supported by untrained LSAs’ who are not professionally equipped to deal with the particular challenges they present. Educators like myself who work alongside LSAs’ in colleges, must seek to naturalistically explore professional learning opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills. Such professional learning opportunities should reflect the creative and dynamic contribution college LSAs’ bring to inclusive classrooms and, thereby, not only improve the quality of the support LSAs’ give but the overall integrative, ethical and non-discriminative ethos of a college. With this knowledge, I developed and implemented an Enhanced Learning Support Assistant Programme (ELSAP) for the professional learning of volunteer LSA participants with the aim of improving their knowledge and skills to deliver a more meaningful education for postsixteen learners with LDD. For the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, professional learning for LSAs’ needs to occur systemically over time and be integrated within the multilayered context of a college to allow dynamic and reciprocal influences to make transformative connections. Critically, my action research study strengthens the connection between socio-political theory and practice within the sociology of disability education on moral, ethical and human rights grounds.

Les relations entre la Chine et la France ne cessant de se développer, la problématique de la communication interculturelle entre les deux pays devient un enjeu important. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse a pour objectif de mettre en place une approche interculturelle dans l’enseignement du français en milieu universitaire chinois pour sensibiliser les étudiants à la diversité culturelle et les préparer aux contacts interculturels. Avec un cadre de référence méthodologique élaboré essentiellement sous les aspects pragmatique et ethnographique, nous avons essayé donc de cerner l’origine des difficultés communicationnelles et relationnelles entre Chinois et Français en identifiant les principales variables culturelles exprimées sous forme d’allusions dans la langue, d’usages sociolinguistiques et socioculturels qui régissent les interactions verbales et dans les comportements inhérents au langage non-verbal, etc. Les différences culturelles sino-françaises relevées dans notre analyse comparative et descriptive aident d’une part à expliquer les éventuels problèmes/obstacles de compréhension liés aux implicites culturels de ces deux communautés et d’autre part, nous servent de repère important pour proposer des pistes pédagogiques en vue de l’amélioration dans l’enseignement de la culture et la formation d’une compétence de communication interculturelle. / Since relations between China and France are forever growing, the issue of intercultural communication between the two countries is becoming an increasingly important art. In this context, the objective of this thesis is to put in place an intercultural approach of teaching French in Chinese Universities, to sensitize students to cultural diversity and prepare them for intercultural contacts. With a methodological reference framework developed essentially under the pragmatic and ethnographic aspects, we have tried to identify the origins of communication and relational difficulties between Chinese and French people by identifying the main cultural variables expressed by allusions in language, in sociolinguistic and sociocultural uses that govern verbal interactions and behaviour inherent to non-verbal language, etc. The Sino-French cultural differences revealed by our comparative and descriptive analysis helps on one hand to explain eventual problems/obstacles to understanding linked to implicit cultural meanings of two communities, and on the other hand, they can be used as an important mark to propose pedagogic clues aiming to the better teaching of culture and training of an intercultural communication competence.

In this dissertation the findings of a survey on 100 inner-city independent school educators, concerning the factors that affect the level of job satisfaction are presented. It was found that educators derive most of their job satisfaction from interpersonal relationships. Dissatisfaction was mainly the result of low salaries, low status in the community, poor facilities and lack of security. Most of the educators were looking for alternative employment and regarded employment in public schools as a much better option. Recommendations were made to principals on how to improve the factors that affect the level of job satisfaction for educators. / Educational Studies / MED (EDUC MANAGEMENT)

Recent changes to the provision for teacher training have seen a move to place greater responsibility for the training of teachers with schools rather than with Higher Education Institutes. The rationale appears to be the view that this will produce the kind of teachers schools are looking to employ. However, there appears to be little research focused on the opinions of the senior management of primary schools about whether they believe this to be the case, whether they feel schools are in a good position to undertake this training, and what impact they perceive such a move will have on primary schools. This study took a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore primary school headteachers’ perceptions of how best to train primary school teachers seen by them as fit to practise and what they perceived schools could and could not provide to support this outcome. Data were initially collected in a feasibility study exploring the views of the headteacher, the school-based mentor and the former trainee teacher in identifying their perceptions of factors which contributed to the outstanding outcome for a trainee on the Graduate Trainee Programme on the completion of his training year. Reflections on one of these factors in particular, that of the crucial role of the headteacher in enabling the successful outcome, at a time when a number of significant reforms to teacher training were being implemented, prompted a reconsideration of the focus of the main study to an exploration of headteachers’ perceptions of training teachers seen by them as fit to practise in primary schools in a changing landscape of teacher training. Twelve primary school headteachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed utilising a constant comparison method (Strauss and Corbin, 1990; Charmaz, 2006). Conclusions from a small scale study cannot easily be generalised. However the findings from the main study suggested the headteachers believed teachers who were fit to practise demonstrated the ability to think critically about their practice and that this attribute was under-represented in standards for teachers. In terms of training to become teachers fit to practise the headteachers supported the viewpoint of the primacy of practice but believed that practice alone was not sufficient to develop the teachers they sought to employ in their schools. In order to become critical thinkers trainee teachers needed to study the theory underpinning the teaching in schools. This study should be guided by experts, who most of the headteachers identified as academic partners, in teacher training located outside of the school. There was a measure of hostility from some of the headteachers to the idea that a teaching school could fulfil this expert role. The headteachers used a number of synonyms to describe the teachers they were seeking but all appeared to mean teachers fit to practise in their schools. The headteachers believed they had the ability to recognise the potential to become a teacher fit to practise in applicants to teaching and they used this to identify trainee teachers who would fit their schools. With greater responsibility for teacher training moving to schools this highlighted issues of equality of opportunity and a potentially insular approach to the training and recruitment of teachers. According to the headteachers, schools which participated in teacher training required at least a good Ofsted grade, a climate and skilled staff to support novices and strategic leadership by the headteacher. As part of the remit of this strategic leadership the headteachers perceived it was their role to protect their schools from external pressures such as Ofsted inspections. This, they believed, gave them the autonomy to decide on their level of participation, if any, in teacher training on an annual basis. Recommendations for further research, policy and partnerships have been made.

Η παρούσα μελέτη αφορά την αντίληψη και έκφραση της ατομικότητας του εκπαιδευτικού μέσα στην διδακτική του διαδικασία, παράλληλα με τον ρόλο του μέσα στην τάξη. Με χρήση συνδυαστικής πολυεπίπεδης μεθοδολογίας, με στοιχεία εθνογραφίας και ανθρωπολογικής προσέγγισης οίκοι, διεξήχθη αυτοπαρατήρηση σε διάστημα 5 μηνών προκειμένου να εντοπιστεί η σχέση σύγκρουσης ή συνύπαρξης μεταξύ της ατομικότητας με τον ρόλο. / This study analyzes the perception and expression of individuality of the teacher in his class, in a parallelism to his professional role. In this multi-leveled methodology, with element of ethnography and anthropological oikoi approach, it was studied for 5 months the relation between the individuality of the teacher to the professional role, through self-observance.

La recherche porte sur les gestes professionnels des formateurs accompagnant des enseignants nouvellement nommés. L‘entrée dans le métier est une période cruciale pour nombre d’enseignants. A l’école primaire, les modalités spécifiques d’accompagnement mises en œuvre sous la forme d’un tutorat, visent à développer la professionnalité de l’enseignant en devenir. Cette recherche rend compte d’une étude longitudinale de l’accompagnement de quatre maitres formateurs auprès d’enseignants stagiaires ou contractuels, durant l’année scolaire 2013-2014. Dans l’entretien post observation de classe, dispositif support de cette étude, l’activité du formateur est analysée sous l’angle des gestes professionnels, mobilisés dans leurs dimensions opératoires et symboliques, et, enrichis par la notion d’amplitude professionnelle. Cette dernière suppose que le geste professionnel n’a pas une dimension axiologique en lui-même mais qu’il est fortement dépendant de la relation d’accompagnement construite entre les deux partenaires de l’entretien. Dans la continuité des travaux mobilisant les gestes professionnels, Jorro (1998, 2002, 2006, 2011), Alin (2006, 2010) et Bucheton (2008, 2009), la thèse étudie les gestes professionnels du formateur pendant l’entretien post observation de classe, rendant possible une lecture d’un agir professionnel situé.Le geste professionnel, conçu comme un mouvement du corps envers autrui, est redéfini comme une interaction verbale et/ou corporelle, intentionnelle et conscientisée par le formateur, d’amplitude variable. Les résultats permettent de mettre en évidence sept gestes professionnels des formateurs. Par leurs spécificités, ces gestes sont les témoins d’un agir opératoire professionnel en situation. Nommés et clairement identifiés, ils constitueraient des savoirs conscientisés qui permettraient d’enrichir les pratiques des formateurs. Ainsi, outre les deux visées principales, descriptive et compréhensive, la recherche s’inscrit dans une perspective praxéologique, visant le développement professionnel des formateurs d’enseignants en situation d’accompagnement individualisé. / This research is about the professional gestures of tutors accompanying newly appointed teachers. In the interview that follows the observation of a class, which we based our study on, the tutor’s activity is analysed through the lens of professional gestures, mobilised in their operating and symbolic dimensions, and enriched by the notion of professional amplitude.This last one supposes that the professional gesture does not have an axiological dimension in itself, but that it strongly depends on the accompanying relation built between the two partners of the interview. In the continuity of works concerning professional gestures, Jorro (1998, 2002, 2006, 2011), Alin (2006, 2010) and Bucheton (2008, 2009), this thesis studies the professional gestures of the tutor during the interview post class observation and makes possible a reading of a situated professional acting. The professional gesture, seen as a body movement towards the other, is redefined as a verbal and/or corporeal interaction, intended and conscientised by the tutor, of variable amplitude. The results allow us to highlight seven professional gestures from the tutors.

Depuis une trentaine d'années la recherche et la littérature scientifique en éducation ont mis en évidence l'importance de l'analyse des pratiques dans la formation des enseignants et des formateurs. La question des gestes professionnels est aujourd'hui une des problématiques de la formation des enseignants. En prenant appui sur des approches théoriques variées et complémentaires, comme l'anthropologie, la sémiotique et l'ergonomie cognitive notre recherche et notre objet d'étude se concentrent sur l'identification de « microgestes professionnels » qui sont « en (je) eux » dans la mise en pratique et la dynamique de gestes professionnels. Elle tente de mesurer et d'évaluer l'importance d'une prise de conscience réflexive incarnée - l'introspection gestuée - de ces micro gestes dans l'appropriation et/ou la mise en oeuvre des gestes professionnels par des novices et des experts dans des disciplines et des ordres d'enseignement (1er- 2e degré) différents. Une bonne part des difficultés rencontrées par les enseignants résident dans la nonmaîtrise de certains « micro-gestes d'action » vécus dans leur communication didactique et pédagogique. A partir de deux gestes professionnels celui de (S') observer et celui de « (Se) mettre en scène » (Alin, 2010), nous avons mis en évidence cinq micro-gestes qui interagissent constamment entre les protagonistes de la scène du cours. Ce sont : la posture gestuée, la voix, le regard, l'usage du mot, et le positionnement tactique (le placement/déplacement). Sur le plan méthodologique notre protocole de recueil de données s'appuie sur la captation vidéo de situations professionnelles suivie d'entretiens d'auto confrontation. Cette approche qualitative relève à la fois de l'analyse du travail et de l'analyse du discours (langage verbal et non verbal). Les traces enregistrées sont exploitées et analysées avec comme cadre théorique principal, l'approche sémiotique de Ch. S. Peirce. C'est notre expérience de direction de chef de choeur et de chef d'orchestre qui nous a interrogé sur le sens des actes posés, dans ce qu'ils ont de plus infime et signifiant. L'enseignant comme concepteur crée et innove mais il est aussi un interprète. Comme le musicien, il doit savoir interpréter la partition qu'il a créée ou bien qu'il a empruntée, grâce à l'usage de micro-gestes précis, incarnés dans des actions gestuées et situées. La prise de conscience et la prise en compte des gestes professionnels et des micro-gestes qui en constituent la dynamique nous apparaît comme pouvant être un des appuis forts de la formation initiale et continue dans la construction de l'expertise pédagogique des enseignants et/ou des formateurs / For the last thirty years research and scientific literature on education have focused the importance of analysing best practises in teacher training, from the point of view of both teachers and trainers. Today the subject of professional gestures has become one of the most important issues in effective teacher training. This study used data from varied theoretical and complementary approaches such as anthropology, semiotics, cognitive ergonomics and our research aims at identifying vibrant “professional micro gestures” which are to be put into practise. It tries to measure and assess the importance of the awareness of these micro gestures referred to as -introspection on gestures- in the appropriation and the implementation of professional gestures by both novice teachers and experts in different subjects and teaching primary and secondary levels. Most of the difficulties that teachers have to deal with are due to the fact that they don’t control certain “action micro gestures” experienced in their communication both didactic and educational. From two professional gestures: ‘Observing’ and ‘Acting’, we have highlighted 5 micro-gestures constantly interacting with the protagonists of the classroom. They are posture, voice, eye contact, speech and use of space and moving. The method that we used to collect data for our research is based on recordings of professional situations followed by self assessment interviews and feedback. This qualitative approach deals with the analysis of both the work and the speech (verbal and non verbal

This study is concerned with the development of subject knowledge in pre-service teachers of secondary physical education (PE) during their one year Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) course. It investigates the knowledge bases for teaching which pre-service teachers recognised, developed and prioritised, as well as the key influences that impacted on their subject knowledge development. Adopting an interpretive methodology informed by constructivist grounded theory, the study employed interviews, lesson observations and post-lesson reflections as principal research methods. Pre-service teachers were seen to make wide-ranging progress in their subject knowledge, including the development of content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, knowledge of curriculum and knowledge of pupils. Through this they advanced their view of the nature of PE and how they wanted to teach it. The research highlights, that the process of knowledge development in PETE is socially constructed and complex. Much of the pre-service teachers development was influenced by various communities of practice, particularly their school placements PE departments, but also their University-based learning community. Of these, the legitimised practices within the PE departments were found to be especially important to pre-service teachers development. University-based learning was credited by pre-service teachers with enhancing their holistic understanding of the learning process, developing those aspects of critical pedagogy that were under-developed in schools. The impact of different subject knowledge profiles and the consequences of knowledge deficits are identified. This raises questions about the role and development of subject knowledge within PETE and calls for a re-vitalised debate on the nature of the knowledge in PE. Framed within an ever-changing policy landscape is the need for enhanced and stable partnerships that promote shared visions of PETE, an essential part of which is the need to collaboratively design and evaluate explicit knowledge development pathways which allow pre-service teachers to fulfil their potential and genuinely decide how they want to teach PE.

This study investigates teacher cognition and technology use within a context of teaching Arabic to speakers of other languages. Specifically, teacher cognition is examined in relation to early learning experiences, teacher education, classroom practice, and work environment. Following a case study approach, three in-service teachers have been selected to represent different perspectives on using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in language instruction. Findings suggest that teachers’ cognitions about teaching and learning, and about themselves as Arabic language professionals, shape technology use, determine reactions to perceived challenges, and illuminate differences between practitioners working within the same environment with regard to the integration of ICT into their practice. The research suggests that despite the absence of digital learning opportunities in early schooling and teacher education, these experiences still influence the choice of instructional strategies employed by teachers to support technology use. The study accentuates the role of context as a mediating force, supporting teacher cognition and ICT use, but also creating dissonance between them. Teacher cognition determines the weight that practitioners assign to different contextual factors. While lack of time is identified as the most significant barrier to adoption, peer collaboration is recognized as the most effective enabler for technology integration. Other key factors emerging in this study include institutional philosophy and policy, learning opportunities, and technical support. Conceptual, methodological, and professional contributions are addressed, and potential for further research is identified.