Teachers in classrooms use a vast of array of language to support children in their educational development. Previous research with teachers and children in secondary schools has identified that, when supporting children to prepare for important tests, teachers use supportive statements as well as statements stressing the negative outcomes associated with poor performance. However, in the primary school context, research has not identified the specific language that is being used by teachers for test preparation. In this explorative mixed methods study, eight teachers completed communication diaries and were interviewed to identify the types of communication they were using in the classroom towards children aged 6-11 in order to support their test preparations. Two focus groups were also held with children to determine their awareness of teachers’ communicative messages. The final phase of the study gathered data from a questionnaire distributed to a large sample of 112 primary school teachers allowing broader exploration of test-related language use in the classroom. Results identified various forms of communication being used by primary school teachers when preparing children for important tests, with children also aware of these statements. This included informative communication about test arrangements, outcome based statements, efficacious statements, reassuring and calming messages, language statements that related to the importance of tests, and test reminders. The findings further suggested that efficacious communication was the most frequent form of communication that was employed in primary classrooms, though use of language varied amongst teachers. Furthermore, the research identified that teachers were combining particular forms of communication, and it is likely that this communication fluctuated over the academic year. Teachers were also judicious in their use of communication towards children, where statements were chosen to have maximum effect on children based on teachers’ assessments of children’s characteristics. Additional factors such as teacher control, teacher philosophy, a view of children as dependent, views about testing, and teacher-held beliefs about particular forms of communication were also explored to judge their impact on the language used by teachers. The findings of this study provide a preliminary foundation for future research to explore teacher communication and its effects on children’s test preparations in primary schools.

This thesis considers pupils attitudes, teachers (and pupils ) creativity and teacher well-being. These three terms represent factors that are closely linked and have a synergistic relationship in determining learning outcomes. Research concerning these factors, and in particular the findings of action research concerning teachers well-being, are presented through eleven publications. This thesis, when viewed as a single piece of work, provides an insight into teachers everyday experiences, professional lives and their responsibilities. It utilises several research methods including questionnaires (approx. 200 teachers; 150 pupils), interviews (approx. 50 trainee teachers), and diaries (N = 2). The key findings suggest that more clarity is required concerning the meaning of creativity for all primary and secondary teachers and how it should be embedded in teachers practice. A safe classroom, one where a child can make mistakes, take risks and share their thoughts and feelings, is necessary for this to occur; teachers understanding of this concept is considerable and broadly based; however, results suggest that teachers approach this in different ways. Trainee teachers well-being is affected by their school placements and therefore time for them to learn and share with their peers was found to be both necessary and important. It was also found that the trainee teachers benefited from being taught about time-management as this skill was beneficial for their role. An intervention of a 90 minute lecture addressing stress, time-management, psychology models such as Maslow s hierarchy of needs and Rogers core conditions, was researched and proven helpful for trainee teachers (primary and secondary science). However, more discussion of the topics and models was required and therefore three workshops per academic year were trialled with the aim of creating a community of practice to normalise experiences. Questionnaire and interview data were highly positive about this intervention and evaluation of the content showed it was beneficial during school placements. The conclusion of this work is that creative pedagogy and a teacher s well-being are related: if we want our teachers to be creative practitioners in the classroom, we need to ensure that they are well in themselves. Although this conclusion is from a small case study, it could be generalizable to other teacher training courses and a crucial area for those working in teacher education to consider. Supporting and training trainee teachers in how to manage their professional lives so they are equipped personally and emotionally is reported in the findings as necessary for the profession.

Planning for teaching imposes a significant burden on teachers, as teachers need to prepare different lesson plans for different classes according to various constraints. Statistical evidence shows that lesson planning in the Malaysian context is done in isolation and lesson plan sharing is limited. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether a case-based system can reduce the time teachers spend on constructing lesson plans. A case-based system was designed SmartLP. In this system, a case consists of a problem description and solution pair and an attributevalue representation for the case is used. SmartLP is a synthesis type of CBR system which attempts to create a new solution by combining parts of previous solutions in the adaptation. Five activities in the CBR cycle retrieve, reuse, revise, review and retain are created via three types of design: application, architectural and user interface. The inputs are the requirements and constraints of the curriculum and the student facilities available, and the output is the solution, i.e. appropriate elements of a lesson plan. The retrieval module consists of five types of search advanced search, hierarchical, Boolean, basic and browsing. Solving a problem in this system involves obtaining a problem description, measuring the similarity of the current problem to previous problems stored in a database, retrieving one or more similar cases and attempting to reuse the solution of the retrieved cases, possibly after adaptation. Case adaptation for multiple lesson plans helps teachers to customise the retrieved plan to suit their constraints. This is followed by case revision, which allows users to access and revise their constructed lesson plans in the system. Validation mechanisms, through case verification, ensure that the retained cases are of quality. A formative study was conducted to investigate the effects of SmartLP on performance. The study revealed that all the lesson plans constructed with SmartLP assistance took significantly less time than the control lesson plans constructed without SmartLP assistance, although they might have access to computers and other tools. No significant difference in writing quality, measured by a scoring system, was noticed for the control group, who constructed lesson plans on the same tasks without receiving any assistance. The limitations of SmartLP are indicated and the focus of further research is proposed. Keywords: Case-based system, CBR approach, knowledge acquisition, knowledge representation, case representation, evaluation, lesson planning.

This inter-disciplinary study develops a group level approach to learning design and practice in the classroom. This is supported by the use of technology to support learners in their collaborative development of questions. General use of these technologies has tended to focus on tutors setting questions and students responding. This thesis explores a more sophisticated view of these technologies using a student-generated perspective. Five case studies are presented including induction, professional development and placement review. These cases are each in different contexts. This study also develops a group-level concept of learning design. This approach has a structural view of group learning which consists of different ways of organising interaction amongst the whole class. In addition, it also has a psychological view of group learning based around the psychological impact of group membership and different group-level perspectives. This is in contrast with conventional instructional design approaches to pedagogy which are based on representative individuals. In response to this group-level approach, this study reviews individual and socio-cultural theories of learning on order to understand the interaction between individual and whole-group perspectives which are a feature of this practice. Social Identity theory is added to this as a potential bridge between these different theoretical frameworks. Shared Thinking, the name given to this group-level practice, completes the design, theory and practice framework of this study. This practice points to the pedagogical complexity implied by new uses of classroom technologies discussed in this study. The combination of an instrumentalist and a social psychological aspect of pedagogy illustrate this complexity based around the development and manipulation of a shared sense of identity. The tutor’s role therefore combines management of the process with the curation of social identity.

The nature of reflective practice in teaching and its development is the focus of this research. The research approach is reflexive narrative through systematic self-inquiry using Johns (2010) six dialogical movements. This methodology is new to researching the practice of teaching. The research process involved constructing stories of practice experiences, culminating in the construction of the reflexive narrative charting the entire journey over three years and four months. Creating the stories involved in-depth reflection using the disciplined practice of journaling. Reflection was deepened using reflective models, and dialogue with a range of literature sources also supported the creation of the stories. Central to the study was guided reflection through regular engagement with an established inquiry group, which provided a high level of challenge and support for the research. The reflexive narrative was constructed from 25 stories of practice experience, which represents the journey of being and becoming a reflective teacher and teacher educator. The research presents aspects of the lived experience of teaching which includes foregrounding some of the complexity of classroom practice. The research demonstrates how engaging in in-depth reflective process can transform moment to moment practice within the fast-paced crowded classroom experience. This is achieved through gaining an in-depth understanding of self as a teacher, and of the education system and its policies and practices. As a result of in-depth reflection on practice, aspects of teaching which usually remain hidden are exposed. The research identifies how emotion impacts on teaching in some depth. An understanding of one’s emotional self in practice, and one’s personality preferences are essential in developing desirable practice. The research makes a contribution to knowledge about narrative research in educational practices. The methodology demonstrates a valuable approach to developing teaching practice, and enabling a teacher to identify issues which impact on practice but which have been hidden. Teachers also gain an understanding of the fear and constraints which limit desirable practice and enable one to find ways to work that are liberating rather than limiting.

Commonly, teacher evaluations function as summative appraisal mechanisms of teacher performance and effectiveness, as accountability measures and assurances of quality instruction to educational stakeholders. Recently, greater interest in the potential for evaluations to contribute to improvements in teaching and learning has emerged. The use of professional teaching standards and evaluation rubrics represents a significant advance in the design of evaluation tools and procedures. Continuing implementation challenges however, means the potential for evaluations to notably enhance teachers’ professional development is far from realized within many educational contexts. The traditional focus on the individual within evaluations also fails to recognize the collaborative work of teaching teams and to capitalize on the potential of teachers to support improvement in each other’s practice. This inquiry explored the circumstances under which evaluations might promote professional development at the individual level and within teaching teams. The study is located within an international school, which utilizes the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program curriculum. The research question driving the inquiry was; how can teachers and principals within IB PYP schools achieve a focus on professional development and systematic learning within teacher evaluation? An Instructional Rounds protocol was employed to promote a focus on professional development within this qualitative case study. Fullan’s Change Theory guided the implementation and analysis of change in the form and function of evaluations within the school. Findings suggest viable and valuable professional learning can be incorporated into and supported during evaluations. A structured process, incorporating greater frequency of feedback, check-ins, dialogue and collaborative work between supervisors and teachers is needed to produce the monitoring mechanism and sustained gentle pressure necessary to support on-going professional learning. Redefining and broadening concepts of improvement, of involved leadership and professional development is important. Limited focus on specific goals and connecting peers with similar goals encourages commitment to improvement efforts.

Εξαιτίας της διαπολιτισμικής πραγματικότητας, στις επικοινωνιακές σχέσεις που δημιουργούνται μέσα στη σχολική κοινότητα, τα ερεθίσματα που ανταλλάσσονται αποκωδικοποιούνται βάσει του τρόπου που έχει κατακτήσει ο καθένας στα πλαίσια της δικής του κοινωνίας. Το γεγονός αυτό οδηγεί τόσο τους μαθητές όσο και τους εκπαιδευτικούς στο να αντιλαμβάνονται διαφορετικά τα ερεθίσματα που δέχεται ο ένας από τον άλλο. Οι αντιλήψεις που σχηματίζονται έχουν ως αποτέλεσμα προσδοκίες, δηλαδή, προβλέψεις για μελλοντικές συμπεριφορές που αναμένουν να εμφανιστούν. Οι αντιλήψεις και οι προσδοκίες με τη σειρά τους φαίνεται να αποτελούν παράγοντες που μπορούν να επηρεάσουν τη σχολική πορεία του μαθητή. / The communicative relationships that exist into the school community have changed because of the intercultural reality, causing effects to the stimuli that the persons involved in school exchange. The stimuli are decoded due to the way that each person is used to decode them in the terms of his own community. This fact lead both students and teachers to percept the stimuli they exchange in a different way each other. The perceptions that are shaped have as a result the creation of expectations. By expectations we mean the predictions about future behaviors that we expect to appear. The perceptions and the expectations seem to be factors that could affect the school progress of the student.

In recent decades, reflective practice and mentoring have become vehicles for endorsing professional development and competency among student teachers during their induction into the teaching profession. This research study aims to explore the extent to which peer-mentoring can inform reflective practice among student teachers within a community of practice. The mentoring concepts illuminated within this study suggest a move away from hierarchical expert-novice approaches towards mentoring, in exchange for more reciprocal endeavour where power dynamics are removed and both participants become equal receivers and disseminators of knowledge regarding teaching and learning. A qualitative approach was employed through a four-phase, sequential data collection strategy to gather the narrative data collated. Interviews, reflective pro-formas, workshops and open-ended questionnaires were used as instruments to collate narrative data concerning the peer-mentoring experiences of four student teachers. The data was analysed utilising an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. The student teachers involved in this study were selected from a purposive sample. Importantly, the participants selected demonstrated professional characteristics which resonated with the aims of this study. A conceptual framework was designed to capture and examine six dimensions of collaborative mentoring in which student teachers could explore aspects of their own teaching practice through action research. The findings generated within the study point towards a range of contexts and challenges concerning peer-mentoring. The findings revealed that the mentoring dimensions used to stimulate meaningful reflection influenced professional development, while the challenges presented issues concerning; trust, power and time. However, the findings also indicate that challenges to peer-mentoring are not insurmountable. This particular study contends that further research is recommended into: firstly, how educational institutions can create supportive, collaborative learning cultures; secondly, how can reflective practice be encouraged throughout professional teaching careers; and finally, how can the challenges of peer-mentoring be minimised in attempting to encourage such endeavour among student teachers.

Wellbeing is increasingly emerging within discussions of teacher effectiveness. Teacher quality and health has an impact on pupil learning. In an increasingly varied secondary teaching landscape where academies and free schools outnumber ‘state’ schools and where market forces and policy reform have created a new and dynamic working experience; there are benefits and opportunities, but also occupational risks to wellbeing. This study fills a research gap by engaging in a focussed analysis of secondary school teachers’ wellbeing. It offers theoretical contributions and practical recommendations relating to wellbeing and its management in emerging secondary school settings. It informs leadership and management practice towards managing wellbeing proactively through environment, community and personal / transcendental experiences. The research suggests that wellbeing as a performance management criterion and a key measure for school self-improvement could support best practice in innovative and infinite ways. A 61 item Likert questionnaire and 6 semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore 66 secondary teachers’ perceptions of their wellbeing. The data delivered illuminating testimony on the secondary teachers’ work lives and wellbeing. The results uncovered that environmental conditions (such as working with young people, the ability to take lunch breaks and access to resources) and communal conditions (such as the ability to work as a team, to be consulted, to collaborate, be supported and feel trusted) at work impacted teachers’ overall personal wellbeing. Personal wellbeing (overall wellbeing) represented how far teachers were able to develop personally and professionally, how far they experienced agency, control, fulfilment commitment and motivation. What was revealing was the emergence of transcendental wellbeing which arose as a component of personal wellbeing. Transcendental wellbeing represented the unique, personal framework that individuals ascribe to what they do. It encompassed the purpose, meaning and drive that enabled secondary teachers to work through daily events and challenges with resilience.

Η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή πραγματεύεται ζητήματα που αφορούν στον επαγγελματισμό, στην επαγγελματική ταυτότητα και στην επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη με αναφορά στον εκπαιδευτικό της Πρωτοβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης. Για τη διεξαγωγή της εμπειρικής έρευνας χρησιμοποιήθηκε το ανώνυμο γραπτό ερωτηματολόγιο. Η επεξεργασία των δεδομένων έγινε με το στατιστικό πακέτο IBM SPSS Statistics (version 20) και αξιοποιήθηκαν οι στατιστικοί δείκτες: Mann-Whitney (U), Kruskal-Wallis (H), Friedman’s ANOVA (χ2), Wilcoxon (T) και χ2 ανεξάρτητων δειγμάτων. Το δείγμα της έρευνας αποτελείται από 310 εκπαιδευτικούς, οι οποίοι υπηρετούσαν σε σχολεία της περιφερειακής ενότητας Αχαΐας κατά το ακαδημαϊκό έτος 2011-2012, εκ των οποίων οι 234 είναι εκπαιδευτικοί Δημοτικής Εκπαίδευσης (ποσοστό απόκρισης: 17% του δειγματοληπτικού πλαισίου) και οι 76 είναι εκπαιδευτικοί Προσχολικής Αγωγής (ποσοστό απόκρισης: 19% του δειγματοληπτικού πλαισίου). Το μέγεθος του δείγματος είναι αντιπροσωπευτικό του υπό διερεύνηση πληθυσμού. Με βάση τα αποτελέσματα της εμπειρικής έρευνας, διαπιστώνεται ότι οι εκπαιδευτικοί Δημοτικής Εκπαίδευσης και οι εκπαιδευτικοί Προσχολικής Αγωγής παρά τις επιμέρους διαφοροποιήσεις που παρουσιάζουν στις απαντήσεις τους, αποδίδουν ιδιαίτερη σημαντικότητα σε ουσιώδεις παραμέτρους των εννοιών που μας απασχολούν και αναδεικνύουν την ουσιαστική συμβολή τους στην επαγγελματική τους υπόσταση και στην ποιότητα του έργου τους στο σχολείο. / The purpose of this PhD thesis is to investigate primary and pre-primary education teachers’ perceptions on issues related to professionalism, professional identity and professional development. The empirical survey of this study was carried out by using anonymous written questionnaires. Data processing and statistical analysis were performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics Software package (version 20). The statistical tests used were Mann-Whitney (U), Kruskal-Wallis (H), Friedman’s ANOVA (χ2), Wilcoxon (T) and Chi-Square (χ2) Test for Association. The sample of the survey consists of 310 primary and pre-primary education teachers who were working in schools located in the region of Achaia, during the school year 2011-2012. The size of the sample is broadly representative to the population under investigation. Two hundred thirty four (234) of them were primary education teachers (response rate: 17% of the sampling frame) and 76 were pre-primary school teachers (response rate: 19% of the sampling frame). The findings of the empirical research indicate that, despite some differences in the responses between the two groups, both groups tend to attribute great importance to substantial aspects related to professionalism, professional identity, and professional development. Moreover, they underline the significant contribution of these aspects to their overall work at school.