Since the 1988 Education Reform Act and the introduction of the National Curriculum soon after, many initiatives, introduced in rapid succession by governments, with very short lead-in times, have affected primary schools. These radically altered the primary school as a working context. Headteachers were charged with the implementation of these initiatives into school contexts which are complex, fluid systems, and where interpersonal and personal-contextual relationships play an important part. The schools are part of the wider government policy context, which itself has significant effects on schools. This study investigated how the government policy-initiatives impacted on the professional ideologies and identities of eight headteachers in primary schools. This was accomplished using an innovative combination of biographical narrative and ‘activity theory’ (in the sense that Engeström’s ‘activity triangle’ is used only as a heuristic device in order to structure the biographical narrative accounts). The data generated two broad professional identities: the child-centred and the curriculum-led headteacher. In response to the government initiatives, the former tended towards 'resistance'; the latter tended towards 'compliance'. The textual analysis of the narratives reveals the detailed patterns of resistance and compliance over the twenty-year period after 1985.

This thesis examines Ghana's decentralised educational planning policy by exploring meanings of decentralisation and decentralised educational planning, the legal framework and how it has been implemented in practice at district level from the perspectives of key stakeholders. In Ghana public policy measures have been directed towards the decentralisation of educational planning and management of pre-tertiary education to address education inefficiencies. To this end, various decentralised educational structures such as School Management Committees (SMCs) and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) have been institutionalized to encourage community participation in educational planning and decision-making. Attempts to enhance community involvement in Ghana resonate with global efforts. Several developing countries have chosen to decentralize educational planning in the hope of obtaining increased participation of stakeholders in educational planning and decision making. Despite the strong policy commitment to decentralisation and decentralised educational planning, this has not translated into practice. The understanding and involvement of key educational stakeholders in decentralised educational planning fall short of expectation. It is against this background that this study examines the experiences of stakeholders in decentralised educational planning in Ghana. The study employed a qualitative research approach focused on purposively sampled districts (Accra Metropolitan Directorate of Education and Komenda- Edina- Eguafo- Abrem). The key participants in the study were 2 Senior Education Officers, 2 Planning Officers, 2 Headteachers, 2 SMC representatives and 2 PTA representatives. Both primary and secondary data were collected. Interview guides were used in the collection of qualitative data while statistical data were collected from Education Management Information System (EMIS). In order to achieve the specific objectives set within the main purpose of this study, the main question which guides this study is: What is the understanding and participation of District Officers, Heads of Schools and other stakeholders of Decentralisation and Decentralised Educational Planning? The study found that stakeholders have diverse understandings about the meaning of decentralisation, and decentralised educational planning. In general it was found that decentralisation entails empowering the districts/locals to make decision and being accountable for the decisions made. Educational decentralisation refers to devolution of educational delivery from Ghana Education Headquarters to the districts with the regional directorate gradually taking the role of the GES headquarters and the district directorates where final authority will reside at the District Assembly. Decentralised educational planning means empowerment to plan and take decision at the local or district level of educational delivery. The study also found that SMC/PTA members participate in the decentralised educational planning process but that their level of involvement is very low. The study also notes that there is weak capacity development for planners and other stakeholders in a system of decentralised education planning. The study suggests that a number of challenges should be addressed to ensure effective decentralised education planning. This thesis provides new insights into decentralised educational planning in Ghana contributing to the extant literature on the topics.

No description available.

This study investigates the South/North Educational Linking Process and sets out to discover how the Southern end is affected. It focuses on relationships described as links, partnerships, sister schools or something deeper and sustainable. It argues that the terminology used is important, enabling relationships to be positioned on a “Linking-Partnership Continuum”. My research question is addressed using a qualitative methodology, based on a mixed methods case study approach. The empirical research is framed conceptually with ideas from Postcolonialism, Cultural Education and Development Education. The analysis is supported by Critical Pedagogical Discourse and draws particularly on work by Andreotti and Quist-Adade. The relationships investigated are set within a rapidly evolving literature, as well as UK policy decisions affecting Development Education. A Ghanaian pilot study is used as a starting point. Key themes are then explored through in depth studies of the S/NELP in eight schools in Uganda and Tanzania. The analysis draws particularly from two secondary schools and one children’s centre. The study has found that in the context of school linking, teachers, students and schools’ local communities are affected in several ways. Teachers’ pedagogy develops through collaboration with UK counterparts, but reciprocal visits are rare. Science, Mathematics, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), English and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) benefit. Students note less tangible outcomes, such as friendships with their UK peers. The S/NELP promotes engagement in development and Development Education/global learning. Capacity building identified includes physical infrastructure, library resources and facilities promoting income generation. Local communities are affected, contributing to progress towards the UN MDGs. The focus of this study is Southern voices. The most important aspects emerging are those of power relations, funding arrangements and avoiding dependency. Southern schools must be able to set their own school linking agenda, without feeling obliged to fit Northern hegemony.

This thesis explores the experiences of both early school leavers and their teachers when a group of eight young people were invited to have greater involvement in their learning. The study is based in a literacy programme within a youth service setting in rural Ireland. The research is situated outside the mainstream school system and this affords a unique chance to see how the young people managed when they were given the chance to have more involvement in their learning, once they had rejected mainstream education. My previous research within the organisation indicates that young people consider that they are capable of taking on more challenging curricula and are keen to pursue higher level qualifications. The study took place between September 2010 and May 2011. The study aimed to develop and evaluate a new approach to a current literacy programme using constructivist teaching strategies which, while supporting increased learner involvement, also offered a higher level literacy certificate. An action research design was used and this thesis follows stages two, three and four of the first iterative cycle. Building on a conceptual framework which links the literatures of early school leaving and the learning theories of constructivism and self-determination, a qualitative analysis was undertaken comprising in depth interviews with young people and staff, field diaries, learner journals, questionnaires and participant observation. Findings show that despite early school leavers having difficult backgrounds, they respond positively when they are offered greater involvement in their learning. This is further enhanced by teacher support and expectation. Findings also suggest that early school leavers have gaps in their literacy skills that need to be addressed when preparing for higher level qualifications. Along with the need for greater learner involvement, it is essential that teaching institutions provide these young people with access to higher level programmes and a structured route to achieving relevant and more useful qualifications. In this way, it is possible to instill the confidence needed to attain significantly higher levels of learning.

Current trends in global economies and rankings by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have been bringing pressure to bear on Higher Education institutions to develop programmes to meet the global demands for a better qualified workforce. In the United Kingdom this has pointed at work based learning as one approach to up-skilling people that are already in work. This has raised concerns that academic rigour and standards could be compromised and scepticism about the workplace as a place for learning. Many universities are now designing and delivering work based learning programmes but there is still limited evidence of empirical research into work based learners’ experiences on these programmes. The aim of this research was to contribute towards filling this perceived gap. A phenomenographic study was conducted to determine variation in the way university work based learning was conceptualised by a group of Early Years practitioners, a workforce that has been subject to various professional development initiatives by the government in an attempt to improve outcomes for children. With the emphasis on variation, the research approach facilitated the identification of the different ways in which work based learning is perceived by learners, giving insight into a deeper understanding of learning in this context. Six conceptions of work based learning were identified which were comparable to conceptions of learning identified in various traditional university contexts, suggesting that concerns about rigour and standards expressed by some critics of university work based learning could be challenged. The findings also confirmed a number of notional principles of work based learning and theory on adult learning. There was also an indication that further research could provide a better understanding of the workplace as a place for developing knowledge and that universities may not have monopoly over this. This research made a contribution to empirical evidence on how university work based learning is experienced by the learners, suggesting the possibility of work based learning playing a bigger role in providing a university education to people who would otherwise not be able to engage at this level. The Early Years practitioners have been identified as such a workforce. One of the recommendations made was that more research into work based learning could support the development of more innovative ways of delivering higher education programmes to meet the needs of the work market. The findings from this study will become part of the discourse about higher education work based learning and the increasing thinking about the workplace as a legitimate place for generating knowledge.

Staffroom humour constitutes an integral part of teachers’ workplace culture and contributes to the quality of workplace relationships, yet it remains under-researched in the field of educational research. This thesis explores the importance of humour in relationships between teachers and its meaning for the overall workplace culture. This research has two foci; one intended and one acquired. Originally this research was set up to investigate staffroom humour in three educational settings. However, humour between participants and I became another focus of the research. Therefore, apart from exploring how staff use humour in the staffroom and what influences staffroom humour, this research also explores how and why humour was used in interactions between participants and myself. Research was undertaken in three post-16 educational settings in England. This takes the form of a case study and uses a mixture of qualitative methods: group and individual semi-structured interviews, unstructured participant observations and the collection of funny artefacts. Findings show that humour at each workplace is distinctive and makes a unique contribution to workplace culture. Workplace humour is spatially and temporally conditioned. Space and time are crucial conditions determining the use of humour, more important than work politics. Different humour functions are located within workplace relationships and not outside of them. Workplace humour serves to construct, nurture or contest relationships. Contesting and the constructing/nurturing of relationships do not need to be mutually exclusive. Degrees of familiarity between staff, just like type of humour, serve as indicators of the type of work relationship. Familiarity is crucial in deciding who uses humour and how within the workplace. Humour used between participants and researcher reveals a number of expectations and complexities that humour research entails. It also shows how interconnected participants’ and researcher’s behaviours are. What needs to be recognised is the value and role of humour in both relationships between teachers and the participant–researcher relationship. Humour research represents specific challenges and opportunities for rapport, data collection and access negotiation that should be explored further.

The lack of pupil voice activities within my work context influenced the introduction of a variety of opportunities for pupils to contribute to the leadership of their year group. In order for pupils to effectively lead, it was necessary to develop within them leadership skills. With the intention of promoting pupil voice, more specifically consultation and engagement (the lack identified by pupils), were used as the main tool to develop the content and delivery of the leadership development programme. This study assesses the extent to which consultation and engagement could be used to aid student leadership development in an inner city secondary school. During the research, pupils contributed the content for the leadership development programme and dictated how and when the content should be delivered. Pupils were given opportunities to exhibit the skills they developed when they acted as Head of Year and led their own research. Assessment of student leaders’ leadership skills along with their personal testimonies suggests that they developed leadership skills. The research shows that the experience, in which pupils were also given a plethora of engagement and consultation opportunities, helped pupils to overcome individual and collective concerns. The research proposes that consultation and engagement can be used to develop leadership within pupils. This can be done through pupil-influenced content, pupil-influenced tools and pupil-influenced-research. This research has proposed a model to develop leadership within pupils and in so doing makes an original contribution to existing pedagogy and knowledge.

Truancy is a phenomenon that has captured considerable attention within the UK and in countries throughout the world. Participation in education is regarded as a key mechanism of inclusion, and as such young people who truant from school are claimed to be at a higher risk of social exclusion. Truancy is presented within the current political discourse as a social and educational concern, affecting the truanting young people themselves, the wider community and the economy. Truancy has been politically and socially constructed as an act of ‘deviance’ participated in by ‘pathological’ and ‘delinquent’, ‘anti-school’ youths, commonly of lower socio-economic status. This thesis presents a sociological inquiry into the everyday reality of school truancy as enacted by the young people themselves. The study reports on a year long qualitative multi-methods study of year 9 pupils (13-14 year olds), initially drawn from three schools in Cardiff, South Wales. A range of methods were utilised, specifically selected and/or designed to appeal to the young people involved. These include: focus groups, technology-mediated communication, photo elicitation projects and observation. Retrospective, situational and prospective views and experiences relating to truancy are presented. By accessing the social worlds of the young people, data have been generated on what truancy is, who ‘truants’ are, why pupils truant, how pupils truant, what pupils do when they are truanting and some of the consequences and implications resulting from this truancy. This thesis suggests that truancy might be a widespread phenomenon. That is that large amounts of young people might engage in truanting behaviours, rather than a ‘maladjusted’ minority. Truancy is a complex, multifaceted and multi-layered activity that is undertaken by pupils from a diverse range of backgrounds and abilities. Truancy is not engaged in, only, by males, young people from lower socio-economic groups, academic ‘underachievers’ or pupils of anti-school orientation. For the majority of pupils, their behaviour when truanting is not particularly extraordinary nor anti-social or delinquent. Their truanting behaviours are often purposely and strategically ‘hidden’ from the public and institutional gaze, performed in a covert manner. The two most dominant locations where truanting behaviours took place are in the home and within the school itself. A range of sophisticated evasion and deceptive strategies are commonly deployed in order to receive authorisation for absence or to avoid detection completely. The young people articulate both ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors when discussing their reasons for choosing to truant from school but the ‘push’ factors far outweigh the ‘pull factors’, heavily implicating the institution of the school. Truancy is seen as a way for the young people to gain a sense of agency and autonomy in relation to the institution. However, the majority of pupils can be seen to embrace the institution as well as resist it. Truancy, for the majority of young people, does not therefore seem to represent full detachment or full opposition from the school. This thesis highlights how the majority of the young people in this study self-manage their truanting behaviours and educational careers, as well as make efforts to maintain a positive identity as ‘ordinary’ pupils in the eyes of others, thus minimizing the risks associated with their truanting behaviours. However, for a minority of pupils identified as ‘truants’, their truancy is more problematic. A series of factors are presented that might be seen to contribute to the tipping point that leads to this more problematic truancy and it is argued that the punitive processes that schools put in place to manage truancy might be self-defeating, intensifying the practice.

The thesis offers a comprehensive comparative ethnographic case study of the influence of status as independent or voluntary-aided on the ethos of two Muslim primary schools. The analysis draws comparisons between the two schools in the case study, whilst also drawing on historical narratives of a further two Muslim primary schools which have made the transition from independent to voluntary-aided status. Research findings demonstrate that status as either independent or voluntary-aided had a significant influence on ethos, as the voluntary-aided school in the case study shared consistencies with the schools in the historical narratives following their own transition into the state sector. In the historical narratives the transition from independent to voluntary-aided status fundamentally changed infrastructure in both schools. Consistently with this the ethnographic case studies of the independent and voluntary-aided school show very different models of ethos. The model at the independent school demonstrated a distinctly Islamic ethos emphasising Islamicisation of the curriculum and promoting the concept of Islam as a way of life by an all-Muslim staff leading children by example. In contrast the model of ethos at the voluntary-aided school represented a duality of the Islamic and the educational, consistently with the schools in the historical narratives after acquiring voluntary-aided status. Against a theoretical backdrop of institutional isomorphism, the comparative case study demonstrates the ways independent or voluntary-aided status influenced ethos. Implications are that the voluntaryaided sector may only facilitate one particular approach to Islamic education which reinforces the concept of duality between Islamic objectives for the individual child, and the voluntary-aided requirements of the state.