The study aim was to investigate the perceptions of senior leaders within the sector to determine their views of the key challenges in contemporary academic leadership and to inform practice for the future. Academic leadership is a key component of the success or otherwise of an academic institution. There is significant literature around the issue of academic leadership the emphasis of which is based around the perceptions of academic staff and how they would wish to be led. The work was undertaken from an interpretivist perspective using a phenomenological research design to elicit an understanding of the views of senior managers through conducting semi-structured interviews and a focus group with senior university leaders. The interview process afforded the respondents the opportunity to recount their own experiences in their own terms with their own emphasis on what was important to them within the broad structure of the four core categories drawn from the literature: definitions of leadership; leadership in an HEI; academic leadership and leadership development. The findings from this study provides a contribution through considering senior leaders perceptions on how best to lead the academic staff to maximise their contribution to the institution and ultimately to better serve the needs of students. Practice implications include the forwarding of a framework for the consideration of the development of academic leaders within the Higher Education context.

This thesis concerns institutional identifications. It starts from a premise that identities emerge in and through narrative and sets out to explore the links between narrative, identity and discourse from the point of view of someone embarking on a research career in the University. Not that it started out that way. To begin with I was interested in the professional identifications of teachers, having recently been a teacher myself. But following the move to a lecturing post in the School of Education it became apparent that I was losing my identity as a teacher and instead developing an identification as a researcher within what I have referred to as ‘the University at the time of the RAE' (Research Assessment Exercise). As this happened I realised I had been presented with an opportunity to investigate these processes of identification from the inside out as I moved from being a teacher, to becoming a researcher. In doing this I developed two main strategies: in one strand of the research I interviewed teachers to gather narratives of practice, because in that way I could investigate the processes involved in doing ‘being a researcher' — gathering and analysing data, writing research publications, presenting research at conferences (as well as applying the theoretical concepts I developed as part of this research to my own situation); and I started to gather data relating to my work within the academy, that positioned me as a researcher. This strand of the research made use of an autoethnographic methodology that I called ‘participant self observation'. In this way I observed what I did as a researcher and how I related to the discourse in which I was enmeshed. The structure of the thesis reflects this doubled approach: the findings from the research with teachers have been written up and presented as research papers; and this is set against texts developed from the autoethnograph research. I refer to this as an ‘anacoluthonic' structure i.e. a disjunction in the PhD which serves to open up a critical space for the examination of research and the PhD as text itself. The aims of the research are therefore: To explore processes of identification in the academy and the ways in which such identifications are narrated; Through the presentation and analysis of texts to evoke ‘a self in the academy. To examine, reflexively, the methodological processes involved in order to develop a critique of the research; The research draws on the approach to discourse analysis developed by Laclau and Mouffe (1985), which is linked to a Lacanian concept of subjectivity; and makes use of the theoretical notion of ‘interpellation' as set out by Althusser (1971). The thesis also draws on the work of Deleuze and Guattari (1987, 2004 [1979]). Narratives are posited as being the means by which individuals are linked to discourses and narrative is thus theorised as being an ideological process with reductive properties. Within this framework a theoretical concept of identification is developed which discusses resistance/complicity and agency/autonomy as key factors.

Across the European Union, an aggregate professional field can be identified: the “social professions”. This field is characterised by being composed, in most countries, of two traditional professions with specific higher education programmes: “social work” and “social pedagogy”. The thesis explores their mutual relationship by revisiting theories from Germany, the home of social pedagogy, where the two paradigms have, in higher education policy-making, largely merged in the second half of the twentieth century. This development at the level of curriculum prescription indicates the so-called “convergence paradigm” advocated, for many years, by some academic authors. Alternatives to convergence were known, however, and an analysis of material from other EU countries may serve to reassess the thinking which has become orthodoxy in Germany. The thesis established the concepts of “social work/social pedagogy dichotomy” (the fact that the two paradigms are separate and discernible) and “social work/social pedagogy convergence”, the latter drawing upon the German concept. Using these analytical tools, first to revisit and characterise the developments observed in Germany, then to assess material from Denmark and Belgium (French Community), the thesis shows that dichotomy has continued to be a determining factor of professional education in Denmark and Belgium, while there are no signs of convergence. The discussion is based on the 15-year period starting with the enactment of the relevant EU directive on mutual recognition of qualifications (1989–2004). By ending in 2004, the investigation enables recent English developments in relation to the exploration and possible future introduction of “social pedagogy”, alongside “social work”, to be taken into consideration, thereby helping to inform current English and British debates.

At a time when women are being encouraged to return to education because of changing demographic trends, this study explores the experiences of a group of women who are students on a variety of courses in further and adult education. Much research has already been conducted on women students in higher education and the 'problems' they encounter in taking on the student role, much less is known about the not so prestigious post sixteen sector. The study is grounded in a feminist perspective and utilises a qualitative methodology. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted during one academic year and adopted a life history format. The women were given the opportunity to tell their own stories in their own way and the importance of utilising this approach in reaching the 'private' accounts is highlighted. The first five chapters of the thesis are therefore concerned with presenting the background to the study; locating it within the literature; identifying the characteristics of a feminist perspective and the utilisation of in-depth interviews as the method of research. The following three chapters are concerned with a presentation of the data and emphasise the crucial importance of women's lives in the private sphere in the shaping of the return to study experience. Many of the problems they experience when they take on the student role are associated with fitting it in with the wife and mother roles. In addition a number of the women were studying at an institution which gave very little recognition to the needs of mature students. Two chapters are concerned with identifying the key aspects of the women's experiences and deconstruct the concepts of 'support' and 'fitting in' derived from the data. Based upon this, the ways in which the women negotiated the intersection between the public and private spheres is explored. In accordance with the underlying assumption of the thesis, that it should not just describe but prescribe action in the promotion of 'equal opportunities', the implications for policy and practice in women's education are outlined.

In this inquiry, I conduct a systemic study into the wide problem space of Widening Participation in UK Higher Education, an initiative introduced in 1998 to promote positive discrimination for HE participation by young, socially disadvantaged individuals. In addition to redressing social justice, positive outcomes from the policy were expected to contribute to reducing high levels of social deprivation and increasing national competitiveness. It was, therefore, intertwined with other social and economic policy arenas but, by 2009, the Government admitted that rates of widened participation had failed to reach the levels expected. The majority of current research into possible reasons why fewer socially disadvantaged young people took advantage of the Widening Participation to participate in Higher Education have tended to engage participating students from target groups as though the findings from this group could be representative of those who do not participate. This neglect of targeted HE non-participants is seen to create a major lacuna in understanding of the reason why the Widening Participation policy failed to achieve its ambitions. Existing research has also tended to concentrate on implementation of the Widening Participation initiative, focusing on the narrow confines of the HE sector without considering interrelated policy arenas. I address these two major lacunae by conducting a systemic study into the wider problem space of Widening Participation and interrelated policy arenas, engaging HE non-participants from target groups in practical inquiry. This study represents a major contribution to what is known about possible explanatory factors for the perceived lack of HE participation by young socially disadvantaged individuals as encouraged by the Widening Participation policy. The major finding from this study is that, rather than make a decision to not participate in HE, the majority of research members did not consider HE participation as worthy of notice, much less a subject for active decision-making. Underlying reasons for this varied greatly depending upon how members had been affected by multiple indices of social deprivation. For those who had not been negatively affected, HE participation was a ‘non-decision’ because they were content with their situations, had different ambitions and moved into available employment. They did, however, appear to limit their educational outcomes according to the limited employment opportunities available in their socially deprived environment. For those who were severely affected, the ‘non-decision’ of HE was subsumed under their ambitions to change their circumstances to be more tolerable and reduce the effects of social deprivation. Finally, a small minority who did wish to participate in HE were prevented from doing so by the poor financial circumstances of their families, a ‘barrier’ which was not considered in studies engaging WP students and therefore not addressed. The major contribution to the discipline of “policy-making” from this systemic study is that both systems and ethical thinking are required to ensure the future success of the Widening Participation policy. Holistic policy development should be allied with a move from paternalistic government to gaining an understanding of the cultural situations, values and norms of the socially excluded. Social intervention, a redistribution of resources to reduce multiple indices of social deprivation and regeneration of deprived areas to provide greater employment opportunity to increase educational outcomes should be encouraged. The implication for the future progress of Widening Participation under the Coalition Government and changes introduced in 2010 suggest that blanket measures to encourage young, socially disadvantaged individuals to participate in HE are ineffective. I therefore recommend a targeted approach based on evidence which answers the question “Is Widening Participation in Higher Education important and to whom?” Further research will clearly be needed in order to answer this.

For some considerable time, group activity has been an accepted feature of teaching and learning practice in Higher Education (HE) (Tennant, 1997). This exploratory study has the broad aim of investigating group learning on a Communication Skills course unit of a Foundation Year programme at the University of Manchester. Alongside the aim of identifying evidence for learning in groups, the study is also concerned with developing new understandings related to research methodology in the area of group learning. The study first sets the unit under investigation in the context of relevant current national and institutional policies that have played an important role in shaping the development of university teaching over the last 20 years, particularly with regard to supporting economic development through the provision of an appropriately skilled workforce. The aims of such policies are considered as well as empirical research carried out into cooperative learning in education generally, and group work activity in HE institutions in particular. There are two main elements to the empirical inquiry: (i) discourse analysis of verbatim transcriptions of student group talk, and (ii) content analysis of student group interviews and tutor discussions. Particular emphasis is given to the discourse analysis element as a means of critiquing the effectiveness of group work in facilitating learning. To this end, two specific approaches to discourse analysis are utilised: ‘Idea Framing’ (Tan, 2000/ 2003) and sociocultural discourse analysis (Mercer, 2005). These approaches to uncovering evidence of learning in group talk are critiqued and the findings reported. These finding are then considered alongside the data that emerged from the staff and student discussions. The investigation revealed methodological insights in researching group work in the HE classroom as well as new understandings about what ‘learning’ means in this context. Firstly, in terms of methodology, the inquiry suggests that the combination of the two approaches to discourse analysis adopted provide an effective means of identifying instances of learning as well as insights into the group environment that influence such occurrences. Secondly, with regard to group learning in the HE context, the data highlight (i) the importance of social aspects of group activity for students, and (ii) the link between evidence for learning and the nature of the task they were asked to perform. However, in terms of acquiring ‘transferrable’ or ‘employability’ skills, the data reinforce many of the reservations voiced in the literature about the potential for developing such skills. The implications of these findings for task design are highlighted and suggestions provided in terms of how the course unit may be adapted. In addition, the wider applicability of the findings are considered in terms of improving understanding of aspects of group processes as they occur in the context of undergraduate HE. The study concludes with reflections on the impact of doctoral study on my professional development and practice, and suggestions for further research.

This Dissertation takes the form of a case study exploring the position of university Careers Services working under a neo-liberal paradigm. The study was motivated by a wish to explore the changes that have taken place in university Careers Services since 1997 in order to understand the changed landscape, and to provide a snapshot of the current setting that might be of use to those considering entry to and those working in careers advisory work. Additionally the study was intended to inform my own professional practice and understanding. I consider the position of Careers Services through the commentary of eight University Careers Advisers from four institutions in Scotland. Through semi-structured interviews I explore their perceptions and views about their work and the environment in which they work. Specifically, changes to work in the areas of careers education, careers information and careers guidance are considered alongside changes to the concept of career, changes in graduate employer practices, and the students and graduates organisations seek to employ. The study highlights the challenges faced by the Careers Service in universities in Scotland and explores the experiences and views of the professionals that work in that Service against a backdrop of an employability agenda and increasingly instrumentalised expectations. Giroux’s (1993) notion of education as a vehicle for individual empowerment and Nussbaum’s (2011) Capabilities Approach provide the theoretical framework to support the analysis of the state of university Careers Services and to offer a defence of the importance of careers advisory and guidance work. My data confirms that the role of university Careers Services has changed significantly post- Dearing (1997) and that, increasingly, Services based in traditional research lead universities and those in newer institutions are differentiated. The changing landscape has allowed Careers work to flourish and gain a more prominent role in some institutions, raising the profile of those Services. However, some Careers Services, the study indicates, have struggled to carve out a niche for themselves and these Services risk becoming marginalised within their institutions. A Careers Service that contributes to its university’s graduate employability objectives may secure a strong institutional position but raise questions about its activity with respect to long held underlying assumptions about careers guidance work and the ethical purpose of the activity of the Careers Service. I conclude by anticipating possible futures for the university Careers Service with a call to maintain and strengthen the function of guidance and advisory work within these Services.

Paginació: pàg. 1-136 i 1-464 / Educational Reverse Engineering Activities referred to as the acronym -EREA- help engineering design students to: Acquire and develop a set of abilities that raise their awareness of the design process; expand their sources of inspiration, position their actions within the lifecycle of a product, and transform theoretical knowledge into practice. However, it was detected that although such activities sparked interest among engineering design educators, they were either absent from typical engineering design curricula or were not fully exploited. After analysing the causes for it and determining that the creation of a collection of resources for the study of educational reverse engineering activities was the best way to reach a geographically dispersed community and thus start trying to change the existing research situation, the development of such resources began with the goal to address as many of the concerns as possible found whenever trying to implement EREA into existing engineering design curricula. The contents selected for inclusion in the collection of resources then, were derived based on initial exploratory discussions with experts in academia and industry; from the feedback received from peer reviewed conference papers stemming from this doctoral research, and from the presentation of intermediate results to early reviewers of this project; for such reasons, the information presented in the different resources targets first time (or novice) instructors of reverse engineering activities and takes into account not only the technical but also the pedagogical and administrative considerations implicated in the study of academic activities, and their potential introduction into an existing engineering design curriculum Given that some relevant information about the topic already existed but it was dispersed across different areas of knowledge; rather than developing all topics from scratch again, a conscious effort was made to examine published literature and to consult with domain experts to integrate and contextualise all existing information into a coherent body that could be complemented with the original results originating from this project. The major sections comprising the collection of resources then, are listed below: - Resource 1: Fundamentals of Educational Reverse Engineering Activities - Resource 2: Reverse Engineering and Learning - Resource 3: Misconceptions about Reverse Engineering - Resource 4: Benefits of Reverse Engineering - Resource 5: A Proposed Methodology for Reverse Engineering Analysis in Engineering Design Education - Resource 6: A Suggested Pedagogy for the Teaching of Educational Reverse Engineering Activities - Resource 7: Integrated Example of an Educational Reverse Engineering Activity on a Disposable Camera - Resource 8: Conclusions and Final Remarks - Resource 9: Miscellaneous Resources for the Study of Reverse Engineering The abovementioned resources were of a self-contained nature, could be read either individually or sequentially, and were written using the "DRM" framework for research in the area of engineering design. Once finished, a number of academic institutions were contacted to measure their interest in the resources, and in the end 12 different ones in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Denmark and Germany showed their interest in the research project and agreed to receive the document for reading, thus helping fulfil one of the main goals of this research which was to disseminate the results from it. Other results from this project include five peer reviewed conference papers and a report presented at the Technical University of Ilmenau in Germany after spending a visiting internship abroad to learn about similar approaches to the research into reverse engineering by other schools and traditions of design / Las actividades educativas de ingeniería inversa “AEII” tambien conocidas como “EREA” por su acrónimo en inglés ayudan a los estudiantes de ingeniería de diseño a: Adquirir y desarrollar un conjunto de habilidades que elevan su conocimiento del proceso de diseño; tambien a expandir sus fuentes de inspiración, a situar sus acciones dentro del ciclo de vida de un producto, y a transformar conocimiento teórico en practico. Sin embargo, se detectó que a pesar de que tales actividades despertaban el interés de los profesores del área de ingeniería de diseño ellas estaban o ausentes de sus típicos programas de estudio o no explotadas en su totalidad Después de analizar las causas de ello y determinar que la creación de una colección de recursos para el estudio de las actividades educativas de ingeniería inversa era la mejor forma de acceder a un grupo geográficamente disperso y así intentar cambiar la situación de investigación existente, el desarrollo de tales recursos empezó con la meta de atender tantas inquietudes como fueran posible, de aquellas encontradas siempre que se intentaba implementar “AEII” en programas existentes de ingeniería de diseño Los contenidos seleccionados para formar parte de la colección de recursos, fueron definidos en base a conversaciones iniciales de exploración con expertos en la academia y la industria; en base a la retroalimentación recibida de los artículos presentados en conferencia procedentes de esta investigación doctoral, y de la presentación de resultados intermedios a los revisores preliminares de este proyecto; por tales razones, la información presentada en los diferentes recursos está dirigidas a instructores principiantes de actividades de ingeniería inversa y toma en cuenta no solo las consideraciones técnicas sino también las pedagógicas y administrativas involucradas en el estudio de actividades académicas y su potencial incorporación a un programa existente en ingeniería de diseño Dado que cierta información relevante al tema de investigación ya existía pero estaba dispersa entre varias áreas del conocimiento; en vez de desarrollar todos los temas desde cero nuevamente, se realizó un esfuerzo consciente para examinar la literatura existente y consultar con expertos en el tema, para así integrar y contextualizar toda la información disponible en un estudio coherente que pudiera ser complementado con los resultados originales producidos por esta investigación. Las secciones principales que comprenden la colección de recursos se enumeran a continuación: • Recurso 1: Fundamentos de las Actividades Educativas de Ingeniería Inversa • Recurso 2: Ingeniería Inversa y Aprendizaje • Recurso 3: Interpretaciones Equívocas acerca de la Ingeniería Inversa • Recurso 4: Beneficios de la Ingeniería Inversa • Recurso 5: Una Propuesta de Metodología para Utilizar Análisis de Ingeniería Inversa en la Enseñanza de la Ingeniería de Diseño • Recurso 6: Una Propuesta de Pedagogía para la Enseñanza de Actividades Educativas de Ingeniería Inversa • Recurso 7: Ejemplo de una Actividad Educativa de Ingeniería Inversa en una Cámara Desechable • Recurso 8: Conclusiones y Apuntes Finales • Recurso 9: Recursos Diversos para el Estudio de la Ingeniería Inversa Los recursos fueron escritos utilizando la metodología “DRM” para la investigación en el área de ingeniería de diseño y se contactó a diversas instituciones académicas para saber de su interés en tales recursos, al final 12 instituciones en el Reino Unido; Irlanda, Francia, Dinamarca y Alemania mostraron su interés en el proyecto y accedieron a recibir el documento, ayudando así a cumplir una de las metas principales de esta investigación que fue difundir sus resultados entre estudiosos de la ingenierÍa inversa educativa. Tambien como resultado final de esta investigacion se pueden contar 5 artículos presentados en conferencia y el reporte de trabajo de la estancia de investigación en el extranjero.

L'aparició d'una nova societat, la societat digital, ha modificat els patrons de comunicació i interacció entre les persones, transformant així tots els àmbits de la societat: el polític, l'econòmic, i també l'educatiu. Gran part de la informació i el coneixement ha estat digitalitzada, i qualsevol usuari pot crear, transformar i compartir informació amb qualsevol persona o grup de persones. L'aprenentatge al llarg de la vida, ara més que mai, està a l'abast de qualsevol. Però les competències i habilitats que s'han d'adquirir per poder aconseguir aquest aprenentatge estan en constant debat. L'alta freqüència de participació dels joves a la xarxa ha provocat que en determinats moments es donessin per suposades les altes competències digitals dels joves, però la literatura ens diu (Kennedy, 2008, 2010; Gros, García i Escofet, 2012) que això no és així. No tots els joves tenen un alt empoderament de les TIC, ni tampoc les institucions educatives han integrat les tecnologies acompanyades de pedagogies emergents, amb elements com la ubiqüitat, l'obertura o la participació en comunitats. La recerca que es presenta pretén abraçar aquesta situació, posant en el punt de mira la veu de l'estudiant i la seva participació a la xarxa. Per això, l'objectiu principal d'aquest estudi és analitzar les pràctiques i espais digitals de participació a la xarxa on la tecnologia actua com a mediadora de l'aprenentatge dels estudiants universitaris. Pel que fa l'estructura d'aquesta recerca, els tres primers capítols de la investigació estan destinats a situar l'estat de la qüestió. En el primer s'analitza l'evolució de l'anomenada societat en xarxa i la interacció dels ciutadans, amb les noves formes de comunicació, de crear coneixement i compartir la informació. A més, es profunditza en el concepte de la identitat digital dels ciutadans, que té tendència a ser cada cop a fusionar-se amb la identitat física, i per tant ser una identitat híbrida. Seguidament, es focalitza en els joves i les seves pràctiques a la xarxa, concretament com en l'inici de la revolució digital se'ls va atribuir competències digitals pel fet d'haver nascut dins d'aquesta era, i actualment s'ha fet evident que no tots els joves tenen un perfil competent relacionat amb les TIC. Finalment, en el tercer capítol s'entra directament en l'àmbit educatiu per veure les tendències educatives més rellevants relacionades amb l'ús de tecnologia digital. En el quart capítol es descriu el paradigma de recerca, un enfocament fenomenològic que pretén comprendre els perfils dels estudiants que realitzen activitats a la xarxa, així com les eines i espais digitals que utilitzen en diferents contextos, amb la particularitat d'interpretar-ho a partir de la seva pròpia experiència subjectiva. Els dos mètodes emprats en la recerca són l'enquesta, que de forma quantitativa pretén analitzar els usos de determinades eines digitals per part dels universitaris, i el DEM (Day Experiència Method), que permet profunditzar amb una mirada qualitativa les pràctiques a la xarxa dels estudiants. Finalment en el capítol cinc i sis es descriuen els resultats, així com la discussió d’aquests, i es presenten les conclusions de tota la recerca, així com les limitacions i línies futures. Els resultats apunten a que la integració de les tecnologies per part dels universitaris no és visible en tots els àmbits ni entre tots els estudiants. Els universitaris participants en la recerca se situen en diferents perfils de participació a la xarxa. D’aquesta manera, la universitat i els docents han de tenir en compte aquesta diversitat de competències i usos de les TIC per part dels estudiants a l’hora de crear activitats o estratègies pedagògiques. / [eng] A high level of participation of young people in networks has induced us to assume that young people have high digital skills, but the literature show us that it is not like that. Not all young people have high competences in ICT, moreover, the educational institutions haven't integrated the technologies followed by emergent pedagogies and elements like ubiquity, opening and participation in the communities.The following research tries to include this situation, making the voice of the students the main point of focus. The main goal of this research is to analyze practices and digital spaces of participation in the network, where the technology acts as an intermediary for university student learning.First of all, it analyzes the evolution of the digital society and the interaction of the population, with new ways of communication to create knowledge and share information. Following that, it focuses on the young population and their practices on the network, questioning their knowledge on ICT. Finally we analyze in more detail the educational context to see the most important educative trends in relation to the ICT use.The research has a phenomenological point of view, with the intention to understand the profile of these students that do activities on the network, as well as the tools and digital spaces that they use in different contexts. Particularly, focusing the understanding on their own subjective experiences. The method used in the research to get the information has been a survey, analyzing quantitatively the use of some digital tools by the students; and using DEM (Day Experience Method), to let us see in more depth and qualitatively the students' practices in the network.The results show that the students' integration of the technologies is not visible in all the environments nor in all the students. The participants in the research are classified in different profiles of network participation. In this way, the university and the professors have to bear in mind this diversification of skills and use of the technologies from the students when planning or creating activities or pedagogical strategies for learning and teaching process.

S'ha introduït el portafoli com a instrument d'autoprenentatge i acreditació en dues modalitats diferents: el portafoli d'aprenentatge de l'estudiant i el portafoli docent del professor. El primer s'ha aplicat per al desenvolupament de quatre competències transversals (comunicació oral davant d'un auditori, comunicació escrita, cerca d'informació-ús de noves tecnologies i treball en equip) en els estudiants de cinquè curs de Biologia de la Universitat Pompeu Fabra durant els cursos 2003-04 i 2004-05. Es presenta la guia elaborada, el procés d'implementació, les actituds i satisfacció dels participants (estudiants i tutors) i un estudi d'objectivitat de la seva avaluació. Els resultats positius obtinguts han propiciat l'extensió de l'exercici des de l'inici de la carrera. Paral·lelament, s'ha invitat al professorat a confeccionar el seu portafoli docent mitjançant l'elaboració i distribució d'una guia del portafoli docent. / Portfolio as a learning and accreditation tool has been introduced at the Faculty of Heath & Life Sciences at Pompeu Fabra University in two different applications, student portfolio and teaching portfolio. Student portfolio has been applied to support some generic skills development (oral communication, written communication, information search, high technologies use and team work) at the 5-year Biology course students, during two academic years (2003-04 and 2004-05). We present portfolio's guide, implementation process, satisfaction and attitudes of all participants (students and tutors) and objectivity's investigation of the assessment process. As a result, we have obtained positive outcomes that have supported the decision of extending the portfolio experience from the very beginning of the career. On the other side, faculty was invited to start its own teaching portfolio with the support of a teaching portfolio guide.