Studies in Foreign Language (FL) lexical acquisition have become more specialized since the development of Applied Linguistics. This study is multi-facetted and aims to investigate and analyse French vocabulary acquisition by two groups of successful young learners: gifted Language Two (L2) learners and young English/French ‘choice’ bilinguals in comparison with a group of L2 learners. The term choice bilingual is used to refer to a specific type of bilingual which is an under-researched group. The research identifies the similarities and differences between the groups in the storage of and access to L2 lexis and in their working memory. It determines what strategies for learning they employ and compares learners’ attitudes and beliefs about language learning with their parents’ perceived attitudes towards their children’s learning of French. The study investigates patterns for successful learning of lexis which may help to improve pedagogical practices for assisting vocabulary acquisition. The research data involve aptitude, vocabulary and working memory tests, and a questionnaire. The reason for the adoption of this multi-set data examination method is to present a coherent and comprehensive analysis of the issue being studied. The thesis contributes to the field of second and foreign language lexical acquisition and presents relevant empirical data. The results of the study add positive evidence to research related to the importance of strategy training and the development of working memory for L2 learners. There is also evidence to suggest the possibility of using specifically designed vocabulary network tests to assist in judging vocabulary and linguistic development. This study is set in the context of an attempt by the government to make a second language a compulsory subject at primary level in UK state schools originally in 2010 and now in 2014. It looks at French as the L2 for British school children in the independent sector and English/French choice bilinguals all aged 10-13.

The thesis presents a research that focuses on how children's learning processes occur when algebra is introduced as a language-in-use. The research incorporates graphic calculators as a means for providing children with a computing environment where communication is held by using a symbolic language similar in syntax and notation to the algebraic code. The use of calculators is shaped by a set of tasks specifically designed for this study. The tasks are arranged in order to simulate the social processes through which children learn the mother tongue. The design of the learning environment is based on Bruner's research on children's language acquisition. According to this, the major aim of the study is to investigate the ways in which the calculator's symbolic code shapes children's expressions of general relationships, and more specifically the kinds of notions and strategies that children develop through using calculator language. The study seeks for an explanatory framework that might provide a better understanding of the potential of technological resources in the teaching of algebra. The study drew promising results that provide evidence for an alternative approach to teaching algebra. The thesis offers a discussion of the theoretical background and its relationship with the teachina method. It also provides an analysis of children's achievements and difficulties.

The aim of this study is to investigate children's developing sense of number in the computational medium of Boxer. Boxer's combination of graphical and symbolic elements afforded the opportunity for children to visualise numbers in an operational way while simultaneously offering insights into how this operational approach mediated their thinking. There were three inter-related aspects to the study, with visualisation being the common feature of all three. • (i) How does the visual structure of Boxer influence students' (aged 9 - 11) ability to program? • (ii) What interpretations do students place on a number system extended beyond the natural numbers and how did they choose to represent these? • (iii) How can the learning environment of Boxer be exploited as a context for developing students' sense of number? Following an exploratory study, pedagogical models for investigating issues (i) and (iii) were developed. For issue (i), Boxer was exploited as a means of introducing itself. This, in turn, meant documenting the issues involved in a process of iterative design. For issue (iii), a model of learning was developed which proposed that the children should construct their own microworlds. Following an off-computer investigation of issue (ii), the model was refined to that of children constructing operational computational objects, and the research aim broadened to include an investigation of how these objects mediated their expression of number. This part of the research consisted of a longitudinal study lasting two years. It entailed case studies with four pairs of children, while the rest of the class learned Boxer independently. None of the children had previous Boxer or Logo experience. The research setting was a normal classroom in an inner-London primary school. Data for issues (i) and (iii) was obtained by means of video recordings and annotated print-outs, while data for issue (ii) was obtained by written records and audio recordings. Evidence from the research suggests that students' programming is significantly more structured in Boxer relative to Logo, and this structure is directly related to the visual nature of Boxer. Moreover, data from the number studies suggests that this visual structure was also instrumental in providing students with the means to connect number processes with number concepts, thus enabling them to engage with number ideas which might otherwise have been beyond their reach.

The research focuses on the analysis of the self-perception patterns present among Spanish adolescents. The investigation of this topic is carried out by means of the development of a methodology adequate to deal with the shortcomings of existing approaches. The theoretic approach consists in the consideration of those adolescents —thirteen and fourteen years old students— as autonomous social agents who define their own personal strategies in a dynamic of interactions with their environment. This view of students as autonomous social agents is refined through the concept of a self-perception system which draws on some basic notions of systems thinking and cybernetics. Some self-perception systems show similarities which indicate the presence of distinct self-perception patterns. The detection and characterization of those patterns is the main aim of this research. The empirical basis of the research is provided by essays written by 116 students belonging to four state schools in Madrid. Those schools are located in four different socio-economic areas of that city. The common topic of the essays was "How do you see your life as a youngster, as a middle age person and as an elderly person?". The analysis of the conceptual content of those essays produces the specific concepts used by each individual. These data are then processed by means of a methodology called socio-semantic analysis, which combines Q-analysis and Multidimensional Scaling. The outcome of this methodology is a set of socio-semantic maps in which concepts and individuals appear located according to their socio-semantic distances. The interpretation of those maps allows for abstract different patterns of self-perception in the sample: profession centred pattern, a family centred pattern and a dual or conflictive pattern, which is characteristic of some girls. The sociological significance of the notion of self-perception patterns stems from the fact that the considerations of the specific patterns that are at work in a given social environment —in this case an educational environment— may be instrumental in explaining the behaviour of the agents acting within those environments.

This thesis examines teacher personal and cultural presage variables within a black South African cultural dimension. I seek to understand what effects value variables have on the mediation of change and to know why these sometimes act as barriers to the implementation of classroom innovation - in this instance, a communicative language teaching approach. Finally, I itemize the implications of value change for the professional development of teachers following ELT INSET programmes and set out a series of practical proposals on the basis of my conclusions. I argue the need for congruence between teacher values and values inherent in a CLT approach and discuss ways in which value redeployment occur. I outline acceptance of change in terms of a theoretical construct of 'practicality ethics' and argue that personal values must be examined within black South African cultural dimensions of allocentriccollectivism, high uncertainty avoidance and high power distance. I analyze paradigms of western education and review the principles underlying a CLT approach. I link my analysis to the requirements of the DET's English language syllabus and contrast concepts of teacher roles and classroom power relationships in traditional African pedagogy with those of a CLT approach in terms of 'ideal' and 'indigenous' mediational operators, and I examine dissonances between the two. A narrative-descriptive background account of two case studies is given through the use of life histories, diaries, documents and interviews to support an itemistic cross-case analysis of cultural and personal values held in relation to black South African cultural dimensions. I then analyse a series of videoed lessons and I provide a descriptive overview of classroom interaction patterns. Classroom events are discussed in terms of types of teacher questions asked, turn allocations, wait-time and power-relationships, class participation and ritualization, and teacher evaluation, repair and feedback. I conclude that African societies emphasize collective moral values whereas societies geared towards a Western-urbanscientific- technological paradigm stress idiocentricprofessional values. I do not assert that individuals rigidly conform to this bipolarity but application of either or both value systems lie along a continuum with consequent effect on classroom events.

Perceived problems in a state-administered teacher training programme for Japanese teachers of English prompted this thesis. Low consideration and little attention were given to what is meant by teaching ability or teacher professional development. Courses designed to support high school teachers failed to meet their needs. In contrast, considerable emphasis was placed on ‘brushing up’ the teachers’ English proficiency. What the programme lacked was exploring and drawing on teachers’ rich source of ideas and experiences for professional development. Reflective practice seemed to offer a way for high school teachers to examine their ideas and experiences of teaching, to enhance self-awareness, and to foster autonomy. Through a multiple case study approach, this empirical study examines how the incorporation of reflective practice enhances the teacher development of Japanese high school teachers of English. Its incorporation was regarded as a form of methodology borrowing, thus the study attempted to be sensitive to specific cultural practices, so as not to influence their honne (real intent) and to keep them from hansei (self-critical reflection). The study found that reflective practice was more effective for the novice teachers than the experienced teachers. The novice teachers engaged in shaping their professional identity and professional knowledge. In contrast, the experienced teachers seemed to have reflected within their ‘comfort zones,’ that is, what is comfortable for them. In contrast to the approach taken by the state-administered training programme, this study argues that the novice and experienced teachers have different needs in their professional development. The novice teachers needed an opportunity to shape their professional identity. The experienced teachers needed an exploration beyond their ‘comfort zones’. The study also argues that reflective practice, which is likely to be individually based, should be facilitated with interactions and interventions from others, such as peers and teacher trainers.

This thesis is concerned with the process of office automation in Brazil and its skills and training outcomes. The thesis combines a theoretical analysis with an empirical study undertaken in Brazil. Following an introductory chapter, Chapter 2 discusses and analyses two existing theoretical perspectives which address the relationship between technology, work organisation and skills. These are: the labour process approach with reference to the 'deskilling thesis' developed by Harry Braverman (1974) and the 'flexible specialisation thesis' based on Michael Piore and Charles Sabel (1984). They focus on technological changes on the shopfloor, in advanced industrialised countries. Chapter 3 applies the main arguments put forward by these two • approaches to the office environment in advanced industrialised countries. Based on the discussion of a number of empirical studies concerned with the skill outcomes of new technology in the office, the chapter also develops two models of office automation: the 'technology-driven' and the 'informational' models. These models are used as a framework for the discussion of the empirical research undertaken in Brazilian offices. Chapter 4 discusses the recent economic developments in Brazil in order to provide a context for understanding the empirical findings. The chapter describes the country's process of industrialisation, the current economic context and its implications for the adoption of new technology in the Brazilian office environment. Chapter 5 focuses on the empirical research conducted in Brazilian offices and training agencies. It describes the perspectives of managers, office workers and deputy directors of training agencies with regard to technology, skills and training. The chapter then analyses these perspectives in the light of the two theoretical models of office automation developed in Chapter 3. Chapter 6 summarises the main conclusions of this thesis, and draws some implications for training policies in Brazil.

The thesis is concerned with the production of a language for the systematic sociological description of pedagogic texts and with the application of this mechanism to two series of textbooks within the secondary school mathematics scheme, SMP 11-16. One series is targeted at the upper end of the 'ability' range, the other is intended for low ability' pupils. The thesis opens with a discussion of two prominent positions within mathematics education, concluding that they both 'mythologise' mathematical knowledge by abstracting it from the social bases of its elaboration. A search of the literature on the analysis of textbooks reveals that the majority of sociologicallyoriented work entails either ideological analysis or the analysis of the representation of one or more particular categories, most frequently gender and/or race. None of this research combines a theoretically coherent position with a set of derived principles for the detailed analysis of text. Chapter 3 presents a general methodological position in relation to three themes. These are, the distinction between the abstract and the concrete, the construction of subjectivity, and the contextualising and recontextualising of practices. The principal resources in this discussion are the works of Basil Bernstein, Pierre Bourdieu, Umberto Eco, Michel Foucault, and Valerie Walkerdine. Out of a critical discussion of this work, ten Theoretical Propositions are derived. These propositions form the general methodological basis of the 'language of description' which is derived from them in Chapter 4. The following five Chapters comprise an introductory description and a detailed analysis of the two series of textbooks. The analysis is predominantly qualitative in nature, but also incorporates a quantitative component. The latter focuses, in particular, on the modes of signification (icon, index, symbol) that are incorporated in the textbooks. The principal findings that emerge from the analysis describe the ways in which the texts select and construct apprenticed and alienated ideal readers. The differentiation between the apprenticed and alienated ideal readers is, primarily, constructed in terms of social class. The concluding Chapter includes an overview of the thesis and a discussion of the limitations of and possibilities arising from the language of description and its application. The concluding Section works more freely with the language and with the findings of the analysis in developing a theoretical speculation in respect of a possible conception of the relationship between sociological research and educational practice.

The purpose of the study was to examine the factors which influence students' decision to take up the role of an art student in secondary schools in Nigeria and propose ways to advance the study of art in secondary education. Pedagogy tells that children in elementary schools are very interested in art education, but when they leave primary school and enter secondary school, this enthusiasm changes quickly and students no longer show interest in art education. Researches in art education also show that only a fraction of the teenage population which attend secondary schools choose art education in the WASC and the GCE examinations. A very few students carry over art interest into adult life. A play of factors is at work in deciding the change in behaviour. The study critically examined the factors and their influences on students' choice of art education. The research was in three phases: (1) a general survey on students' background experiences in art teaching, people's attitude towards art and the position of art in education; (2) a case study of art education in some selected secondary schools; and (3) another case study of art education in a particular institution, chosen on the basis of the strength of its art department. The research involved fifteen states, secondary schools, teachers, students, principals and administrators. The research procedures revolved around structured interviews, observations, questionnaires and documentary resources. The analyses of the data provided the following: (1) The decision to study art as a major subject was the result of a number of different forces which not only conflicted with each other, but reflected the tendency of divergence between the values of artists and those of the society as whole. Sometimes the decision to take art instead of science was based on a lack of sufficiently good marks in the areas relevant to science. The selection of the subject was by no means uniquely due to outstanding performance in art because art students who gave art as their best subject had none the less considered careers in other fields. Others both gave a subject other than art as their best and considered other careers. This provided the probability of other sorts of motivation towards and away from the role of an art student. Some students who opted for art hoped to reconcile its values with the socially dominant ones, which stressed such needs as earning capacity, job security, and occupational prestige. Others had enough encouragements in the social milieu, in the family and in the school. (2) There were traditional assumptions about the role of art in society and in education, which pushed the works of artists and the works of the art teachers down the list of social and educational priorities. (3) Some of the issues which confronted students were to do with long-established attitudes towards art and art education. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that: (1) Quality of education and life-long education cannot be achieved by only focussing on high standards of literacy and numeracy through a specialised curriculum; by choosing between science or art, vocational qualification or education for leisure. All need to be equally represented in a well balanced curriculum. Each stands to gain through being taught in conjunction with the others. Those talented in art can be successful in the sciences and vise versa. What children and adolescents need is a varied general education, which sees the acquisition of knowledge and practical skills as integral parts of development. Attitudes towards art and art teachers need to be improved. The deep-rooted attitude and the collary of this - that the subject is less significant - are issues which need to be campaigned against.

Traditionally, the vast majority of Canadian Amerindians have largely remained undereducated and such is the case in Betsiamites. This 2,500 people community is the largest of the nine Montagnais reserves which are located in Eastern Québec. There has been an improvement in the overall completion rates at the elementary and secondary levels between 1970 and 1985, following the transfer of all the responsibilities for reserve schools from the federal Government to the Amerindian communities. But progress had come to a halt by the end of the 1980s and most secondary school or university Amerindian students still drop out today. By focusing on the reserve of Betsiamites, this thesis attempts to provide explanations for this situation and to suggest ways to improve the effectiveness of Amerindian education. The thesis is divided into seven chapters, including the introduction and the conclusion. In the second chapter, the assumptions underlying this thesis, the data-gathering and analysis methods and the ethical problems linked to the situation of the current researcher as former teacher and current principal of the secondary school under investigation are discussed. In the third chapter, it is argued that the 1969-1972 political battle which allowed the Amerindians to govern their education systems has overshadowed some basic and essential issues regarding quality education and is partly responsible for the lack of improvement since the mid 1980s. In the fourth chapter, the historical process which led to the creation of the reserve of Betiamites and to the generalized dependency on welfare is presented. The fifth chapter analyses the daily life of the local secondary school, from its management to the motivation of students. The sixth chapter discusses the links between the local political, economic and social life and local schooling and suggests ways of alleviating widespread educational underachievement in rural reserves. This thesis argues that despite an adverse socio-economic environment, Canadian Amerindian schools could have become much more effective if it had not been for the excessive politicization of the issue of reserve schooling and for the unwillingness of Amerindian leaders and the federal Government to question the adoption, in 1972, of affirmative action as the ideological pillar of Amerindian teacher-training programmes.