Graduate recruitment in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is largely neglected, overshadowed by larger enterprises more traditionally associated with graduate employment. This thesis addresses this oversight by exploring graduate employment in small firms located in the West Midlands, with a specific focus on small Business and Professional Services (BPS). The thesis examines whether attitudinal barriers deterring graduates from small firm employment, and small firm employers from recruiting graduate employees, as summarised by the concept of mutual unattractiveness, is supported by the experiences of graduates currently employed in smaller firms, and by the experiences of owner-managers that have employed them. The research specifically explores employer interpretations of graduate contributions and skills deficiencies, and graduate interpretations of training delivery and developmental practices. A qualitative approach enables the study to gain a deeper understanding of manager-graduate relations in small firms, while supplementary interviews with careers service, large firm and intermediary organisation representatives generates a multi-perspective approach appreciative of wider regional graduate employment access and engagement. The study finds that whilst graduate and employer experiences in many ways reinforce factors that deter both parties from engaging in such employment, their experience also demonstrates the positive rewards ensuing for both parties. This thesis illustrates how small firm graduate employment is complex and informed by comparative decisions. It also shows how recruitment decisions concerning small firm graduate employment require a more informed approach such that expectations may be managed accordingly.

This research focuses on the productive learning processes of students studying a blended e-learning programme for practitioners and carers of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is an ethnographic case study undertaking a holistic analysis of learning processes. It draws upon socio cultural and activity theory as theoretical lenses and using dimensions from the communities of practice framework to interpret the kinds of discourse that are suggestive of a community of practice. The study examines how learners appropriate the professional discourse, values and goals of the ASD carer and the kind of collaborative engagement students have with each other’s contributions. Findings highlight that online discussions are powerful mechanisms for the development of reflection, for giving parents a strong voice and for shaping the values of this community. The research suggests that a facilitation model that enables students to be co-learners and co-tutors together, supports the development of a community of practice, thus enabling students to acquire knowledge in one context in order to transform it to another. Recommendations include the need for further studies that examine a particular communication medium in detail and over time, that communities of practice can add value to pedagogy in higher education and that programme tutors need to consider the specific properties of different communication mediums when designing programmes.

The moving image has been a tool of education as well as a means of entertainment for over 100 years. Whilst there are many videos marketed either for, or about autism, there has been little or no research into the responses of autistic people to the medium, particularly from the participatory and emancipatory paradigm of qualitative research. This thesis examines the responses of a group of adult autistics compared with non-autistic adults, taking as a starting point the variety of psychological theories purporting to explain autistic differences in cognition and learning style. The study was of particular value in revealing the unique insights of the autistic participants and concluded that there appear to be autistic strengths that suggest that autistic people engage particularly well with the medium provided it is presented in an appropriate format. The thesis can be seen to operate at two levels. Firstly the academic consideration of the responses of a group of autistic and some non-autistic participants to visually mediated material, and secondly it is an exploration of the insider relationship of the researcher within a discourse traditionally constructed from the outside. There is an experiental and emancipatory exploration of the themes highlighted by Tregaskis (2004) in his paper on identity, positionality and power which examines the issues for Disabled Researchers. The study has revealed some interesting insights into autistic people's culture and concludes that there is scope for much more research into this topic and questions whether the ethics of autism research need reconsideration.

The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 reconstituted English Further Education colleges as incorporated institutions. This led colleges to restructure their governing bodies and leadership teams, introducing managerialist practices and embedding a marketised culture. Despite forming the majority within college workforces, women have long been under-represented within senior leadership and amongst the cohort of principals. This qualitative study gives voice to a mix of white and BME women who offer insights into their experiences as holders of college senior leadership posts. The findings contribute to understandings about women's choice of Further Education as a career and expose the barriers participants faced and the support which sustained them in different phases of their purposeful engagement with leadership transition. The study adds to leadership theory by depicting a summary of responses to these experiences and may interest other researchers in the field of leadership development. Additionally, it may be of value to policy makers and practitioners who seek to promote a more inclusive leadership discourse in the learning and skills sector in a context where a re-launch of national leadership development initiatives is taking place.

This study explored the first-year progression of a cohort of degree nursing students. A psychosocial Model of Student Progression (MoSP) was designed based on student nurse attrition literature and three theories: a student development theory by Chickering and Reisser, an identity theory by Erikson and a student departure model by Tinto. The MoSP provided a framework for the research design and a pragmatic, mixed-method approach was used to explore the progression of 59 students. Data collection included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and first-year assessment results. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, comparisons with components of the MoSP and thematic analysis. Findings indicated that a number of factors were associated with student progression, including pre-entry attributes and experiences. End-of-year interviews indicated the importance of student preparation for university study, transitional processes related to academic skill development, social integration, levels of support and changes to student identity and purpose. In conclusion, the MoSP was found to provide a suitable framework for exploring student progression; however, further adaptions to the model are needed to reflect the dynamic and personal nature of student progression from before university study to the end of the first year of study and beyond.

This thesis concerns some of the problems which are encountered in trying to spread the knowledge of science, particularly by printed matter and lecture, to people who have had little or no formal training in science. It records the results of original investigations, the applications of those results, and suggestions based on experience in the field.

The present thesis is a report and analysis of work undertaken in an attempt to find the forces at work at the selection stage of teacher training. Applicants for admission to the University of Birmingham Education Department and the Weymouth Training College have been subjected to certain procedures. From the performances of the interviews it seemed that they behave more consistently and uniformly when working in a structured interview than when working freely, although the unreliability of the interview remained fairly high.

Little interest has been shown in the leadership of voluntary providers of informal education for young people. This is true of one of the largest providers: the Scout Association. The thesis examines the nature, diversity and sources of the knowledge and understanding of leadership of Scout Association leaders in one English Midlands city. The understanding is compared with contemporary ways of understanding leadership in education using a typology established by Gunter and Ribbins (2003) and Gunter (2005). The impact of leader training on the understanding of leadership and its perceived effect on leader performance is explored. A case study methodology is used including a questionnaire method supported by documentary evidence and drawing on personal experience. Data analysis involves factor analysis, analysis of variance and Chi-square tests. Findings indicate that leadership is understood in terms of inclusion and success and has an ethical basis pointing to a belief in shared leadership. Variations in this understanding exist amongst different groups. Understanding of leadership mainly comes from sources within the Association. There is a degree of uncertainty amongst leaders about the impact of leader training. Leadership is interpreted in a range of ways as described by the Gunter and Ribbins (2003) and Gunter (2005) typology. The findings could have implications for how the Association develops an understanding of leadership in the future and could influence the thinking and decision making of all leaders in the Association, in particular training managers and trainers from local to national levels of the organisation. The findings may also have implications for researchers interested in the impact of market forces on leadership in the formal education sector.

This research examines the relationship between Cognitive Style and Learning Styles of senior officers in the Fire Service and their preferences for different training delivery methods. Data has been gathered from students attending courses at the Fire Service College, in particular those attending the Divisional Command Course (DCC), which is a personal and professional development course for officers aspiring to a senior role in the Fire Service. Three data gathering instruments were used in the research, the Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA) (Riding, 1991), the Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) (Honey & Mumford, 1982), and a questionnaire specifically designed to gather students’ preference ratings across a range of 14 training delivery methods. The research examines the psychological and educational derivations of models that underpin the CSA and LSQ instruments in order to help clarify the construct systems used to describe both cognitive and learning style; and to examine their relationships with other psychological constructs. Further exploration of the relationships between cognitive and learning styles attempts to answer the question as to whether they have similar attributes and also whether the instruments have any practical predictive utility in predicting suitable delivery methodologies for training. The data findings suggest that the officer students formed a homogeneous group with regard to cognitive style on the ‘wholist–analytic’ dimension, the tendency for bias towards the analytic end of the scale, but were evenly distributed on the ‘verbaliser–imager’ dimension. The sample exhibited a more normal distribution of type with regard to learning style (using the LSQ), although there was a tendency for them to be more ‘reflector’ orientated than a standardized group in the general population. The sample group showed preferences for certain delivery methods that encouraged interactive participation in the learning process but these did not appear to show any significant correlation with either cognitive style or learning style.

This study explores the learning journey of Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) healthcare professional students who engaged with enquiry based learning (EBL). The methodology is a case study based on group interviews. Six groups totalling 59 students were interviewed to ascertain their experience of EBL, their conceptions of learning within a community of practice, transformative influences and emerging leadership qualities. The findings show EBL is a holistic learning experience that enables epistemic development which has features of threshold concepts, yet it is a process. The community of practice is fundamental to the process and engenders feelings of responsibility for others’ learning. The transformative component of EBL enables an ontological shift and the overall experience enables the development of leadership qualities, most notably, self-confidence, self-identity and self-belief. This study captures the students’ epistemic and ontological development through engagement with EBL. It argues the literature around threshold concepts should explore integrating student-centred pedagogy into threshold concepts rather than viewing it as a separate entity to enable PGCE students to develop leadership qualities. It utilises the proposed threshold process within a framework that outlines the preparation and practice of educational leaders in healthcare which embraces exposure to, engagement with and enactment of leadership.