The main purpose of this study is to explore the reasons for students' weaknesses in grammar at Jordanian schools, taking as an example the upper basic stage (ages 14-16 years) in the Al-karak district. The study consists of nine chapters; the first three chapters explain the background and context of the study, the teaching of Arabic grammar in Jordan and the heart of the problem together with an outline of previous research. The fourth chapter explains the methodology and procedures of the study. The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth chapters present the findings of the study and a discussion of the findings. And finally the ninth chapter is the conclusion and recommendations of the study. This chapter points out that some further research is needed in the area of grammar learning and teaching. The methods of data collection were the questionnaire and interview. One questionnaire was developed, directed to the teachers of Arabic and the students of the upper basic stage (eighth, ninth and tenth grades). The interviews were conducted with teachers of Arabic, students and the education supervisors. The sample of the questionnaire was 700 students and 135 teachers. The sample of the interview was 10 teachers, 15 students who were selected upon their willingness to be interviewed. 7 education supervisors who form the whole population were also interviewed. The collected data was analysed based on the frequencies and percentages of the responses. They showed several reasons for students' weaknesses in grammar which attracted high percentages of the participants' acceptance. For instance, 70 per cent of students considered the unavailability of audiovisual aids one of the reasons for their weaknesses in grammar. About half (58.6 per cent) of the students considered the lack of standard Arabic being used by the teachers of other subjects as one of the reasons for the weaknesses. From the teachers' point of view, two reasons attracted the vast majority (89.6 per cent) of their agreement. The first one was students' belief that the formal assessment for students' achievement is lenient. The second one was the lack of previous knowledge of grammar amongst students. The next strong reason for the weaknesses was students' belief that grammar is difficult to understand. Students' carelessness with previous preparation for grammar lessons was also considered one of the strong reasons for the weaknesses in grammar. Education supervisors emphasised that the procedures of teachers appointments are not based on the criteria of teachers' quality and that makes it possible to nominate some teachers who are not able to teach grammar successfully. They also blamed the lack of effective preparation for grammar lessons by the teachers. The supervisors stressed the teachers' weaknesses in grammar. There were many other more subtle reasons for the students' problems which are discussed in depth. The study came up with several recommendations to develop grammar teaching in Jordan as well as some further research related to this study. The original contribution of this study is the combination between the perceptions of students, teachers and education supervisors which enriches the data. It also discussed the procedures of teachers' appointing as one of the issues most neglected by most of the previous studies.

This thesis explores the early experiences of online teaching of a group of tutors employed by a UK post-1992 University, to tutor a group of students in an online module. Using qualitative case study methodology, and drawing on the theories of Communities of Practice, Learning Cultures and Community of Inquiry, this research reveals that for most of the case-study tutors, teaching online was very different from their normal teaching practice, and some of these tutors were very anxious about the changes. Most of the tutors spoke about teaching online in terms of a deficit model, seeing it as deficient in relation to face-to-face teaching, and often tried to replicate face-to-face teaching practices online. The majority of tutors reported that the aspects they valued about teaching were missing from the online environment, such as nonverbal communication and the dynamics of a live classroom situation. Issues for the case-study tutors included building relationships with students online, time management and workload, and factors relating to role and identity. The research also reveals the importance of peer support in the transition to online teaching, and the value of tutors having experience of being an online student themselves. In addition, the study identifies the strengths and limitations of Communities of Practice and the other theoretical models used when applying them to tutors’ early experiences of teaching online.

The expansion of higher education (HE) in England has seen the rise of alternative higher level qualifications and pathways such as the sub-degree qualification - the foundation degree, which are commonly delivered in further education colleges, also known as Higher Vocational Education (HIVE). These developments are part of the widening participation agenda to increase participation in HE of traditionally underrepresented groups. Higher Vocational Education is often seen as a viable alternative to university HE and typically attracts students with vocational and non-traditional entry qualifications, such as mature students. Mature students as participants of HIVE is a relatively under researched area therefore this thesis sought to understand why mature students participate in HIVE in FE colleges. In addition, the thesis also aimed to understand how mature students understood and experienced HE and FE practices in institutions that are predominantly concerned with delivering FE provision. Relatedly, understandings of the effect of participation in HE on the identity of mature students in the context of an FE college were explored. In order to do this, an inductive approach to data generation was taken. A multiple case study was conducted of seven mature students studying HIVE at a medium sized further education college in the north of England. Informal interviews and participant observation field notes of eight mature students were conducted. Documents of focus groups that were held with their cohorts throughout the academic year 2013-14 were also used to construct the case studies. Cross-case analyses were conducted thematically using a priori themes of HE and FE practices such as independent learning, critical thinking and collective learning. However, during the analysis more nuanced and complex themes of resistance emerged such as self-exclusion and ‘othering’ of FE culture. Using theories of resistance (Giroux, 1983/2001), these different understandings were explored by capturing the ways in which the students resisted practices at the HIVE/FE interface. The thesis argues that in terms of participation, mature students are somewhat (self) diverted to this particular type of HE in spite of their understanding of its relative position in the HE sector. However, rather than blindly accepting this position, the mature students exercised agency during their experience with a view to creating parity of esteem with more traditional types of HE. Unlike studies that problematize transitions for certain types of students, it appears that the struggles these students faced were trying to engage in HE practices against the backdrop of an FE culture. The development of a distinctly ‘HE’ identity by the mature students can therefore be seen to constitute a HE counter culture to the predominantly FE culture of the College which goes some way towards shaping the (often competing) HE and FE cultures within the College. However, in some cases this HE counter culture within the dominant FE culture served to reinforce the disparity of esteem between HE and FE from within. Whilst embracing a HE culture may have transformative effects for the individuals, the footprint they leave behind drives a further wedge between HE and FE as equally valuable forms of lifelong learning.

One route to becoming a qualified teacher in England is to complete a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. The first obstacle for these potential teachers is to be successfully selected onto a course. The potential teachers need to possess the appropriate personal and intellectual qualities required to become teachers. This study has sought to uncover how the gatekeepers to the teaching profession- the subject tutors and practising teachers involved in the selection process make the decisions as to whether a potential teacher has these appropriate personal qualities. The study considered what the potential teachers own construct of a teacher was, as they arrived for the selection interview. It explored what the practising teachers and subject tutors consider as appropriate qualities for these potential teachers. This research used grounded theory as the methodology for exploring how these potential teachers are selected onto an Initial Teacher Education programme. The analysis of the research has led to five emerging themes and a possible model to illustrate how the subject tutors and teachers select these potential teachers. The research highlights that the subject tutor interviews are semi structured in nature. It suggests that subject tutors expect these potential teachers to exhibit some evidence of six groups of ‘qualities’. These include; personal qualities (including the ability to reflect on their own development), subject knowledge for teaching, enthusiasm for the subject, experiences of observing or working with pupils, some knowledge of schools settings and some knowledge of the teaching profession. The practising teachers similarly expect potential teachers to have, personal qualities, vocational qualities, some knowledge of their subject and some knowledge of teaching. The research suggests that there is congruence between what the gatekeepers to the teaching profession often refer to as their ‘gut feelings’ about the potential teachers and the qualities referred to in research studies. This may give the gatekeepers greater confidence that their professional judgements are secure, and that ‘gut feelings’ masquerading as professional judgment can be relied upon!

This thesis contains the findings of a qualitative research project that addressed the question 'why collaborate'? Focus was on the experiences of academics in health and social care collaborating to develop interprofessional and interdisciplinary initiatives, including interprofessional education (IPE). The project was based upon the premise, first, that academics need to collaborate effectively if interprofessional initiatives like IPE are to develop and be sustained and secondly, that theory building in relation to collaboration will assist our understanding of why collaborations are formed and why some are sustained and some are not. Research focus in this field has, mostly, focussed on student experiences and the desire to identify the impact of IPE. The project aimed to address the under researched area of collaboration between academics. Data was generated from individual interviews and focus groups with academics from six universities. Respondents shared their experiences of collaborating with colleagues from a range of professions and disciplines. The project utilised a Charmazian constructivist grounded theory methodology and the writings of Pierre Bourdieu were used at the data analysis stage. The thesis details the emergent categories: motivation-dispositions; career trajectories; personal-relationships; leadership and field change, which assist our understanding of what helps and what hinders collaboration. The inter-relationships between the four emergent categories are outlined and a theory of collaboration between academics in health and social care is presented.

College English reform is one of the main elements in the drive to improve the quality of higher education in China so that it meets the country’s social and economic needs. This thesis focuses on three key aspects of the reforms: the new emphasis on speaking skills and communicative competence; the new learner-centred teaching model; and the influence (or washback effect) of the reformed College English Test. The research investigates the responses of teachers and students to the reforms and the factors influencing their attitudes. The aim is to contribute towards a fuller understanding of the impact of the reforms and generate recommendations for making them more effective. The research consists of a case study of one of the 180 pilot centres for College English reform in China. A mixed methodology has been adopted, combining both quantitative and qualitative research. The data are drawn from 20 hours of observation of classroom teaching, 397 questionnaires (46 completed by teachers and 351 by students) and 15 in-depth interviews (13 with students and two with teachers). Since the university under investigation offers an International English course (ITE) to some students as an alternative to College English (CE), both courses have been studied. This comparative element has proved important, since in many ways ITE has been more successful than CE in responding to the New Teaching Requirements. As a snapshot of the response to the College English reforms at a particular Chinese university at a particular moment in time, this research provides fresh insights into the obstacles facing attempts to develop students’ speaking skills, the continuing influence of textbooks and exams on teachers’ practice and students’ attitudes, the reluctance of many students to become autonomous learners, and the continuing assumption that it is the teacher’s task to control all key aspects of the learning process.

Increased concerns about students who present a risk to self or others have been documented in the literature since the 1990s. In particular, concern has been expressed about students who self-harm and students with mental health difficulties (for a thorough overview of the range of issues affecting HEIs see Rana et al., 1999; Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2003; Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2011). Much of the British research has focussed on the prevalence of different types of harmful or risky behaviour. Sector bodies have published guidance documents outlining key issues for institutions to address when responding to students who present a risk to self or others (AMOSSHE; 2000; Universities UK, 2002b; Universities UK, 2002a). Whilst the literature has provided guidance to the sector, there has been no detailed examination of the discourses which underpin concerns about risk or suggested institutional responses. This thesis uses critical discourse analysis to identify these discourses and consider their impact. The data consists of seven national guidance documents which inform practice in the sector and eighteen semi-structured interviews with staff from five universities. Nine key discourses are identified which can be split into two groups with one additional discourse: discourses about the Higher Education context, professional discourses and an additional student accountability discourse. Hilgartner’s (1992) relational theory of risk predicts that valuing different objects will result in the identification of different risks. Integrating this model with critical discourse analysis provides a way of understanding how discourses place different value on objects resulting in the identification of different risks. It is intended that this understanding will enable practitioners to reflect on the discourses they and their colleagues are using and consider alternative positions when responding to complex situations where students present a risk to self or others.

Since 2001 Muslim communities in Britain have largely been governed through the educational policy framing of integration and segregation. This Manichean bio-construct sees mono-cultural ethnic schools as problematic spaces, whilst integrated schools as the liberal ideal. By drawing upon the subaltern studies approach, this study provides a space for Muslim pupils and parents to articulate their own discourses on integrated and segregated schools in Britain. In doing so, it allows Muslim communities a position of power, by giving them agency to construct their own narratives on the policy debate on integration and schooling. This thesis attempts to make sense of Muslim discourses through a theoretic interpretation drawn from Muslim intellectual history. By using Ibn Khaldun’s (d. 1406) sociological theory of ‘asabiyya this study provides a broader theoretical context to the Muslim voice. The empirical and the theoretical perspectives contained in this study attempts to make significant contributions to the study of race, religion and Muslim studies in Britain. Public policy discourses has often seen the concept of integration as a linear cultural process, with minority groups gradually adopting the social mores of the host society. Evidence presented in this study sees integration as an analytical process and not as a fixed cultural template. It shows how the concept of integration can often be used, by political actors, as a tool for anti-Muslim racism. The discourses of Muslim parents and pupils have much in common with each other, especially when rejecting the idea of self-segregation, or highlighting the importance of ‘asabiyya based on religion, but they have little in common with the public policy framing of Muslim communities. Sociological studies have often demonstrated the disjuncture between public policy and lived experience. This study confirms this observation by elucidating the disconnect between political discourse of integration and lived cultural experience of Muslim communities. The discourses of Muslim communities in this study suggest a complex, paradoxical, intersectional reading of integration, which is fundamentally rooted within social constructionism. Most importantly it dismisses the integration and segregation binary, as seen within the educational framing of Muslims, whilst recognising the importance of Muslim group solidarity, or ‘asabiyya in Muslim discourse.

This thesis analyzes the experiences, perceptions and views of a group of newly graduated teachers in post-conflict Tripoli, Libya. The focus of the study was on the first year teachers of English as a foreign language EFL and the aim was to gain an insight into those teachers‘ experiences and the contextual factors that shaped them. The present study adopts communities of practice (CoP) as the conceptual framework for exploring the newly graduated teachers‘ experience and perceptions in post-conflict Libya. In particular, the study attempts to identify the elements within CoP: mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire to allow me to interpret the data. The data for the study come from three main sources: (a) semi-structured interviews with eleven teachers, (b) two expert teachers, (c) three headteachers, (d) the manager of the Education Development Centre and (e) focus group interviews with three inspection office managers and (f) documentary analysis. The results suggested that the newly graduated teachers‘ experiences in the context of the study are influenced by several factors that interact together to make these experiences unique and a contextually situated phenomenon. These factors are: (a) the conflict, which has diminished the opportunities for integration, learning, and establishing relationships so that any CoP was precluded from existence, b) the social restriction, (c) personal characteristics, (d) the discrepancies between their teacher preparation programmes and the requirements of teaching. Within each of these broad categories, there are also sub-categories such as age barrier, the impact of the conflict which further demonstrates the complexity of this situation and how this shapes the development of teachers. The thesis finishes by recommending that further research is needed conducted to explore the experiences of newly graduated teachers in other parts of the country to obtain a clear picture of this category of teachers. A reform of teacher education programme in this context will contribute to the development of these teachers. Formal training sponsored by the government would be the means through which these teachers can be trained and developed in the absence of any professional communities due to the reasons mentioned earlier.

This thesis analyses how the extensive use of networked computers, which were the primary classroom learning resource for three Level 3 cohorts of Further Education students, impacted on how the students approached the academic elements of their coursework. Using an ethnographic methodology the students were followed as they progressed over one academic year, to identify how they engaged with their learning and used the technologies over this period. The study of students’ classroom academic and literacy practices when using the new digital technologies of computers and the Internet as resources in post-compulsory education is a relatively neglected area. At a time when there is the continued call for the increased use of these technologies across the curricula, this ethnography offers an insight into students’ responses to the technologies and how these significant educational resources can also divide the classroom into both educational and social-leisure spaces. What became apparent over the year was students’ superficial level of engagement with online research resources and how that information was then processed. Students’ use of software to manipulate digital text bypassed any evidencing of intermediary cognitive processes, therefore at times idea generation, critical development and level of ownership became challenging to identify. Notably, students’ extensive use of computers resulted in their gaze being primarily directed to their computer monitors and despite the sociality amongst students for non-educational activities, both in and out of the classrooms, the benefits of peer discussion and interaction for learning was absent due to this level of academic isolation. Students’ use of the technologies for either educational or social-leisure use was reflective of the learning conditions and what affected their levels of motivation and attention. For a number of students, their excessive use of the classroom computers to access online social-leisure resources came at a cost to their grades and their ambitions for progression had to be reduced. There is no doubting the value of computers and the Internet as classroom learning resources, however, this research identifies that they are certainly not a quick panacea for education. The evidence illustrates that to attain the potential they offer, there needs to be relative adjustments to pedagogy and learning cultures and how students conceptualise the space of computer-resourced classrooms.