A purposeful sample of 21 school leaders from the UK and abroad were interviewed about their use of Twitter. The Twitter timelines of these respondents were also analysed. The study was framed around four research questions designed to interrogate the issues surrounding senior leaders' use of Twitter. The data collected pointed towards the growing importance of Twitter as a forum for discussion about a whole gamut of issues related to education and leadership. The research uncovered important ways in which Twitter is being used to supplement, or in some cases replace, traditional modes of professional development. This is seen to have implications for the way leaders' careers evolve over time. A revised model of leadership career progression is proposed. The revised model provides a conceptual framework for charting social media engagement amongst leaders as their careers progress. By systematising social media engagement in this way, the study makes an important contribution to the corpus of knowledge that already exists in relation to social media use in educational settings. Practical implications include, amongst other things, suggested changes to the professional development of leaders and a call to greater awareness of social media amongst leaders themselves.

There has always been a significant interest in the development of leaders not least in the secondary school sector. However, little research exists on how pupils learn about leadership with a STEM focus. This thesis explores the perceived leadership skills and attributes gained when pupils undertake the STEM Leadership Qualification (SLq). The qualification is based on the leadership framework of ‘Personal Capabilities’ (Bianchi, 2002). This study uses a qualitative case study methodology utilising a semi-structured interview method to generate data. Interviews were held between May and July 2011. The findings show that not all ‘Personal Capabilities’ were achieved. The study concludes with seven empirical claims of the findings that are based on; Power, Experiential Learning, Emotional Intelligence, STEM activities, Specific Team Roles, Collaboration and Communication. An emerging theoretical framework is proposed to demonstrate the main conclusions of this study (Figure 5.4). STEM in secondary school education, as detailed in the Literature Review, is a supporting pillar to deliver the SLq programme. The use of activities and enrichment allowed pupils to contextualise leadership skills and attributes to their everyday school life. Thus, making a positive difference in helping them understand some of the principles of leadership but more important than this is potentially growing leaders of the future.

Science education inSouthAfrica is not improving much. Many science educators do not have appropriate science qualifications. Majority of the learners have limited facilities to learn science. In this dilemma the move to OBE may result in further substantial deterioration of science education. Apossible wayout is to usecomputersin science education to facilitate the learning process. This study was designed to investigate how computers contribute to learners’ skills development in a physics course. A series of interactive computer simulations of colour mixing and a number of closely related traditionalpractical activities are aimed to promote learners’ understanding of colour. It was concluded that while computer environments have greater potentialas learning tools, they also limit interactions in significant ways.

A survey carried out during 1998 in rural schools of the South East Region (Butterworth) in the Eastern Cape Province revealed that science teachers do not seem to know their problems in teaching science. Teachers related their problems to lack of apparatus and laboratories. However, it appeared that lack of conceptual understanding of science and of practical skills prevented teachers from preparing practical approaches in the classrooms. Lack of conceptual understanding could have also been the cause of the teacher's inability to innovate and manipulate apparatus. The call for laboratories also seemed to be caused by lack of knowledge of what is done in a laboratory. Practical approaches to science seemed to be further undermined by the irrelevance of apparatus and science in a rural setting, where few community members and teachers might have never used apparatus or done practical exercises anywhere. It is recommended that an integrated approach towards improving science education is required. That is, by means of workshops, all role-players in science education such as teacher training institutions such as Rhodes University, NGOs, the Department of Education and pre-service as well as in-service teachers, should discuss the problems in science education. There is a need to supply basic apparatus and to make sure that in-service and pre-service courses emphasise skills in the use of apparatus, innovating apparatus and practical experiences, along with improving the teacher's conceptual understanding of science. A science college of education is highly recommended to enable a special focus on the plight of science education in the Eastern Cape Province. It also felt that rural areas require special attention in terms of designing outcomes and learning experiences that bear relevance to that environment. The assumption that science education as perceived in industrialised areas can be beneficial everywhere is dangerous and gives science a bad name in rural areas. The survey also showed that triangulation of research instruments is necessary to increase validity and reliability of any research programme. The most useful method appeared to be video recording the interviews.

In March 1997 an indigenous knowledge story was included by the Schools Water Action Project (SWAP)partners in a resource pack for Water Week educational activities. This research developed as the result of an interaction between myself and some of the schools while we investigated water quality within Howick in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands. An interest in understanding the role of indigenous knowledge in/for environmental education developed. Some of the teachers and students involved in the water audit were requested to share their views on the role of indigenous knowledge in/for environmental education. From here the study broadened to also include interviews with elderly community members and environmental educators involved in materials development processes. This post-positivistic case study documents the views of a small sample of interviewees using the SWAP story entitled Sweet Water as a spring board towards a better understanding of indigenous knowledge within the school context, with a particular aim to inform educational materials development processes. The study displayed that a link which exists between indigenous knowledge and environmental education needs to be brought to the fore. This is likely to happen with the blurring of boundaries between home and school as learning contexts, a process which student interviewees emphasised, along with the need for respecting values that award respect to the environment. Elderly community members were of the view that they have a role to play in addressing educational problems such as interpersonal and intercultural respect. However, the study also raised several issues around the complexities surrounding indigenous knowledge processes, including its appropriation, commodification and reification.

The preliminary study sought to identify the main areas of the first year biology curriculum where students tended to encounter difficulties. These areas were seen to encompass potential themes where open-ended problems might be devised: light and dark reactions in photosynthesis, phytochrome and germination, cell mediated immunity, antibodies, the immunological armoury and gene function and gene expression in plant growth. The main experiment had three stages. In each stage, a battery of tests (cognitive and attitudinal) was used and the outcomes related to students' performance on an open-ended problem. Four new open-ended problem-solving units were developed. The battery of tests in the first stage 9with 642 students) were True-False tests, a Word Association Test, a Structural Communication Grid test and assessments of attitudes to learning (using a Perry Position Questionnaire). Several open-ended problems were devised and used but the outcomes from the cognitive tests were related to one individual problem-solving unit on the topic: forests that Need Fires. This stage attempted to gain some kind of insight into the extent to which nodes and links in long term memory contribute to success in problem solving. The results indicated that problem-solving success might be related to factual knowledge, links between nodes of knowledge and understanding. However, generic ability in biology might offer an alternative explanation. To test the latter, stage two involved the same sample of students in a second battery of tests, most which were on a parallel but unrelated topic: Evolution. The outcomes showed that, while some kind of generic biological ability was a factor, this did not seem to explain all the correlations observed in the first stage. The third stage approached from a fresh perspective. Working with 525 students, this involved the same four problem based units but a new set of tests was applied: tests of Lateral Thinking, a test of Convergency / Divergency, another Ranking test and a Self-Report Questionnaire. The results suggested that the number of accessible nodes and links in long term memory (reflecting 'brain architecture' and, perhaps, aspects of cognitive styles) do seem to be related to success in a problem-solving task. However, it is recognised that the validity of the test battery is an important issue in drawing such conclusions. This study raised important questions: is the way of string the knowledge or the order of storage a factor? Is it something relating to the physical factors such as structure of the brain (architecture) in terms of neurons and synapses, psychological factors such as structure of information in terms of nodes and links or emotional factors such as desire and willingness to store specific ideas other than others (knowledge filtration)? While it is well known that working memory is a key factor in determining problem-solving success (and this was not explored further in this study), the study suggests that the following factors may be important in leading to success with open-ended problems in biology: Factual knowledge held in long term memory; Understanding of conceptual knowledge; Generic biological ability (skill); Number of accessible nodes and links in long term memory; Effect of 'brain architecture'; and Aspects of cognitive styles (divergency, creativity or lateral thinking).

Within concepts on intercultural language learning it is generally acknowledged that the ‘context’ of the individual learning experience plays an important role for the acquisition of a foreign language and intercultural learning processes. A detailed understanding of what it is we call ‘context’ is still missing – as are studies that focus particularly on the language learning environment outside the classroom and the role of everyday space and place for intercultural encounter. This thesis draws largely on spatial theory in addressing space and place as a site of geo-political and social-cultural change, and as a crucial element of intercultural language learning processes. Narratives, de Certeau (1984: 116) says, are “written by footsteps.” The methodological orientation of this thesis follows both the narratives and footsteps of language learners, and as such is anchored in and around the element of movement. In creating a spatial ‘method assemblage’ (Law 2004) that engages both mobile and visual elements, I am arguing for a methodological change in perspective while giving credit to the perspective of language learners and their everyday routes and learning environments. This argument correlates with the particular methodological tool of ‘guided walks’, in which researcher and language learner walk together on daily routes within places of significance. Giving walking a central methodological and analytic role within this thesis underlines those moments of intercultural experience, which are based on movement, transformation and the search for the ephemeral. The particular understanding of intercultural language learning as a ‘spatial-embodied practice’ emerges from an ethnographic study as well as from a detailed examination of the ‘intercultural field’. The various imbalances of the ‘intercultural field’ effect intercultural language learning through the body, as well as the senses and practices of diversity, and re-shape an awareness of space. Not only increased physical mobility, but the complex networks of flows and transnational interrelations, increasingly transform intercultural experience. From this perspective, this thesis argues that language learners weave their intercultural experience through practices of ‘place making’ (Ingold 2011), and by moving in between myriad borders and boundaries.

Detailed examination of the nature of social change in Oman pinpoints the various ways in which the role of the family has diminished, and that of the state increased. In particular, the somewhat haphazard way in which, inevitably, the state has assumed the responsibilities for social welfare and education which were previously the sole province of the family, has weakened the framework of child socialisation which was once the bulwark of an Islamic society. This framework derives from the whole ethos of the child's socialising environment - previously the extended family with its spoken and unspoken Islamic ideals; now far more often the world of the nanny; alien, sometimes uncaring, and often imperfectly understood. That this environment is the enemy of successful socialisation was the hypothesis designed to be tested by the research. Current theories of socialisation in the earliest years of childhood, especially those of the `learning theorists', such as Bandura, emphasise the importance to the very young child of `bonding' - stable emotional attachment to one or two adult carers - for successful later emotional development. The child's cognitive, linguistic, psychological and social development is likely thereafter to depend on its role-models, on whose explicit and implicit assumptions about life the child is likely to base his own actions. How much these are in tune with his society will depend on how far these role models reflect, especially linguistically, the cultural assumptions of that society. To some extent, therefore, the closer the bond between child and nanny, the less likely he is (if she is non-Omani) to socialise successfully. It is in this context that the research set out to test the effects of foreign nannies on Omani children. Its objectives were therefore to see why families employed nannies; to see how they were employed; to study their personal lifestyles and even more importantly their backgrounds and the cultures from which they came; to try to discover their effects on the children in their charge, and to make some recommendations about their deployment.

The arguments presented in this thesis extend the existing discourse in the field of educational research. With support from empirical evidence and conceptual argument I will contend that the role of the teacher, and teacher beliefs, are central to changing practice and that a fine-grained understanding of teachers’ attitudes is crucial if we are to bridge the disjunction between research, policy and practice. The papers presented in this submission make a significant contribution to our understanding of the complex nature of learning and teaching. Empirical research to date has tended to be carried out in discrete disciplines within education such as psychology, sociology or early years. In contrast the portfolio of work presented here extends this knowledge by innovatively synthesising different fields of research and knowledge and challenges traditional practices where evidence was often restricted within a distinct field of study. There are increasingly nuanced debates in the academic literature about interconnectedness and the research/policy/practice nexus. The work presented here is located within this nexus. This portfolio of publications brings together work I have completed in the field since 2000. The publications are empirical and conceptual and progress knowledge related to teacher beliefs, classroom organisation, curriculum, early years and gifted and talented education. This submission provides a unique contribution to understanding the complex processes of learning and teaching by means of synthesising existing evidence and generating new evidence that not only contributes to the discourse but crucially is disseminated in a way that is accessible and practical in nature. The central claim underlying the work in this research portfolio is that providing for children can best be understood as resulting from three connected perspectives: 1. The complex interactions between teachers’ universal understandings about learning, teaching and ability; 2. The synthesis of previously discrete fields of research; 3. The policy context teachers find themselves working in and practical application in the classroom. This submission includes four jointly authored and four single authored peer-reviewed published papers together with two systematic reviews of literature. A range of work will be presented as evidence of knowledge exchange outputs emanating from the empirical and conceptual work. The submission will be organised under three key themes, each of which contributes to the intellectual development of knowledge and understanding about learning and teaching. Theme 1: Teachers, Learning and Learners The three papers presented in this theme directly address the teachers’ role and interrogate through: a literature review; the development of a model and an empirical study; how teachers might understand their role within the process. The first paper (1) reports the findings of a systematic review of literature about motivation to learn. Paper two (2) reports on a two-dimensional model for motivation. Paper (3) presents findings from a study carried out with teachers undertaking postgraduate qualifications in Special Educational Needs. Synthesising the findings from these papers contributes to discourse in the field by generating overarching patterns that relate to learners and effective learning regardless of their age. Theme 2: Classroom Organisation The four papers in this theme focus on curriculum and the mediation of the curriculum for learners. They demonstrate how the research undertaken reveals similar concerns within the field of gifted education and education generally, thus strengthening the thesis that greater synthesis of discrete fields of research is required. Paper four (4) critiques the current curricular framework being implemented in Scottish schools in relation to pupils who demonstrate high ability. Paper five (5) examines findings from a pilot study in one Education Authority in Scotland. Papers six (6) and seven (7) present findings from a study that examined classroom organisation from the perspectives of both teachers and pupils. Evidence is presented through knowledge exchange outputs in the form of a national staff development pack. Intellectually the papers contribute to the theoretical debates that exist around the organisation of pupils for learning and teaching. The findings corroborate the thesis that no one approach will meet the needs of all pupils. Theme 3: High ability Each of the three papers in this theme provides a unique contribution to the contentious debate around the most appropriate way to educate gifted and talented learners. The field is dominated by arguments for the need for specialised education for this cohort. The papers in this submission challenge this position arguing for the benefits of a more inclusive approach. Paper eight (8) is a literature review of interventions aimed at improving the educational achievement of gifted and talented pupils. Paper nine (9) explores parents’ views about high ability. Paper ten (10) presents initial findings from a study of staff working in one Education Authority in Scotland. Further evidence will be presented indicating how my empirical and conceptual work translates into accessible books and reports for use by teachers, students and Education Authorities, thus demonstrating impact “on the ground” and extending my work to include both an academic and practitioner audience. Conceptually the work submitted in this section evidences the central thesis that it is the implementation of a variety of methodological and pedagogical approaches by a knowledgeable educator that will best support gifted and talented learners. Conclusion It is important that the individuality, personal knowledge, beliefs and understanding teachers bring to the learning and teaching processes are explored, challenged and enhanced from a theoretical and methodological base. The syntheses of findings that are presented in this portfolio provide a critical and fine-grained understanding of teaching and learning across rarely connected disparate and discrete elements within education. It is this critical interrogation of existing practice that offers a unique contribution to the field. Explicitly such insights have yet to pass down into educational practice to produce more critically informed forms of educational praxis. The work presented in this submission offers a distinctive empirical and conceptual base from which to move forward.

This qualitative study provides new insight into how the sensitive management of the emotional climate of an early years setting contributes to a beneficial context for child development by focusing on enhancing the emotional well-being of the workforce. This action research centred on the experiences of staff employed to care for young children and explored the wide range of skills and responsibilities that are required of managers and staff teams in settings that provide day care and early education. It also considered the extent to which the needs and best interests of children are being adequately addressed. This enquiry contributes to the ongoing debate over how well young children are served by the use of early childcare and education settings and whether some young children may be at risk of emotional neglect if relationships and interactions in the setting are not sensitive and responsive to the emotional needs of the children and their carers. This research approach provides insight into how management actions and organisational practices in early years settings can impact on children’s well-being, learning and development, and draws on many viewpoints using a variety of research tools. After an initial survey of early years staff and managers of a range of settings in the East Midlands, the focus moves to data gathering activities arising in one main setting based in the region. The findings from the preliminary survey and the main setting raise important questions about the experiences of young children. Reflective management tools have been developed and successfully piloted in the main study setting. The findings demonstrate a significant link between the implementation of beneficial organisational practices in early years settings and the development of a positive emotional climate through addressing issues affecting the staff and children’s well-being. Although this study is located in one region with data collected from one main setting in particular, the research tools and findings have relevance to the organisational practices in other early years settings v Personal well-being and team morale of early years staff are shown to contribute to the quality of interactions that impact on children’s well-being. The issue of ‘being valued and appreciated’ is revealed as a key factor to be addressed in order to raise and maintain staff morale. Practitioners in the main setting identified positive leadership and management behaviours as contributing to feeling valued and appreciated. The development of a management style that empowers and motivates staff, is recognised here as compensatory in overcoming the inherent low pay and the sense of being undervalued often associated with early years work. A nurturing management style is shown to contribute to a positive emotional climate by improving staff retention and team stability. A positive emotional climate is described as an environment that supports children’s emotional development, cognitive development and subsequent educational achievement and social integration. The task of providing early years care and education at a level that promotes children’s emotional well-being is one that requires training in an holistic approach to care and development and high professional standards for those with a leadership responsibility. A young child’s positive emotional well-being is identified as a major factor in helping children to establish themselves as life-long learners and this study concludes that the development of critical reflective management skills is essential if early years settings are able to provide an environment in which children can thrive. The concept of a beneficial childhood is defined and the study recommends that a focus on child emotional well-being is the top priority that underpins local and national policy. The teamwork skills of staff are extended to include the child’s parents or main carers such that the adults collectively take responsibility for creating a coherent and consistent community of practice within which the children can thrive. The development of an identifiable and supportive group culture is regarded as the responsibility of the most senior person involved in the setting and this research identifies that this role requires assistance and support from others internal and external to the setting. The overall conclusions and recommendations focus on the following areas: · Recognition of the impact of adult well-being on children’s experiences; · Description of a beneficial leadership style for early years settings; · Clarification of specific organisational practices to be developed; · Consideration of parental involvement and shared responsibility for childhood; · Proposal of specific training activities to support development of practice.