This thesis is concerned with how the coveted user-engagement of digital games can be usefully harnessed for educational goals. Educational software has traditionally used gaming elements as a separate reward for completing learning content. The early "edutainment" sector became synonymous with this cursory "chocolate-covered broccoli" approach (Bruckman, 1999): tagging games on to learning content in order to make it more palatable. However, such methods have often proved ineffective (Kerawalla & Crook, 2005; Trushell, Burrell, & Maitland, 2001) and have been criticised for combining the worst elements of both games and education (Papert, 1998) as well as for following extrinsically motivating design models (Lepper, 1985; Parker & Lepper, 1992). This thesis provides a theoretical and empirical exploration of game designs that follow a more integrated approach. Five studies are described which detail the development and evaluation of a new theory for creating intrinsic integration based on integrating learning content with the game mechanics of a game. This includes the development of Zombie Division: a game that teaches mathematics to children through swordplay with skeletal opponents. Two experimental studies examine the motivational differences between integrated and non-integrated versions of Zombie Division by measuring time-on-task. Two more examine the educational effectiveness of integrated and non-integrated versions by measuring learning gains for a fixed amount of time-on-task. Statistically significant results are found which suggest that the integrated version is motivationally and educationally more effective than the extrinsic equivalent. Full results and implications are discussed.

The challenge to enhance staff development processes in a way that reflects a changing global learning environment and supports academic staff in their efforts to integrate the affordances of the rapidly changing learning technology opportunities into their learning environments is a common one for many of the institutions in higher education. This dissertation records a response to this challenge in the context of a higher education institution in Ireland. In an attempt to understand how a selected cross-section of the academic staff of the institution were aware of the pedagogical underpinning required for the effective use of learning technologies, a grounded theory approach was used to interpret their individual and degree group responses to a guided interview process. Co-raters independently identified learning issues raised by the informants in the recorded data, and, reliability tests were performed on the results from the co-raters. Having identified the highest occurring learning issues from this phase of analysis these key issues were taken back to the informants for further discussion in focus groups aimed at clarifying their thinking regarding these issues. Cluster Analysis was used at the next phase to inform how best to analyse the recordings of the focus groups. The application of grounded theory methods is set out in a way to provide transparency, seeking to respond to the, sometimes critical, comment made regarding the use of this methodology. The use of grounded theory methods enabled themes to be identified from the focus group data leading to a definition of theory that affirmed some existing theoretical positions and extended others by more specific identity of the role that academic management need to play in understanding, and planning for the integration of, the use of learning technologies by the academic staff for whom they have management responsibility.

This thesis describes the development, implementation and evaluation of a model of game education, here understood as the process of educating about digital games. The pivotal characteristic of this model is in placing the claimed influences of gaming (e.g. cognitive gains, increase of aggression) at the centre of the content to be learnt. It is based on five principles, namely, that game education can be Informative, Critical, Empowering, Emancipatory, and Dialogic, hence the ICEED Game Education Model. The ICEED model was inspired by both the academic literature and the first study of this thesis, in which 15 University students were interviewed regarding the influences of their gaming practices. Later the model was operationalised in a course named Reflective Gaming Course (RGC), which addresses a series of positive and negative influences of gaming according to the ICEED model. Using a Design Based Research methodological framework, the course was implemented, evaluated and improved as an extracurricular course for adolescents in a secondary school and then in a college, in the second and third study of this thesis. The contributions of the thesis can be divided into four sections. The first is the ICEED Game Education Model, which offers a novel and useful conceptual understanding of what game education can be, hence expanding the possibilities of how game education is conceived. The second section is the Reflective Gaming Course, which is a concrete course plan that can be reproduced or adapted by researchers or practitioners. This course was improved through two implementations, and it was found to be a useful and promising practice. By providing accounts of the course, the process involved, the outcomes achieved, the successes and failures, it is hoped to provide detailed information to inform future projects. The third section is a discussion of the findings with regard to the difficulty of transforming the academic literature on the influences of gaming into useful content for players. This highlights a limitation on the part of research in this area, which often overlooks the potential of its claims to inform players and encourage them to improve their gaming practices. The fourth section concerns knowledge about players’ perspectives about the influences of their gaming practices, complementing other similar studies. In the perspective of participants, some of the topics were perceived as more important (e.g. tangential learning, cognitive gains, excessive gaming) others less so (e.g. connections with school, aggression, stereotypes). Their perspectives also illustrate the recurring absence of opportunities in which players can problematize their perspectives on the influences of gaming.

The study investigates the processes by which a teacher education institution in Antigua and Barbuda learns to use Moodle, a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), as a tool to offer courses online. Also under investigation were the tensions inherent in this change process. The research employs elements of the Activity Theory framework proposed by Engeström, (1999) namely, the principle of multi-voicedness which gives voice to the multiple perspectives of the participants and contradictions or tensions which are inherent disturbances to understand the social system under investigation. In this qualitative research, the data were generated from multiple sources, including multiple interviews with participants, personal journal entries, and workshop evaluations. Most of the data presentation and analysis took place concurrently. The process of learning to use Moodle took place over a three year period and involved 4 main training events. The study points to the critical role of leadership in articulating a clear direction of where the institution wants to go and providing the technological and psychological support to propel the adoption. Other tensions arose as a result of the multiple initiatives to which the participants were adjusting at that time. Tensions also arose when some participants’ desire to be professional converged with limited typing and computer skills, unreliable internet service and the additional time required for designing courses for online/blended delivery. Several recommendations are made including, the need for a) clearly articulated vision, b) policies related to mandatory adoption, c) budgetary allocation, and d) assessment of the readiness of the institution to embark on the initiative.

The present thesis is an in-depth examination of the potential of facilitating reflective practice in the educational world of Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Higher Education. More specifically, the current thesis investigates the impact of Guided Reflective Practice on the practice of five university teachers of English as a Foreign Language in Cyprus. Although language research increasingly acknowledges the importance of reflection in excavating the personal, individual and emotional nature of teachers’ work, educational policies and professional teaching standards tend to overlook the humanistic and emotional dimensions of the teacher’s role. Teachers are passionate human beings and their identity, behaviour and emotions are intimately connected with their personal beliefs and values, thus their reflective selves. At the same time, emotions are also socially constructed and a teacher’s behaviour emerges as a result of interactions with others. Successful teacher interactions, however, presuppose an environment of trust, openness and willingness. In such a context, the individual can feel free to both engage in a journey of self-awareness and co-construct knowledge in a reflective dialogue with others who can facilitate the reframing of pre-existing beliefs and practices. Few empirical studies exist which illustrate the incorporation of reflective practice as a facilitative and developmental tool offered to Higher Education English as a Foreign Language in-service teachers in a co-educational and appreciative environment. The main purpose of this investigation is the increased understanding of ‘self’ and EFL practice through learning to apply reflective practice as a vehicle for mindful and caring interactions with others. The study incorporates insights from humanistic learning theory, relational cultural theory and critical constructivism. It also examines the ways in which the research process has influenced and reshaped my practice and identity as English as a Foreign Language educator and reflective facilitator. I link my research commitment to my belief in the uniqueness of the individual and the importance of learning as a result of building human relationships through reflective and dialogical interactions with others. Using an action inquiry methodology and qualitative data collection and analysis, the study endeavoured to address three research questions by investigating the teachers’ perceptions of the impact of guided reflective practice and assessing their response to the process. Data collection methods included reflective journals, reflective inquiry group meetings, dialogue observation sessions based on video-recordings, online chats, and holistic interviews. From the present study emerged the Collaborative, Appreciative, Reflective Enquiry (CARE) model for teacher development, revealing new understandings and insights for TEFL through practices in which emotions are a primary catalyst for transformational teacher learning. The proposed CARE model of guided reflective practice constitutes an alternative framework which identifies ways of facilitating and operationalising reflection in an ‘acritical’ and appreciative context, highlighting its emancipatory potential as a tool for growth and development and not as an institutional requirement. I am claiming that the significance of my research lies in the fact that it offers new conceptualisations vis-à-vis the capacity of teachers of Higher Education English as a Foreign Language to learn and maximise their potential through reflection when they feel appreciated as individuals and educators. More specifically, findings about participants’ and my own learning reveal an increased self-awareness and awareness of practice, an ability to critically reflect on context without being judgmental of others, and a willingness to reframe practice. More importantly, however, findings show a felt appreciation for the therapeutic effects of reflection and a positive approach to practice as a result of being guided and supported in the reflective practice process by understanding others. Implications include the significance of appreciative reflective practice in teacher interactions and collaboration, of teacher agency in the knowledge production in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, and the importance of positive emotionality in empowering teachers to live out their identities and values in practice. It is my hope that this small pocket of teacher reform in the study can pave the way forward to similar reform initiatives in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language domain that would entail human connectedness and caring in teacher learning through reflection.

This research explores how mathematics pedagogy can be improved by looking at how children are engaged in computer games. Two approaches were considered: (a) the use of computer games, either educational or commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) games, and (b) the use of embodied learning principles of computer games. The feasibility of these approaches was explored by examining the perceptions of students, mathematics teachers and parents along four major themes - mathematics education, technological experience, gaming experience and the use of computer games to learn mathematics. A mixed methods approach was employed in which qualitative interviews [six teachers, eight students and eight parents] and quantitative surveys [total students, n=175] were administered concurrently at two government secondary schools in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analysed independently and combined in the final interpretation to provide a holistic and consolidated finding. Data collected from teachers revealed that they gave most attention to the exams, syllabus completion, practice, and would only consider using educational computer games built on drill-and-practice. However, the students described the games as being monotonous and lack complexities. The students claimed that they enjoyed playing COTS games and reported learning of metacognitive skills through the games. Unfortunately, most teachers and parents disregarded COTS games as educational. In addition to that, the lack of infrastructural facilities, low level of computer literacy amongst school teachers as well as the time constraint to complete syllabus suggested the use of educational or COTS games to teach mathematics was deemed to be impractical in schools. All the respondents would still prefer to have teachers teaching in a classroom. Hence, an alternative option was considered - the use of embodied learning principles of computer games. Identification of good practice in computer games could be used in the mathematics classroom for improvement. Mathematics pedagogy can be improved in three major aspects: (1) mathematics problems should be challenging, enable trial and error, work on bottom-up basic skills, provide instant feedback, and enable learning transfer; (2) classroom activities such as story-telling, role-playing, competition, collaboration and the use of visual aids should be fostered; (3) learning attitude should be changed where mistakes should be seen as opportunities to learn. Here, a more practical mathematics pedagogy is drawn out without overcommitting teachers and it fosters active learning. In this study, the benefits of employing embodied learning principles of computer games in mathematics pedagogy have been seen to be more comprehensive and sustainable in the long-term because it eliminates the possible culture shock, resistance, waste of resources and risk to students’ examination performance from using an unproven technology.

This thesis investigates teacher cognition of classroom interaction as represented in narratives by Amazonian language teachers. Language teacher cognition has been investigated in the great educational centres in Brazil, but has been overlooked as a research theme in Amazonas, the context of this study. In order to bridge this existing gap in language teacher research, the current study develops a narrative enquiry in the public and private school settings to find the different understandings of interaction in the English as a foreign language (heretofore EFL) classroom as articulated by teachers. The study is grounded in theories of teacher education and cognition, applied and socio-linguistics, socio-cultural theories and discourse analysis to further the understanding of concepts that are of rising importance in the EFL field: teacher cognition, classroom interaction, and narrative research. In brief, teacher cognition refers to teachers’ mental lives and to the ways they perceive their practice. In this research, four constructs (knowledge, thought, beliefs, and decision-making) are considered to represent the broad conceptualisation of teacher cognition. Classroom interaction corresponds to the collaborative moments which happen in the language classroom among students, or between students and teacher, in order to improve learning. Narrative enquiry relates to both the method and methodology which is used to understand diverse knowledge processes. In simple terms, in this thesis, narrative enquiry explores teachers’ stories about their practice and determines the ways in which they can be analysed and interpreted. This qualitative research has been designed from a constructionist epistemological standpoint and an interpretivist theoretical perspective. Because it investigates complex concepts, this research does not follow one specific philosophical background but finds inspiration in critical pedagogy and matters of knowledge in the Brazilian context. The data produced by nine experienced EFL teachers was systematically analysed. Starting from the four individual constructs of teacher cognition, the interpretation of the data develops to concepts and themes which emerged from this initial analysis. The findings generated new understandings of the construction of knowledge as personal practical knowledge (PPK) and its relationship to other constructs of teacher cognition, to experience, to the teachers’ individual contexts and to styles of storytelling. From these main findings, the present study proposes a model of narrativised teacher cognition to better understand the interrelation between the cognitive constructs and discursive strategies, as well as build a new and concrete dimension to teachers’ articulation of their practice.

This study aimed to contribute to the small evidence base on the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) project. The ELSA project is an Educational Psychologist led training programme for Teaching Assistants’ (TA) providing modular input combining background psychological theory with practical guidance to meet the emotional needs of pupils in the context of a school (Burton, 2008). Existing research (Burton, Osborne and Norgate, 2010) has demonstrated that the ELSA project has a significant impact on teaching assistants’ perceptions of pupil emotional literacy and behavioural adjustment. However, current evaluations are unable to demonstrate if these impacts are recognised by the pupils themselves. This research aimed to explore the perceptions of recently trained ELSAs regarding their role and training in supporting the development of emotional well-being. The study was also interested in exploring whether there the ELSA project has a measurable impact on pupils’ emotional well-being. A pragmatic, mixed methods design is discussed, first in terms of a pre-test – post-test non-equivalent groups design, quantitative method that included 5 TA and 5 pupil experimental group participants and 1 TA and 5 pupil comparison group participants. The Emotional Literacy Checklist (Faupel, 2003) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997) measured pre and post-test changes in teacher and pupil participant scores. Secondly qualitative methods included thematic analyses of focus group and questionnaire data gathered at different time points from the recently trained ELSAs. It was not possible to determine whether the ELSA project had an impact on pupils’ emotional well-being. However, thematic analyses suggested that participants perceived the ELSA training to be of value in terms of their personal and professional development and the support gained. There was also evidence to suggest that participants shared a perception that the perceptions of their colleagues regarding their role and time restraints were a primary challenge to their role. Professional implications of these findings and future research, in light of methodological limitations, are discussed.

This thesis describes research carried out into the use of computer based simulations and games in learning and with particular regard to the education of engineering students. Existing research within the scope of the subject domain was fully reviewed and documented and a list of research aims and objectives were devised. It was identified that the use of educational simulation games (a hybrid combining aspects of simulation, games design and educational content) showed potential for the teaching of organisational and project management skills. A number of simulation games were developed during the research programme and are described. These ranged in complexity, functionality and subject domain. The design of simulation games capable of generic modelling was investigated and proved to be a highly flexible solution enabling student business proposals to be modelled quickly and effectively to provide them with bespoke simulation games based on their plans. The simulation game was used as a coursework exercise within a teaching module for Masters level students over a three year period and results from this trial were positive and demonstrated benefits arising from the use of the simulation game. Two complex simulation games for the teaching of construction project management were developed and extended for implementation within a teaching module. This was aimed at providing learning through the principal use of simulation games. Additional software was developed to assist in the management and monitoring of student use of the simulation games within the teaching module. The teaching module, Applied Construction Project Management (ACPM), was designed to both educate the students and to inform this research work. It featured little to no traditional teaching content such as lectures and tutorials and instead relied on student centred learning and the use of simulation games as a form of Experiential or Constructivist Learning. Weekly clinic sessions and in-game communication tools were the primary mechanisms for student contact and support with the teaching staff. Extensive quantitative and qualitative data was collected during the ACPM modules four years of operation described in this thesis. This data was collated and analysed in order to answer the research aims of the work. Results and feedback were extremely positive showing that the use of simulation games for learning can be both an engaging and effective method of learning. Issues and limitations of this approach to learning were also identified and methods for overcoming these were proposed.

Research by the Nuffield Foundation (2000) suggests that the teaching and learning of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in English secondary schools is in crisis. At the same time, some schools are implementing initiatives intended to raise the status and the quality of MFL learning. One such school is the College du Pare [fictitious name] where in September 1998 the Bilingual Foundation Course (BFC) was introduced. In the BFC, non-linguistic subjects (English, History, Geography, Religious Education and Pastoral and Social Education) were taught to 3 out of 6, Year 7 classes (11-12 year olds) through French. From September 1998 until July 2000, I was one of the teachers in the BFC and conducted my research for this thesis by developing my theory of practice through case study. The data served as the basis for my understanding of CLIL classroom interaction. In order to present my research framework, I illustrate in Chapters 1-2 how I have come to consider the key features of my theory of practice (van Lier, 1994, 1996) as being meaningful, focused and pragmatic. In Chapters 3-4, I describe my theory of practice of CLIL classroom interaction by jointly examining CLIL theories and my classroom practices. This allows me to develop a 'support and challenges' framework, which leads to learners' noticing and 'performance' in the foreign language. On the basis of my research, I re-examine my arguments in Chapter 5 based on my two main findings: - I suggest that CLIL makes (foreign) language use visible: CLIL allows both the teacher and the learners to become aware of their language use. - I relate this argument to the current situation for MFL teaching and learning in English secondary schools which then leads me to reconsider theory of practice in general. NB. This ethesis has been created by scanning the typescript original and may contain inaccuracies. In case of difficulty, please refer to the original text.