The aims of this research study were threefold. Firstly, to explore the impact of the strategic arrangements and mechanisms to implement and support practice based learning. Secondly, to investigate the selection processes, preparation, support and evaluation of mentors. Thirdly, to explore the impact of mentorship from the viewpoint of mentors, students, managers and educational links within the clinical learning environment. The study design incorporated both quantitative and qualitative approaches involving a three phased approach engaging three regional sites. The first phase involved a quantitative approach using a survey. Phase one data arose from senior staff in Higher Education Institutions (n = 10) and the National Health Service (n = 22). The results from the survey, which focused on the strategic implementation of practice based learning and the preparation of mentors in Scotland, were used to inform phases two and three of the study. Phases two and three of the research study used a modified grounded theory approach. A range of data collection methods were used to gain information from mentors, Link Lecturers, Practice Education Facilitators, managers and students. Data collection and analysis for phases two and three occurred simultaneously and incorporated the constant comparative method of analysis. Phase two provided data from interviews with mentors across the three regional sites giving a total of 30 with ten participants in each site. Focus groups were conducted with Link Lecturers (n=17); Practice Education Facilitators (n=13); ward managers (n=21) and third year student nurses in the adult branch of the undergraduate programme (n=34). Three major categories were developed ‘Becoming a mentor to facilitate learning in practice' ‘Operationalising the facilitation of learning in practice', and ‘Quality infrastructure optimising learning in practice. From these major categories a core category emerged. The core category ‘Strategic Engagement for a Quality Learning Experience in Practice' captured the process that mentors, Link Lecturers, Practice Education Facilitators, managers and students perceived as their experience related to the clinical learning environment. A tentative theory emerged which addresses the gap between strategy and operationalisation in order to enhance the learning experience in practice. The emerging tentative theory is closing the strategic and operational gap: strategic engagement for a quality learning experience in practice. A model is provided to illustrate how to manage the interface in order to provide quality learning in practice. The study provided useful insight into learning in practice and the roles of staff within the clinical learning environment with how learning maybe more effectively managed and strengthened.

This research aimed to develop a framework to enhance the operation of quality assurance in Saudi Arabia’s higher education institutions, through exploring stakeholders' perspectives, considering educational management and the potential of e-management. In looking to generate an insight into the reality of QA practice towards developing a heuristic enhancement framework, a case study methodology consisting of both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods was employed. In the initial stage, a scoping study was employed to explore the main issues surrounding the operation of QA by conducting 10 interviews with elite stockholders. For the main study, interviews, focus groups and a questionnaire were employed to gather data simultaneously. There were 23 participants in interviews, 9 in focus groups and 301 responders to a questionnaire. Qualitative data were analysed based on thematic analysis, descriptive statistics were applied to the quantitative data making use of the SPSS statistical package. Data were analysed separately and then integrated and compared in the process of interpretation of the overall results. This case study found that participants from all levels of the institution agreed that QA requirements are a primary part of academic commitments. The results showed that stakeholders are willing to engage in the QA operations at an individual level. However, not all faculty members accepted the changes resulting from a systematic QA approach. There are those who support and engage effectively and those who reject the idea because of uncertainty or lack of a clear understanding of QA. This study has identified that the largest group of stakeholders actively participating in QA operations is made up of QA staff, followed by administrative and faculty staff. In addition, the study found that stakeholders with experience in QA participate significantly more than others. The study noticed a disparity between the engagement of stakeholders at older long established colleges and new ones. Several factors driving this trend emerged, such as the work environment, availability of support from senior management, availability of human and financial support, and the extent of understanding of QAP. The study discovered a wide range of evidence indicating significant difficulties in relation to the participation of stakeholders in the QA operations, due to a number of common challenges; such as management issues, individual attitudes, staff development, incentives and external factors. The study indicated that the relationship between QA operation and e-management in the university is limited or unclear. In terms of the positive perception of participants toward the potential of e-management in the operation of QA, the results indicated that e-management could provide essential solutions to a number of challenges confronting stakeholders in QA operations. Five potential areas in which e-management could help in QA operations were outlined: administration, operation, information management, control and evaluation and support. However, the study revealed several potential challenges that could confront higher education institutions in taking full advantage of e-management in the operation of QA, namely, management aspects, stakeholders, and technical issues. The study has proposed a heuristic framework to enhance the operation of QA and to tackle the issues that arose over the course of the research. The framework’s development is grounded in the literature across three disciplines (Change, QA and e-management), and in the perspectives of stakeholders involved in the actual operation of QA. This framework considers seven main areas: leadership, stakeholders, QAP, staff development, rewards and incentives, e-management and external factors. The study proposes a framework with the intention of providing guidance and insight for higher education policy and decision makers, academic leaders in Saudi HEIs, and for HEIs throughout the region.

This research examines the transition from student nurse to Registered Nurse (child). Earlier studies suggest the transition always involves a period of discomfort and uncertainty. However, there is a dearth of longitudinal studies of children‟s nurses, revealing a gap in the evidence that this study aims to fill. This longitudinal study commenced in one HEI in England where the six participants were completing their undergraduate programme in child nursing. A phenomenological interpretive design was used to answer the research question: „What is the experience of making the transition from student to RN (child) like?‟ Data was collected using focused qualitative interviews at three stages: mid final year, and at 3–4 months and 12–14 months post-employment as an RN. The data was analysed using descriptive and interpretive methods. The thesis draws out the changes in the participants experience over time and suggests the transition extends beyond the first year of practice. It involves development within four overarching themes: Personal and Professional Identity, Primacy of Practice, Working with People, and Managing Newness. These key themes are present across the participants‟ experience but their importance changes over time. The transition is characterised by the visibility of being a nurse and the invisibility of being a „new‟ nurse. This study supports the findings of some earlier studies and introduces some new evidence in relation to children‟s nursing, such as responding to crises, coping with grief and the difficulties and challenges of working with parents. The main limitations are that this is a small-scale study within a specific branch of nursing, with participants drawn from one HEI and conducted by a single investigator. However, because the participants took up employment in different locations in England, the findings may have some resonance with other neophyte children‟s nurses beyond the original setting of the research. Recommendations are made for undergraduate programme providers and employers to strengthen and develop the preparation of RN (child) pre- and post-qualification, particularly in the areas of preceptorship, prioritising care and managing time, working with parents, and coping with emergencies or the death of a child

This study focuses on the practice component of United Kingdom (UK) pre-registration nurse education. In particular, the research has concentrated on one school of health - part of a larger higher education institution, in the UK and has explored how the institution ensures the quality of the practice component of two of its pre-registration nurse education programmes, the Adult and Mental Health branch programmes. A ‘Major Review’ inspection of these programmes was undertaken in 2005 as part of the requirement of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) (2001). The research analysed whether the precepts that relate to the practice component of the school’s pre-registration programmes were being implemented, enacted and experienced by those engaged in them. To achieve this Yin’s (2003) qualitative case study approach was adopted, involving interviewing senior lecturers (n=9), mentors (n=7) and student nurses (n=8) and undertaking in depth analysis of relevant documentation. The findings identified that the precepts themselves did not directly influence what the link tutors and mentors did. As a result, the student nurses experienced different levels of support from link tutors and mentors. This prevented students from experiencing a standardised approach to the practice component of the programmes studied. From this it has been concluded that the ethos of the Major Review process has had no long term impact with regards to standardising and quality assuring the practice component of the programmes studied, a finding that has not been formally reported elsewhere. Instead individual values, beliefs and practices dominated the way in which the players studied operated. The study also highlights how broad and non-descript the precepts themselves are in guiding the school towards a standardised approach to the practice component of the programmes in question. All but one of the precepts ‘Staff Development’ were evidenced as being implemented and/or experienced. Having researched the placement learning precepts (QAA 2001) in their entirety, which has never been done before, it became evident that whilst the content of all of the precepts had been included in the documentary data studied (Clinical Assessment of Practice Documents, School Plan and Pathway Guide), this did not guarantee that all of the precepts were fully implemented and enacted by relevant players. This was because the instruction and guidance within the documents studied were often broad and non specific, to which the design of the precepts allowed. The outcome of this enabled a) link tutors to interpret their roles and responsibilities in different ways; b) theory practice gaps to emerge, which ranged from weak partnership relationships between link tutors and practice placement mangers; c) mentors and link tutors interpreting the CAPD differently and d) mentors mentoring and assessing students in different ways. This resulted in students nursing experiencing different types of learning opportunities and assessment practices that did not always match the learning and development that may be needed in order to practice as a competent and confident registered nurse, at the point of registration. Additionally, there was a lack of understanding by all players about local quality assurance systems and processes. This ranged from none of the participants being familiar with the complaints procedures, or being clear about how placement learning experiences were monitored and evaluated. As a result of these findings the competence of the personnel (link tutors and mentors) studied has been questioned. A phenomenon that highlighted that precept 6 ‘Staff Development’ (which required institutions to ensure that staff who are involved in placement learning are competent to fulfil their role), was not being demonstrably implemented or enacted. A series of recommendations have been designed to meet both the needs of the school studied and others similar. Some of the recommendations relating to the school studied have already been implemented with positive effect. This was evidenced when the researched school was confirmed as having an ‘Outstanding Level of Achievement’ for practice learning following a more recent quality assurance inspection by HLSP on behalf of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The issue of teaching and learning communication strategies has been controversial over the past few decades. Whereas some theoretical arguments reject the benefits of teaching of communication strategies, many practical and empirical studies make pedagogical recommendations and support the idea. Nevertheless, there appears to be no information on teaching communication strategies to Thai learners of English in Thailand. To address these issues, this thesis investigates the effects of teaching communication strategies to Thai learners of English in Thailand. It was designed as an interventionist study conducted with a group of students. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in the current study. Sixty-two fourth year students majoring in Engineering at King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok participated in this study. All the students received a 12-week communication strategy-based instruction and 12 students were asked to complete four speaking tasks and retrospective protocols. Data were collected via (1) self-report strategy questionnaire, (2) attitudinal questionnaire (3) transcription data of four different speaking tasks, and (4) retrospective protocols. The results from the self-report strategy questionnaire and the speaking tasks showed that the explicit teaching of communication strategies raised students’ awareness of strategy use and promoted the greater use of taught communication strategies of the students. The students considered the taught strategies in communication strategy instruction useful, especially pause fillers and hesitation devices, approximation, self repair and circumlocution. With respect to the retrospective verbal reports, the findings showed that the students tended to be more aware of the taught communication strategies. They revealed their intention and reasons behind their use of some taught communication strategies in more detail while completing the postspeaking tasks. Finally, the positive outcomes of the teaching of some specific communication strategies were supported by the findings of an attitudinal questionnaire on the strategy instruction. The findings suggest that the students found the communication strategy instruction useful for them. They also showed positive feelings and attitudes towards the communication strategy instruction.

No description available.

This is an analytic and descriptive classroom-centred research, the purpose of which is to investigate a Thai postgraduate teacher’s verbal feedback in relation to the course objectives and his personal teaching goals in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) classroom. The participant of the present study was a Thai teacher teaching at university level. The current study draws on both classroom observation and interview data in a classroom-centred research. The teacher was observed eight times and interviewed after the end of the course. The audio-taped data were transcribed and analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative approach addressed the frequencies and percentages of aspects of the teacher’s verbal feedback. Based on the quantitative data, a qualitative analysis of the transcripts was made to describe the occurrences of several aspects of verbal feedback provided by the teacher. Moreover, the qualitative analysis included the interpretation of the teacher’s verbal feedback to consider the degree to which he provided opportunities for the students to reach the course objectives and his personal teaching goals. Drawing from the findings, two areas of implications are offered: (1) for teachers in Thailand, and (2) for teacher education in Thailand. For teachers in Thailand, the study suggests that teachers should: (1) increase interactional feedback with different areas of content, (2) increase evaluative feedback strategies prompting students to self-repair, and (3) organise patterns of classroom communication meeting course objectives and teaching goals, and being appropriate for students’ abilities, interests and motivation. For teacher education in Thailand, the research suggests that teacher educators should: (1) provide knowledge about the use of teacher verbal feedback, and (2) reconceptualise the organisation of patterns of classroom communication.

Archaeologists have long scrutinised the relationship of images to disciplinary knowledge creation. However, to date, very little attention has been given to archaeological visual media and visual methods as generative tools. Visualisations work to make things possible—income, infrastructure, status, security, ideas and expertise—and their shrewd application has significant consequences for professional development and conceptual/methodological growth. The following thesis embarks on a micro-scale study of the mid-20th century establishment of the Institute of Archaeology (IoA) at the University of London to demonstrate the extent to which visualisation is embedded in, and accountable for, the foundation of academic archaeological studies in Britain. Drawing on results from extensive archival enquiry and interviews, this research stands as an account of institutional development told not through the standard lens of biography or intellectual evolution, but through analysis of the strategic management of visual material culture and graphic performance (i.e., photographs, illustrations, models, display collections, TV, exhibitions, illustrated lectures and conferences). It traces the early history of the IoA through a series of formative events from the mid-1920s to the end of World War II wherein visual media are mobilised to dramatic effect in the coming-into-being of scholarly archaeology in London, and in the post-war regeneration of British culture. Particular attention is paid to the entanglement of visualisation in the IoA’s pioneering work on the first archaeological television programmes; the standardisation of archaeological photography; the acquisition and display of the Petrie Palestinian collection; the launching of one-of-a-kind graphic industrial/laboratory units; and the training of the earliest generations of accredited field practitioners. This project is prompted by a desire to overturn two fundamentally unsustainable standpoints. Firstly, visual culture tends to be fallaciously constituted in archaeology—and beyond—as a recent phenomenon whose origins stretch back no more than a few decades (conveniently coinciding with the rise of digital graphic production). However as I argue here, calculated and skilful manipulation of optical media has a deep legacy, implicated in even the most basal levels of the discipline’s intellectual and organisational consolidation. Secondly, visual representation as a sub-field of enquiry is often relegated to the sidelines of ‘legitimate’ practice—dismissed as ephemeral and unrobust, or irrelevant to the fundamentals of archaeology. I counter such perspectives by outlining the rich and prescient history of critical graphic studies in the discipline. I then demonstrate that savvy visualisation can, in fact, breed concrete professional outcomes for archaeologists, providing the infrastructure to develop and refine our methods, the cognitive tools to reconceptualise aspects of the archaeological record, and the commercial capital to sustain and propagate the field. At once a chronicle of the IoA’s heritage and a testament to the power of visual media, this thesis situates imagery as a forcible actor in the struggle for disciplinary sovereignty and scholarly authority. Ultimately, it speaks not just of the importance of visualisation to archaeology’s past, but so too of its potential for negotiating our future.

No description available.

To date, very few studies have investigated accounting absence in organisations, and only two of these have investigated the absence of accounting in higher education (HE). This has posed difficulties to the author of this thesis to identify a framework of accounting absence against which to conduct the research. To mitigate this, the Grounded Theory (GT) approach was applied and developed in this research to facilitate an in-depth explanation of the issue of accounting absence. Subsequently, the researcher extensively and intensively conducted semi-structured interviews in addition to reviewing documents that would shed light on the status of accounting in the case study. Empirically, this study has – in depth - explored, examined and understood accounting absence in a leading and public university in Saudi Arabia which should contribute to the few related studies in HE and the public sector in general and in developing countries in particular. The origin, status and daily practices of its accounting system were described. For example, this research found that the University’s antiquated accounting system had rarely been subject to any updates or developments since the rules were first established in 1956, although they are criticised for being primitive, bureaucratic and centralised. After comparing the open and axial codes to reach a saturation stage of developing a theory, a substantive theory of accounting absence was introduced to explain accounting absence, and describes conditions that create, resist and/or sustain the absence of accounting by describing the strategies that are applied by those conditions. The consequences of accounting absence and these strategies are described, and finally, this research defined accounting absence, drawing a distinction between technical absence and functional absence. The substantive theory is then compared with the extant literature where this research found a new type of decoupling taking place, and new practices of coercive pressure. After the comparisons, a Formal Grounded Theory was developed to achieve an abstract theory of accounting absence that should be more applicable to studies on accounting absence in general and accounting absence in the field of HE in particular.