This dissertation presents a thesis in the form of three analyses to support creative decision making in the design of learner-centred, technology-enhanced education. The thesis was developed through use and improvement in practice over three decades. The dissertation also describes the action research methodological approach & methods employed and explores a framework based on concepts of design, learner, technology as a foundation for framing the thesis. Finally it evidences the claim for an original contribution to knowledge through an annotated selection from a portfolio of practice. The experience gained through increasingly responsible work rôles, in which the author was expected to guide other designers, shaped the articulation of the three analyses which were made for evaluating designs as a springboard for iterative improvement. These analyses are: • an 'expressive constructivist' model of learning; • an account of how technology can support such learning; • a learner-centred breakdown of questions to focus on progress in education more holistically. This thesis arose from growing tacit and experiential understanding and has been informed by a theoretical and conceptual framework based on academic literature. It is argued that the successful application of these analyses in the practice cited has generated the validity of the thesis, and to a limited extent, reliability.

Higher education increasingly emphasises the importance of learner self-regulation and autonomy. Self-regulated learners are active participants in their own learning and employ strategies for sustaining motivation, metacognitive thinking, and self-monitoring. This work identifies four central aspects which are investigated in an individual project based learning setting, namely motivation, time management, progress awareness, and monitoring. Monitoring is the key driver of learner self-regulation. Time management has proven to enhance perceived control over time, health, and academic achievement. Progress awareness supports learner self-observation and self-evaluation. Finally, monitoring is the process of generating feedback both internally (own feedback) and externally (from others). In this work, a 17-week quasi-experimental study involving 378 participants was conducted, preceded by a less successful trial. The study employed a web-based monitoring system, combined with a monitoring scheme in the context of Master of Science (MSc) summer projects in the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton, implementing a set of features for each learning aspect. In the monitoring scheme, monitors met with groups of students weekly to monitor project progress. Feedback was submitted online by students, monitors, and supervisors. It is shown that there are positive and significant relationships between feature use and weekly student progress and motivation ratings, and also with their dissertation mark. This suggests that some system features enhanced student self-motivation beliefs, self observation, and self-reflection. Also, features were ranked as to their impact on student self-regulated learning, and a narrative case study exploring processes behind the effects is provided. High impact features were graphical student progress visualisations, a ranking table, the virtual project page listing past feedback and providing project management tools, and weekly progress feedback. Evidence for between-monitor effects on student dissertation mark as well as system use and successful system support for information exchange is also presented. The contribution of this thesis is novel and noteworthy since it (1) shows the effects of web-based monitoring features on self-regulated learning, (2) shows how features can be used for implementing principles of good practice, and (3) draws on the effect of monitors in the context of this study.

This thesis presents the rationale, design and outcomes of an action research study carried out in Northeast Brazil on the continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers of English as a second language (ESL). Municipal ESL teachers in Northeast Brazil are faced with problems such as the scarcity or lack of resources; lack of opportunities for CPD courses; lack of attention to English on the part of the government; and classes which are too large. In my action research a CPD course was designed and delivered to 20 in-service municipal ESL teachers. The course has had the purpose of providing those teachers with an opportunity to improve their own linguistic skills and confidence as teachers of English writing, and of equipping them to find longer term solutions for the challenges they encounter in their practice. It was based on reflective practice and related professional development theory (Dewey, 1933; Freire, 1972, 1974; Mann and Walsh, 2013; Schön, 1983; Allwright, 2003; Guskey, 2000; Jay and Johnson, 2002), with a focus on writing and creativity (Harmer, 2007; Hyland, 2003; Zemach and Rumisek, 2005; Raimes, 1983a, 1983b, 2002, Moon, 2008; Pavlenko, 2002). The study was guided by the key research question: “How can a continuing professional development course grounded in reflective practice with a focus on writing impact Northeast Brazil ESL teachers’ attitudes and planning?” The tools utilised to address the key question and other related sub- questions were in-class pieces of writing, and workshops carried out in the course for design of teaching materials, as well as focus groups, interviews, and class discussions. Results show that even though teachers are faced with scarcity of resources in their teaching, they could respond to opportunities for professional reflection, and were also willing to plan more engaging, creative and meaningful activities. However, some found it hard to leave behind traditional practices involving the teaching of fragmented language, with no opportunity for contextualized writing. The analysed results show encouraging signs that teachers working in difficult circumstances can benefit from the opportunity to share ideas and together design teaching materials applicable in their context, and that dialogical intervention in the CPD course is the right path to foster teachers’ professional development in unfavourable settings.

The rapid economic and social development in the Sultanate of Oman has led to an increasing demand for higher education since 1970. The Government is now involved, and is encouraging the private sector to provide higher education services through colleges and universities in order to prepare Omanis with the qualifications and skills required to support the country`s future political economic development. Higher education in the Sultanate of Oman has a range of different challenges, such as educational policies and regulations, the management of universities and colleges, funding, and maintaining quality standards in higher education institutions. One of the major challenges facing the decision makers in higher education in Oman is the effectiveness of the leadership of colleges and universities. Strong academic leadership is paramount to the effective running of educational institutions, and a professional measurement is needed to analyse the current management of these institutions. There is the need for a proper policy to ensure the recruitment of suitable leaders to run these establishments in order to respond to the dynamic changes within the society. The public and the government want to maintain a balanced situation where the private higher education institutions are enjoying a good income while providing quality education. The research aims to analyse the type of leadership required in higher education in Oman by examining government policies and strategies related to higher education. More specifically, it will evaluate the performance of leadership at the level of presidents and deans and their roles in selected private higher education institutions. By doing so, different leadership theories, perceptions of leadership and possible measures for assessing the effectiveness of leadership will be interpreted and analysed. This research is inductive based on a qualitative and exploratory approach. The findings have contributed to the development of an academic leadership model applicable to the Oman higher education institutions, and have generated some recommendations to develop the performance of presidents and deans of higher education institutions to attain the level which is acceptable to the Government and Omani society.

This study utilises a biographical approach in order to understand the reported individual health and wellbeing outcomes of the Personal Best Volunteering Training Programme for a group of six people. Only candidates, who were not in education or training or were economically inactive, were eligible for the programme. All students on the Personal Best Volunteering Training Programme have experienced social exclusion either through drug and or alcohol addiction or mental illness. Their spoken biographies were collected in the spring of 2012; some six to twelve months after the participants had completed the course. The participant biographies set the research within a social and chronological context. Work by Marmot (2006) maintains that health outcomes are unequally distributed throughout the population and are influenced by personal autonomy and social participation, while the most vulnerable groups in society are recognised as the hardest to reach in terms of health promotion. This research links the factors which influence health with the recognised benefits of volunteering; which includes enhanced interpersonal skills, increased social networks and the development of personal characteristics (Musick and Wilson 2005). Volunteering research to date has centred on people who already possess extensive personal, social and economic resources. This research demonstrates that socially excluded individuals experience similar benefits. The findings indicate that the participants reported wide-ranging health and wellbeing benefits, enhanced communication and team working skills, the development of employability skills, improved and extended social networks. However the most significant and pervasive benefit of volunteering for this group of individuals was the development of positive self-concept and enhanced self-esteem. A key recommendation of this study is that socially excluded people should not merely be the recipients of volunteer services but have the opportunity to be prepared and actively involved in the delivery of such services. This work suggests that the PBVTP was a success largely because it was specifically designed to meet the needs of people not in education, training or employment and it recommends that volunteering courses should continue to be offered to socially excluded individuals, however to ensure further success, this study endorses the development and provision of a bespoke course explicitly design for these individuals.

Government policy states that early intervention and working in partnership with parents is essential as part of a preventative system. However the recent review of SEN and Disability (DfE, 2011a) highlights how support often works against the wishes of the family. By exploring with parents how support is delivered in practice, this thesis identifies strengths and improvements that could be made to address these problems. An ethnographic case study approach was adopted to capture a close, detailed and in-depth view of the world of the parent-participants (Yin, 1984). Data was collected from six parents via semi-structured interviews that were audio-recorded. Twelve months later four parents agreed to be observed and compile their own evaluation of an experience of support. Supplementary and contextual detail was recorded in fieldnotes and via a non-participant observation. Findings are encapsulated in six narratives inviting the reader into the world of the parent. The research represents a journey of how interpretation unfolded with the parent-participants alongside the researcher who also reflected her learning and changing perspectives. Each narrative portrays the unique experiences of the parents and indicates that the way in which each individual defines themselves and the professional providing support has an impact on the quality of the encounter. For this reason applying the transactional model (Sameroff, 1991) which is consciously aware of the factors that influence definitions is recommended as a way forward. When practised by the professional a positive partnership relationship could emerge. This would mean that support options could be tailored to individual needs that respect and involve the parent. This research therefore identifies effective ways to engage in providing the high quality arrangements the government recommends.

This thesis is an autobiographical study that relates my experiences, particularly my educational experiences, of living with dyslexia with the aim of elucidating its impact on the development of my selfhood. I examine the problems associated with dyslexia and evaluate how my own experiences correlate to, or are disparate from, current knowledge about this specific learning difficulty (SpLD). I explore the notion of epiphanies as a way of highlighting the impact of specific occurrences - the battles and the triumphs - within my life that have shaped my outlook and impacted on my self-development. These experiences are analysed through the lens of the theoretical constructs of resilience, stigma, significant others and the Germanic philosophical principle of Bildung as a way of understanding the development of my selfhood. This work makes an original contribution to knowledge as it is the study of the unique experiences of an individual and how dyslexia impacts upon his life. A single case can have considerable general illuminative utility. As such, the thesis is a link with others experiencing dyslexia, and therefore may help to inform them about ways to manage and cope with their SpLD in order to succeed in life. This autobiography may also be useful for those dealing with dyslexic individuals, such as parents and teachers, as they reflect on how they can support those in their care.

This research investigates how Trinidadian students in the United Kingdom (UK) respond to their new environment. The research explores and conceptualises the participants' experiences in the UK. It investigates Trinidadian student adjustment in the UK from a postcolonial perspective. To acquire data on Trinidadian experiences in the UK I created a private, password-protected group blog (interactive webpage) where eight respondents interacted and shared aspects of their everyday life and experiences over six months. After the blogging period follow-up face-to-face individual interviews were conducted with five of the eight participants. The research design was formulated so that the two methods would work together to paint a vivid, multidimensional and dynamic picture of the participants' experiences. These two techniques together are referred to as the blog-interview method. The experiences of three of the participants were captured as in-depth case studies. Grounded Theory was used to analyze the data and generate a working theory of the participants' experiences. A theory of adjustment, called (dis)juncture, was developed. The theory views the students' adjustment as a continuous process of negotiation among simultaneous connecting and disconnecting forces. This can create a student who is a synergy of global experiences, signifying systems, representations, identities, worldviews and perspectives that are not exclusively in one domain: they are hybrid. Unlike much work in this area, (dis)juncture does not view adjustment in stages nor does it assume that adjustment is something that can be achieved. Adjustment is advanced as a process of continuous transformation as a result of constant contact with multiple signifying systems simultaneously. (Dis)Juncture breaks important ground in the field by reconceptualising and re-imaging the process of international student adjustment. The theory thus makes a significant contribution to research on international student experiences

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