Emotion regulation (ER) strategies, as conceptualised within the influential process model of ER (Gross, 1998), are found to be important predictors of psychological outcomes in adults. Less research has examined the use of ER strategies in late childhood and adolescence. However adolescence is a key period of pubertal and environmental changes leading to higher demands to regulate emotions. This thesis had two goals; to understand the origins of ER strategy use in late childhood and adolescence, and its associations for school adjustment; and to examine ER strategy use across the primary-secondary transition. The systematic literature review recognised important influences on the use of ER strategies including interpersonal (gender, age, culture, and temperament) and intrapersonal (parenting behaviour and attachment style) factors. In addition, significant correlates of ER strategies that impact on school adjustment, including internalising and externalising behaviour, self-concept and social competence, were identified. Two commonly used ER strategies of cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES) were reported to be associated with significant outcomes for school adjustment. A longitudinal study examined the use of CR and ES in 68 10 – 11 year olds over the transition from primary to secondary school in the UK. It was expected that pre-transition ER strategy use would predict post-transition social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes. Contrary to predictions, regression analyses did not support a predictive association between pre-transition ER strategy use and post-transition outcomes at secondary school. However, post-transition ES was significantly negatively associated with concurrent educational progress and self-perceived global self-worth and positively associated with behavioural difficulties. Post-transition CR was also positively associated with concurrent self-perceived global self-worth. No significant gender differences or changes in strategy use over time were found. The findings contribute to our understanding of ER strategy use in early adolescence in primary and secondary school settings.

In the realization that second language learners’ grammatical competence does not always guarantee their communicative language ability and that meta-knowledge of English information structure might play an important role in developing their communicative language ability, I carried out a project in which the learners in the study, who were considered to have adequate grammatical competence but unsatisfactory communicative language ability, were given explicit instructions enhancing their meta-knowledge of English information structure as an initial step towards the development of their reading and writing skills and ultimately their communicative language ability. The approach adopted in the study is action research aiming at improving the teaching of academic reading and writing skills to undergraduate students for their communicative development and at the same time contributing the clarity of theories of language transfer, and the role of cognitive approaches in communicative language teaching. Answers to the following major research questions were to be sought. First, what problems do L2 learners have in their reading and writing in relation to their not having a clear and systematic understanding of English information structure? Second, to what extent are their problems influenced by their L1 meta-knowledge of information structure, and L1 strategies? Third, can a cognitive meta-linguistic approach to teaching information structure improve L2 learners’ understanding of English academic texts and structuring of written communication through which they might improve their communicative language ability? My teaching method is both knowledge-oriented and skill-oriented with each lesson being divided into two phases: meta-knowledge introduction and the follow-up skill development. Four data collection methods were applied: questionnaire, interview, test, and classroom-based methods. The data analysis suggests that the learners in the study encountered the reading and writing problems investigated and that they showed development in their reading and writing skills during and after the teaching phase. My conclusion is that there is a causal relationship between a meta-linguistic approach to teaching information structure to L2 learners and their communicative ability development.

In Taiwan, a reading comprehension component is included in the English test of the Senior High Academic Ability Examination (SHAAE) – a national examination which can be regarded as a university entrance examination for students in their final year of senior high. This reading subtest consists of a multiple-choice format. Studies on language assessment, L2 reading and L1-L2 reading have suggested that EFL students’ performance on multiple-choice reading comprehension tests is attributed to two major factors: English Language Knowledge and Strategy Use. This feature raises a number of issues. Does the multiple-choice reading comprehension subtest of the English component at the SHAAE measure what it is intended to assess? Do Taiwanese senior high school students’ English Language Knowledge and Strategy Use have an effect on their multiple-choice reading comprehension test performance? What are the relative contributions of students’ English Language Knowledge and Strategy Use to their reading comprehension test performance? Is there a language threshold for students’ deploying some strategies to contribute to their reading test performance? The current study sets out to address these issues. It investigates the relationship among Taiwanese senior high school students’ English language knowledge, reading and test-taking strategy use, and their multiple-choice reading comprehension test performance. The findings of the research are connected with: (a) the English language teaching approach for English language teachers in Taiwan; (b) the validity of the reading comprehension subtest of the English component at the SHAAE; and (c) the validity of salient models of language ability. A quantitative research approach is used that involves an ex post-facto correlational research design, utilizing survey methodology. An English Language Knowledge test, a Strategy Use questionnaire, and a multiple-choice reading comprehension test serve as instruments. 1064 EFL students in six senior high schools located in the south region of Taiwan participated in the study. Data was collected in the classroom during English class sessions. Participants took a reading test and completed a Strategy Use questionnaire. Three to seven days later, they sat an English Language Knowledge test. Exploratory factor analysis is conducted to extract components underlying the data collected from instruments. Structural Equation Modeling is applied to examine the relationship among students’ English Language Knowledge, Strategy Use and their reading test performance. The main finding of the study is that Taiwanese senior high school students are strategic readers/test-takers. Their English Language Knowledge and Strategy Use contribute to their reading test performance. However, compared with that of English Language Knowledge, the contribution of students’ Strategy Use to their reading test performance is smaller. In addition, a language threshold is present for students deploying strategies contributing to their reading test performance. In conclusion, the thesis addresses the need for implementing strategy instruction for students to improve their Strategy Use in a reading test and further to promote their reading test performance. The discussion also compares the outcome of the research with other approaches to Reading/Test-taking Strategy Use and current models of Strategic Competence.

A range of different intervention programmes exist in schools in the UK to promote the learning and development of children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). Surprisingly, there is little systematic evidence which has evaluated the effectiveness of these programmes at enhancing the protective processes associated with resilience. A systematic review of existing literature was conducted to examine the impact of both universal and targeted school-based intervention programmes on the resilience of children with SEBD. Results suggested that the most effective programmes for increasing the resilience of pupils with SEBD are those that explicitly teach new skills whilst also creating a safe and supportive environment. There was promising evidence suggesting that writing about feelings helps children to address the emotional issues underlying their behaviour (Lieberman et al. as cited in Macklem et al., 2011), however as yet there are very few studies which have evaluated the impact of interventions which use creative methods on the resilience of pupils with SEBD. The empirical paper evaluated whether Therapeutic Storywriting (TSW, Waters, 2004) can enhance resilience and emotional and behavioural adjustment in primary school pupils experiencing SEBD. Results showed that there was a significant increase in the emotional vocabulary and sense of belonging of pupils in the intervention group (N = 21) compared with those in the WLC group (N = 21). There were no significant differences between groups on measures of emotional literacy, self-concept and emotional and behavioural adjustment, at any time. The results indicate that TSW is an effective intervention for increasing two significant protective factors associated with pupil resilience, when delivered by trained school staff. Implications for future research and educational psychology practice are discussed.

This study explored the effectiveness of inclusion for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) based on social, affective and behavioural outcomes. It investigated the association between these outcomes and aimed to test the role of belonging in mediating the relation between school placement and outcomes for pupils with BESD. Three groups of 19 pupils (aged 11 to 14 years) were compared; pupils with BESD educated within mainstream schools (MS); those attending a special provision (BS); and a matched control group of pupils educated within mainstream schools. Pupils completed measures to assess their levels of sense of school belonging, self-concept, anxiety, depression, anger and disruptive behaviour. There were no group differences for pupils’ sense of belonging, self-concept, anxiety or depression. Significant group differences for anger and disruptive behaviour scores were found. Significant linear trends across groups were found for anxiety, depression, anger and disruptive behaviour. Significant associations were found between the social and affective measures for the total sample; however, within the BESD sample belonging was not found to be related to anger. Regressions indicated that placement and belonging had independent effects on behavioural, but not affective, outcomes for the BESD group. The findings add to the inclusion efficacy research for pupils with BESD. The current results have direct implications in terms of understanding the association between the social context of the learning environment and pupils’ emotional and mental health outcomes.

This thesis contains the work from two inter-related studies focusing on the self-perceptions of pupils with Down Syndrome. After a brief account of my value position in relation to the research in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 discusses the literature on self-perceptions. This discussion provides the rationale for study 1. In Chapter 3 the developmental profile of children with Down Syndrome is discussed. This provides the rationale for the choice of research instruments. In study 1 the self-perceptions of 96 pupils with Down Syndrome between the ages of 8 and 16 years were assessed in three school related domains: academic competence, physical competence and social acceptance Results from the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Acceptance (Harter & Pike, 1981/1984) and a Situations Grid suggested that pupils with Down Syndrome hold very positive self-perceptions in each school related domain, that self-perceptions become more positive with age, are more positive for female than for male pupils and remain positive regardless of school placement type (mainstream or special school). The findings from study 1 left unanswered a number of questions concerning the self- perceptions of pupils with Down Syndrome. Furthermore, examination of individual scores revealed considerable differences in the self-perceptions of individual pupils. Therefore, the aim of study 2 was to investigate factors associated with high and low self-perceptions. Study 2 also allowed pupils, teachers and parents more freedom to participate in the research. Fourteen qualitative case studies were completed. The interview and observation data arising from study 2 revealed the heterogeneity in factors associated with the self-perceptions of pupils with Down Syndrome. In the closing chapters: possible explanations for the study findings and suggestions for further research are raised, the utility of quantitative and qualitative approaches for studying pupils with Down Syndrome is discussed, and the implications of the findings for existing theories are covered.

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This study investigated the main challenges that faced Libyan students in reading comprehension within the English language programme at Zawia University, Libya, through the perceptions of lecturers and students at the Department of English. This study also evaluated the current teaching practices of reading comprehension at the Department of English at Zawia University. It also identified the key causal factors that contributed to the students' inadequate reading comprehension performance. Reading comprehension as a research topic has been extensively researched and it is still of current interest. The key literature in this study is polarised around two streams. The first stream presents different aspects of reading: definitions, importance, complexity, purposes of reading, types of reading and approaches to reading. The second stream is related to various issues about the three main components of the reading comprehension module: learners, teachers and reading material. The philosophical paradigm underpinning this study is predominantly positivist; thus, eight hundred questionnaires were distributed to reach as many students as possible in order to find out the answer to an inquiry through numerical evidence. After distributing the questionnaires, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gauge the lecturers’ viewpoints about the teaching and learning of reading comprehension. Four hundred and forty nine students filled up the questionnaires, which were analysed using SPSS while seven lecturers participated in the interviews that were analysed through content analysis. Findings revealed that students at the Department of English at Zawia University lack the reading skills and the culture of reading and face difficulties in English reading comprehension. Many lecturers are not aware of reading skills and they teach reading comprehension in a traditional way with over-emphasis on decoding and accuracy. The insufficient learning environment at the department has a negative impact on the process of learning and teaching because of the lack of facilities and library resources, overcrowded classes, and limited time allocated to reading classes. This study has added a theoretical contribution through expanding the literature, which brings about academic benefits for future researchers in education in the Arab world, particularly in Libya. Future researchers can use the conceptual model for reading comprehension that is designed by the researcher to investigate what factors influence this process.

Insects represent very useful experimental model in various branches of biological research. The investigation is driven by economic importance of many insect species, and also by biological features of insects as model organisms such as short period of reproduction, easy breeding and manipulation and, in particular, the minimal regulatory requirements which are associated to the management of vertebrates. Here we report robust and efficient LC/MS/MS methodology for the determination of the physiologically important lipid molecular species in insects. The target metabolites represent polar glycerophos-phopholipids (GPL) and nonpolar lipids diacylglycerols (DG) and triacylglycerols (TG). Combination of the LC/MS data with the subsequent GC fatty acid analysis enables complete structural elucidation of particular lipid species including their fatty acid compositions. The developed methodology was applied to studies of the chill tolerance of the firebug Pyrhocorris appterus. Fields and laboratory experiments were conducted to separate the triggering effects of low temperature, desiccation and diapause progression on the physiological characteristics related to chill tolerance with emphasis on the restructuring of GPL composition. The same effect on the GPL composition was observed during acclimatization in the field and cold acclimation in laboratory. By contrast, the GPL changes related to desiccation and diapause progression were relatively small (Tomčala et al, 2006). In adults of Drosophila melanogaster it has been found that acclimation at 15, 20 and 25°C during preimaginal development affects thermal tolerance and composition of membrane GPLs. Low temperature acclimation was associated with increase in proportion of ethanolamine at the expense of choline in GPLS. Relatively small, but statistically significant changes in lipid molecular compositon were observed with decreasing acclimation temperature (Overgard et al, 2008). Hormonal treatment studies on insect model Locusta migratoria showed a heterogeneous distribution of individual DGs in haemolymph after the hormone application and revealed that mobilization of the DGs is molecular species-specific with the highest proportion of DG 16:0/18:1 and forming in summary about 20% of the total mobilized DG content. Additional analysis of fat body triacylglycerols revealed that the AKH mobilizes the DGs specifically with the preference of those possessing the unsaturated C18 fatty acids (FAs). The fat body FAs with more than 18 carbons did not participate on the mobilization (Tomcala et al, 2009). The LC/MS methodology was further applied to lipid composition studies of several samples with very diverse biological origin (fish, human blood etc.) and was proved to be universally applicable to the wide scope of biological samples.

Il est maintenant avéré que les contaminants présents dans les milieux aquatiques peuvent être toxiques à l’état de traces voire d’ultra traces. Il est donc important de développer des méthodes d’analyse performantes et sensibles pouvant atteindre ces niveaux de concentration. Dans cette optique, les techniques chromatographiques couplées à la spectrométrie de masse (GC-MS et LC-MS/MS) sont généralement utilisées pour l’analyse des polluants organiques. Les composés présents dans les milieux aquatiques possèdent des propriétés physico-chimiques très variées, d’apolaires à très polaires. Ainsi, développer une analyse simultanée pour toutes ces molécules représente un challenge analytique. Dans ce travail de thèse, plusieurs étapes du processus analytique ont été évaluées : la préparation de l’échantillon par extraction sur phase solide (SPE), la séparation par chromatographie et la détection par spectrométrie de masse. Une liste de composés modèles couramment retrouvés dans les milieux aquatiques a été établie pour conduire ces essais. Les méthodes d’extraction en phase solide hors ligne et en ligne ont été développées dans une optique d’analyse multirésidus à un niveau de traces. Les méthodes chromatographiques, gazeuse et liquide, couplées à la spectrométrie de masse ont été étudiées pour favoriser une analyse exhaustive et sensible. La dernière partie a consisté à appliquer les méthodes développées pour une approche d’analyse non ciblée. / It is now widely recognized that contaminants present in aquatic environments can be toxic at traces or even ultra-traces level. Therefore, it is important to develop efficient and sensitive analytical methods to reach these levels of concentration. In that respect, chromatographic techniques coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS and LC-MS / MS) are commonly used for the analysis of organic pollutants. The substances encountered in aquatic environments display a large range of physico-chemical properties, from apolar to very polar. Thus, developing a simultaneous analysis for all these molecules represents an analytical challenge. In this pHD work, several steps of the analytical process have been investigated: sample preparation by solid phase extraction (SPE), chromatographic separation and the detection by mass spectrometry. A list of model compounds commonly determined in aquatic environments was established to conduct the tests. Solid phase extraction methods, offline and online, were developed in a multiresidue analysis aim at traces level. Chromatographic methods, gaseous and liquid, coupled to mass spectrometry were studied to obtain an exhaustive and sensitive analysis. The last part consisted to apply the developed methods for a non-targeted analysis approach.