The aim of this study was to explore teachers’ professional learning in a community of practice (CoP) in South Korea and its impact on teachers’ and pupils’ learning. The study employed qualitative research methods within a case study framework. Data were collected in South Korea from September 2014 to June 2015. A professor who created the CoP, 8 secondary school physical education teachers (as case-study teachers) and 41 pupils from 8 different schools participated in this study. Five different data collection tools were used: individual interviews, observations, focus group, open-ended questionnaires, and document analysis. Three key findings from this research are: 1) five different activities supported in the CoP helped teachers to develop both ‘pedagogies’ and ‘teachers’ characteristics’ and they impacted together on pupils’ learning; 2) teachers’ professional learning in the CoP was influenced by: retaining a focus on developing pedagogies together, professional intimacy between members, appropriate support from the professor, and temporal and spatial issues; and 3) teachers’ professional learning and its links to pupils’ learning were influenced by factors at the micro, meso and macro levels. Insights into the value of CoP theory are discussed and implications for the effectiveness of teachers’ professional learning identified.

Young carers are young people under the age of eighteen who provide substantial amounts of care on a regular basis to another family member. Over the past ten years there has been a growing awareness within societal agendas about the potential vulnerability of this group in terms of educational, emotional and social outcomes, and recommended guidelines for good practice with young carers have been produced for schools (e.g. Frank 2002). This thesis is an account of an episode of action research, undertaken by an educational psychologist in her employing local authority, which explores the perceptions of key stakeholders (adults in schools, children and young people and young carers) about selected recommendations for good practice and how they can be implemented in schools. The thesis considers the salutogenic aspects of the recommendations and the findings indicate that all stakeholder groups are broadly positive about the guidelines and their value in fostering mechanisms for social support for young carers. The thesis also considers the role of the educational psychologist as an external change agent and the efficacy of “one-off” training in schools regarding this topic. The findings suggest that whilst the training may have prompted further action within the majority of schools, the good practice guidelines need to become part of a school’s “organisational architecture” (Senge et al 2000) in order to become embedded in a school’s procedures.

This thesis studies the transition process for young people with social emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties, from mainstream secondary school into further education colleges, with particular reference to what is happening at a systemic level. Activity theory was used as a theoretical framework and methodology to examine the sociocultural processes involved in transition, highlight contradictions and offer recommendations for future practice. Individual semi-structured interviews were utilised in the research to explore the views of secondary school staff, further education staff and educational psychologists. Activity theory provides a further level of analysis to consider cultural and historical issues in relation to findings from previous literature. The results illustrate the complex and multi-faceted nature of the transition process for young people with SEMH. Suggested learning and recommendations from this research include developing clear role definitions within the transition process, considering ways to promote support and continuity for young people in the time between leaving school and beginning college, developing new tools to support learners at the level of SEN support and ensuring aspirations and targets set for young people are realistic and achievable. Finally the research concludes in acknowledging that whilst education settings are striving to support the transition needs of learners with SEMH, they are often constrained by issues at a much wider level.

Background: The transition from primary to secondary school marks a potentially problematic experience for young people who have special educational needs, for those who are socially marginalised or thought to be vulnerable for a range of alternative reasons (Jindal-Snape and Miller, 2008). The research literature has primarily concentrated on the effects of transition on young people, without exploring what works for whom and in what ways. Purpose of the Research: The aim of the research thesis is to explore how two individual transition programmes meet the needs of vulnerable young people prior to, during and after the transfer to secondary school. The research will ask: “What are the contextual factors and the mechanisms by which transition programmes lead to successful transition outcomes for vulnerable young people?” Methodology: The research will utilise a mixed methods design comprising a comparative Realistic Evaluation methodology (Pawson and Tilley, 1997). Data related to students’ and staff views of the transition process was obtained through focus group and semi-structured interview methods, and outcome data, measuring the degree of successful transition for participants, was conducted using two standardised questionnaires: the School Children’s Happiness Inventory (Ivens, 2007) and the Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale (Goodenow, 1993). The psychological mechanisms which were triggered by the transition programmes were extracted using a Realistic Evaluation approach, and a series of seven Programme Theories was developed. The thesis concludes with a consideration of the limitations of the study before outlining implications for transition practice in schools and for Educational Psychology practice.

This thesis is concerned with the analysis of processes of implementing peer mediation services for interpersonal conflict resolution in schools and outcomes attributable to this intervention. To illuminate such an analysis, the thesis argues the utility of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). This argument is based on the need for a theoretical approach that conceptualises processes of social and individual transformation, including the structure of the social world and the creation of new possibilities for thinking and acting in its analysis. Concepts from CHAT are elaborated to give greater description of I) the principles of power and control underpinning alternative models of activity, and II) different forms of conflict. The thesis analyses the implementation of a peer mediation service at one school undergoing transformation and at eight others where peer mediation has been implemented in the past with mixed success. Despite limitations regarding some of the data collection tools chosen, interview data highlights that those schools where principles of power and control are modified to give pupils greater responsibilities in the regulation of their peers’ conflicts, produce new mediational tools that expand the range of possible actions available to individuals in conflict.

Harriss, Barlow and Moli (2008) recognise that a considerable number of children and young people in the United Kingdom are attributed with having social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBDs). The Department for Education and Employment (DfEE, 2001) explain that children, who experience SEBDs outside the normal range for their age or gender, are at increased risk of experiencing mental health disorders. With these points in mind, Nurture Groups, an in-school intervention aimed at meeting the needs of children and young people experiencing considerable SEBDs is the conceptual domain explored throughout this Volume of work. The Volume comprises four chapters. Chapter one focuses on the structure, content, remit and rationale of work in the Volume. Chapter Two presents an in-depth examination of extant literature pertinent to Nurture Groups. Key issues are identified and relevant research is explored with critical analysis of a range of sources and suggestions for further research made. Chapter Three presents a research study which uses grounded theory methods (Charmaz, 2006, Strauss and Corbin, 1990) to explore secondary aged pupils’ experiences and views of a secondary school Nurture Group. The study found that the young people involved in the research valued their time in the Nurture Group and theoretical categories which describe what they valued are explored. Chapter Four offers reflections on the work in this Volume.

The term differentiation has been widely used within education. This study makes use of the author's professional experience and a literature review to present a model of differentiation in practice; it seeks to suggest ways in which teachers' skills can be enhanced. The study aims to give an understanding of how teachers differentiate; what that say they do; and what can be described as good practice. Together with the wide ranging review of the literature, it draws upon field research, interviews, questionnaires, an analysis of OfSTED inspection reports and the author's experiences of running staff development courses on differentiation. It also includes work published by the author. The study is an original presentation of a comprehensive review about differentiation from the perspectives of the literature and serving teachers and contributes to the debate upon the methodological approaches to the study of the development of teaching skills. Conclusions are offered based upon an analysis and a discussion of these sources.

A Model United Nations School Conference is a brief role-play simulation, during which senior high school students take on the roles of delegates in various UN Committees. This thesis presents the findings from a qualitative longitudinal research study which followed 26 MUN senior high school delegates, in Athens, Greece, during their preparation and actual participation in three consecutive MUN conferences, from December 20 I 1 to March 2013. The research explored and exposed the MUN participants' perspectives on global citizenship in terms of knowledge, values , attitudes and skills the students saw themselves as developing, in light of their prolonged engagement in MUN. A range of data collection techniques were used, including participant observation and semi-structured interviews where the photo-elicitation technique was employed. The research in this thesis suggests that the senior high school students who participated in MUN were able to identify global citizenship as a potential citizen status, which entailed the acquisition of global knowledge, development of a sense of moral concern about and responsibility for addressing global issues, and a commitment to take collective action for a sustainable future. It also demonstrated that students had varying conceptions of global citizenship , mostly depending on the length of their engagement in MUN. The students who participated in all three MUN conferences related their experience to their development as global citizens, in terms of preparation for active citizenship in the future and a stimulus' for changing their own attitudes and perspectives in this regard. Preparation for and participation in this role play simulation seemed to have provided an ideal opportunity for the students to develop independent research and critical thinking skills, as well as public speaking, team working and problem-solving in an engaging, active learning, out-of-school environment.

This research followed the journey and experiences of twenty-four apprentice golfers on an academy programme of sports performance and education delivered via a college-based system in England. Apprentice golfers were followed through a two-year programme linked to the England talent pathway, with the intended outcome of propelling them on a journey of golfing achievement, but with the back up of academic qualifications. There are innumerable factors that mediate the journey of individuals through sport, and it is clear that this development is not experienced in a linear fashion (Bailey et al 2010). The study was carried out from an interpretivist standpoint, using an ethnographic approach, in an attempt to narrate the story and journey of the participants. A grounded theory approach (Glaser and Strauss 1979) was then used in the development of common themes that were considered in the light of existing empirical data. Four particular areas were explored throughout to help understand and depict the journey of these golfers. The factors examined here were classified as ‘talent system’, ‘luck’, ‘critical episodes’ and ‘personal outlook’.

Academies may represent one of the most significant British educational reforms in recent history. However in reviewing the current research, little consideration has been given to investigating the culture of academies and acknowledging the significant role this can have in judging their effectiveness. One method of examining an organisation’s culture is the cultural web model and it was subsequently the purpose of this thesis is to assess this model, as a tool for analysing an academy’s culture. In order to achieve this, a complementary mixed-method case study approach was utilised for the teaching and non-teaching staff at an academy. This included questionnaires to Staff with No Responsibility (SNR), focus groups on Staff with Management Responsibility (SMR) and interviews with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Findings from this research successfully demonstrate the model’s ability to offer valuable insight into an academy’s culture as well as identifying improvements to its practice. This has also been supplemented with a new method for selecting an organisational culture model and modifications to the future deployment of the cultural web, for both a generic and education setting. Consequently, this thesis may be valuable to those practitioners wishing to analyse the culture of other academies and organisations.