This thesis investigates the moment of discovery of educational alternatives and in particular contemporary discovery of elective home education by parents and other adults in England. The discussion highlights an empirical and theoretical context for this discovery. Questions involve whether there is a moment of ontological conversion in the self of people discovering another way of educating from mainstream authoritarian schooling. The research data presented suggests that a moment of ‘gestalt switch’ conversion exists between what can be called different ‘worlds’ of education, following Thomas S. Kuhn’s framework of scientific discovery. By finding the existence of such a moment, the data indicates that education hegemonically conflated with mainstream authoritarian schooling is illegitimate: education is a paradigmatic field wherein all differing paradigms of educational theory and practice have equal legitimacy, irrespective of resources and participants. The moment of discovery investigated is characterised by surprising elements. Discovery of an alternative way of educating children seems to have a strong positive impact on both the adults and the children involved. The study shows that parents want information on various educational modalities to be widely available and provided by the government in the process of choosing education for their children.

This study is a comparative analysis of inclusive education for students with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) in Kuwait and England. A central tenet is that despite policies espousing the value of inclusion, implementation has been met with negativity in schools and communities in the Middle East, including Kuwait. The study aims to explore the factors necessary to successfully include such children in mainstream primary schools, with special reference to science classrooms. The present study is located in the fields of comparative education and special education. In order to explore understandings of inclusion in two different contexts, the study applies a comparative ecological framework. The study investigates current practice in Kuwait and England at different levels to reflect the perceptions of the various people involved, namely teachers, students, and parents, by applying an ‘ecological model’. It applies a variety of methods to explore school and classroom practice, trying to identify the influence of key factors at different levels in developing inclusiveness and the barriers hindering this. Inclusive education is considered to be part of a ‘global agenda’ to improve education for all, and is underpinned by United Nation’s policy guidelines. However, comparative research has also shown that this global agenda takes on a ‘local flavour’ in specific countries. In this study, 'comparing' is not the end itself but a dynamic way to understand inclusive education, its origins and application to the Kuwaiti context. This contextualisation is essential in linking the policy level to the factors from the school level within an ecological framework. The results suggest internal and external barriers at different levels to the development of inclusive education for children with MLD, particularly in Kuwait. The main implication of the study is that once these barriers are identified, holistic frameworks can be implemented using knowledge of the local context with international support, to successfully adopt more inclusive practice.

CHARGE syndrome is a common cause of congenital deafblindness, but it has been contended individuals with CHARGE form a distinct group within the broader deafblind population. This thesis explores the education of learners with CHARGE and what the similarities and differences between these two groups might be. A review of literature identifies reported anomalies that may impact upon learning and development, and establishes very limited research-based evidence is available with regard to educational practice with this group of learners. Cycle 1 of this investigation involved document analysis of educational reports, revealing internal factors considered to influence learning and development, and external factors including assessment, support from external professionals and teaching strategies. These were explored further in Cycle 2 involving a questionnaire to teachers of a child with CHARGE and interviews of practitioners in an overseas educational establishment. Commonalities and distinctions between learners with CHARGE and the wider deafblind population were found, and also that established educational deafblind practice is applicable to learners with CHARGE, but that strategies may be alternatively employed and additional strategies also required. A variation in educational provision was also found according to the type of placement attended. In conclusion it was considered that, in a broad sense, educationally there is something unique and distinct in learners with CHARGE.

This thesis presents a multi-layered study of multilingual classroom discourse, with two teachers, in a primary school in Timor-Leste. The wider context for the study was a major shift in language-in-education policy – to the use of Portuguese and Tetum as media of instruction – on the independence of Timor-Leste in 2002. This is the first study in this context to use linguistic ethnography to investigate the ways in which teachers are navigating the policy shift and to analyse the links between multilingual classroom interaction and wider policy processes and language ideologies. Fieldwork for the study was conducted in 2012. It included classroom observation, note-taking, audio/video-recording of classroom interaction, interviews with teachers and with policymakers. The data analysis presented here centres on talk around Portuguese textbooks, in Tetum and Portuguese. The findings were as follows: (1.) teacher-pupil relationships were discursively co-constructed as strict and asymmetrical; (2.) code-switching practices evoked beliefs associated with hegemonic ideologies about bilingual education; and (3.) teachers mediated textbooks language and content by building bridges between textual knowledge and local knowledge. The study foregrounds teacher agency in language policy processes, but also makes connections with powerful political and academic discourses about language tied to nationhood and culture.

The main purpose of this study was to develop a coach education system proposal for the Arab, Islamic country of Oman. As an emerging ‘sport-interested’ country, the lack of any coach education system of training or accreditation is one of the major obstacles confronting sport in Oman (Zayed, 2004). The current research into coach education was underpinned by globalization theory and was undertaken in two parts. First, an empirical investigation across Oman was conducted through which the realities, problems, needs and strategic ideas from those currently working in a sports coach capacity were identified. Second, in order to learn from other notable coach education systems in the world, the national systems of six countries and systems of some international sports organizations were analyzed. Three in-depth field case studies were also undertaken in Bahrain, Qatar and the UK. Four data gathering instruments were selected as methods of data collection: questionnaire (n = 109), interview (n = 80), documents analysis and research journal. Knowledge and understanding gained in these studies were used to underpin a proposal for a coach education system for Oman that included: an accreditation structure; curriculum outline; and management system. The proposal is in keeping with current sport structures, international developments in the field and cultural context of Oman.

Research and recent policy developments in the education of children with special educational needs highlight the need for both greater involvement of parents and pupils in determining how pupil needs are met, and increased accountability of educational psychology services, particularly in demonstrating the impact interventions have on clients, namely children and young people. The research aimed to explore the impact of consultation in relation to four areas, namely teachers’ perceptions of their ability to make a difference with regard to progress of the pupils about whom they are concerned; parental perceptions of whether consultation had made a difference to their child’s subsequent progress; pupil perceptions of whether/how actions undertaken following EPs’ consultation with school staff and/or their parents had made a difference to their progress; and what educational psychologists considered to be the key factors enabling consultation to contribute to pupil progress. The educational psychologists used consultation in school with teachers, using Target Monitoring and Evaluation (TME) in order to set targets and monitor progress. Semi-structured interviews were carried out in order to ascertain perceptions regarding the consultation process. Findings suggest that although consultation is perceived as a helpful approach by EPs and those to whom they offered consultation, review and further development of the Service approach to consultation is needed to ensure the greater involvement of parents and pupils in determining and monitoring targets set.

The focus of this study is how anaesthetic trainees teach and learn to teach within the operating room (OR) and how this might be improved. Methods of study included interviews, action learning groups (ALG), and a questionnaire. The data were collected within the confines of a case study drawing on the principles of action research. The anaesthetic trainees taught mainly in the OR and interacted with three types of learner, defined by their relation to the anaesthetic community of practice. The primary responsibility for patient safety presented a significant challenge to OR teaching and required the clinicianteacher to balance the needs of the patient and the learner. The ALG acted as an effective educational initiative for anaesthetic trainees to enhance and develop good educational practice in the OR. The experiences of a group surgical trainees lent support to the wider generalisability of the use of ALGs. The survey of 36 anaesthetic and surgical trainees confirmed that the OR was a good place to learn although teaching was challenging and patient safety an issue. Results are distilled into a new model which places the patient at the centre of teaching and learning in the OR.

Mental health services are under continuous pressure to develop multidisciplinary service models in response to government policy. Mental health professionals, however, continue to be trained in isolation with little preparation for working within a multidisciplinary environment. This thesis explored the development of professional identification amongst nine students in their first year of qualifying training. It focussed on their understanding of their role and the roles of other mental health professionals, specifically nursing, social work and occupational therapy. It also focused on the impact of interprofessional education (IPE) and work-based placements. The research undertaken in this thesis was framed by a social constructionist approach and utilised semi-structured interview data collection methods, discourse analysis and the analysis of course syllabii to explore student experiences. The findings indicate that there may be benefits that can be achieved through IPE regarding enabling students to understand their professional roles within the broader context of health and social care. IPE can offer a means of preparing social work, nursing and OT students for the multidisciplinary team environments that they will be required to work within should they choose to work in mental health services. This thesis suggests that the impact of placement experiences within the first year of study on identity and knowledge of own roles and those of other professions, whether in MDTs or uni-disciplinary teams is significant. These findings indicate that consideration should be given by education providers to the weight and significance of the first practice based experiences, as a potent learning and development experience that can shape professional identity and understanding.

The number of children with autism has steadily risen in recent years (Fombonne, 2005) and with the first parliamentary Act to identify a specific disability group (Autism Act, 2010), momentum has gathered in reviewing and refining service delivery to, and for, families of children with a diagnosis of autism. This thesis is an account of an episode of collaborative action research, undertaken by an educational psychologist in her employing local authority, which explores the perceptions of key stakeholders (adults in schools, and parents of children with a diagnosis of autism) about existing services available to parents and schools staff to support children with autism. The findings indicate the need for EPs and other professionals to take a fuller account of parents’ differing and changing needs throughout the assessment and intervention process and ensure EP practice provides carefully calibrated advice, knowledge and understanding of autism.

This study aimed to explore what changes happen to a group’s outcomes and mechanisms, in relation to emotional literacy, following a small group targeted emotional literacy intervention. This was achieved through the use of a single case study design which employed the use of semi – structured group interviews and numerical data. The qualitative and quantitative measures were used prior to and after the intervention to allow for consideration of change over time. The statistical analysis indicates that access to a needs led targeted intervention is effective in producing positive outcomes in relation to emotional literacy levels for the pupils that access it. The thematic analysis provided a rich and in depth insight into the mechanisms that facilitate this change and demonstrated a positive movement in the group’s emotional literacy thoughts, skills, knowledge and practices. This study provides an original contribution to the existing research into emotional literacy by taking an exploratory and explanatory approach.