This situated self-as-researched investigation explores the impact of critical reflection on a private practice singing teacher’s thinking. The project is based upon the use of five ‘vehicles’ through which to develop the skills of critical reflection, these being journal writing, personal writing, critical incident technique, narrative inquiry and ideology critique. Each of these vehicles is used to undertake critical reflection of singing teaching practices whereby values and assumptions are interrogated. Each of the vehicles of critical reflection used in this inquiry is evaluated for their ease of use and effectiveness in enabling critical reflection processes to be developed in the participant. Engaging in critical reflection presents the possibility for transformative learning (Mezirow 1990) whereby frames of reference are challenged and altered as a result of the processes undertaken and examples of this in action are included in this research report. This dissertation contributes to the small but growing body of research in the area of private professional music education. The private instrumental and vocal teacher often works in an isolated environment with limited development opportunities available. This research proposes that critical reflection may be a viable tool for professional development and practice improvement.

This thesis has grown out of interest in and observation of dilemmas for practice and attitudes to enterprise education in primary and secondary schools in Scotland. There seem to be mixed views on the purpose of enterprise education and its justification to be part of the curriculum, its relationship to other means of addressing work-related purposes of education and shifting policy interpretations that propose to link enterprise education with entrepreneurship education. This latter consideration has been highlighted more recently with the provision of financial support for enterprise education from successful and influential Scottish entrepreneurs. These circumstances are examined in the later parts of the thesis and are preceded by an analysis of the wider context and variety of connections and interrelationships between work and education. Historical, social, political, economic and cultural connections emerge as necessary disciplines for understanding work, how our concept of work has developed and how it has been related to education along the way. Historical analysis is needed in order to analyse and forecast how education and work relationships are developing today and so a history of work and its relationship with education in industrial and post-industrial economies is provided as well as consideration of developments in the traditional but more narrowly defined area of vocational education. More recent developments in global interconnectedness, communications technology and the emergence of knowledge as the major requirement of our 21st Century lives have altered the balance in the education and work relationship making education the more proactive agent in the pair. Educational policy and practice have in the past been shaped by political and economic changes in society but contemporary attitudes to the importance of knowledge, its application and its transfer, in stimulating economic growth have made learning a sought after ‘commodity’ and education, although slow to make major changes to school practice, is now in a position to shape the nature and practice of work and workplaces. It emerges in the thesis that although education has been and is influenced by political, social and economic requirements, policy makers arguably have not paid much attention to the social sciences or to philosophical considerations when considering curriculum development. Likewise social science and philosophical enclaves have not shown much interest in educational theory and practice. Only recently have education faculties been established in many UK universities and begun to develop research cultures that in other disciplines already have long traditions and prestige. The chapters of the thesis bring together a broad and original compilation of areas of study that provide a scenario of connections that have the potential to inform, motivate and increase the understanding of educators and the makers of education policy when addressing the work-related aims of education. The final chapter sums up the scope of the variety of influences on the relationship between education and work and proposes that, although they provide very necessary bases for understanding, they have over time diminished what the thesis claims to be a necessary element in all education and educational policy deliberations, including those on education for work: that of value-based considerations for the development of the human person. Suggested ways forward for schools and course design, teacher education and education policy making are provided in the light of the deliberations of the thesis.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) was situated as both a right and an obligation at the heart of Scottish education by the McCrone Report of 2000, and the ensuing agreement, A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century (2001). CPD was, and continues to be, construed as having the potential to transform teaching and improve learning. Further, CPD was promoted by the Report as having a key role in the re-professionalisation of the teaching profession. In the decade since the Teachers’ Agreement, however, levels of engagement with CPD initiatives, the review and repositioning of particular schemes, and the perceived impact on learning and teaching point to a tension between the discourse of CPD and the reality of its implementation. The publication of the McCormac Report in September 2011 signalled anticipated changes to teachers’ conditions of employment, which will inevitably include changes to CPD. This publication provides an opportunity to reflect on whether the Teachers’ Agreement has delivered the intended benefits for both teachers and pupils in terms of CPD, and to examine the impact of language or discourse in shaping attitudes to, uptake of, and engagement with CPD. This thesis looks at the language and implementation of the Teachers’ Agreement and related policies within the wider educational landscape in order to explore the tensions between discourse and actuality, to suggest reasons for such tensions, and to suggest transformed practice in terms of the discourse of CPD. In terms of methodology, critical discourse analysis is used to examine the language of CPD closely; policy analysis to describe and analyse the implementation of particular initiatives; narrative analysis to contextualise developments in CPD; and insider reflection to bring a personal perspective to bear on particular aspects of CPD. This combination of methodologies has been chosen in order to allow an in-depth study of nuances of language in policy discourse, changes in policy implementation, and location of such policy in the broader educational agenda. The study contends that CPD is not generally viewed as an uncontested good; indeed, engagement with various CPD initiatives has been limited for a number of reasons, including an underlying and fundamental tension between the concept of professionalism and a view of CPD which is related to a ‘standards’ framework. In contending that discourse is fundamental to the interpretation of and engagement with policy, the thesis points up the necessity to pay due regard to the nuances of language employed in denoting policy, and to addressing underlying tensions in the concept of CPD. Policy makers need to be acutely aware of the central role which language plays in the shaping and interpretation of policy and to learn from the experience of the last decade. CPD continues to be described by many influential figures and bodies as fundamental to the future development of Scottish education. At the same time, however, the educational agenda is dominated by the introduction of a new curriculum (Curriculum for Excellence or CfE), and CPD budgets are threatened by financial and economic imperatives, driven by the continued constraints on local and national government spending. It is vital that the discourse of the McCormac Report, and subsequent policy, is carefully constructed to avoid cynical and negative interpretations, such as suggestions that fewer ‘set piece’ CPD events are as a result of cost-cutting. I contend that lessons must be learned from the experiences of the last decade in the discourse and implementation of the policy related to CPD in order to ensure the intended impact on learners.

Abstract: In this thesis I aim to investigate the influences affecting the teaching approaches adopted by Libyan English as foreign Language University teachers (LEFLUTs) in language classrooms. The thesis explores the context in which LEFLUTs work in terms of the opportunities and challenges of teaching English in Libyan universities. In particular, the concept of two generations of teachers, Older Generation Teachers (OGTs) and Newer Generation Teachers (NGTs),resulting from significant political and cultural shifts in attitudes to the English speaking world that have occurred in Libya in recent times, is critically examined . The perceptions of teachers in one university in Libya were analysed through their responses to a series of scenarios presenting typical problems encountered by EFL teachers in the classroom. The scenarios were designed to elicit their interpretation of the situation, the kinds of knowledge and experience they drew upon and the pedagogical strategies they might employ to deal with the situation. In addition to scenarios, semi-structured interviews enabled the respondents to develop and expand on their interpretations. The design and use of scenarios represents an innovative approach to research in the Libyan context where very little work has been done to try to understand how teachers make sense of their practice and how the negotiate the challenges of the political and cultural context. The investigation of the influences affecting LEFLUTs has drawn upon the work of Shulman on the different forms of knowledge required in teaching and the absence of a well developed body of pedagogical content knowledge within the LEFLUTs community is discussed. The need for more opportunities for initial and continuing professional development (CPD), raised in the interviews is set within the context of typology of CPD that emphasises the benefits of working within a community of practice, and an approach to professional development through action research is proposed. The overarching theoretical framework for the thesis is social constructivism both in terms of understanding the dynamic influencing how the LEFLUTs make sense of their experience and also in the proposals for developing an approach to CPD.

Educational technology has yet to deliver the benefits or successes that were expected in educational practice, especially in relation to issues other than the communication and delivery of teaching materials. Evidence suggests that these difficulties stem from the mismatch between formalised virtual learning environments and everyday sensemaking and between the rich potential for enhanced learning afforded by new technology and the constraints of old-style educational practice. In addressing this mismatch, some commentators suggest that the primary need is for a new culture of educational practice-and even that such a culture is already emerging, and others identify the need for a new paradigm for educational technology. The aim of this thesis is to explore the potential for a new paradigm for educational technology based on the principles and tools of Empirical Modelling (see http://dcs.warwick.ac.uk/modelling). The thesis builds upon previous research on Empirical Modelling as a constructionist approach to learning, and in particular Roe's doctoral thesis 'Computers for learning: an Empirical Modelling perspective'. Roe's treatment of Empirical Modelling can be viewed as generalising the use of spreadsheets for learning through applying 'programming by dependency' within the framework of existing educational practice. In contrast, this thesis is concerned at a more fundamental level with the contribution that Empirical Modelling can make to technology enhanced learning that may lead to new educational practices. In particular, it identifies eight significant characteristics of learning that are well-matched to Empirical Modelling activity, and associates these with experimental, flexible and meaningful strands in learning. The credentials of Empirical Modelling as a potential new foundation for educational technology are enhanced by demonstrating that Empirical Modelling is radically different from traditional software development and use. It provides a methodology for modelling with dependency that is more closely related to the use of spreadsheets for learning. The thesis elaborates on the relationship between Empirical Modelling and learning in a variety of different contexts, ways and applications. Three examples drawn from computer science higher education are explored to emphasise the experimental, flexible and meaningful characteristics of Empirical Modelling. This discussion of Empirical Modelling in a specific educational context is complemented by an investigation of its relevance to learning in a wider context, with reference to a broad range of subjects, to specific issues in language learning, and to the topics of lifelong learning and collaborative learning. Although the application of Empirical Modelling for learning is as yet too immature for large scale empirical studies, its potential is evaluated using informal empirical evidence arising from Empirical Modelling practice at Warwick. The sources for this evaluation are well-established teaching activities relating to Empirical Modelling in Computer Science at the University of 'Warwick, comprising an introductory module and a number of final year undergraduate projects. The thesis concludes by considering the extent to which Empirical Modelling can go beyond the support for constructionism envisaged by Roe, to address the broader agenda of supporting constructivist learning using computers. To this end, a close relationship between Empirical Modelling and a vision of constructivism recently set out by Bruno Latour in his paper 'The Promises of Constructivism' is demonstrated.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of teachers has been seen as one of a key element to improve teacher quality and the quality of education in many countries, as well as in Thailand. The current Thai education reforms have recognized the importance of CPD for teachers to maintain and update their knowledge and skills to be able to teach students effectively. They also recognized the need of effective leadership in schools to lead, manage, and support teachers in order to achieve such change. The purpose of this study is to support CPD experiences for teachers to enhance teaching practice and improve student achievement. It was undertaken using a combined methods investigations of both quantitative and qualitative data to understand the current situation of CPD experiences for teachers in Thailand, and extend the knowledge of effective CPD. The study covered respondents from a survey of teachers, and the interviews of headteachers and teachers from selected schools in Chiang Mai, which is located in the North of the country. It was concluded in the study that most respondents were appreciated opportunities for CPD and valued the benefits of CPD to teachers, students, and the schools as a whole. With the increased expectations for highly qualified teachers, all schools need to provide the necessary support for teachers through a range of CPD experiences to enable them to teach to high standards. CPD must be of the highest quality to be effective in order to enhance the teaching practice and student achievement. The study hope that the results and information provided here would be valuable for anyone who are interested in, as well as those who are responsible for an improvement and implementation of CPD.

There is a long tradition of paper based materials evaluation in ELT, but at this juncture, a scarcity of studies on ELT Multimedia (MM) materials evaluation. Such studies as have been undertaken have tended to adopt the perspective of the materials developer rather than the end user. But there have been no developed studies of evaluation methods which could be adopted by potential users. Despite calls being made for systematic evaluation, not many proposals have been developed, and there has been little exploration of potential best practice, or of the 'goodness of fit' between methods and evaluation puposes. This study aims to investigate evaluation methods in order to establish best practice in the evaluation of multimedia CALL applications, with a focus on learners' experience and opinions, and with the aim of enabling potential teacher-users of CALL materials to gauge the suitability of materials for their learners. Chapter one of this thesis provides a rationale for this study and an overview of the background to this research. Chapter two presents a review of literature undertaken in four domains: educational evaluation and research methods; Human Computer Interaction (HCI) usability evaluation methods; ELT materials evaluation; and studies ofCALL materials in use. Chapter three focuses on the design and conduct of the study by explaining how some methods of evaluation were trialled in a pilot study and four were selected for adoption and analysis in the main study. The methods selected were Foeu.r Groups, Rttrospective Protorolr, PLUM and SUM! Questionnaires and Activity Monitonitg. To determine the qualities and limitations of these methods, a set of criteria was developed from the literature on software usability evaluation methods in HCI and a broader literature on educational evaluation and research methods. The four data study chapters (4-7) each discuss one of the chosen methods and descnbe how the method was ,6perationalised in an evaluation of learner responses to multimedia software. The final chapter draws together the discussion of the findings and presents different proposals for best practice. The focus in the discussion of findings is on how the chosen methods performed according to the set of criteria. The findings confirm that focus groups and questionnaires are quick and efficient methods whereas retrospective protocols and activity monitoring provide more detailed and protracted data. Teacher evaluators can be guided by the objectives of their evaluation to explore different combinations ofthese methods. Participants in the pilot were 12 ESL students from the University of Warwick and in the main study 45 Freshman/sophomore students from a university in Pakistan. The materials used to operationalise methods were the EASE CD-ROMS listening to Lectures and Seminar Skills 1: Presentations. The research contributes to the field in undertaking an in-depth and extensive study of evaluation methods applicable to CALL materials, whi~ adopt a leamer-centred perspective, and conform to sound principles within educational evaluation, yet which draw on practice in the field of HCI, since this expertise is so relevant in the rapid development of multimedia materials for use in ELT. Moreover, by developing the composite set of core criteria this study has created a tool which practitioners in the field can use to select most appropriate methods for their particular evaluation purposes.

This thesis is based on three English language teacher case studies located in the Middle East where classroom discourse has been analysed in order to establish the impact that an appraisal observer has on teachers‘ behaviour. The literature suggests that the presence of an observer alters events in the classroom, but to date there has not been any research into the nature of these changes which draws on transcripts of observed lessons. Each teacher recorded a model (observed) and a pedagogic (non–observed) lesson with similar parameters so that they could be compared, and commonalities and differences identified. The teachers were then interviewed in order to establish their understanding of the salient features of appraisal observations, as were three supervisors responsible for observing teachers in similar contexts. Transcripts of the lessons were analysed using SETT (Walsh, 2006), and the interview data was also transcribed and evaluated. The results indicate that there are significant differences between model and pedagogic lessons in terms of the external factors (planning, sequencing, interaction, amount of administration, student use of L1). However, the internal factors (the features of ongoing verbal interaction between teacher and students in the classroom) remain fundamentally the same whether or not an observer is present, although the teacher demonstrates greater control in a model lesson. By analysing transcripts of classroom interaction, this research indicates what happens in the classroom when teachers are being observed, providing data to confirm existing claims about observer effects, and suggesting that the learner role is greater than originally thought. The importance of observer training is identified, as well as the need for a fundamental review of observation, encompassing all parties involved, if it is to be a true reflection of the classroom behaviour of the teacher being observed.

This study examined classroom questioning with a socio-cultural theoretical framework to gain a better understanding of how teacher questioning operates as a pedagogical and learning tool in English classroom settings in Taiwan. Four teachers and twelve students in four different classes in three secondary schools participated in this study in the second term of the academic year 2006. Three kinds of interviews (pre-observation, post-observation, and stimulated recall interviews) were conducted for all subject teachers in order to obtain in-depth information for further analyses. 12 focal students were selected to respond to the questionnaire and participated in the semi-structured interview with the researcher. 24 class periods were videotaped and twenty of them were transcribed verbatim. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed to analyze the collected data. Teacher questions served as important devices to self-clarify, to push learners’ language production, to encourage comprehensible output, to impart knowledge and to mediate learners’ language learning and cognitive development. Both Mandarin and English languages used in teacher questioning had pedagogical functions. Also, the research findings indicate that there is a strong relationship between teachers’ teaching and learning goals and their decisive use of questions to scaffold classroom participation and learning. L1 use as private speech in learner responses was found to have affective, social, and cognitive functions. Most of the time, the four classes which were observed were quiet and passive. After analyzing the questionnaire and interview data, the researcher found that some socially-constructed affective factors, the learner-teacher or learner-learner interpersonal relationships, and some specific Taiwanese socio-cultural reasons might cause learners to hold back from classroom interaction. The instructional goals of the subject teachers differed in the opportunities they created for learning. The research findings also suggested that no matter which languages the teachers used, how to make efforts to negotiate forms and meanings with students is the most effective way to improve learners’ learning. Socio-cultural theory is indeed a viable theoretical framework for analyzing teachers’ solicitations but further research can be improved by conducting a complementary socio-cognitive model that emphasizes that social and cognitive concepts are even more closely connected. It addition, it seems important for further research to carry out prolonged and extensive fieldwork to obtain in-depth data and investigating long-term, not short-term, effects of teacher questioning.

Although the necessity for the young child to become a confident reader in the early years of schooling is indisputable, we are less in agreement about the ways in which teachers might best achieve that. Approaching reading as part of subject matter knowledge, and providing a hierarchy of the concepts, understandings and skills that children need to acquire in order to read successfully, may be one way of facilitating practitioners’ ‘reflection in action’. (Schön, 1987). With this in mind, the project reported here studied the beliefs held by various types of early years teachers/workers about the teaching of reading and the relationships between these beliefs and their teaching practices. Through the use of one hundred and sixty questionnaires, nine interviews and nine observations, this thesis discusses the following questions: Do early years teachers use a theoretical framework in their instructional approach to teaching reading? If so, is there a relationship between their theoretical orientations toward reading development and their pedagogical practices? This study suggests that offering subject-matter related training to early years practitioners, that for the scope of this study includes an understanding of the reading process, could lead them to make informed decisions about curriculum content. This in turn could enable them to offer a clear rationale behind what they consider as developmentally appropriate practice and what they actually do in the classroom.