According to the creators of Foundation Degrees, effective employer engagement involves participation in programme design and review, together with the provision, delivery and assessment of content: also the offer of workplace learning. The principal focus of the current study is the management and assessment of workplace learning modules for full time built environment Foundation Degrees, and the participation in this of each stakeholder group: providers, employers, students and Professional Bodies. Certain factors have been identified, deemed critical to the success of this essential element of the curriculum. Nowhere in the existing literature are the perspectives of all the stakeholders, sometimes conflicting, brought together in a single empirical study, particularly one which takes account of current recessionary pressures. The current study, qualitative in nature, examines the standpoint of each stakeholder: seeking their interpretation and experience of, and satisfaction with, workplace learning in the light of their own needs and expectations, and identifying common ground. Data is drawn from questionnaires and interviews involving representatives of all stakeholder groups, focusing in particular on six providers offering contrasting examples of practice, and the employers, students and Professional Bodies associated with each. All interviewees were asked for indicators of successful workplace learning, for the factors which in their experience promoted and sustained effective engagement, and for any possible barriers to this. Various forces are found to operate upon the stakeholders, ranging from large-scale commercial pressures (particularly in time of recession) to small localised issues. Employer engagement calls for relationships involving understanding, commitment, sustained effort and effective communications on the part of all key stakeholders and not just the employer. There is room for greater standardisation of the management and assessment of workplace learning, and some form of framework is thought desirable by the majority of respondents, although nothing too prescriptive. A draft framework has been created which seeks to satisfy as much as possible the needs and expectations of all the key stakeholders, based on the critical success factors referred to above. Whilst Professional Bodies are generally respected by the other parties, their present input to and control over workplace learning appears limited. The findings of this study are intended to inform all parties to construction-related vocational education, particularly those involved in the provision of Foundation Degrees or Honours Degrees, where a period of workplace learning is a required element.

This thesis explores the extent of rationales for developmental impacts of personality disordered offenders’ engagement in education. The study investigates the educational experiences of a sample of twelve personality disordered offenders receiving interventions in a high secure hospital unit. Engaging offenders in education in prison is challenging as many offenders have apprehensions, apprehensions about joining education which stem from previous negative educational experiences. Many offenders share a common profile, they come from disadvantaged backgrounds, fail to engage at school and leave education with low levels of attainment and poor personal and social skills. Lack of skills and qualifications often leads to a pattern of repeat offending. The combination of previous experiences, offending histories and mental disorder pose particular problems for personality disordered offenders in relation to their engagement in education. A qualitative case study research method is employed to understand the educational experiences of the twelve participants, which are compared to existing theories on offender education. The findings of this research reveal that in addition to previous learning experiences, emotional, behavioural and social difficulties create barriers to learning. In particular mental health issues are found to negatively influence personality disordered offenders’ engagement in education. Although there are barriers that negatively impact on learning other factors are identified as encouraging engagement in education. The reason why individuals start education is not necessarily the reason why they continue. Therefore factors that initially engage offenders in education as well as factors that maintain offenders’ continued engagement in education are explored. Whilst there are some interrelating factors that engage offenders in initial and continued education additional factors are also realised. Engaging personality disordered offenders in education is important as education has the power to enrich, change and develop people (Meek et al, 2012). The findings determine that as well as developing academically, the outcomes of personality disordered offenders’ continued engagement in education are increased social skills and self-awareness, the greatest agent for change. The final conclusions indicate that personality disordered offenders’ engagement in education can be explained through the concept of ‘gradualness’.

This dissertation is set in the context of a private university in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. It is an exploration of the impact of the phenomenon of self-efficacy on teachers and learners and how self-efficacy influences teaching and learning in the given setting. It investigates the sources of self-efficacy for teachers and students through qualitative methodology using a case study approach. The data for this study were gathered over a period of 16 months by in-depth semi-structured interviews with teachers, focus group discussion with students, and classroom observations. By using methods and sample triangulation, the research investigates the perspectives of the teachers and the learners. The study portrays the interplay of the self-efficacy of teachers and students as having encouraging influences on both groups. High self-efficacy beliefs of teachers make them more focused, ambitious, resilient and competent. These beliefs can contribute towards making them effective on the one hand and inculcate the same qualities in their students by raising their selfefficacy beliefs on the other. Reciprocal effect of teachers' self-efficacy on learners' self-efficacy and vice-versa emerged as a prominent element of the present HE teaching/learning setting. Experiences quoted by the learners suggest that their high self-efficacy beliefs result in better learning outcomes. The study shows that sources of self-efficacy are more positive than negative. Teachers and students do get affected by negative sources but their resilience keeps them goaloriented and determined. Self-efficacy, thus, turns out to be a productive factor in making teaching and learning effective in the given context.

This thesis presents a longitudinal ethnographic research study of the intercultural transition experiences of 50 engineering students in the China- UK Articulation programme. The aim is to explore the factors that have influenced their transition and the impact of their transition on the educational context on both campuses. The field work was carried out over fifteen months in China and the UK. Data have been collected mainly through participants observations, document analysis and in-depth interviews with 16 Chinese programme students (3 rounds), 5 home students, 2 international students, 10 Chinese academic and administrative staff, 8 British academic and administrative staff and 2 parents. Data were analysed by using the data analysis principles advocated in grounded theory.

Students undertaking taught master’s programmes comprise the largest group within postgraduate education. Dissertation supervision is recognised as being a key influence on student attainment, but there is relatively little research into this aspect of academic practice (Bruce and Stoodley, 2013). This action research project, which involved collaboration with 25 master’s dissertation supervisors in health and education, identified that it is one of the aspects of the job that even experienced academics feel least prepared for and worry about. In order to enable them to articulate their previously untapped expertise of supervision, I created a ‘communicative space’ (Kemmis and McTaggert, 2005) in which academics shared their experiences, reflected with one another on the nature of supervision, and developed materials for new supervisors. They recognised that supervisory expertise is not a definable body of knowledge but a process which involves situational judgement. Together we articulated five key messages for other supervisors which outline the complexities involved in this role. Building upon these findings, I constructed a new three sided model, which conceptualises the process of supervision. The new model developed through my research explains how these supervisors practice, using a holistic approach to promote students’ development. The core element is the supervisor’s ongoing assessment of a student’s readiness, motivation and individual situation. In response to this assessment, supervisors balance three functions in promoting student growth: Facilitating, Nurturing and Maintaining Standards. Facilitating encourages student growth through challenge or stimulation. Nurturing involves the provision of support and reassurance within a safe space in which this growth can occur. Maintaining standards ensures that academic and professional rigor are preserved. The key messages and new model contribute to the established knowledge within supervisory pedagogy and are of benefit both in the preparation of new supervisors and for future development of this academic practice.

This study aims to investigate the practice of information literacy (IL) teaching and learning in Vietnam’s upper secondary schools. The research employed a mixed-methods multiple case study approach, including three phases of data collection. It started with a paper questionnaire to investigate students’ IL level and their self-assessment of that ability. This was followed by student interviews. The third phase included professional interviews (librarians, teachers, administrators) and an analysis of documents (including educational projects, reports, teachers’ resources and textbooks). An expanded version of the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner (AASL, 2007) which contains four original standards and an additional standard was used as a theoretical framework for the study. A pilot study was conducted at an upper secondary school in Vietnam in order to set up suggestions for the main study. The main study was then carried out in two upper secondary schools. The research indicates that more works need to be done to improve students’ IL, especially information evaluation skill. A number of factors affecting students’ IL were explored, including internal and external factors. Although several reasons were identified to explain the difference of students’ IL scores, the use of technology had no impact on their IL capability. The weakness of students’ IL capability might result from the absence of IL programmes in the schools. The research found that time pressure, teaching method, resource issues and students resulted in the above problem. The study proposed a preliminary IL teaching model for Vietnam’s upper secondary schools. This study has made contributions to both theory and practice. One of the most significant contributions is associated with the study context, because while IL research has been hitherto dominated by English-speaking countries, Vietnam, however, remains underrepresented. Even so, this research remains limitations that need to be addressed in future studies.

The current and past research into Trans National Higher Education (TNHE) from the experiences of teaching staff is limited and principally from the perspective of the western staff member teaching overseas students. This research bridges the gap that exists in the research literature, as the role and experiences of, and the influences upon Malaysian staff when teaching a western degree is one that is overlooked but has an important influence on the students they teach. The western learning style is very individualistic and student centred, whilst the eastern learning style is very collectivist with strong influences from Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC). The methodology chosen to investigate the views, opinions and feelings of the five volunteers from Hotec College, was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). IPA allows the voice of the Malaysian teacher to be heard, as it is grounded in the participant’s world, it enables interpretation through Phenomenology and Hermeneutics. IPA’s ideographic approach means that one interviewee transcript is analysed at a time to elicit meaning and the development of themes, these themes allow group superordinate and subordinate themes to be generated. The results generated three superordinate themes and nine subordinate themes. Findings indicate that the Malaysian teacher exhibits three selves: eastern, transitional and western. There are also CHC effects on teaching, and strong influences of the CHC concept of Li. Additionally there are influences on the Malaysian teachers that impacts on their self, these included the CHC concept of saving face. Existing studies into TNHE demonstrate a progression of the student from an eastern self to a western self. This investigation realises that Malaysian teachers demonstrate the same acculturation to the western educational style as students, but they must also be able to revert to their eastern self as they teach in both learning styles.

The inclusion of children with Down’s syndrome in Saudi Arabian schools is in a state of stress and confusion. School leaders have a critical role in improving inclusion, and they are also well placed to understand the challenges of their own schools. This research explores the perspectives of school principals on the inclusion of pupils with Down’s syndrome in mainstream Saudi schools and factors that affect it. This study consists of a qualitative study of inclusive schools (both government and ARAMCO) in the Eastern Province. Three methods were employed for data collection: interviews with a purposive sample of principals from 20 inclusive schools, the analysis of five government documents, and participant observation in five schools. The principals lacked knowledge about inclusion-associated policy, particularly regarding children with Down’s syndrome, which influenced their perspectives and had an impact on the strategies they adopted regarding inclusive learning for children with Down’s syndrome in their schools. Principals from government schools also reported unsuitability of school buildings and lack of funding for improvements, whereas ARAMCO school buildings were better designed for inclusion. For both types of schools, additional limiting factors included the profundity of the learning difficulties of children with Down’s syndrome and the training required by principals. Recommendations are also made regarding infrastructure, apparatus and resources that aid inclusion, and for measures to foster community awareness and leadership training. Collectively, it is hoped that this will result in the fruitful inclusion of children with Down’s syndrome within education and society in Saudi Arabia.

Current trends in global economies and rankings by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have been bringing pressure to bear on Higher Education institutions to develop programmes to meet the global demands for a better qualified workforce. In the United Kingdom this has pointed at work based learning as one approach to up-skilling people that are already in work. This has raised concerns that academic rigour and standards could be compromised and scepticism about the workplace as a place for learning. Many universities are now designing and delivering work based learning programmes but there is still limited evidence of empirical research into work based learners’ experiences on these programmes. The aim of this research was to contribute towards filling this perceived gap. A phenomenographic study was conducted to determine variation in the way university work based learning was conceptualised by a group of Early Years practitioners, a workforce that has been subject to various professional development initiatives by the government in an attempt to improve outcomes for children. With the emphasis on variation, the research approach facilitated the identification of the different ways in which work based learning is perceived by learners, giving insight into a deeper understanding of learning in this context. Six conceptions of work based learning were identified which were comparable to conceptions of learning identified in various traditional university contexts, suggesting that concerns about rigour and standards expressed by some critics of university work based learning could be challenged. The findings also confirmed a number of notional principles of work based learning and theory on adult learning. There was also an indication that further research could provide a better understanding of the workplace as a place for developing knowledge and that universities may not have monopoly over this. This research made a contribution to empirical evidence on how university work based learning is experienced by the learners, suggesting the possibility of work based learning playing a bigger role in providing a university education to people who would otherwise not be able to engage at this level. The Early Years practitioners have been identified as such a workforce. One of the recommendations made was that more research into work based learning could support the development of more innovative ways of delivering higher education programmes to meet the needs of the work market. The findings from this study will become part of the discourse about higher education work based learning and the increasing thinking about the workplace as a legitimate place for generating knowledge.

Background: Patient safety is of paramount importance in healthcare delivery. Following the inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire Health Trust (Francis 2013, 2015), there has been an increasing demand for nurses and other healthcare professionals to be open and candid in a transparent culture where harm and error are minimised. Despite this drive for openness, there is evidence that health care professionals remain reluctant to raise concerns and this includes student nurses as well as registrants. There is however paucity in research focusing upon the underlying factors which prevent student nurses from raising concerns about suboptimal practice. In an attempt to contribute to the discussion, this study will focus upon student nurses. Aim: The overall aim of this research is to understand student nurses’ perception of what they believe is a patient safety incident in their practice placements and understand the reasons that influence their willingness or reluctance to raise concerns about patient safety. Findings: Four main themes emerged from analysing the data: the context of patient safety; team culture; hierarchy and fear of retribution. Analysis and discussion of the data revealed that students were driven to raise concerns as they possessed strong moral and ethical beliefs to uphold patient safety. However, they had an overwhelming desire to fit in with their clinical colleagues and feared retribution and failure if they voiced concerns regarding care. This demonstrated that student nurses were subject to a fluctuating moral compass which was determined by psychological and sociological determinants. Conclusion: This research study has provided information which contributes to our understanding of student nurses’ beliefs about patient safety. It also helps us to recognise the factors that influence student nurses’ willingness or reluctance to speak up. This is important because with an increased understanding of their experiences and beliefs, we are better informed to broaden our teaching on this topic and develop effective policies to protect student nurses who raise concerns.