This research is motivated by a paradigm shift in Initial Science Teacher Education in Pakistan, which places emphasis on the use of inquiry-based pedagogy as a key method for improving student-teachers’ understanding of science. In the light of this key role for inquiry-based pedagogy, this study explores the perceptions of teacher-educators and student-teachers who are participating in an initial teacher education (ITE) program in a university in Pakistan. The main aims of the study are to explore (a) their perceptions about the components for inquiry-based pedagogy which are required to be undertaken properly in the classroom; (b) their perceptions of the role and importance of inquiry-based pedagogy and (c) their perceptions of the barriers that impede the practice of inquiry-based approaches. The study uses a methodological triangulation to gather data from science teacher-educators and student-teachers, employing four research tools: a teacher-educators’ questionnaire, a student-teachers’ questionnaire, semi-structured interviews with 20 science teacher-educators, and two focus groups with small groups of science student-teachers. Though, the researcher’s role as an insider helped in collecting robust and extensive data due to a personal familiarity with the native setting, it also brought challenges in conducting the teacher-educators’ interviews. The analysis of data from both teacher-educators and student-teachers converged on the overarching themes of the role of inquiry-based pedagogy in ITE, the relationship between inquiry and science literacy and the barriers impeding the practice of inquiry-based pedagogy. Overall, it became clear that the conceptualization of inquiry-based learning with teacher-educators and student-teachers was rather limited. Nonetheless, the results of this study indicate that most teacher-educators were positive about the role and importance of inquiry-based pedagogy in ITE. The majority of teacher-educators appreciated their role as a facilitator of the learning process using inquiry and reported that they had developed an appreciation of the benefits of teaching science using inquiry-based pedagogy. Furthermore, teacher-educators strongly indicated an intention to use inquiry-based science teaching strategies in ITE in science though they tended to rely on questions as their main activity rather than using a range of inquiry-based instructional strategies. Moreover, the majority of teacher-educators reported that continued practice in teaching science courses and/or teaching method courses had contributed to their developing a fair understanding of inquiry-based pedagogy in science. The teacher-educators and student-teachers appreciated that inquiry-based pedagogy should be used in ITE because it helps in developing learning. The teacher-educators responded positively regarding the role of inquiry in developing science literacy and in enhancing the procedural understanding of student-teachers in science. Though most of the findings were supported by student-teachers’ responses from student-teachers’ questionnaires and focus groups, a gap was noted between the teacher-educators’ perceptions of the use of inquiry-base pedagogies and the student-teachers’ perceptions of their actual experiences in the science classroom in the responses given in the student-teachers’ focus groups. The results indicate that a majority of teacher-educators and students reported several serious barriers to using inquiry-based pedagogy. These were exam-based assessment, text-based curriculum in science courses, insufficient time, a lack of resources and a lack of university support. Furthermore, the majority of teacher-educators reported that the curriculum allows only limited exposure to inquiry when teacher-educators are burdened with a large teaching load as well as a shortage of time, limited resources and big classes. The teacher-educators commented that assessment allows them little autonomy in assessing student-teachers’ levels of science learning. Consequently, teacher-educators’ lack of motivation regarding the process of inquiry-based strategies was reported, which resulted in the reduced use of inquiry-based strategies. Thus, teacher-educators’ lack of motivation, difficulties in managing inquiry-based lessons and student-teachers’ low levels of confidence in using inquiry were all reported as more minor barriers which could be removed with a continued practice of inquiry-based approaches. Student-teachers’ perceptions from their questionnaires’ and focus groups’ data support the teacher-educators’ perceptions of the role and importance of inquiry-based pedagogy. Moreover, the majority of teacher-educators responded that student-teachers should be encouraged to develop an understanding of the process of inquiry. The emergent themes were discussed in the light of the existing literature in order to highlight similarities, as well as distinctive features in a Pakistani context. Finally, recommendations concerning the importance of inquiry-based pedagogy in science in ITE, the arrangement of resources, teacher-educators’ professional development, and preparation for student-teachers are presented for the attention of teacher-educators, the University administration, and Higher Education Authorities.

This study focuses on the political perspective of the process and context of strategic leadership, in three top international Business Schools, IMD, INSEAD and London Business School. It remedies three inadequacies in the current literature. These are: first, the scarcity of empirical studies on strategic leadership with a processual perspective, despite the interest demonstrated in theoretical studies on leadership in the last decades, second, the lack of links between the leadership and strategy fields; third, scholars' call for studies on leadership from a political perspective. Longitudinal and comparative case studies were conducted with the purpose of describing the Strategic Leadership Process (SLP) in each and across the three Business Schools, over the period 1990-2004, through strategic agenda-building and -executing, in relation to a specific strategic initiative: Becoming a top international Business School. Findings show firstly, that among the three key actors (Board, Dean and Faculty), the Dean is the main key actor in the SLP because of his critical role of building and executing the School's strategic agenda. Secondly, for the Dean to succeed, it is crucial to deliver an inclusive approach with regard to the other key actors' (Board and Faculty) interests and priorities. Thirdly, Performance represents a precondition for the Dean to be credible and receive support from Faculty and Board. Fourthly, for an effective direction-setting, the Dean's capacity to scan and understand the external voice, signals and trends and raise them to the School's strategic agenda is fundamental. Fifthly, the ability to articulate and communicate vision through coalition-building combined with adequate delegation, represent critical competences to raise and execute breakthrough initiatives for the School.

This is a study of international East Asian (Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Thai and Korean) postgraduate students' experience of adjustment (n=40) at a university in the UK in the year 2004/5. It is an empirical case study which investigates English language adjustment, academic adjustment and sociocultural adjustment. It employs a mix of methods - questionnaire, research diary, and interviews, in order to achieve triangulation for validity and reliability. Data were coded in order and grouped into themes. Findings were reported in eight narrative accounts of individual students, in a thematic description, and in models of integration and adjustment. It was found that, overall, East Asian students were largely positive and the study describes strategies used to address difficulties and challenges. However one example of failure in the university (i. e. an unhappy experience) was given. The study presents the notion of an "Integrated international student experience" to help understand the experience of the sojourner in an academic institution. This research has made a significant contribution to the literature on adjustment and transition of international students in the UK. In addition, using narrative accounts to present data has also contributed to methodological issues in studying living and study abroad.

This thesis aims to identify how the Distributed Leadership approach may be evident in Higher Education and specifically how it may enhance the teaching and learning function in a specific Higher Education setting, for which the primary activity is teaching and learning. Whilst being atypical of many Higher Education Institutions, the case study institution is arguably facing the same challenges in terms of the need to enhance teaching and learning as other institutions in the sector. Uniquely the research aims to identify parallels of teacher leadership theory drawn from the schools sector with that of activity in a Higher Education sector setting. The research draws upon theoretical and empirical literature of the Distributed approach to provide a conceptual framework for the case study. An interpretivist stance is used to collect predominantly qualitative data through a mixed methods approach, which was used to engage with staff in both formal leadership and academic positions. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted and data from these interviews, together with fifty two questionnaire responses and documentary analysis were used to elicit both qualitative and quantitative data. Findings indicate that formal leadership assumes that there is a fostered environment that facilities the Distributed approach and that specific activity allows for elements of distribution. However, there is a perceptions gap of how the overall vision, mission and teaching and learning strategy is communicated. This needs to be strengthened in order to provide an ‘Effective Leadership Framework’ in which leadership of teaching and learning may be enhanced. Many aspects of leadership activity among academics drew parallels with teacher leadership theory. Many staff undertook activities that it can be argued are leadership functions such as networking, developing subject expertise and initiating projects that arguably enhance the student experience. However, this was ‘pulsating’ in nature and not sustained activity. The research also identified that opportunities for leadership should to be extended to more academic staff, the majority of whom had considered applying for leadership roles. In order to facilitate leadership activity, the professional learning community needs to be considerably strengthened to allow for efficient networking, especially around pedagogic development. A model of an ‘Effective Leadership Framework’ is developed to illustrate the role that Distributed Leadership may take in enhancing teaching and learning.

The research compared native (NSE) and non-native (NNSE) learners' academic writing strategies in higher education (HE), where natives are learners who were born and educated in Britain, and non-native participants are nationals of Mainland China and Libya. This comparison was made in order to determine similarities/differences in strategies employed by the three groups (British, Libyans, and Chinese) as well as to provide possible explanations for the findings. The study also explored a further effect, namely gender. This research utilized a mixture of quantitative (structured questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) approaches. The results of the first stage of this study were primarily based on a questionnaire completed by 302 HE students. This examined patterns and variations among NSE and NNSE academic writing use, finding important differences between these groups in terms of their nativeness, nationality, gender, age, qualification, length of residence in the UK, IELTS score, and subject area. The second stage focused on semi-structured interviews with twelve British, Libyan and Mainland Chinese students (four of each). These presented a more complex picture of NSE and NNSE problems in academic writing and the strategies used to overcome them as it looked not only for what they used, but also how and why certain strategies were employed. Interestingly, these findings indicated that even on the occasions when NSE and NNSE use a similar strategy they tend to approach it differently. The study deepens our understanding of the issues associated with writing strategy use in both L1 and L2 HE students and shows that very little may be assumed in cross-cultural research. Despite some variations, there is a general tendency for all three groups to adopt similar writing strategies. Moreover, the individual variations, cultural and educational background are more significant in accounting for the use of the writing strategies than the actual differences in writing by gender, nativeness and nationality. There are clear lessons to be learnt about the informal and unguided way that most participants, regardless of nativeness, nationality and gender, seem to learn how to write. They use a variety of sources as a model, including other students‘ assignments, and samples of varying standards would help them differentiate between good and bad writing. As efficient academic writing cannot be assumed, there needs to be a concerted effort by EAP teachers to improve their methods of promoting more effective writing. I believe that current methods are inadequate, and suggest two more integrated or holistic approaches. These approaches seek to reduce prevarication in writing and are referred to as the ‗sink‘ approach and the ‗shuttling‘ approach. The ‗sink‘ approach involves pouring down whatever thoughts come to mind. Some of these will be included in the final version, while others may be discarded (down the sink)! ‗Shuttling‘, which is particularly prevalent in the NNSE, refers to using a variety of sources and is a useful method of assimilating information. This may take place after the commencement of writing, where more inspiration is required, though conversely, ‗shuttling‘ could take place before the commencement of writing. The outcomes of this research, therefore, are important in informing pedagogy on the one hand for two countries where the learning of English has become an important educational requirement and on the other for a country where teaching English is a growth industry.

This thesis has the aim of defining the features of an effective learning environment. Success in higher education leads to advantages beyond the qualification; strategies that address the challenge of attrition may result in personal and community benefit. This thesis examines the extent to which belonging to a community of practice influences motivation and learning. Social constructivist philosophy requires a qualitative interpretive approach to data gathering to capture the lived and living learning experience. Respondents studied the Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector and the Foundation Degree in Learning Support. Data arose from episodic semi-structured interviews, a blog, group interviews and an on-line survey. Results demonstrated that: i) students experienced fluctuation in their day-today motivation; ii) most students developed a sense of belonging based on a shared understanding of experience; iii) some students drew on existing features of their previous successful selves to enable their success. This research contributes two key findings: i) e-motivation describes the use of e-communication tools to motivate; ii) a new model of proximal ethnography acknowledges the significance of shared identity, of being ‘inside-out-inside’ the research. The reflexive nature of proximal ethnography sees commonalities in research rather than any dissociation between the research question and the researcher. These results could be applied to teaching practice by improving students’ preparedness for study through normalising feelings of instability in motivation. In addition, students could be supported to reflect on past accomplishments in order to help them succeed. Finally, this research offers the opportunity to evaluate the model of proximal ethnography, to allow the concept to be offered as a new research method with conviction.

Research on the experiences of East Asian students‘ learning in the UK is growing because a large number of Chinese origin students come to Britain for higher education (HE). In recent years the number of South Asian students from India and Pakistan has also significantly increased. The current research focus on approaches to learning as means to develop independent learning (IL) is not often dealt with in depth in literature. This study examines how Asian students with English as a second language successfully transform their approaches to learning from a traditional learning background into IL skills. It probes both the academic and cultural issues of Chinese, Indian and Pakistani students in British HE institutions, from their own perceptions using a qualitative approach, by examining the inherent challenges between prior learning patterns in the home country and the necessary development of IL skills in the UK. Data was obtained from twenty nine in-depth interviews, questionnaires (66 responses) and personal narratives giving student accounts of the UK learning process; their prior and current educational experience and the closer link that is established in relation to the realisation of the difference in IL and teacher-centeredness. Using Grounded Theory (GT), this thesis conceptualises that IL skills are critical for academic success, and both language and IL skills are vital for adjustment in the UK higher education. Adequate academic writing and communication skills are part of this, and various support strategies are needed to enhance the process of IL. My research contributes to the literature by highlighting the challenges Asian student face in developing IL. Thus, the current theoretical understanding presents some previously-ignored aspects of major learning theories which do play a helpful part in understanding the successful UK independent learning experience of Asian students. The study – adding perspectives of non-Confucian Heritage Culture students to existing studies finds that overall Asian students share a similar learning history of teacher-centeredness and hence face issues of the same identical nature which originate largely from their prior learning experiences of dependency. Despite these difficulties, student Research on the experiences of East Asian students‘ learning in the UK is growing because a large number of Chinese origin students come to Britain for higher education (HE). In recent years the number of South Asian students from India and Pakistan has also significantly increased. The current research focus on approaches to learning as means to develop independent learning (IL) is not often dealt with in depth in literature. This study examines how Asian students with English as a second language successfully transform their approaches to learning from a traditional learning background into IL skills. It probes both the academic and cultural issues of Chinese, Indian and Pakistani students in British HE institutions, from their own perceptions using a qualitative approach, by examining the inherent challenges between prior learning patterns in the home country and the necessary development of IL skills in the UK. Data was obtained from twenty nine in-depth interviews, questionnaires (66 responses) and personal narratives giving student accounts of the UK learning process; their prior and current educational experience and the closer link that is established in relation to the realisation of the difference in IL and teacher-centeredness. Using Grounded Theory (GT), this thesis conceptualises that IL skills are critical for academic success, and both language and IL skills are vital for adjustment in the UK higher education. Adequate academic writing and communication skills are part of this, and various support strategies are needed to enhance the process of IL. My research contributes to the literature by highlighting the challenges Asian student face in developing IL. Thus, the current theoretical understanding presents some previously-ignored aspects of major learning theories which do play a helpful part in understanding the successful UK independent learning experience of Asian students. The study – adding perspectives of non-Confucian Heritage Culture students to existing studies finds that overall Asian students share a similar learning history of teacher-centeredness and hence face issues of the same identical nature which originate largely from their prior learning experiences of dependency. Despite these difficulties,students are able to develop IL skills. The development of IL is however a transitional process which becomes apparent with both an inclusive institutional involvement. The study recommends andragogical strategies, appropriate support strategies; and adopting a multi-ethnic approach towards a socio-cultural adjustment journey in students‘ own personal capacity. In order to develop IL, students must not only develop language skills by adopting a multi-ethnic approach towards socio-cultural adjustment but also a range of approaches to learning, and developing the ability to think independently about the relative topics studied; all which have clear implications in relation to successful IL experience.

Teaching and learning in large classes has been an area of educational research interest for some decades now. Much previous research, however, has been largely positivist in nature and based on quantitative designs. Surveys have failed to document the ‘live experiences’ of those involved in large classes: teachers and students. The large class issue has often been treated as a single isolated factor without taking into account the complex interplay of the other contextual factors in classes. Although there is a wealth of speculative suggestion in the literature on how to deal with large classes, there is limited research into tutors’ accounts of good practice in large classes and students’ perspectives and preferences regarding these practices. With the above in mind and being firmly set on a qualitative ground and based on semi-structured interviews, classroom observation and observation field notes, this investigation aims to obtain insiders’ perspectives on the reality of being in a large class with limited resources, by eliciting teachers’ and students’ views in a Syrian university context. Data was collected in two phases within one academic year. Classes in the first phase were observed over a period of six weeks in four different courses taught by different tutors to the same cohort of (400+) students. First phase findings revealed that tutors and students held different views on the same situation. Being in a large class was just one factor among several that shaped their experience. Students did not mind being in a large class as long as they were taught by good lecturers. These findings were the motivation for the second phase of research where classes were also observed over a period of six weeks in four different courses taught by different ‘good’ tutors to a different cohort of (400+) students. The aim in the second phase was to look more closely, from students’ perspectives, at ‘popular teachers’ and at the ‘successful’ teaching practices they have developed to teach in large, under-resourced classes. Findings draw attention to important tutor and lesson characteristics which student interviewees considered the attribute of good tutors and good lessons in this specific context.

In the UK, international Masters students whose first language is not English may find the Masters dissertation challenging perhaps because they cannot utilize the full potential of the supervisor’s feedback throughout the dissertation writing process. This process is critiqued as complex and messy, for it involves a clash of expectations, miscommunication, uncertainties and confusions. Yet although the number of international students has increased rapidly in most UK universities, the effects of the supervisor’s feedback on their Masters dissertation writing are poorly investigated. To address these issues, this thesis reports on a small-scale study conducted among international students at Masters level at the University of Warwick. Three departments are included: Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), Law School (LS), and Centre for Translation and Comparative Cultural Studies (CTCCS). Using semi-structured interviews (12 preliminary interviews and 3 longitudinal interviews), semi-structured questionnaires (26 completed questionnaires) and documents (supervisors’ annotations and written comments on the students’ submissions), the current study aims to investigate what influences the supervisor’s feedback may have on international students’ Masters Dissertation Writing (MDW). Analysis of the data obtained by means of qualitative content analysis, it has been discovered that the supervisor’s feedback can have a variety of effects on the quality of international students’ writing. These can be classified into psycho-affective, interpersonal, developmental, linguistic, behavioral and practical influences. In order to obtain a fine-grained picture of such effects, it is important to consider them not only in the light of such feedback issues as feedback delivery methods, feedback focus, and feedback processing, but also in relation to such concepts as motivation, independence, and the responsibilities of both students and supervisors. The key findings of this study are largely consistent with the feedback effects reported in previous research on this topic, indicating that the effects identified may be applicable to MDW in general. The current study suggests that both supervisors and students should negotiate those conflicting feedback expectations that emerge throughout the dissertation process on a frequent basis in order to help students gain more constructive support. To facilitate the process of negotiation, it is recommended that face to face tutorials should be seen as a key feedback delivery method in the Masters dissertation process. Another practical recommendation made in this study is that Sinclair’s (2005) hands-on approaches to PhD supervision should be used at Masters level as a means of reducing the negative impact of the power hierarchy inherent in the supervisor-supervisee relationship, thus helping international students in the process of developing into more independent learners. The study concludes that Masters supervisors should weigh their feedback choices carefully because their feedback may help students not only make more successful revisions but also change negative attitudes towards MDW. Supervisors should also consider such important variables as the student’s personal needs and lacks, the developmental phase of doing the dissertation and departmental expectations, with a view to promoting their motivation and encouraging them to develop strategies contributing to significant improvement in their writing.

<p> General education assessment practices and data use were examined among regionally accredited, four-year (baccalaureate degree-granting), private, not-for-profit colleges and universities. An online survey instrument was created, piloted, and sent to 1044 institutions resulting in a 45% response rate. Results indicate general education assessment data most frequently influence changes to the assessment process and course content. Challenges preventing data use include lack of time and campus cultures. Assessment data use varies by the regional accreditor in which an institution is a member. Regular class assignments (embedded assessments) and capstone assignments were the most frequently used assessment methods for which collected data are used. Interviews, portfolios, and locally created tests appear to yield more usable data.</p>